Reykjavík Grapevine - 13.04.2007, Blaðsíða 15

At the top of Laugavegur is the pizza fan’s favourite,
Reykjavík Pizza Company. Established by the same
owners as Eldsmiðjan Pizza, this chilled-out,
reasonably-priced pizzeria has become a bit too
popular for its own good, resulting in long lines and
sometimes not-so-attentive service during the busiest
hours. Luckily, the restaurant offers take-away from
morning to late evening so no hungry pedestrian
should have to leave empty handed.
Although the pizzas are the restaurant’s speciality,
the owners were clever enough to stretch the menu a
little and, instead of only serving the fire baked pizzas,
the menu consists of various bagels and wraps served
with all sorts of fillings. The cheap ready-to-grab
pizza slices seem to appeal to the younger clientele,
especially the ones in a hurry. While the pizzas are
excellent – among the best you’ll get in the city in
fact – it’s my view that the over-the-top bagels outdo
all the other fast-food brunch/lunch joints around,
making the place a perfect dining spot for a small and
light meal.
The restaurant’s two floors offer plenty of seats
and in the evening, when the place is almost always
packed, both floors are bustling with food and fun.
The upper floor is for smokers, at least until June, and
the roomy ground floor for the rest. Its plain interiors
and large windows overlooking Laugavegur make it
both bright and airy and the usually rather tacky art
exhibitions decorating the walls help pass the time
while waiting for your meal.
There are more then ten different warm and tasty
bagels on the menu. You can choose between stuffing
the bread with smoked salmon, pepperoni, mozzarella
and tomatoes, turkey, ham and eggs, walnuts and
blue cheese or even mix your own with your favourite
ingredients. Grapevine especially recommends the
grilled-peppers-chicken-bagel. A bagel that is so
addictive that you can easily eat one every morning
without even thinking twice, if you have the budget
for such a luxury that is. Topped with sesame seeds
and covered with cream cheese on both halves, a
generous amount of red peppers and chicken are put
on top of the bagel and then under the grill for a few
minutes. On top of this? A handful of fresh spinach
and lots of parmesan cheese. Simple, yet delicious; just
the way it should be.
Reykjavík Pizza Company
RVK_GV_INFO_ISSUE 04_007_BEZT Í HEIMI_B13
Laugavegur 81, 101 Reykjavík, tel.: 561 3838
B1_RVK_GV_INFO_ISSUE 04_007_REVIEWS/FOOD
Located in an old wooden house in the centre of town, Einar
Ben is easily one of the most conveniently situated restaurants
in Reykjavík. The house itself is a historical building from the
turn of the 20th century where Einar Benediktsson, one of
Iceland’s national heroes and poets once operated a law
firm and later established Iceland’s first newspaper. The
respectable décor, influenced by Iceland’s national colours,
reflects the historical significance of the house and installs
a sense of occasion upon entry. The interior is spacious and
despite always being busy, the place rarely feels crowded.
While Einar Ben takes great pride in using only Icelandic
ingredients in all its dishes to ensure freshness and quality,
the decision is obviously in line with the national theme of
the place. A new menu offers adventurous combinations,
with Icelandic herbs often taking a prominent place in the
creation. The house wine list is extensive and a wide variety of
monthly selections are available as well. It was also pleasant
to see that the ecological wines are becoming a permanent
selection at the city’s restaurants.
We opted for the chef’s pride, a four-dish menu selected
and prepared by the chef, and the sommelier’s choice of
accompanying wines. For a starter we were served a rich
creamy lobster soup, with an Australian Chardonnay white
wine. The wine was solid if not spectacular, while the soup
was a little too creamy for my taste. For the first entrée, our
waiter brought out a plate of transparent-thin carpaccio,
layered with Parmesan cheese and pepper. A classic and
refined dish that was highlighted by the excellent selection
of a Italian Tuscany red wine, rich in flavour with a hint of
chocolate. Score one for the sommelier.
Our second entrée was Dijon-glazed lamb with basil and
pepper sauce. The loin was perfectly cooked, soft and tender,
but the trimmings left a little to be desired. Once again, the
highpoint was the wine selection, a fabulous spicy South-
African red wine with rich fruity taste. Score two for the
sommelier. For desert, we were presented with a delicious
chocolate cake, accompanied by a nice glass of port wine.
A word must be reserved for the excellent service we
were afforded at Einar Ben, especially the wine selections,
which brought out the best in every dish.
