Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.07.2011, Blaðsíða 54

Barbara
At Laugavegur 22, above Trúnó, Barbara
serves up a lively atmosphere for Reykjavík’s
gay community and anybody else who just
wants to dance and have a good time. The
first level is made for dancing and is often
packed with sweaty bodies, while the second
level of the bar offers a place to sit, drink and
chat with another and in which to smoke.
Laugavegur 22
11
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The
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Harbour
Th
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Di
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EGGERTSGATA
LYNGHAGI
STARHAGI
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V
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G
I
Down
Town
West
Side
East
Side
“Financial
District”Up
Town
BSÍ
Coach
Terminal
Nordic House
Culture Center
University
of Iceland
National
museum
National
library
Austur
völlur
Park
Icelandic
Parliament
Reykjavík
Domestic
Airport
Hlemmur
Bus Terminal
Sundhöllin
Swimming
Pool
Laugardals
Swimming
Pool
Sigurjón
Art
Museum
Viðey
ferry
Cruise
harbour
Zoo and
family park
Camping
site
Kringlan
Shopping
Mall
Laugardalshöll
Sports hall
The
Tower
City
Hall
The Einar
Jónsson
Museum
Hallgríms
kirkja
Church
National
Theatre
The
Culture
House
The
Central
Bank
Main
Tourist
Info
Reykjavík
Art
Museum
Maritime
Museum
Old
Harbour
Area
Harpa
Concert
Hall
City
Pond
Klambratún
Park
Öskjuhlíð
Laugardalur
Nauthólsvík
Perlan
University of Reykjavík
Kjarvalsstaðir
National
Museum
Hótel Loftleiðir
Hljómskáli
Park
Vesturbæjar
Swimming
Pool
National
Gallery
of Iceland
Taxi
Taxi
Taxi
Taxi
6 7 8 9 10
13
5
12
11
6
10
For a map of outside downtown Reykjavík
visit www.grapevine.is or the Icelandic
phonebook website www.ja.is
If you have an iPhone, check out the cool
Locatify app in the AppStore. It´s got a FREE
guided audio tour of the downtown area,
courtesy of your pals at Grapevine.
14
A DAY IN THE LIFE
Dr. Gunni
What’s up, Dr. Gunni?
I'm enjoying the Icelandic summer in
the West, East, South and North. Also
I'm on TV every Saturday night with
my Popppunktur pop music quiz show,
where Icelandic bands compete. Also
I'm finishing up my gigantic Icelandic
pop music book, ‘Stuð stuð stuð’, which
will come out in the fall and be the
greatest thing you’ve ever seen.
I wake up so early that I have usually
about 2 hours all for myself. I make
coffee (Kirkland Starbucks coffee that
I get from the Americanised grocery
store Kostur in Kópavogur) and do all
kinds of wonderful things you can do
with your computer. Then everybody
wakes up and I make oatmeal
pudding, take the kids to school and
then it's back to the computer. If I
go out I usually meet people at Café
Laundromat (Austurstræti 19). It just
opened. It looks very "foreign" which is
good; it feels like you're in Copenhagen.
Good coffee and grub and a
cosmopolitan feeling. In the morning it's
not as crowded as at other times so you
get seated easily and have the morning
papers all for yourself.
Usually I go to the gym (World Class
Laugar, Laugardalur) for a spinning
session and then back home to make
a blueberry smoothie for lunch. If I eat
elsewhere it might be at the health
store Maður lifandi (Borgartún 24),
where I mix stuff in a box and take out,
or if I wanna be extra good to myself
I eat something nice and American at
TGI Fridays (at Smáralind shopping
centre) or Ruby Tuesday (Skipholt 19).
The price is better at lunchtime there
(and at many other restaurants), so it's
good to eat out then. Better for your
purse and digestion.
I might go and check what's up with my
pals at the second hand record stores,
Lucky Records (Hverfisgata 82) and
Geisladiskabúð Valda (Laugavegur 64).
