Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.10.2008, Síða 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