Reykjavík Grapevine - 09.09.2011, Side 46
F D
For your mind, body and soul
Litli bóndabærinn (like St. Paul's) is very
much a one-person show. David, owner
and sole employee (for the time being) is
responsible for every aspect of the opera-
tion and is quite an attraction in his own
right. Another British expat like Paul
at St. Paul's, he is offering a distinctly
British variety of small lunch offerings
(Litli bóndabærinn’s Facebook page
claims it's a "wholefoods takeaway mini-
bistro"). However, the sandwiches are
not the main attraction as much as the
out-of-this-world meat pie I was lucky
enough to try there. But more about that
later.
As I mentioned, David himself is a
big draw. Luvvy and just a little OTT, I
was carpet bombed with more casual
sexual innuendo crammed into a five
minute conversation than I knew how to
deal with. While this sort of thing could
easily get obnoxious, David remains af-
fable and charming and his playful and
down-to-earth demeanour infuses the
place.
As far as I know, there is no place in
Reykjavík quite like Litli bóndabærinn.
The food is all organic and locally grown
for the most part, but not limited to
vegan or raw food (although the chef
and owner is a vegetarian he has no
qualms about putting meat dishes on
the menu). And if the operation can
seem shambolic at times, it is not un-
derpinned by an anarchist or collectivist
philosophy like some of the other down-
town coffee houses of the same suit. In-
stead a Northern European, down home
charm seems to be the aim.
Not to say that the place isn't without
its faults. The opening hours have been
erratic and as charming as it may be to
eat a sandwich from a saucer and drink
soup from a paper coffee cup, the flat-
ware would need to be stepped up. But
Litli bóndabærinn is clearly a work in
progress, and a brief talk with the owner
revealed that he has ambitions to expand
the business into wholesale produce and
a larger menu.
For now Litli bóndabærinn is pri-
marily a coffee house with a selection of
small, tasty dishes. My companion and
I both ordered the sandwich (650 ISK
or a 950 ISK lunch offer with a drink
of your choice) and sausage tart (450
ISK). The sandwich was vegetarian with
a salad and roasted organic vegetables.
The thick whole-wheat bread was crum-
bly, and the oils from the vegetables
loosened it up further and this made for
a tricky eating experience. The flavour
was strong and earthy and with a hint
of sage and possibly fresh thyme but
ended up having to be scooped up from
the saucer in soggy lumps which was a
slight annoyance.
The flaky tart stuffed with sausage
meat and sage, layered with apples and
currants was beyond approach. Hands
down the best meaty tarty thing I've
tasted in Iceland. The saltiness of the
sausage stuffing and the tarty sweetness
of the apples playing off each other very
nicely. And at 450 ISK, it's very easy
on the purse, especially considering
the quality of the ingredients. It's only
too bad that I can't guarantee its place
on the menu, as the lunch items are
changed up regularly at the proprietor’s
whim.
Litli bóndabærinn lacks in selection.
At the moment, it’s more of a coffee
shop than a restaurant. But what they
do have on offer is excellent, and the
farmer's market vibe is necessary and
commendable.
LET’S SPLIT A SAUSAGE TART
A genuine Nordic 3 course feast
starting from 4.900,-
Pósthússtræti 11 101 Reykjavík Tel: 578 2008 www.silfur.is
there are a lot of positive
reviews about..
the best thai food
year 2009, 2010 and 2011
authentic thai crusine
served in elegant surroundings
with spicy, very delicious and
reasonable prices.
o
pe
n
h
o
u
r
s
18
.0
0
-
22
.0
0
ev
ey
d
ay
tel : 55-22-444, 692-0564
www.banthai.name
Also TOP TEN for....
The Best Restaurant in Iceland
Laugavegur 130 ofan við Hlemm
RAGNAR EGILSSON
NATSHA NANDABHIWAT
Pósthússtræti 13
101 Reykjavík
Tel: +354 551 1800
www.gamla.is
What We Think: Small selection.
Nice farmer’s market vibe. Great
pies.
Flavour: UK/Icelandic/N-Europe-
an. Root veggies. Sage. Grain.
Ambiance: Grandma meets stu-
dent (for a roll in the hay)
Service: Helping you help your-
self
Litli bóndabærinn
Laugavegur 41, 101 Reykjavík