Reykjavík Grapevine - 14.08.2009, Page 31

Opened earlier this year, Íslenski
Barinn (The Icelandic bar) is a mid-
range restaurant serving Icelandic
food, bistro style.
With a purposely cheesy brand,
cosy décor and a roofed terrace, it
caters for 20-something beer drinkers
(stocking all Icelandic beers) and
tourists.
The menu combines Icelandic
ingredients with ambition, plus the
usual plokkfiskur and meat soup, all for
a fair price.
My date started off with a
lamb carpaccio plate that he did not
order. The mistake was quickly and
politely rectified, and he got to bite
into his mixed game plate (1480 ISK)
of puffin, goose and hangikjöt (tar
smoked lamb—not game, in fact)
with strawberries, raspberries and
blueberries. He began his liquid
courses with a bottle of Jökull from
Snaefellsnes. I started off with a
bottle of El Grillo, a beer brewed in
Seydisfjördur, named for a famous a
shipwreck off the Eastcoast of Iceland.
All three were good.
For the main, I had reindeer
burger with jellied red onions, and
blue cheese (1760 ISK). It was large,
fluffy and slightly sloppy, which caused
trouble for a small-mouthed eater. The
blue cheese sadly covered any extra
flavour that the reindeer meat may
have brought. The fries where crunchy,
fresh and delicious, well above average
and authentically served with cocktail
sauce (Iceland’s contribution to burger
culture, a mixture of ketchup and
mayonnaise that kills the sharpness
of ketchup and the freshness of
mayonnaise). Thankfully, ketchup is
also available.
My date chose a slow-cooked
shank of lamb (2620 ISK) with mashed
potatoes and gravy. The shank was
of an impressive size, and whilst the
flavours were nothing spectacular
the dish did provide a hearty portion
of meat and potatoes. The slow-
cooked label led to disappointment
though, promising a melt in the mouth
experience which the course did not
offer.
For dessert, I tried
Hjónabandssæla (wedding bliss)
rhubarb cake (590 ISK), thus named
for being an easy cake to make that it
will ensure a happy marriage even if
the wife’s strengths do not lie in the
kitchen. The Íslenski barinn version
came without crunch or the traditional
cross-pattern, but a softer doughy
touch and a heap of cream—needless
to say, it was good.
My date finished off the meal with
a bottle of Móri, a red ale. Of the three
beers, we found by consensus Jökull to
be the best one, with the Móri offering
a welcome alternative to the lighter
lagers most common in this country.
Íslenski barinn’s trashy branding
deceives. If you make it through the
hideous facade, the place offers an
easygoing, moderately priced meal
in a surprisingly cosy environment. If
the food had been kept a little simpler,
without the fancy names or wasted
ingredients, our expectations would
not have been dashed by what was in
truth some good honest grub.
- SARI PELTONEN
COFFEE
1 Kaffismidja Íslands
Kárastigur 1
Kaffismidja Íslands, run by coffee judging
superstar Sonja Björk Grant and barista
champion Imma Sigurdardóttir, serves and
roasts the best coffee in town.
2 Kaffivagninn
Grandagardi 10
An old fishermen’s hangout by the piers.
Ideally combined with an early morning walk
by the old Reykjavik harbour, they open at
7 am daily. Here, the coffee is as black as it
gets—for cappuccinos go elsewhere...
3 Te og Kaffi
Laugavegur 27
For example to Te og Kaffi, a café chain
and roastery. If you get lucky, your latte art
is poured by Pálmar Þór Hlöðversson, the
Icelandic Barista Champion 2008 and 2009.
CAKE
1 Sufistinn
Ída bookstore, Laekjargata.
Home-made monster cakes—think meringue,
chocolate and immense sugar rushes. Star of
the moment is the all-Icelandic granola cake.
2 Sandholt
Laugavegur 36
Passion cheese cake to die for, plus a good
assortment of buns, rolls, chocolate and ice
cream to drool over. Sandholt is a good bet
for stocking up ahead of a picnic in the park.
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.
VEGETARIAN CUISINE
Skólavörðustígur 8 b, tel. 552 2028
Open from 11:30 am–21:00 pm
www.graennkostur.is
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
Flavour: Icelandic
Ambiance: relaxed bistro with
Icelandic soundtrack
Service: very good
Íslenski barinn
Lækjargata 2a
What we think: Better than it
looks