Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.10.2008, Qupperneq 38

Food & Drink | Venue finder
3 Frakkar
Baldursgata 14 | F9
A seriously Icelandic
atmosphere and tradi-
tional Icelandic dishes
prepared in the good
old-fashioned way.
RSVP and keep your
ears pricked for wild
whaling tales!
Af lífi og sál
Restaurant
Laugavegi 55b | 7H
A high street backyard
restaurant where the
menu changes every
night, so who knows
what´s for dinner? But
serving such dishes as
grilled dolphin, bac-
calao and kangaroo,
you can´t go wrong by
dropping by for lunch
or dinner.
Aktu Taktu
Skúlugata 15 | K8
This drive-in destina-
tion in 101 Reykjavík
is busy day and night
and the burgers are
especially tasty. The
caramel shakes are a
local favorite.
American Style
Tryggvagata 26 | E5
With a soft bun and
lots of veggies, you
can settle into a booth
and eat for hours. Big
portions for authentic
American dining.
Argentína Steak-
house
Barónstígur | I8
True to its name with
tender steaks and
flamingly vibrant South
American décor. Gen-
erous portions, fine
wine, liqueurs and ci-
gars make an excellent
choice in fine dining.
Austurlanda-
hraðlestin
Hverfisgata 64A | H7
Though a bit expensive
for take-away, it is well
worth it for a spicy bite
of this Indian cuisine.
A few tables to the
side for those who
choose to dine in.
Á Næstu Grösum
Laugavegur 20B | G7
Regarded by many to
be the best vegetarian
place in town, “First
Vegetarian” offers
a healthy and tasty
menu of vegetarian
and vegan dishes. In-
dian theme on Fridays
a hit.
B5
Bankastræti 5 | F6
By day a chic little
bistro with good food
and a prime loca-
tion for Laugavegur
people watching–by
night a stylish bar
with a “whiskey room”
and Manhattanesque
clientele.
Babalú
Skólavörðustígur 22A
| G8
It’s tough to miss café
Babalú walking up
Skólavörðustigur. A
cozy place for coffee
and cake, the well-
worn, homey ambience
makes it difficult to
leave.
Bæjarins Beztu
Tryggvagata | E6
The oldest fast-food in
Iceland, it is feasibly
the best hot dog stand
in Europe. Don’t be
intimidated by the
perpetual line in front
– an absolute must and
worth the wait.
Café Cultura
Hverfisgata 18 | G6
Cultura is a café/bar
with a party feel. The
menu features all sorts
of international dishes,
alongside the staple
salad and sandwich.
Café Loki
Lokastígur 28 | G9
With a splendid view
of Hallgrímskirkja, Café
Loki is the perfect
place to take a load
off your feet and enjoy
some solid homemade
Icelandic food.
Café Paris
Austurstræti 14 | E6
With an outdoor ter-
race, this café gets
busy on sunny days.
With a cosy interior,
fine menu and atten-
tive service, it makes a
fine spot for evening
dining as well.
Café Roma
Rauðarárstígur 8 | J9
Roma, an Italian deli
and café, offers a va-
riety of breads, soups
as well as tempting
desserts. For a good
bargain, come at
lunchtime for the
specials.
Café Victor
Hafnarstræti 1-3 |
D6/E6
A hangout for older
foreigners, Victor at-
tracts a diverse crowd,
both in age and origin,
a rule that extends to
the musicians that play
there.
Domo
Þingholtsstræti 5 | F7
The elegantly deco-
rated Domo serves
delicious French-Asian
cuisine, excellent sushi
and has a great wine
list. A sure choice.
Eldsmiðjan
Bragagata 38A | G9
Totally satisfying
oven-baked pizza
with a wide choice of
toppings–snails an
unusual specialty. Well
worth the cost. Order,
take away or eat
comfortably among the
paintings.
Fiskmarkaðurinn
Aðalstræti 12 | D6
Run and co-owned by
the national team of
chefs, this establish-
ment specializing in
Japanese cuisine has
everything planned to
the last detail, ensur-
ing a relaxing evening.
Geysir Bar/Bistro
Aðalstræti 2 | D6
Situated in the digni-
fied Geysir Building at
the corner of Vestur-
gata and Aðalstræti,
this stylish bistro is
always a good place to
grab a tasty bite for a
reasonable price.