Einar Ben
Veltusund 1, 101 Reykjavík, tel.: 511 5090
Dining at a fine Tapas restaurant is always a flavourful fiesta
for the mouth and the deservedly popular Tapas Barinn is no
exception. Located in a roomy basement in the city centre, its
warm and dark interior, extremely lively atmosphere and the
inviting list of various reasonably priced Tapas dishes add a
nice Spanish twist to the eating-out selection. Although the
place has plenty of seating, its space fills up during weekends,
attracting birthday-celebrators and easy-going groups of
friends grabbing dinner before heading out to party.
Inspired by Spanish cuisine, the restaurant’s menu is a
mixed bag of appetizing main dishes and small courses but
it’s the list of Tapas dishes that make it such a hit. With the
average price being around 700 ISK per piece, the menu
counts more than 50 different dishes and the wine list offers
a nice selection of classic Spanish wines.
This time around, my companion and I decided not to
waste time in selecting our favourites but instead take the
journey into the unknown and allowed the chef to choose.
For only 3,730 ISK we were served an enjoyable mix of seven
generous portions of meat and fish dishes as well as dessert,
coffee and a glass of Port to finish the meal.
Our first two dishes were delicious. I was served Serrano
ham with raisins and bacon-wrapped scallops while my
friend got Parma ham with melon and horseradish sauce and
a plate of large shrimps in spicy sauce. The third round was
a disappointment though. The pan-fried salted cod served
on top of sweet mashed potatoes was overcooked while the
squid was almost raw and tasteless. Things improved when
our waiter arrived with piping hot plates of perfectly cooked
veal and lamb followed by chicken alioli and lamb satay. By
now we were getting pretty full but the waiter continued
putting more food on the table. For our two last dishes we
were served traditional horizo with sweet onion and scallops
with tomatoes followed by lobster tails and grilled mussels.
Both excellent and hit the spot.
Diners going to Tapas Barinn usually know what to expect.
Nice food, friendly service and a lively vibe that combine for a
fun time. This evening was no different, and the next one will
probably be the same.
Tapas Barinn
Vesturgata 3b, 101 Reykjavík, tel.: 511 1773
When it comes to fast-food, the Grapevine staff has dined
at almost every single joint located in the city centre so
we’d like to think that we have gathered a certain expertise
in the matter by now. We need our snacks to be cheap,
tasty and quick to grab but unfortunately these demanding
requirements have left us with few options.
After months of eating pizzas, burgers and sandwiches
for lunch the overload of bread, pepperoni and mayo has
become rather tiresome. That is why discovering the newly
established HabiBi at Hafnarstræti was a delightful treat for
us all. Specialising in authentic Arabic traditional food, HabiBi
serves delicious shawarmas, kebab-sticks and falafels to an
expanding number of hungry downtown strollers from lunch
to late dinner hours.
HabiBi, which translates as ‘my beloved,’ is a welcome
addition to the downtown quick-meal spots. It’s fairly cheap,
nice and clean and even plays Arabic music videos on a large
TV on the wall to spice up the atmosphere. The dining space
only counts a couple of seats facing the wall and window
for those who choose to eat on the spot but the take-away
bags come in handy for those on the run. An even bigger
bonus, HabiBi is open until six in the morning on Fridays and
Saturdays, preparing hot juicy meals for all the late night out
crowd in desperate need of energy.
By now, we at the Grapevine have tried most of the dishes
listed on the short and simple menu and we like every bite.
Whether it’s the rich plate of kebab sticks with hummus, salad
and purple onion yoghurt cheese sauce or the marinated
chicken shawarma served with salad, cucumbers, sweet
corn, cheese and the special purple onion sauce, the dishes,
costing less than 1000 ISK each, including drinks, never fail
to satisfy. The shawarma chicken tortilla sandwich is perfect
to grab if you’re in a hurry, as is the falafel sandwich, which
comes highly recommended. Wrapped in warm flour tortilla
and generously stuffed with flavourful deep-fried falafel balls,
vegetables, chilli and yoghurt sauce it only costs 700 ISK with
a can of soda, making it my favourite at the moment. I can
even guarantee that all you harder-than-hell-to-please folks
out there are going to love it.
HabiBi
Hafnarstræti 18, 101 Reykjavík
Reviewed by Sveinn Birkir Björnsson Reviewed by Steinunn Jakobsdóttir Reviewed by Steinunn Jakobsdóttir Text by Steinunn Jakobsdóttir
Happy Hour
Every Weekday from 17:00 – 20:00
Pósthússtræti 2, 101 Reykjavik – ICELAND / +354 599 1000 www.saltrestaurant.is