Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.10.2008, Blaðsíða 39

Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.10.2008, Blaðsíða 39
Not your average fish’n’chips joint, but a healthy restaurant using only organic vegetables and qual- ity fish products. The spiced skyr side a special treat. Indian Mango Frakkarstígur 12 | H8 Specializing in deli- cious dishes from the Goa region of India, honed to perfection in the owner’s period as head chef at the Four Seasons. Incredible service as well as food. Jómfrúin Lækjargata 4 | E6 These days, good Smörrebröd can be an elusive delicacy. Lucky for us out in the colo- nies, it’s alive and well at Jómfrúin with fresh eel imported specially from Denmark. Kaffi Hljómalind Laugavegur 21 | G7 This organic, free-trade café prides itself not only on great lunches and food but being a strong cultural center, hosting live music as well as lectures and poetry nights. Kaffitár Bankastræti 8 | F6 Kaffitár celebrates good coffee, and serves it in abundance, along with sweet treats and tasty if pricy special blends. Eat in or to go, a great way to enjoy your morning boost. Kaffivagninn Grandagarður 10 | D1 By the harbor, this lunch and coffee place is a gathering place for all sorts of tough folks. If you want traditional Icelandic food, a great place to see another side of Reykjavík. Kebabhúsið Austurstræti 2 | E6 The name says it all, really. Kofi Tómasar Frændu Laugavegur 2 | F7 Nestled in a basement location, Uncle Tom´s Cabin has the feeling of a back-alley London Café. On weekends it becomes a happening and diverse bar. Krua Thai Tryggvagata 14 | D5 We dare you to find a better meal for the same price anywhere else. Every dish is delicious. Just eat what looks best to you on their colorful menu. La Primavera Austurstræti 9 | E6 Though it sounds strange, La Primavera serves delicious tra- ditional North Italian cuisine using only local produce. A startlingly tasty combination and a local favorite. Mokka Skólavörðustígur 3A | F7 Operating since 1958, Mokka is the city center´s oldest cof- fee joint and founder of Icelandic coffee culture. Regular art exhibits are always worth a look. Nonnabiti Hafnarstræti 9 | E6 “Nonni” is one of the more popular junk- food places in town, renowned for its greasy sandwiches and its unique Nonni- sauce. Open late for a midnight cravings. O Sushi Lækjargata 2A | E6 Also called “The Train”, O Sushi’s most intriguing feature is a conveyor belt that runs around the entire restaurant delivering a buffet of authentic sushi straight to your table. Pizza King Hafnarstræti 18 | E6 This little place serves not only the cheap- est but largest slices downtown. A local fa- vorite, and open until 6 on Friday and Saturday nights. Pizza Pronto Vallarstræti 4 | D6 With a convenient location and late hours, a good place to snack in between bars. Three sizes of pizza with a good selection of toppings. A cheap, if unhealthy, choice. Prikið Bankastræti 12 | F6 Part of the Reykjavík bar scene for decades, this café/bar has a fairly cheap menu and attracts a mix of stu- dents and old regulars. Mostly R&B and Hip- Hop on weekends. Raðhúskaffi | D7 Tjarnargata 11 Located in the City Hall with a great view of the pond, this café has a good selection of pastries and a good place to relax. Regular art exhibits add to the aesthetic. Santa Maria Laugavegur 22A, | F7 Authentic Mexican food, directly from the stove of the owner’s mother, who is an authentic Mexican. Served with a healthy distaste for anything texmex. Also the best quality/price ratio in town with every dish under 1000 ISK. Segafredo Lækjatorg | E6 The Italian coffee chain makes its way to Læk- jatorg Square, bringing strong espresso and Italian lunch snacks to grab on the way to work or just to enjoy on the spot. Shalimar Austurstræti 4 | E6 Shalimar sports the conceit of being the northernmost Indian restaurant in the world and has fine daily spe- cials. We recommend the quite addictive chicken tikka masala. Sjávarkjallarinn Aðalstræti 2 | D6 Elegant Seafood Cellar focuses on gourmet seafood and tantaliz- ing asian-fusion dishes. Share the exotic menu, courses selected by the chef, with a friend for the most fun. Sólon Bankastræti 7a | F6 Truly a jack-of-all trades establishment. By night a decent res- taurant, by day a café/ bistro and on Friday and Saturday nights a nightclub. Art exhibi- tions on the walls to top it off. Sushibarinn Laugavegur 2 | F7 Deceptively ordinary Sushibarinn has re- cently become the talk of the town among Reykjavík sushi