I might also get Turkish coffee at Café
Haiti (Geirsgata 7b). That's the only
place in Reykjavík you can get Turkish
coffee and that will kick your butt
nicely—it’s just what you need if you
woke up at five in the morning.
If the family goes out to eat we might
go to either Hamborgarafabrikkan
(Höfðatún 2)—a very nicely pulled-
off Icelandic version of a hi-class
hamburger joint (too bad it's always
so crowded that you have to be there
at about 5 pm to get a seat without
hassle)—or Saffran (Glæsibæ, Álfheimar
74)—a good "healthy food" place where
the price is fair. If the wife and me go to
eat fancy we'd probably go to Austur-
Indíafjelagið (Hverfisgata 56), which is
probably the best Indian restaurant in
the world.
My dancing days are over, so the
hippest thing I might do is go with the
family to buy ice cream. And true to
its name, Iceland has some happening
ice cream shops. In Reykjavík, the
ice cream nerd has to visit Ísbúð
Vesturbæjar (Hagamelur 67) and get a
cone of the "old" ice cream. Also visit
YoYo Ísbúð (Snorrabraut at Egilsgata)
for a "mix it yourself" yogurt ice cream
orgasm. If you're in Akureyri you should
go get yourself a cone of Brynjuís'
legendary ice cream (Aðalstræti 3) or
drive to Holtsel in Eyjafjörður, where
there's an ice cream parlour just above
the cow ranch where the cows are that
supplied the cream. Ask for "skyr-ice
cream with Icelandic blue berries",
which is without a doubt the best ice
cream in the universe.
EARLY MORNING >
LUNCH >
MID-DAY >
AFTERNOON >
HEAT OF THE NIGHT >
Hemmi & Valdi
The “colonial store” Hemmi and Valdi was
probably 2008’s most surprising crowd
pleaser. The cosy hangout advanced from
being a toasty retreat, where you could
get cheap beer and have a quiet chat, into
being a chock-full concert venue and an all-
night party place. And believe me, the new
atmosphere is brilliant. SKK
Laugavegur 21
1817 Hressó
You know, Hressó is basically the only place
I go for coffee. Why? Their coffee is decent
to excellent, but their forte is surely their
wonderful patio, where you can enjoy the
spring breeze in the sun, wrap yourself
in a blanket beneath an electric heater in
January and at all times: smoke. They boast
of quite the prolific menu, but I’d reconsider
the playlists to tell you the truth, too much
of Nickelback really hurts. SKK
Austurstræti 20

C is for Cookie
This cosy new café owned by Polish couple
Agnieszka and Stanislaw is the latest
addition to the Reykjavik café scene and
already looks set to become a favourite
with the locals. Ideal for an early lunch or
spending a lazy afternoon deciding which
of Agnieszka's delicious home baked
cakes you want to try next. I´d go with the
cheescake, it's pretty fabulous. EF
Týsgata 8
19
Kryddlegin Hjörtu
The restaurant Kryddlegin Hjört , "Spicy
hearts", specializes in healthy and rich
gourmet soups, homemade spelt bread and
an exclusive salad bar. They are located by
the seaside with a spectacular view of the
mountains to the north. They are located
in a newly built house at Skúlagata 17.
Designed with great taste and a lot of love.
Closed on Sundays.
Skúlagata 17
12 Kaffismiðja Íslands
Old fashioned charm is the style of
Kaffismiðja, in everything from the decor to
the coffee grinders. Off the beaten track, this
popular coffee shop is a great spot to sit and
read or have a chat with friends. The owners
Ingbjörg and Sonja take great pride in the
beans they use and the coffee is top notch.
You can buy fresh grounds too, in case you
just cant get enough. EF
Kárastíg 1
13
LAUGAVEGUR 56
101 REYKJAVÍK
WWW.NIKITACLOTHING.COM
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