Reykjavík Grapevine - 08.02.2008, Síða 28

Greifinn is a favourite among residents of Akureyri and the many
visitors that make a trip to Iceland’s capital of the North. This busy,
family-friendly restaurant has served hearty meals to its loyal group of
customers since 1990. It has steadily grown in size and boasts a roomy
dining area with plenty of seats. When my companion and I arrived
early on a Tuesday evening, the casual location was filling up quickly
with groups of teenagers sampling French fries and families feasting
on pizza slices and grilled steaks. By the time we left, the place was
almost packed.
Greifinn has become famous for its extensive and varied menu.
The selection of both light dishes and calorie-rich temptations range
from salads and sandwiches to meat and fish dishes, burgers, piz-
zas and fajitas. Although almost everything on the moderately priced
menu looked tempting, we had to try the legendary hamburger we
had heard rumours of before our arrival: a burger described as the
greasiest treat hamburger lovers could dream of, literally swimming
in béarnaise sauce. We asked our waitress who immediately knew
what we were on about and within moments an overflowing plate of
what could best be described as a pure-evil-to-your-health arrived.
This mouth-watering burger is called an American beef sand-
wich on the menu and comes with slices of grilled beef, fried mush-
rooms and onions. Soaked in béarnaise sauce, the burger is served
with a huge portion of fries, nacho-salad and cocktail sauce. For 1,690
ISK, this was the juiciest and most generous burger meal we’d tried in
ages, and the extra béarnaise sauce in a large bowl on the side only
gave it extra points. An absolute must-try.
I actually decided to go for a stomach-friendlier dish and or-
dered a Calzone (1,590 ISK). Stuffed with cheese, mushrooms, onion,
bell pepper and tomatoes, the calzone made it quite understandable
why Greifinn is such a popular pizza place. A very filling meal and
perhaps big enough for two. With no room left for dessert we con-
cluded our meal with a cup of coffee. Needless to say, we didn’t feel
hungry until late the next day.
Address:
Glerárgata 20
Akureyri
Tel.: 460 1600
Reviewed by
Steinunn Jakobsdóttir
Greifinn
Located on the fifth floor right in the heart of the town of Akureyri,
brasserie Strikið opened its doors in 2005. The spot used to house
restaurant Fiðlarinn, but new owners renovated the space to offer
Akureyrians a modern, reasonably priced dining destination. The
elegantly designed dining area, with its dark and minimalist interi-
ors, offers a great view over Eyjafjörður fjord. Tables are plenty and
when the roomy balconies are open during summer, the restaurant
can cater to an even larger group of sunbathing diners from lunch
to dinner. When my companion and I arrived on a freezing Monday
evening, the place was quite empty and the atmosphere relaxed, but
our waitress assured us that weekends were the complete opposite.
The dinner menu is appealing, in terms of both choices and
prices, and features an array of hamburgers and pizzas along with
inviting fish, pasta and meat dishes. For starters, my dining partner
ordered the Parma salad with parmesan cheese (1,590) while I opt-
ed for snails fried in garlic butter (1,350). Both dishes were simple
and tasty, although the snails could have benefited from a bit more
garlic. Our attentive waitress served us Chilean white wine with
the meal and made sure our glasses were never empty throughout
the evening. For the main course, the seafood options were too ap-
petising to miss. I chose the Seafood pasta (2,150) in creamy sauce
with large chunks of lobster, scallops and tiger-shrimps while my
companion ordered the Seafood pizza (1,790) topped with tiger-
shrimps, lobster, mussels and garlic. Both dishes were excellent and
the chef was thankfully very generous with the lobster. For dessert,
we decided to share a chocolate cake with meringue and vanilla ice
cream (1,250). The cake was pure pleasure, and I wanted to order
another portion immediately after the first bite.
Our first visit to Strikið proved to be the best new discovery in
a long time. Here you can dine out in a comfortable setting and the
prices are more than fair considering the quality of the food served.
Combined with a professional and friendly service, this is certainly
worth a second trip.
Strikið
Address:
Skipagata 14,
Akureyri
Tel.: 462 7100
Reviewed by
Steinunn Jakobsdóttir
Photos by GAS
B10 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 02 2008 | Reviews
HOW TO DRIVE IN ICELAND
A relatively large percentage of foreign tourists in Iceland travel around the
country by car. Conditions in Iceland are in many ways unusual, and often quite
unlike that which foreign drivers are accustomed. It is therefore very important to
find out how to drive in this country. We know that the landscapes are beautiful,
which naturally draws the attention of driver away from the road. But in order to
reach your destination safely, you must keep your full attention on driving.
A common place for accidents to occur on rural roads
is where a paved road suddenly changes to gravel.
The main reason is that drivers do not reduce speed
before the changeover to gravel, and consequently
lose control. Loose gravel on road shoulders has also
caused a great number of accidents. When driving on
gravel roads, which are often quite narrow, it is
important to show caution when approaching
another car coming from the opposite direction by
moving as far to the right as is safely possible.
Blind hills, where lanes are
not separate, can be very
dangerous and should be
approached with caution.
There are also many blind
curves in Iceland that test a
driver’s skill.
GRAVEL ROADS, BLIND HILLS & BLIND CURVES
Further information
on www.drive.is