Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.10.2012, Page 47

Iceland’s
Restaurant of the year
2009 & 2010
by the Nordic Prize
Nordic House Sturlugata 5 101 Reykjavik tel. +354 552 1522 www.dillrestaurant.is Open for lunch every day from 11.30 and for dinner wednesday to sunday from 19.00.
• 456 5552
info@theviking.is
www.theviking.is
At the seashore the giant lobster makes
appointments with mermaids and landlubbers.
He waves his large claws, attracting those desiring
to be in the company of starfish and lumpfish.
> Only 45 minutes drive from Reykjavík
Eyrarbraut 3, 825 Stokkseyri, Iceland · Tel. +354 483 1550
Fax. +354 483 1545 · info@fjorubordid.is · www.fjorubordid.is
by the sea
and a delicious lobster
at Fjörubordid in Stokkseyri
Reykjavík
Stokkseyri
Eyrarbakki - The Seashore restaurant
Sp
ör
e
hf
.
Summer opening hours: Mon - Sun 12:00 to 22:00
The Greasy Approach
There is more than one way
to staple the skin back on a
throbbing cat, but the most
popular way of curing a hangover
is to attack the feeling of dysphoria
and regret by giving into every fat-
infused urge. It’s what your mind
desires and recent studies indicate
it may just benefit your body as
well.
1 Mamma Steina
Skólavörðustígur 23 (F5)
We at the Grapevine may have sung
its praises too much in the past.
Don’t go in there expecting a culinary
epiphany. It’s basic Icelandic soul
food. Meatballs, lamb stew, fish gratin,
breaded pork chops.
Pros: Clean place, greasy food
Cons: Some smells may trigger upset
stomachs
2 Úrilla Górillan
Austurstræti 12 (E4)
Again, nothing mind-blowing, but they
benefit from a small selection of tasty
burgers, sandwiches and fried chicken
strips (I hate huge menus during
recovery) and you can watch a game
as you eat and thereby avoid eye-
contact with whatever you managed to
drag out/home with you.
Pros: Neutral, TVs, moderately greasy
Cons: Might not be in the mood to see
a bar ever again
3 Kebab Grill
Lækjargötu 10 (E4)
This is my favourite kebab place in
Reykjavík although it doesn’t quite
reach the yogurt speckled, chilli-
dusted, rotisserie heights that I know
kebab can reach, but good enough the
day after. Correctly seasoned, good
bread, fresh ingredients, selection of
strange European fruit sodas at the till.
Pros: Located in a warm and womblike
basement
Cons: Service is friendly, but a bit slow
sometimes
Other notable choices:
Gamla smiðjan
Fiery pizza
www.gamlasmidjan.is
Núðluskálin
Assorted bowls of noodles
www.nudluskalin.com
Nonnabiti
Iceland’s greasy take on the Subway sub
www.nonnabiti.is/
Aktu Taktu
Burger drive-thru. The menu is only in
Icelandic
aktutaktu.is/matsedill.htm
The Healthy(ish)
Approach
So, you have decided that
your body has taken enough
punishment for one day? Maybe
you’re a vegematerian, maybe you
want to whip up a rudimentary
detox before collapsing back into
the fray, or maybe you’re simply
not in the mood for a stack of
processed meat fried in canola?
1 Bergsson
Templarasund 3 (E4)
Received a slightly under enthused
review in our regular food column
recently, but we may have been a
little hard on them. Bergsson may be
the perfect alternative to the greasy
hangover meal. It’s a clean, bright and
friendly place with a pretty fresh and
healthy brunch option along with some
tasty soups. Prepare to encounter
jams, breads, salads and oven-baked
protein. Not sure if they offer any fizzy
ginger drinks, but they feel very fizzy
and gingery.
2 Happ
Höfðatorg
This is not strictly speaking 101
Reykjavík, but why not go for a bit of a
jog while you’re being all healthy and
stuff. Stock up on detox juice, soups,
wraps, salads, whole grain, roasted
veggies and meals entirely based on
the perceived curative properties of
the individual ingredients. None of
the meals are available in enema-form
(yet), but they are sure to cleanse or
clench you up real nice (whichever you
prefer).
3 Kaffi Loki
Lokastígur 28 (G6)
It’s not particularly healthy, but
something about the place feels
restorative. Overlooking the church
dildo on the hill (probably for
beckoning unsuspecting children
from the nearby school, am I right!?),
it’s brimming with cosy and patriotic
dishes. Grab some flatbread with
pickled herring, spelt bagel with hard-
boiled eggs, quinoa and feta salad or a
skyr cake.
Other notable choices
Kex hostel
Sit at the bar with a beet salad or just
grab a porridge breakfast
www.kexhostel.is/saemundur
Kryddlegin hjörtu
Organic soups and salads
www.kryddleginhjortu.is
Durum
Soups and fresh juices are usually nice
in this mediocre safe haven
www.durum.is
Five days of music in the heart of Reykjavík. Five days of getting
sandblasted by arctic winds in a queue of adorable teenagers in
waddling up to the balrog in front of the door while trying to hide the
bulge of duty free vodka in their impractical trousers. Well, they may have
confiscated that vodka but they couldn’t confiscate your will to drink until
that Belgian afro-folk-noise collective started to make sense. And now
it’s the day after and your body is undergoing a surprisingly thorough
and punishing metabolic collapse and your synapses feel like precious
conflict minerals in a muddy quarry belonging to a failed African state
run by a junta of fiercely motivated fire goblins. You need solids and
liquids and you need them fast!
By Ragnar Egilsson
Hangover Grub In 101