Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Iceland Reykholt Friðheimar
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

Friðheimar

Inside this Icelandic greenhouse, geothermal energy keeps tomatoes warm and growing.

Reykholt, Iceland

Added By
Stephanie Harper
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The view when you dine within the greenhouse.   Karen Bryan
The full length of the greenhouse.   Stephanie Harper
A competitor in the farm’s beer tölt.   ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo
The humidity steams up the windows.   Stephanie Harper
The greenhouse.   Fridheimar
Entrance to Friðheimar.   kleboff / Atlas Obscura User
Inside the greenhouse/restaurant   kleboff / Atlas Obscura User
Icelandic horses!   kleboff / Atlas Obscura User
The restaurant area/greenhouse.   kleboff / Atlas Obscura User
The greenhouse.   Fridheimar
The greenhouse.   Fridheimar
Tomatoes on the vine in the greenhouse.   Stephanie Harper
Delicious, fresh tomatoes.   kleboff / Atlas Obscura User
The greenhouse.   Fridheimar
19 Apr 2024. The bar inside the greenhouse   Ragnar of Ballard / Atlas Obscura User
19 Apr 2024. Lunch in the greenhouse   Ragnar of Ballard / Atlas Obscura User
  mocchiatto / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

This farm and greenhouse harnesses geothermal energy to do the seemingly impossible: grow tomatoes year-round in the harsh Icelandic climate.

Friðheimar is a family-run business mainly centered around tomatoes (though the family grows cucumbers and breeds horses as well). A borehole right on the property provides the warmth for the greenhouse, thanks to warm water and steam created by geothermal energy on the volcanic, tectonically active island.

While bananas, roses, cucumbers, and more grow in greenhouses across the country, Friðheimar is especially special because it caters to visitors. It's possible to dine right inside the greenhouse, where you can pick from the restaurant's tomato-centric menu to indulge in treats like tomato soup, Bloody Mary’s, tomato ice cream, and tomato beer.

You can also tour the farm and see a daily Icelandic horse show, which includes an occasional exhibition of the beer tölt, a fun, quirky equestrian game. Riders saddle up their trusty Icelandic horses and set off, mug of beer in hand. They then put their mounts through their paces while trying not to slosh their brew all over the place. The rider who spills the least wins. The whole point of the game is to both test the riders’ skills and show off the steadiness of the tölt, the breed’s unique gait.

Visiting during warmer months allows you to wander the grounds. But arriving in the winter gives you the full experience of stepping from the snow into the warm humidity of the greenhouse—an experience that can feel like stepping through a portal into another world.

Related Tags

Food Farms Horticulture Restaurants Tomatoes Fruit Greenhouses Unique Restaurants & Bars Plants

Know Before You Go

The farm is located an hour east of Reykjavik.  Book well in advance if you want to dine here.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Iceland in Summer: Journey through the South Coast & the Westman Islands

Explore Iceland's Myths, Wonders, & Landscapes.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

stephanieah27

Edited By

Max Cortesi, Kerry Wolfe, Alex Mayyasi, Ragnar of Ballard...

  • Max Cortesi
  • Kerry Wolfe
  • Alex Mayyasi
  • Ragnar of Ballard
  • kleboff
  • cararomanodesigns
  • mocchiatto
  • laurielaurie

Published

June 13, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://nea.is/geothermal/
  • https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/farms-in-iceland
  • https://nea.is/geothermal/direct-utilization/greenhouses/
  • http://www.hortidaily.com/article/4188/Tomato-farmers-worried-about-giant-greenhouse-in-Iceland
Friðheimar
Friðheimar
Reykholt
Iceland
64.177503, -20.444886
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Stone Carvings of Páll Guðmundsson

Iceland

miles away

Sólheimar Ecovillage

Grímsnes og Grafningshreppur, Iceland

miles away

Haukadalur Geothermal Field

Iceland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Reykholt

Reykholt

Iceland

Places 2

Nearby Places

The Stone Carvings of Páll Guðmundsson

Iceland

miles away

Sólheimar Ecovillage

Grímsnes og Grafningshreppur, Iceland

miles away

Haukadalur Geothermal Field

Iceland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Reykholt

Reykholt

Iceland

Places 2

Related Places

  • Vienna, Austria

    Palmenhaus

    Dine amidst exotic plants at this former royal greenhouse.

  • New tea plants in the greenhouse.

    Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina

    Charleston Tea Garden

    The only working large-scale tea plantation in the United States.

  • Casa Popeno’s main garden

    Antigua, Guatemala

    Casa Popenoe

    This restored colonial house was once home to the botanist responsible for bringing avocados to the U.S.

  • View from the Brooklyn Navy Yard location

    Queens, New York

    Brooklyn Grange Farms and Apiary

    Two New York rooftops are home to the largest rooftop soil farms in the world.

  • Artist’s rendering of The Plant

    Chicago, Illinois

    The Plant

    Former meatpacking facility turned vertical farm and sustainable business complex.

  • Montrichard Val de Cher, France

    La Cave des Roches (Mushroom Caves)

    Miles of man-made caves and tunnels are currently used for cultivating mushrooms.

  • The Science Barge docks in Manhattan

    Yonkers, New York

    The Science Barge

    Self-sufficient greenhouse floating on the Hudson River.

  • For dessert, the nicuatole, a pre-Hispanic corn-thickened gelée, accompanied by a prickly pear granita.

    Oaxaca, Mexico

    Levadura de Olla

    Step past a rainbow of Oaxacan nightshades for a menu of regional moles worthy of weddings and funerals.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.