SLIPPURINN: recipes & stories from Iceland

SHIPPING WORLDWIDE

Our first cookbook is available worldwide.

It features over 100 recipes of our most beloved dishes, drinks, and more. Each recipe is paired with a short story about the restaurant, the islands, and our food.

With photography by Gunnar Freyr Gunnarsson and Karl Petersson, and co-written with Nicholas Gill, the book is a celebration of our restaurant, its culture, and the place that shaped it.

Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to bring our story and recipes into your home - order now via Amazon or Phaidon.

SLIPPURINN (2012-2025)

Slippurinn was located on the volcanic Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands) in the south of Iceland, housed in a refurbished old machinery workshop that once served the local shipyard. After being closed for more than three decades, the building was carefully restored, with great respect for its original industrial character.

From the beginning, Slippurinn was deeply rooted in its surroundings. We worked closely with our community, foraged wild herbs and seaweed from the island, and grew what we could ourselves. Our cooking relied on close relationships with local fishermen, farmers, and small producers, ensuring ingredients that were both high quality and responsibly sourced.

The cuisine was strongly seasonal, shaped by the island, the sea around it, and what could be gathered by hand. Old Icelandic methods were combined with contemporary techniques to create food that was simple, expressive, and tied to a specific place and moment in time.

After 14 seasons, Slippurinn closed its doors in 2025. The decision was not born out of fatigue or loss of love, but from a quiet understanding that the moment was right. Some places are meant to exist fully, intensely, and then be left to rest while they are still alive with meaning. Slippurinn was one of those places.

The restaurant remains a defining chapter in our story. Its spirit lives on in the people who shaped it, in the values it was built on, and in the work that continues beyond it.

Our hope has always been that guests could taste the islands, feel the passing of seasons, and leave with a sense of time, place, and connection.

THE FAMILY BEHIND SLIPPURINN

It all began in 2011, when Kata shared a long-held dream of opening a restaurant in the old machinery workshop MAGNI. At the time, Gísli Matt was finishing culinary school, Indíana was working as an artist, and Auðunn was a fisherman. Each of us came from a different place, but all were rooted in the island.

What started as a quiet, romantic idea, to create something small and meaningful for our local community, soon revealed itself to be something much larger. Slippurinn grew beyond what we had imagined, shaped by the building, the island, and the people who gathered around it.

Slippurinn was a family project at heart, built by four family members with the invaluable help of extended family, friends, and an extraordinary team over the years. We were deeply fortunate to work alongside people who shared our curiosity, care, and ambition, and who helped bring the restaurant to life season after season.

Though Slippurinn has now closed, the gratitude remains. For the people, the moments, and everyone who came through the doors and became part of the story.

KATA GÍSLA

Born on March 1st, 1960, in the Vestmannaeyjar, Kata comes from a family of fishermen. Her life has moved fluidly between many worlds. She has worked at sea, in restaurants, and on video and design projects, studied art, and carries a strong and instinctive sense of aesthetics.

At Slippurinn, Kata shaped the atmosphere as much as the food shaped the experience. She had an unwavering eye for detail, filling the space with flowers, herbs, and plants, and ensuring the restaurant always felt alive and cared for. She also led the dining room, welcoming guests with warmth and presence.

Kata was the mother of Slippurinn.

AUÐUNN

Born on September 30th, 1956, in Siglufjörður in North Iceland, Auðunn moved to the Vestmannaeyjar at a young age to work as a fisherman. He spent more than forty years at sea, shaped by hard work, responsibility, and a deep understanding of the ocean.

At Slippurinn, Auðunn was the steady force behind the scenes. Whenever something needed fixing, building, or solving, he was there. With a lifetime of practical knowledge, he took care of the tasks that rarely fit neatly into a job description, yet were essential to keeping everything running.

He also handled the fish with the same care he had known at sea, cleaning, gutting, filleting, and salting the day’s catch.

Auðunn was the father of Slippurinn.

INDÍANA

Born on February 5th, 1980, in the Vestmannaeyjar, Indíana is the eldest of four siblings. She holds a master’s degree in Fine Art from the Slade School of Fine Art in London and trained as both a carpenter and furniture maker.

Indíana was responsible for the design and physical identity of Slippurinn and was involved in every aspect of the project, from the early build and ongoing maintenance to working behind the bar. With a precise eye for quality and detail, she helped shape the atmosphere and character of the restaurant in countless visible and invisible ways.

Indíana served as the chief executive of Slippurinn.

GÍSLI MATT

Born on March 25th, 1989, in the Vestmannaeyjar, Gísli is the youngest of four siblings and the only son. Trained as a chef, he emerged at a young age as one of the leading voices in the new wave of Icelandic cuisine, shaping a way of cooking that was deeply tied to place, season, and restraint.

His work was guided by a strong respect for nature. Local sourcing, close relationships with fishermen and farmers, and a deep understanding of traditional and modern techniques formed the backbone of his cooking. Through Slippurinn, he helped redefine how Icelandic ingredients could be understood, valued, and experienced.

Gísli served as the executive chef and creative leader of Slippurinn, carrying its vision from the islands.

Gísli Matt was the executive chef of Slippurinn.

Contact Us

Slippurinn is now closed and no longer takes table reservations.

Our email remains open for general inquiries, press, or matters related to the restaurant’s legacy. For those wishing to visit us in the Vestmannaeyjar, our sister restaurant NÆS will be open during the summer season.

For any inquiries, please use this form or contact us at info@slippurinn.com, and we will respond as soon as possible.

LOCATION

Slippurinn Eatery

 Vestmannaeyjar / Westman Islands
900, South region, Iceland.