Reykjavík Grapevine - 02.07.2010, Blaðsíða 21

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 09 — 2010
20
small size. It’s a winner!”
Runners-up: Krónan, for being a
less-evil Bónus. Bónus, for their
comparatively ultra-low prices and
accessibility. And as always, Kjötborg
gets an honourable mention for offering
the best service in the known universe.
(2009: Krónan)
Best place to go for a date:
Pisa
Italian restaurants seem to bring up the
romantic side in our readers. Probably
has a lot to do with all the pasta, red
wine and candle light on offer we
imagine. Or maybe, as one panellist
noted last year: “Italian food gets you in
the mood.”
In any case, last year’s winners,
Ítalía, received many nominations this
time around, but so did Italian stalwart
Pisa on Lækjargata. In fact, they received
a couple more than Ítalía, so it is our
honour to deem them Reykjavík’s “best
place to go for a date” of 2010. Remarked
one reader: “The food on offer is just so
gooooood... and since it isn’t a common
place to go for a meal, you don’t have to
worry about bumping into workmates or
friends there.”
(2009: Ítalía)
Best newcomer restaurant:
Noodle Station
This didn’t take long to figure out. While
their menu is limited to two dishes (and
not at all vegetarian-friendly), there’s
just something about Noodle Station’s
noodles that keeps folks hooked, like
they’re some sorta heroin-infused crack-
noodles or something. The Station also
provides “an international atmosphere
that’s been missing from Reykjavík.” We
don’t know if they’re actually sprinkling
their noodles with crack (that’s probably
illegal), but we do know we’re totally
obsessed with the place. Welcome,
Noodle Station!
(2009: Saffran)
Best goddamn restaurant:
Saffran
Saffran came in with a blast in early
2009, quickly winning a following
for their cheap, plentiful and healthy-
slanted (no sugar, no white wheat, lots
of grain and spelt) take on Eastern
cuisine. They’ve since opened up at a
second location and even inspired a slew
of ‘Saffran-inspired’ establishments all
over town. We even hear they’re going
international now.
It’s no wonder they’re doing well.
The food is consistently great and cheap
(“I go there every week, and they have
never messed up my order,” remarked
one patron), and varied enough to merit
repeat visits. Last year, we decided that
a ‘best goddamn restaurant’ must be
“cheap + tasty + varied + fresh + novel
+ accessible”. Phrases you readers used
to nominate Saffran with were: “good,
inventive cooking;” “consistent in
quality,” “affordable” and “attainable.” So
it was easy pickens. Congrats, Saffran,
you are Grapevine’s BEST GODDAMN
RESTAURANT of 2010!
(Sidenote: Frankly, we were afraid to
even include this category, seeing as
our ‘BEST GODDAMN RESTAURANT
OF 2009,’ closed down pretty much
right after we picked ‘em. We’re afraid it
might be a jinx-category. But then again,
we think ‘best goddamn restaurant’ is
something that needs to be highlighted.
So here’s hoping that Saffran don’t
throw in the towel anytime soon).
(2009: Segurmo at Boston)
Best family restaurant:
Piri piri
“Piri piri just has to win your ‘best
family restaurant,’ Grapevine! Have you
seen their playroom? It’s HUUUUUGE!
The whole setup of the place also seems
very family-oriented—they’ve been
a regular Sunday stop for us and the
kids since they opened. Also, the food
is good, plentiful and cheap,” read an
e-mail we received the other day. So we
went there and checked it out, and we
consulted with other family types out
there. And thus it was concluded: Piri
piri is Reykjavík’s family restaurant of
2010.
Runners-up: Both Lauga-Ás and Hornið
are still very good in this category, and a
lot of folks swear by them.
(2009: Hornið)
Best place to grab a bite:
Deli
Deli seems to be a lot of folks favourites
for this category, although they didn’t
win unanimously by any stretch.
Nominations for this category were
scattered across the entire spectrum,
with everyone from Santa María (last
year’s winner) to KFC and Shell Select
with their shrimp-dogs scoring votes.
But ultimately Deli got the majority vote,
and some convincing arguments to boot
(“they’re cheap and pretty high quality!”
– “Not the best place to eat in, but most
excellent as take away, i.e. a great place to
‘grab a bite’!”)
(2009: Santa María)
Best cheap meal:
Sub of the month’ at Subway
As almost any working man or woman
in Reykjavík will attest, Subway’s ‘sub of
the month’ sandwich is a real lifesaver
for when you need to get a quick
satisfying lunch. OK, it’s Subway. But
still – 370 ISK will get you a sandwich
featuring some meatstuffs (that can
be easily foregone) fresh veggies and
a sauce of your choice. The price can’t
be beat, and if you figure out a nice
combination for the sub it’s pretty damn
tasty.
Runners-up: Balkanika (“They are really
cheap, especially considering all the
meat”)
Best brunch buffet:
Nítjánda
After much urging from some of our
panellists, we decided to bend the rules
a little so we could bring your attention
to the brunch buffet at Nítjánda. Yes,
it is in Kópavogur, but this place is
definitely worth the short trip. Located
on the 19th floor of Kópavogur’s highest
high-rise, they provide some truly
fantastic all you can eat brunch along
with a truly beautiful view.
