Reykjavík Grapevine - 07.03.2008, Page 34

Snow was falling heavily when the four of us arrived at Brons. We
didn’t quite know what to expect since the last time we’d been there
the place had been called Kaffibrennslan and it hadn’t exactly been
renowned for its exciting menu. Upon entering I was glad to see that
the old wooden and dreary furniture had been swept out to make
room for a more modern, stylish and, I must say, tasteful interior. The
comfortable atmosphere was further enhanced by the soft music of
Novelle Vague.
Once seated our attentive waiter suggested that we let the chef
decide our courses. This sounded like a good idea so we all settled on
that.
While we waited for our first course I took a closer look at the
menu. I must admit I had been expecting something resembling the
old and boring menu of Brons’ predecessor. Boy was I wrong. The
only thing the two menus had in common was, well, just that – they
were both menus. Brons’ menu mainly consists of a good and excit-
ing variety of tapas courses, but should you be in the mood for a more
conventional meal like steak, burgers or salad you’ll find that too.
For starters, the chef sent us cheesecake with smoked salmon,
a surprising combination none of us had ever encountered. Despite
being taken a little aback by this exotic blend, we were all pleasant-
ly surprised. The rich taste of smoked salmon in conjunction with
cheese and a crunchy crust made the dish one to remember.
Our main course consisted of three kinds of tapas. First we
had chicken with mashed sweet potato. Next up was bruschetta
with pesto, Parma ham and parmesan cheese. Last but not least was
grilled lobster with garlic and chilli-mango salsa. All the dishes were
absolutely delicious, my favourite being the bruschetta – there’s just
something about the salty taste of Parma ham I can’t resist.
For dessert we had “Brons chocolate cake”, which was certainly
one of the highlights of the evening.
Brons simply has it all: tasty food, good wine and excellent ser-
vice.
Address:
Pósthússtræti 9
Tel.: 578 2020
Reviewed by
Sverrir Hjálmarsson
Brons
The Gullfoss restaurant is on Pósthússtræti, across the street from
Hornið and Bæjarins Bestu. In spite of its modest neighbours, Gull-
foss should by no means be considered cheap or everyday for us
commoners: the restaurant is well suited for fine dining, for big or
small parties.
The atmosphere at Gullfoss is good. The interior design is
warmer than in many Icelandic restaurants and its minimal rustic
feel is surprisingly charming. The black and white of every other
eatery in town is nowhere to be seen. Instead, guests can enjoy the
relief of a completely echo-free environment. The menu is classic,
with a fine blend of traditional Icelandic produce and Southern Eu-
ropean ideas brought together in a formal French style. I started the
meal with a delicious monk fish carpaccio. The blend of monk fish,
assorted greens and pink grapefruit was a fresh reminder of spring
and a perfect companion to the meat that followed. Of course I tried
my companion’s lobster, which was good, but I liked the monk fish
better. The main course was beef tenderloin and an open duck
breast ravioli. I’m a big fan of beef and I was very excited to try
Gullfoss’ take on the tenderloin. Although the meat was cooked per-
fectly, I would have preferred the dish a little lighter and with more
vegetables. The duck was a pleasant surprise and I was very jeal-
ous of my companion for ordering it. A much lighter meat than the
beef, it was served in an open ravioli with delicious caramelised red
onions. The combination had me begging my friend for more bites
to taste – the sweetness of the red onions complimented the duck
perfectly. For desert we had the “Choco Shock” and Crème Brûlée.
The former is a must for every chocolate lover. The dish incorpo-
rates many different chocolate desert styles and together they melt
into a fantastic chocolate orgasm. The always classic Crème Brûlée
was well done too, especially in combination with the blood orange
sorbet. Gullfoss is pricey – the main courses range from 3,200 to
4,700 ISK – but for an upscale restaurant the quality of the food eas-
ily justifies the prices.
Gullfoss
Address:
Pósthússtræti 2
Tel.: 599 1030
Reviewed by
Helga Þórey Jónsdóttir
Photos by GAS
B10 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 03 2008 | Reviews
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