Gate-side snacks and gifts near KEF Terminal 1 departures
Systur og Makar sits airside in Terminal 1 at Keflavik, in the main departures shopping strip between several duty-free outlets. It runs roughly from early morning bank (around 05:00) through the last evening departures, so you can usually swing by before those 06:30 flights to the UK or the late-night bank to North America.
Prices land in typical KEF territory: expect around 600–900 ISK for basic snacks and well over 1,000 ISK for nicer packaged treats. This is more of a grab-and-go and gift stop than a full meal option, so think chocolate, biscuits, and small souvenirs rather than hot food. It’s all post-security, so you don’t need extra time beyond your normal duty-free lap.
You’ll see a lot of Icelandic brands on the shelves, including local candies and packaged goods you can throw into a backpack in under a minute. Stock rotates, but you can usually find something under 2,000 ISK that looks presentable as a last-minute present. If you want real food, plan on hitting one of the nearby cafes instead and use Systur og Makar for backup snacks.
Lines here move fast since most people only grab one or two items and tap a card; even with a small crowd from a just-landed 200-seat flight, you’re rarely stuck more than 5–10 minutes. Quick tip: do a price check against the main duty-free across the hall before buying bigger gift boxes; sometimes the exact same item is a few hundred ISK cheaper there.