Vancouver is getting a taste of Iceland from November 11 to 14, with visiting chef Ísak Darri joining David Hawksworth for a special three-day menu at Hawksworth Restaurant as the Taste of Iceland festival makes its city debut.
The four-day celebration, organized by Inspired by Iceland, brings food and drinks, music, photography, storytelling and other Icelandic experiences to venues around Vancouver. The culinary centrepiece is at Hawksworth Restaurant, where Icelandic cod, lamb, Arctic char and skyr appear on menus available for lunch and dinner from November 12 to 14.
Two chefs, one Icelandic menu
Ísak Darri, an Icelandic chef currently working at Borgskogs in Gothenburg, Sweden, has cooked in fine-dining and other professional kitchens and represented Iceland as part of its national culinary team. His competition experience includes the Bocuse d’Or, Culinary World Cup and Culinary Olympics, where the Icelandic team earned a bronze medal.
David Hawksworth opened his namesake Vancouver restaurant in 2011 after working in acclaimed European kitchens. He is also behind Nightingale and Bel Café and has been a longtime culinary partner of Air Canada. For this collaboration, the chefs are bringing ingredients associated with Icelandic cooking into Hawksworth’s downtown dining room.
What’s on the table at Hawksworth
The $36 three-course lunch begins with an endive salad dressed in blueberry vinaigrette with Feykir cheese, croutons and walnuts. Diners can choose between baked Icelandic cod with celeriac, cod sauce and lovage and grilled Icelandic lamb fillet with glazed beets and fermented plum. Dessert is a whipped skyr ganache with strawberries, lemon cake and candied lemon zest.
The $98-per-person shared menu, with optional wine pairings for an additional $55, offers a fuller introduction. The dishes listed by the festival include Icelandic scallop crudo with strawberry, chervil and lemon kombucha; smoked Arctic char with horseradish cream and pickled red currants; and plokkfiskur, a traditional Icelandic fish hash served with sweet rye bread. Grilled lamb fillet and baked Icelandic cod feature among the later courses, followed by a whipped skyr ganache with strawberry, white chocolate and lemon cake.
Selections from the festival menus are also available à la carte at dinner between November 12 and 14. The cod is supplied by Icelandic Seafood and the lamb by Icelandic Lamb. View the full menus and make a Hawksworth reservation.
For those curious about Icelandic food traditions, the ingredients offer several starting points. Cod has long been central to the country’s fishing culture, lamb is closely associated with its farming landscape, and skyr is a cultured dairy food that works as well in dessert as it does at breakfast.
Cocktails, jazz and an Icelandic music night
The festival opens on Wednesday, November 11, with an Iceland Airwaves Off-Venue concert at The Pearl, 881 Granville Street, from 7 to 11 p.m. The lineup features Virgin Orchestra, SCAM and DJ Hermigervill.
On Friday, November 13, J Lounge at 475 Granville Street hosts Across Iceland: A Guided Cocktail Journey from 5 to 7 p.m. Mixologist Arnór Gísli pairs three regionally inspired cocktails with stories told by Ragnar Bragason. This event is free with advance tickets and is for guests aged 19 and older.
Also on Friday, the Reykjavík Jazz Festival presents saxophonist Óskar Guðjónsson and bassist Skúli Sverrisson at The Hargrove, accessed from the back alley at 150 East 3rd Avenue, from 6 to 7 p.m.
Photography, northern lights and Icelandic stories
On Friday from noon to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m., J Lounge presents Iceland by the World’s Worst Photographer, an exhibition of Iceland photographs by Blanche Mortemard. An exhibition talk is scheduled for Saturday, November 14, from 3 to 4 p.m.
Saturday also includes a social ride with Lauf Cycles from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., beginning at the Vancouver Rowing Club in Stanley Park. Northern Lights in Vancouver runs from 1 to 3 p.m. at J Lounge, followed by Iceland Unfiltered, an evening of comedy and storytelling from 5 to 7 p.m. The latter is for guests aged 19 and older.
At selected festival events, ticket holders may also be chosen for Icelandair’s Wheel of Prizes, with a chance at travel and other Icelandic prizes.
How to experience Taste of Iceland Vancouver
Dates: November 11 to 14, 2026, with Hawksworth’s Icelandic menus served November 12 to 14.
Hawksworth Restaurant: 801 West Georgia Street, Vancouver.
Dining prices: $36 lunch; $98 shared menu; optional wine pairings $55 extra. Dinner selections are also offered à la carte.
Booking: Hawksworth festival menu and reservations. Many other events are free, although some require advance registration and space may be limited.
Complete schedule: Taste of Iceland Vancouver official programme.
The festival offers an introduction to Iceland that goes well beyond the postcard landscapes. Its most tangible starting point may be what arrives on the plate: a taste of Icelandic seafood, lamb and skyr, prepared through a Vancouver kitchen.
