Tales of the Table · 30 years · Downtown 101
Thirty years of Danish smørrebrød on Lækjargata
When Jómfrúin opened at Lækjargata 4 in 1996 it was Iceland's first restaurant devoted to Danish open sandwiches. In 2026 it turns thirty – run by the founder's son, who grew up between its tables.
The founder, Jakob Jakobsson, had trained in Copenhagen under the famous smørrebrød queen Ida Davidsen and became the first man ever to graduate as a “smørrebrødsjomfru” – the title the restaurant is named after. He started the business with Guðmundur Guðjónsson on little more than a bank overdraft.
Word spread fast: Iceland's president at the time, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, was among the guests in the very first year. On summer Saturdays the courtyard has hosted a jazz series for more than a quarter of a century.
In 2015 the founder's son, Jakob Jakobsson Jr., bought the restaurant – he was twelve when it opened and had worked there as a boy – and since 2020 he has been its sole owner. The recipe hasn't needed changing: rye bread, generous toppings and a cold glass of akvavit or beer on the side.
Sources: