Fridheimar Greenhouse
Fridheimar Greenhouse Restaurant, properly spelled Friðheimar in Icelandic, is a tomato farm located along Iceland’s Golden Circle. If renting a car in Iceland, it’s a 1.5 hour drive from Reykjavik. If you are not comfortable renting a car, there are plenty of day tours* that include this as a stop!
Fridheimar Horses
Our first stop at Fridheimar was to visit the horses. They are famous for breeding Icelandic horses, which were brought to Iceland around 900 AD by the first Scandinavian settlers. We learned a lot about what sets them apart from other breeds.
Traditionally, all horses have three natural gaits – the walk, the trot & the gallop. Icelandic horses actually have five natural gaits, the other two being the tölt & the flying pace. We were able to see a demonstration of both of these unique gaits from one of the horse owners. To show how smooth the tölt is for a rider, she held a pint of beer as she rode around the track quickly – with no spillage!
Fridheimar Tomatos
Despite the cold Icelandic Winters, Fridheimar is able to produce their tomatoes year round in their climate controlled greenhouses! The tomatoes are pollinated by bumblebees which they ship in to the greenhouse in boxes. They yield a crop of about a ton of tomatoes daily!
Dining in Fridheimar Greenhouse Restaurant
Inside the greenhouse, among the tomato plants, you’ll find a small restaurant! Tomatoes are obviously the key ingredient in their dishes here. They even have tomato themed cocktails – and two tomato beers to try! We enjoyed their tomato soup & freshly made bread as part of the daily offered buffet, but they also offer other options on their menu too.
The bread was arguably some of the best bread I’ve had in my life! To paint a picture as to how good this meal was, I’m someone who doesn’t really like tomato soup but I ate the entire bowl. We recommend making your dining reservation in advance as they are a busy spot. For more information about the Fridheimar Greenhouse Restaurant & menu, check out the link here: Fridhiemar.
Group Horse Demonstration & Greenhouse Tour
If you’re visiting as a group, you can book the Icelandic horse demonstration and greenhouse tour, prior to your meal. The guide will walk you through the greenhouse, pointing out the bumblebee boxes & pipes used to keep the greenhouse warm with geothermal water! They typically let guests to try a fresh tomato picked earlier that day. You’ll want to book your group space ahead of time by emailing fridheimar@fridheimar.is. (If you prefer doing a tour* that includes transportation, you can book one that includes lunch here as well as other stops along the Golden Circle).
Overall, I really enjoyed this experience at Fridhiemar’s Greenhouse Restaurant. I love how they use the geothermal energy to warm the greenhouse & keep it going throughout the winter months.
The food & ambiance was excellent. I highly recommend this stop if you’re driving the Golden Circle in Iceland.