lovers, serving, in our opinion, the very best rolls in city. Svarta Kaffi Laugavegur 54 | H8 A cosy second floor café, their fame lies partly in their tasty Súpa í Brauði (Soup in Bread) and also in their romantic atmo- sphere. Good for a few early evening drinks. Sægreifinn Verbuð 8, Geirsgata | D5 Right next to the harbor, Sægrefinn fish shop is like none other in the country. With a diverse fish selection, exquisite lobster soup and good service, an absolute must-try. Tapas Vesturgata 3B | D5 For those with a bit of money and time to spare, Tapas serves course after course of delightful miniature dishes. Also serves tasty and unusually af- fordable lobster. Thorvaldsen Austurstræti 8 | E6 Dress formally for this fancy spot, and come before 12 to avoid a long line. DJs play Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Tíu Dropar Laugavegur 27 | G7 An old-fashioned café with warm atmosphere and generous coffee refills. A thoroughly pleasant establishment. Tívolí Laugavegur 3 | F7 A stylish bistro with a wide variety of selec- tions and positively charming atmosphere. Tjarnarbakkinn Vonarstræti 3 | D7 Right above the Iöno theater, an ideal place to go before shows. Nice views of the pond and outdoor dining in the summertime. The lamb comes especially recommended. Vegamót Vegamótastígur 4 | G7 Vegamót´s kitchen is open until 22.00 daily and sports an appeal- ing lunch menu. Come for a tasty brunch on weekends. If you like Óliver, try Vegamót and vice versa. Við Tjörnina Templarasund 3 | E7 A Reykjavík classic with menu exclusively of traditional cuisine, as frequented by tour- ists as it is by locals. A perfect opportunity to try Icelandic delicacies. Vitabar Bergþórugata 21 | H9 Really a bar, but best known for its ham- burgers. Burger and fries for 500 one of the best deals in town, but Forget-Me-Not blue cheese and Garlic Extravaganza are alse winners. Where: Austurstræti 8 101 Reykjavik Tel: 511 1413 How much: 1000-1500 ISK What we think: Fake style and no substance in a shocker of a meal Thorvaldsen has divided its new menu up into the four points of the compass, which in theory is a nice idea but in real- ity turned out to be a shocker. The north section includes a Nordic perspective, including my smoked salmon starter. This was such a huge portion; it was the size of a main dish. It was satisfying though and the mustard vinaigrette was a decent touch. Then from the east was my guest’s appetizer of Indian Curry Soup which was medium to spicy and a bit too heavy on the turmeric. With a lit- tle more saffron it would have been less bitter. The heavy inclusion of rice meant too many carbohydrates to start a three course meal with. The main bellyache though came with the main course. From the western region I ordered an Alabama Burger. The bacon was singed and the burger tasted like it contained barely any pure beef. The thickly cut chips lacked any real bite as if they had been deep fried in oil that had been reused many times. My guest was not able to order a vegetarian dish from any of the four regions, meaning a choice of the ‘Middle Eastern Salad’ with- out the meat. They could have used avo- cado or cheese as a replacement at least for some texture, but instead the main was just like a huge bowl of side salad. Incredible. For dessert we both ordered American Apple Pie with Ice Cream. The cinnamon was barely traceable and they didn’t even peel the fruit leaving apple skin that got stuck between the teeth. To make matters worse, the Red Delicious variety of apples were simply not suitable for the dish, especially when they’re not baked through properly. Thorvaldsen has a plush décor and at first sight seems a cosy venue. Beyond the surface, however, our table rocked a little and wasn’t clean in the first place. The music was way too loud and the 50 Cent tracks didn’t help matters an awful lot. We wouldn’t have wanted to listen to his shit at the best of times, let alone while we were eating. Food thorvaldsen B11 | The Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 16 2008 Eating Reviewed by Marcus Walsh — Photo by GAS 7 H8 and a delicios lobster at Fjörubordid in Stokkseyri by the sea Sp ör e hf . - R ag nh ei ðu r Á gú st sd ót tir “They put on such a beautiful meal for us. We had the most amazing freshest fish I've ever had in my life. It was all so perfectly cooked too...Beautiful!” Jamie Oliver’s Diary The Forget-Me-Not Burger – Simply Magical! Bergþórugata 21 – 101 Reykjavík – Tel.: 5517200

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