Reykjavík Grapevine - 17.07.2009, Blaðsíða 29

Opened in May, Ali Baba has quickly
gathered a reputation as the good new
kebab place.
The Middle-Eastern menu is
short and straight-forward: a handful
of kebab portions (a döner spinning in
the back of the desk), falafel, hummus
and the eternal fries and a burger; all
portions priced below 1000 ISK with
photos printed on A4s to illustrate – no
worries of buying a pig in a poke here.
The place, more inviting than the
façade lets one hope for, is spotlessly
clean.
There are seats, a fountain and a view
over Ingólfstorg for dining in.
I chose the falafel (800 ISK)
served in a shawarma, an Arabic
wrap-shaped sandwich. It was not too
dry, not muddy, perfectly spicy—one
of the best falafels I have eaten so far.
My kebab-cavalier’s arais maria (900
ISK) melted in the mouth. They had a
slightly sinful and highly comforting
greasiness to them, yet they were thin
enough to cause guilt of a committed
crime. The portions are prepared in
front of you of fresh, made with inviting
ingredients.
On a second visit I had hummus
(500 ISK) with fries (350 ISK), a classic
if graceless combination. The hummus
is good and mild in flavour and
comes in generous portions—perfect
for a picnic lunch at the close by
Austurvöllur square with a bigger
entourage—as do the fries (350 ISK).
My date stuck to kebab; the shiri
Kebab roll (900 ISK) with meat tasted
of star anise and followed the same
high standard as the rest of the foods.
Cheap, delicious, fast, Ali Baba
is a new favourite for a quick bite. But
when it comes to what makes the food
so good—spices, sauces and other
secrets to the Ali Baba flavours—the
owner’s lips stay sealed. “Not telling
you” he says and smiles.
-SARI PELTONEN
Open Sesame
COFFEE
1 Café Haiti
Tryggvagata 16
The coffee is plain excellent, the atmosphere
enticing and the price is right. These are
some of the reasons why Café d’Haiti is one
of Grapevine’s favourite downtown cafés.
Café d’Haiti inhabits a tiny space next to Krau
Thai on Tryggvagata. It’s almost hidden. So
if you haven’t tried their coffee yet, we do
recommend you take a walk down to the
harbour and taste a cup.
BREAKFAST
1 Grái Kötturinn
Hverfisgata 16a
Super relaxed and cosy diner/café below
street level. This place makes the best
hangover breakfast ever – the truck: a
hefty plate of bacon, eggs, pancakes, syrup
and the like, all fried to perfection – and
any-other-day breakfast as well. It’s a nice
and relaxing place to eat and increase your
caffeine intake and chill with friends or with
some reading material.
2 Kornið
Lækjargata 4
No time to sit down for a leisurely breakfast?
Pop into Kornið on your way to work, school,
or anywhere else, for some delicious pastries
to start your day in a sweet and delicious
way. If you have a hunger that no single
pastry could satisfy this place also has a
selection of sandwiches – like the bacon
and egg ciabatta – to fuel your body. There’s
often a bunch of other hungry folks with the
same idea, but the line-up always moves fast.
BEER
1 Karamba
Laugavegur 22
Relatively new hotspot in town Karamba is
a colourful and eclectic bar on with an über
comfortable atmosphere, typically great
music and a chill crowd. This is a good place
to relax or to do some serious drinking or to
relax. Plus, their decors are done strictly by
Grapevine-friendly artists, such as Lóa (who
does our comics), Hugleikur Dagsson (who
also does our comics) and Bobby Breiðholt
(who’s done a lot of nice illustrations for us);
they are truly a sight to behold.
2 Kaffi Zimsen
Hafnarstræti 18
This is a great place for beer. They have
specials on the stuff pretty much every night
of the week – two for one on Mondays! –
and they’re the only joint in town offering
those self-serve 3 litre beer towers if you’re
drinking in a group or really thirsty or a fan of
buying your beer in bulk. Plus, if you like to
sit while drinking your beer, Zimsen has lots
of chairs and roomy booths for your lounging
pleasure.
For full restaurant and food
listings and venue finder visit
www.grapevine.is for detailed
information.
Enjoy weekend brunch
or delicious buet
for a quality price
Experience great cuisine
accompanied by a breathtaking view
Smáratorgi 3
next to Smaralind mall 201 Kópavogi Tel. 575 7500 veisluturninn@veisluturninn.is www.veisluturninn.is
Open everyday from 11 AM - 2 PM
…in the tallest building in Iceland
TAKE YOUR TASTE BUDS AROUND THE WORLD IN ONE NIGHT!
The restaurant Fish Company is the newest addition to
We exceed high
expectations
Open for bistro style lunch every day from 11.30–14.00
and dinner wednesday to saturday from 19.00–22.00
Nordic House, Sturlugata 5, 101 Reykjavik, Tel. 6185071/8939693, www.dillrestaurant.is
Ali Baba
Veltusundi 3B (by Ingólfstorg)
Opening hours: 11-24 on weekdays;
12-05 on weekends.
What we think: The new fast food
favourite
Flavour: Middle-Eastern
Ambiance: Fast and functional
with a fountain
Service: Very good