(2009: Vox)
Best restaurant chain:
Serrano
Serrano specialises in huge and tasty
burritos that come in all sorts of
flavours, and they’re supposedly rather
healthy, too. Much like last year, our
panel agreed that “Serrano is king of
Reykjavík’s restaurant chains, their
argument boiling down to ‘Serrano
rules!’”
(2009: Serrano)
Best seafood:
Fish Company
Surprisingly enough, Reykjavík doesn’t
have that many places specialising in
fresh seafood. But most of the ones
around are actually pretty good, with
Fish Market, Fish Company and Við
tjörnina all doing some outstanding
work in their field. Fish Company
got the most votes this time around,
though, with patrons remarking that
their culinary skills and inventive menu
wholly justified spending your week’s
wages on eating there.
Runners-up: Við tjörnina is a Reykjavík
classic, with a lovely atmosphere to go
with their excellent dishes, and Fish
Market is pretty damn good too. They’ll
take the prize next year, probably.
(New category)
Best place to go with a
group of friends:
Tapas Bar
Tapas Bar has long been the best
place to go out with a group of friends
in Reykjavík, and this likely won’t
change anytime soon. Their menu is
accommodating to both impoverished
students and big spenders (and it suits
most tastes), the food is good and the
atmosphere is very fine for sitting,
eating and drinking all night long. They
also score points for operating a late
night kitchen.
(New category)
Best all-day hangout:
Hressó
Hressó is one of those places that have
long since earned an undefined “Best
of” status in all our hearts. We go there
almost daily, the coffee is always fine,
the staff are nice and it’s an excellent
place to hang out. Hressó is a true 101
Reykjavík haven, doubly so if you’re
unlucky enough to be a smoker, in
which case their heated patio rules very
profoundly.
(2009: Hressó)
Best must try dining
experience:
Moby Dick on a Stick at Sægreifinn
You will try some pylsa while you’re
in Iceland, unless you’re all vegan
and stuff. So there’s no need for us to
recommend that. Now, since you’re not
vegan, then you also must try some
‘Moby Dick on a Stick’ at Sægreifinn by
Reykjavík harbour. These minke-whale
skewers are cheap and delicious to
munch on, plus you can piss off all your
PC friends back home. Pure fun!
(2009: Bæjarins Bestu)
Best tourist one-stop-shop:
Kaffi Loki
Kaffi Loki at Lokastígur won this one
uncontested. And it’s not only a place
where tourists can try all of Iceland’s
weird and wacky foodstuffs (as well
as some decidedly delicious, un-weird
dishes), it’s also a great little café/bistro
that locals love to frequent along with
visitors. Definitely one of Reykjavík’s
up-and-comers, and already a champion
in its own category. (New category)
Best pool (all-round):
Laugardalslaug
It seems everyone has a favourite pool.
This isn’t really surprising given the fact
that going to the pool is pretty much
Icelanders’ (old and new) favourite
hobby. In fact, all of the pools in town
got mentioned, and even some out of
town ones (the pools in Seltjarnarnes
and Kópavogur, for instance). In
the end, we decided to go with
Laugardalslaug yet again, since they
are pretty much ‘the mall’ of Icelandic
pools, offering up a wide array of hot
tubs, a freaking excellent new disco
slide and some nice kiddie facilities. But
the rest of them rule equally hard, so
be sure not to discriminate. Deciding
which pool you’re visiting on a given day
is always a fun task.
Runners-up: Every other pool in
Reykjavík. And outside of Reykjavík.
They all rule. Pools rule!
(2009: Laugardalslaug)
Best pool (for hot tubbing,
lounging):
Sundhöll Reykjavíkur
Sorry to be repetitive, but there’s really
none better than Sundhöll Reykjavíkur
for hot tubbing. The tubs are hot
and relaxing, and venturing through
their dressing room is a worthwhile
experience in itself. It’s also right in
the middle of downtown, and it is an
architectural miracle, goddamnit!
Runners-up: Vesturbæjarlaug (“The
tub talk gets intense in there! It’s an
excellent place to meet people...”)
(2009: Sundhöll Reykjavíkur)
Best art museum:
Listasafn Reykjavíkur
Listasafn Reykjavíkur have been doing
an excellent job as of late. The shows on
display span everything from grassroots
offerings to highbrow high-art, they
regularly feature some very interesting
lectures and events – and they are an
excellent place to go for soup (not really
an art museum’s job, but still a nice
bonus). Our panellists agreed that the
Listasafn Reykjavíkur team have been
doing a great job, and they deserve a big
ol’ pat on the back. Good work, team!
(2009: Einar Jónsson museum and sculpture
garden)
Best gallery:
i8 Gallery
As one commentator remarked: “in
Iceland, i8 Gallery are truly in a league
of their own. Even though many
of the other ones are doing well for
themselves, there will be a long time
until they reach the standard set by i8.”