Garðurinn
Klappastigur 37 | G7
“Ecstasy’s Heart” is
a simple, friendly,
family-run vegetarian
restaurant on Klap-
parstígur. Offers an
ever-changing menu
of specials and soup
du jours, alongside a
basic menu
Grái Kötturinn
Hverfisgata 16A | G7
Legendary for its early
opening ours, the Gray
Cat serves amazing
breakfasts and coffee
that packs a wallop. A
splendid way to start
you off on your day.
Grillhúsið
Tryggvagata 20 |
E5/E6
With a menu of rea-
sonably priced home-
style food, Grillhúsið
has satiated hungry
regulars since 1994
with juicy burgers,
sandwiches, steaks
and fish dishes.
Habibi
Hafnarstræti 20 | D5
A reliable source of
high quality shawarma
and falafel. Important
ingredient for success-
ful living.
Hamborgarabúlla
Tómasar (“Bullan”)
Geirsgata 1 | D5
Considered by some
to be the best real
hamburger in Reyk-
javík, “Bullan” does
serve some mysteri-
ously delicious burgers,
guaranteed to take the
edge off any hangover.
Hlölla Bátar
Ingólfstorg | D6
The first sub sandwich
shop in Iceland, Hlölla
Bátar has a large
selection of creatively
named sandwiches
with equally imagina-
tive contents. Good for
an adventurous bite.
Hornið
Hafnarstræti 15 | E6
Since 1979, this Italian
restaurant has been
a longtime Reykjavík
staple. Famous for its
pizza and stuffed cal-
zones, it proudly offers
an affordable menu of
high-quality dishes
Hótel Holt
Bergstaðarstræti 37
| F7
Housing Iceland´s
most renowned res-
taurant, The Gallery, an
evening here is an un-
forgettable experience.
Delicious French-
inspired cuisine and
fine wines await.
Humarshúsið
Ammtmanstígur 1
| E7
One of the oldest res-
taurants in the country,
the lobster house is
known of course for
its lobster and also
its impressive cognac
lounge. Fine intimate
dining.
Hressó
Austurstræti 20 | E6
With a spacious
neutral interior and
a varied lunch menu,
Hressó attracts no
specific type of crowd.
Tap beer and music
makes a fair hangout
on weekends.
Icelandic
Fish & Chips
Tryggvagata 8 | E5
Where:
Boston,
Laugavegur 28
101 Reykjavík

How much:
1000-1500 ISK
What we think:
This comfort food will make
you feel like you’re back at
grandma’s kitchen table
Boston has been known as a staple of
Reykjavik nightlife. The bar is kept busy
on most nights as people pile in from the
cold. And while the atmosphere is cosy
and mellow during the early hours of the
evening making it perfect for dinning,
this place has been known more as a bar
than a restaurant. But all that is about to
change with the opening of Segurmo,
chef Númi Thomasson’s newest endea-
vour, The menu offers five dishes and,
with the exception of the first two start-
ers, it changes weekly. The first starter
is plokkfiskur, a traditional Icelandic
fish stew. Its hearty texture and mild yet
pleasant taste of potatoes and fish makes
for the ideal winter food.
The second starter, kjötsúpa, another Ice-
landic favourite, was a straightforward
meat soup prepared with the perfect
combination of winter tubers and topped
off with green onions that added just
enough spice. The menu continued its
seasonal theme with a mushroom filled
with quinoa served with warm beat root
slices, roasted pine nuts and parmesan.
My favourite selection of the evening
was a piece of fresh fish on a bed of roast-
ed winter vegetables accented with a date
and parsley-coriander salsa. In this dish,
sweet flavours of caramelized onions and
dates mixed with the potent roasted garlic
and coriander to heighten the taste of the
fish. Every ingredient worked together so
well it was as if they had never been sep-
arate—a flawless entrée. The final meal
was a foal steak with couscous, green
cabbage and light coconut sauce. Again
the accompaniments were thoughtfully
and expertly chosen to highlight the
delicate favour of the meat. There is a re-
spect that goes into cooking dishes that
are this simple. The chef seems to know
that if something is cooked well it will be
good without a smattering of spices that
can disguise the natural f lavour. Instead,
he chooses the highest quality of ingre-
dients to begin with and lets the food do
the work for him.
B10 | The Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 16 2008
Eating
Reviewed by Desiree Andrews — Photo by GAS
we bring the o to sush
O s u s h i L æ k j a r g a t a 2 a Og B o r g a r t ú n 2 9 I S í m i : 5 6 1 0 5 6 2
Food
segurmo
6 H8