Reykjavík Grapevine - 08.01.2010, Qupperneq 15

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For your mind, body and soul
Food & Drink | Venue finder
3 Frakkar
Baldursgata 14 | F9
Aktu Taktu
Skúlugata 15 | K8
Alibaba
Veltusund 3b | E3
American Style
Tryggvagata 26 | E5
Argentína Steak-
house
Barónstígur | I8
Austurlanda-
hraðlestin
Hverfisgata 64A | H7
Á Næstu Grösum
Laugavegur 20B | G7
B5
Bankastræti 5 | F6
Bakkus
Tryggvagata 22 | D3
Basil & Lime
Klapparstíg 38 | G7
Babalú
Skólavörðustígur 22A
| G8
Balthazar
Hafnarstræti 1-3 |
D6/E6
Bæjarins Beztu
Tryggvagata | E6
Brons
Pósthússtræti 9 | E6
Café Cultura
Hverfisgata 18 | G6
Café Loki
Lokastígur 28 | G9
Café Paris
Austurstræti 14 | E6
Café Roma
Rauðarárstígur 8 | J9
Domo
Þingholtsstræti 5 | F7
Einar Ben
Veltusundi | E6
Eldsmiðjan
Bragagata 38A | G9
Fiskmarkaðurinn
Aðalstræti 12 | D6
Geysir Bar/Bistro
Aðalstræti 2 | D6
Garðurinn
Klappastigur 37 | G7
Glætan book café
Laugavegur 19 | F5
Grái Kötturinn
Hverfisgata 16A | G7
Grillhúsið
Tryggvagata 20 | E5/
E6
Habibi
Hafnarstræti 20 | D5
Hamborgarabúlla
Tómasar (“Bullan”)
Geirsgata 1 | D5
Hlölla Bátar
Ingólfstorg | D6
Hornið
Hafnarstræti 15 | E6
Hótel Holt
Bergstaðarstræti 37
| F7
Humarshúsið
Ammtmanstígur 1 | E7
Hressó
Austurstræti 20 | E6
Icelandic
Fish & Chips
Tryggvagata 8 | E5
Indian Mango
Frakkastígur 12 | G6
Jómfrúin
Lækjargata 4 | E6
Kaffi Hljómalind
Laugavegur 21 | G7
Kaffitár
Bankastræti 8 | F6
Kaffivagninn
Grandagarður 10
| D1
Kebabhúsið
Austurstræti 2 | E6
Kofi Tómasar
Frænda
Laugavegur 2 | F7
Krua Thai
Tryggvagata 14 | D5
La Primavera
Austurstræti 9 | E6
Lystin
Laugavegur 73 | H7
Mokka
Skólavörðustígur 3A
| F7
Nonnabiti
Hafnarstræti 9 | E6
O Sushi
Lækjargata 2A | E6
Pisa
Lækjargötu 6b | E6
Pizza King
Hafnarstræti 18 | E6
Pizza Pronto
Vallarstræti 4 | D6
Pizzaverksmiðjan
Lækjargötu 8 | E6
Prikið
Bankastræti 12 | F6
Ráðhúskaffi | D7
Tjarnargata 11
Santa Maria
Laugavegur 22A, | F7
Segafredo
Lækjatorg | E6
Serrano
Hringbraut 12 | I3

Shalimar
Austurstræti 4 | E3
Silfur
Pósthússtræti 11 | E6
Sjávarkjallarinn
Aðalstræti 2 | D6
Sólon
Bankastræti 7a | F6
Sushibarinn
Laugavegur 2 | F7
Svarta Kaffi
Laugavegur 54 | H8
Sægreifinn
Verbuð 8, Geirsgata
| D5
Tapas
Vesturgata 3B | D5
Thorvaldsen
Austurstræti 8 | E6
Tíu Dropar
Laugavegur 27 | G7
Tívolí
Laugavegur 3 | F7
Vegamót
Vegamótastígur 4
| G7
Við Tjörnina
Templarasund 3 | E7
Vitabar
Bergþórugata 21 |
H9
EAT AND DRINK:
PLACES WE'LL MISS
FROM 2009
1 SEGURMO
Grapevine’s pick for best restaurant of ’09,
Segurmo at Boston (the bar, not the town),
run by chef Númi Thomasson, closed its
doors after a ridiculously successful year
in business. There is now another similarly
themed restaurant at Boston that is very fine
in its own right, but we’ll still miss Segurmo.
2 KAFFI HLJÓMALIND
Hip and organic co-op café Hljómalind closed
its doors on the main street for real estate
related reasons. Whilst the search for a new
locale continues, we can but hope to see
Hljómalind open for business again – soon.