(2009: Gallery Kling og Bang)
Best museum:
Þjóðmenningarhús
Their current ‘Icelandic film’ exhibit
(see more elsewhere in this issue) makes
Þjóðmenningarhús (“The Culture
House”) a shoo-in for this category. It
really is worth spending the day there.
Since you’re into museums, be sure to
check out Þjóðminjasafn Íslands and
Árbæjarsafn too, though. They are also
pretty excellent.
Best place to spend a rainy
day:
A hot tub
While Borgarbókasafnið didn’t get any
worse since winning this category last
year (indeed, you will have a good time
spending a rainy day there – or a hot
and sunny one, for that matter), many
readers were intent on pointing out the
pleasures of any of Reykjavík’s hot pots
for a rainy day distraction. Who are we
to argue?
(2009: Borgarbókasafnið)
Best place to rent a movie:
Laugarásvideó burned to the ground
shortly after winning this category
last year. Then they rebuilt. And they
somehow managed to retain their
‘biggest fucking film, TV show and
whatever else that's pressed to DVD
collection in Europe’ status throughout
the transition. Laugarásvideó: our hats
are permanently off to y'all! Stay strong.
(2009: Laugarásvídeó)
Best biking tour:
Ægissíða-Elliðaárdalur
Alright. We all know biking around is
a fun, healthy and excellent way to kill
some time. Last year, we big-upped
the Grandi-Nauthólsvík route, which
is great for coastline sightseeing,
picnic-eating and general getting-some-
wind-in-your-face-and-being-all-joyous-
about-life. This year, we’re going to shift
our sights a little, but not too much.
Instead of starting at Grandi, you should
start at Ægissíða, bike past Öskjuhlíð
and Nauthólsvík and go all the way to
Elliðaárdalur. Once there, you can find
a nice spot by the river, munch on some
lunch and ponder life. It’ll be good – we
promise.
(2009: Grandi-Nauthólsvík)
Best place to go for a walk:
Þingholt
Strolling through the Þingholt
neighbourhood in 101 Reykjavík is
always a life-affirming experience.
There are all sorts of tiny streets to be
explored, noisy parties to be passed-by
and cuddly cats to greet. The houses are
all tiny and lovely, and the air smells of
trees and parties past. A fine place to
stroll along daydreamin’, especially as
twilight sets in.
(2009: Laugardalur)
Best romantic walk:
Sæbraut
This might sound cliché, but walking
Sæbraut as the sun sets (or rises – we
can barely tell these days to be honest)
with a loved one, stopping to take in the
super-popular photo-op sculpture Sólfar
as well as Yoko Ono’s Peace Column
(when it’s turned on, in winter), is pretty
goddamn romantic. If the weather’s
right and the sun colours the sky, there’s
really nothing better. Bonus points for
being an easy cab-hailing point, if the
mood strikes ya.
Runner-up: Öskjuhlíð. ‘Cuz we love it.
(2009: Öskjuhlíð)
Best place to go for a jog:
Laugardalur
Our panel of expert joggers agreed
that Laugardalurinn is without doubt
THE place to jog in Reykjavík. It has
lots of things going for it: it’s almost
never windy, there are several paths of
differing length available, and you can
go swimming afterwards. You can also
jog through the Reykjavík Botanical
Gardens, and they just smell so lovely!
(2009: Elliðaárdalur)
Best place to go fishing:
True, Elliðaá has the salmon, but any
dock in Reykjavík will provide ample
quantities of bull rout and pollock.
While you shouldn’t technically eat
dockfish, sitting at the harbour and
pulling some up can be a real treat.
(2009: Elliðaárdalur)
Best place to go gay
cruising:
öskjuhlíð
While gay cruising in Reykjavík will
usually take place on the internet or at
a club or bar, Öskjuhlíð is often named
as a primary location for informal
male hook-ups in the Reykjavík gay
community, mostly due to the fact that
it’s peaceful, beautiful and free. It is a
cruising place reminiscent of big cities’
parks, although you can’t really expect
to score so much. But if you do, you can
bet it’s interesting.
Runners-up: On weekends, Barbara is a
solid place for gay adventures (for both
genders, too!). It’s also a totally nice bar.
Dudes that make dress code should also
try and find out the location for the local
(secret) Leather Bar, proudly serving
Iceland’s leather community for years.
Best place to enjoy a Zen
moment:
Sit in front of Alþingi and have a Zen
moment, will you? It seems like it really
needs it.
(2009: Reykjavík Botanical Gardens)
Best place to cheer up:
Húsdýragarðurinn
Nothing has changed since last year,
so we’ll just repeat what we said then:
Some people like revelling in their
misery when The Blues attack. That
is all fine and well, and gives ample
opportunity to enjoy some good old
depressing music. Sometimes, though,
you’ll wish for a speedy recovery so you
can get back into the happy rhythm of
life, and what better place to do so than
at Húsdýragarðurinn – Reykjavík’s very
own petting zoo. Animals are awesome,
and funny.
If the baby seals don’t cheer you up,
and the piglets don’t cheer you up, and
he sheep don’t cheer you up, and none
of the other animals do.... you probably
don’t stand a chance.
ACTIVITIES
BEST OF
THE
REYKJAVÍK
2010