Tales of the Table · 35 years of Viking feasts · Hafnarfjörður
A Viking village saved from the wrecking ball
The old merchant's house by the harbour in Hafnarfjörður was built in 1841 and was nearly demolished in 1985. Instead it became Fjörukráin – and in May 2026 its Viking feasts turned 35.
In 1985 the town voted to tear the house down, but heritage authorities objected and it was sold and rebuilt as a restaurant. Jóhannes Viðar Bjarnason bought it in 1990, renamed it Fjörukráin and opened on 10 May. Exactly a year later, on 10 May 1991, the first Viking feast was served.
From 60 seats it has grown to around 350, with Hotel Viking next door, and Jóhannes – known locally as the “fjörugoði” – has organised Hafnarfjörður's Viking festival every summer.
This has been a big year for the Viking village. In April Fjörukráin was named Hafnarfjörður's Company of the Year, and this autumn Hotel Viking next door celebrates doubling in size to 108 rooms, with a new banquet hall for 200 guests in the cellar. Hafnarfjörður is also home to our own distillery – make a day of it.
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