Reykjavík Grapevine - 06.03.2009, Síða 15

or hung-over hipsters here.
This may not be the fastest place for a
coffee-to-go, though. I would rather wait
a little to get good coffee than drink hast-
ily prepared slop, yet it is not the coffee
making that takes time here, top baris-
tas that they are, but rather the organis-
ing of it all. This will hopefully develop
over time.
Finally, there is one reason I go to
Kaffismiðja regularly and two reasons I
don’t stay and sit around. I go for the
great coffee. I don’t stay because, first,
the place seats less than 20 people and
it is almost always full. Second, as lovely
as window shelves for seats and an old
sewing machine desk for a table look,
they are not comfortable to my sensitive
coffeehouse hangout muscles. And due
to the fact I always get the bloody sewing
machine table.
using only organic
vegetables and qual-
ity fish products. The
spiced skyr side a
special treat.
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
Frænda
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.
Lystin
Laugavegur 73 | H7
Specialising in Icelan-
dic ingredients, cooked
in a fusion of Asian
and French cuisine.
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
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.
Pisa
Lækjargötu 6b | E6
In a small-ish cellar by
Lækjagata, you’ll find
newly opened Italian
restaurant Pisa.
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.
Pizzaverksmiðjan
Lækjargötu 8 | E6
Some say, these guys
are making the best
Pizza in town. You
will have to find out
yourself. However they
have the most original
menu written on the
wall and the Pesto
Pizza is outstanding!
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.
Ráðhúskaffi | 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.
Silfur
Pósthússtræti 11 | E6
Extravagant upscale
restaurant situated in
the Hotel Borg. The
new French style
cuisine is brought
with professional and
friendly service, you
get a selection of fin-
est wines and you can
choose from an exotic
and excellent menu
– assuming that you
can afford the not less
extravagant prices.
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.
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.
I like coffee and Reykjavík is a nice place
to drink it. For a town of its size, there
are plenty of coffee shops, and the qual-
ity of coffee is generally good. You rarely
get the really nasty stuff: espresso that
you can surface a road with, cappuccino
that makes you think of frog spawn, latte
that burns your tongue off. And given
that we are in the country with the 3rd
highest coffee consumption per capita
in the world, the coffee had better be
good. For the next few Grapevines, I will
review some select Reykjavík cafés for
your convenience. The recently opened
Kaffismiðja Islands serves the best cof-
fee in town. For other aspects of coffee
culture there may be better places to go,
but if you are in it for the coffee, this is
the place.
“You could have the combination of
the best machines and the best beans
and it would not be enough,” says co-
owner Sonja Björk Grant. “It takes a
skilled barista to deliver the goods.”
Here the equipment is best in the world
(La Marzocco and Mazzer), the staff the
best in the country and the beans are
freshly roasted on site.
There are two bean options for espres-
so drinks. I love the luxury of choice, but
the difference is not quite clear. I want to
know more than “this one is a little bit
stronger”. Who wants weak coffee any-
way?
The “little bit stronger” Indonesian
espresso has thick, dark crema and is
just the right length, far from the watery
full cup that is a sadly frequent offering
in the local coffee shops. The latte made
from Brazilian beans has a good balance
between coffee and milk f lavours and is
silky in texture. It is served with a per-
fect rosetta on the surface.
The coffee making is excellent but
the customer service has a less than pro-
fessional feel to it. The service is charm-
ingly sincere, however, and friendly with
a real enthusiasm for coffee—a rare treat
these days. No bored-to-death teenagers
Café Press
start at tHe top: KaFFismiðja ÍslaNds
15 | The Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 3 2009
Drinking
Reviewed by Sari Peltonen — Photo by Jói Kjartans
Where:
Kaffismiðja Islands,
Kárastigur 1, 101 Reykjavík
People:
Coffee geeks, barista
champions, regulars, FM
Belfast.
Place:
Cosy and cute, but not for
extensive lounging.
Price:
Espresso 250 ISK; Latte 350
ISK; Filter coffee 250 ISK;
Beans 750 ISK/300 g, 50 ISK
reduction if you bring back the
bag for reuse.
Play:
Barista magazines, coffee
books. Customers are also
free to operate the vinyl record
player.
Provender:
Porridge and Cornflakes (350
ISK each) in the morning;
cinnamon buns, savoury rolls.
Come here for:
The best coffee in town and
beans for home.
2 G8
and a delicios lobster
at Fjörubordid in Stokkseyri
by the sea
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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
Viking feasts every night
- live entertainment
“You haven't been in Iceland if you haven't been to us“ ' '
For booking and
further information:
Tel.: +354 565-1213
www.vikingvillage.is
vikings@vikingvillage.is
Strandgata 55 Hafnarfjordur
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