3 MCDONALDS
Nah.
NEW AND GOOD IN
2009
1 DILL RESTAURANT
Chef-sommelier team Gunnar Karl Gíslason
and Ólafur Örn Ólafsson opened their first
restaurant at the Nordic House this year,
going straight to the top of the local culinary
scene with their local and seasonal New
Nordic Food menu. The Nordic House
2 FISKIFéLAGIð
With ingredients from all over the world
taking centre stage, Fiskifélagið (or “Fish
Company”) is a fun addition to the Reykjavik
restaurants. Their Around the World
menu comes recommended. Vesturgata 2
3 ALI BABA
Sweet Syrian style shawarma, kebab and
falafel by Ingólfstorg. One of the best takeout
places in town. The Arais Maria portion does
the trick every time. Ingólfstorg
4 BALKANIKA
Another new ethnic kitchen, Balkanika serves
authentic Bulgarian for a fair price. Vitastigur
3 X RECENTLy
OPENED
1 BRASILIA
The latest ethnic eatery in town, Brasilia
offers South American flavors—including a
horsey take on the Brazilian national dish
Feijoada—and decent prices for breakfast,
lunch and dinner. Skólavörðustigur
2 THE NOODLE WARS
Skólavörðustigur was just not big enough
to room two noodle places. Noodle Station
quickly built a loyal following but has had to
lock its doors for now—stir(fry)ing rumours
about a Battle of the Woks. It a warzone
out there, but if you really need a bowl
Núðuskálin is still stands. Skólavörðustigur
3 POTTURINN & PANNAN
Having quietly operated on Brautarholt for
almost 30 years, Potturinn & Pannan is now
serving up mid-priced, easy-going food
in the city centre. The menu features local
ingredients, pizza and pasta. Skólabrú
For full restaurant and food listings and venue
finder visit www.grapevine.is for detailed
information.
R E V I E W S
The cover girl of the Icelandic culinary
year was certainly McDonalds, the
fast food chain that left the country
in November. And in many ways, it
stands for a lot of things that happened:
The economically dim times casting
a shadow over our dinner plates and
speeding up the constant cycle of
openings and closings of restaurants,
the fast food obsession of the nation,
and the rise of the local raw materials—
if in this case in the shape of tasteless
slop.
Luckily enough, the rise of the
local ingredients has also meant more
and more fine dining, with restaurants
celebrating the local produce, more
shopping possibilities and new food
products launched. The overall quality
of produce found on grocery store
shelves remains as low as ever, while
the prices have been rising steadily. My
wish for 2010: Consumers start voting
with their wallets. Then again, it may be
hard with an empty belly.
For the eaters-out, the economic
crisis also offers an opportunity. Several
new ethnic kitchens have opened for
business: the Nepalese Kitchen, Syrian
Ali Baba, Brazilian Brasilia, Balkanese
Balkanica and a handful of noodle
places add a metropolitan feel to the
frozen capital. In addition, the various
high end places in town that used to
cater for businessmen and their prey
now turn to travellers as their previous
clientele are gone with the wind, many
of them offering better value than
before. It may just pay off to pay a bit
extra on the main street tourist eatery
prices and take out your fancy pants.
And where do I spend my
own money? For grocery shopping,
Melabúðin in Vesturbær, farmers
market Frú Lauga and the deli Búrið
form my holy trinity.
For the liquid gold, I like the
Holtagarður branch of Vínbúð for their
selection and the Austurstræti branch at
quarter to closing time for its delirious
atmosphere. If it is out for drinks,
Bakkus offers a refreshing selection of
vodkas.
For best burgers in town, I head
to Hamborgarabúllan. For cheap and
good lunch, I like Ostabúðin, even
if it is often very busy. My foreign
guests I tend to take to Sægreifinn for
its eccentric atmosphere and famous
lobster soup.
For breakfast, I like the hidden
gem Grái Kötturinn for its food and
atmosphere—but not for its coffee.
For that I go to café and roastery
Kaffismiðja Íslands. For chocolate cake,
I dream of Argentína Steakhouse.
Finally, for the best food in town,
I go to Dill in the Nordic house that
serves bistro style lunch and heavenly
5-course-dinners (with champagne,
please!) by the chef Gunnar Karl
Gíslason.
Verði ykkur að góðu!
- SARI PELTONEN
Farewell to Forks
A few looks at the local culinary scene and few of my
favourites as my stint as the Reykjavik Grapevine
food critic draws to a close.
Open:
Mondays-Saturdays 11:30-22:30
Sundays 16:00-22:00
Now offering
catering service!
and a delicios lobster
at Fjörubordid in Stokkseyri
by the sea
Sp
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