Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.05.2013, Qupperneq 47

Ó Ð I N S T O R G 1 0 1 R E Y K J A V Í K Í S L A N D S N A P S B I S T R O . I S
S n a p s b i s t r o @ s n a p s b i s t r o . i s + 3 5 4 5 1 1 6 6 7 7
‘The quintessential diner is not
easy to come by in Iceland, at least
not if you have anything resem-
bling Edward Hopper’s masterpiece
Nighthawks’ in mind. That said, the
place that comes closest would have
to be Prikið, situated on the corner
of Bankastræti and Ingólfsstræti—as
central as central can be.
Prikið is one of the oldest dining
establishments in Reykjavík that is
still in operation. Much like so many
other downtown establishments
of its kind, it suffers—or benefits,
perhaps—from a Dr Jekyll and Mr
Hyde syndrome, being a quiet, cosy
café by day, and a loud, sweaty place
of drinking yourself into oblivion
by night. Therefore, if Prikið is to
be enjoyed as a dining destination,
I recommend that you visit during
lunch—or whenever you manage to
wake up on a given weekend. Brunch
offers are on hand at any given time
but otherwise the menu consists of
diner classics: steaks, sandwiches
and burgers, with milk shakes (even
spiked, if the mood should strike.)
Prikið can be busy during lunch
hour, but it is always welcoming. The
first order of business is to warm
up with a cup of Joe. If you need to
get some work done, or read a book,
Prikið also offers a good ambiance,
and the often sleeve-tattooed staff of
hipsters aren’t shy about topping you
off when needed. Opting to stay in
the kitchen’s comfort zone, I order
a burger. Prikið offers a ‘burger of
the day’ special for just 1000 ISK,
but I decide on something heavier,
the sweaty burger (1590 ISK), served
with onions, tomatoes, lettuce,
cheese and bacon, topped with a fried
egg. Fries are served with every order
of burger or sandwich.
For my companion, a pescatarian,
the choices are limited to a veggie
burrito, a veggie burger, fish and
chips or the infamous fish burger.
He chose the latter (at 1690 ISK),
served with crispy onion rings, toma-
toes and lettuce.
I was quite pleased with the
sweaty burger. The burger was
perfectly cooked: medium rare, as it
should be. The egg yolk was perfectly
cooked and still intact, simply beg-
ging to be cut in half, to ooze over
the rest of the ingredients. Be sure
to get a bottle of Tabasco to drizzle
some heat over your egg—as chili
and egg form one of the best couples
in the history of civilization. Also,
you may want to ask for mayonnaise
with your fries, if you’re into that
sort of thing.
The Fish Burger also passed the
test, although the onion rings were
not too ‘crispy’—perhaps due to
the fact that they were sandwiched
between steaming hot buns.
As for the dessert menu: You
have the basics, an ice cream sundae,
carrot cake or devil’s food cake. As
my companion and I were pretty
much about to burst, we decided to
share a piece of carrot cake, just for
the sake of the review. It was moist
and plump with a rich frosting, and
comes highly recommended from me
to you—although perhaps not after a
meal such as ours.
All in all, this was a lunch that
gave us everything we hoped for, and
everything we expected. This is not
haute cuisine; this is diner comfort
food at its finest by any standard.
Dayhawks At The Diner
Prikið
Bankastræti 12, 101 Reykjavík
Mon-Thurs 11-22, Fri 08-04:30, Sat
12-04:30, Sun 12-01:00
What we think
As for comfort food classics, Prikið
will satisfy your needs. Hangover
destination par excellence
Flavour:
Comfort food, dinner, Americana
Ambiance:
Easy going, cosy by day. Crowded
and loud by night
Service:
Friendly, accommodating
Price for 2 (no drinks):
4.000–5.000 ISK
Sturlugata 5 · 101 Reykjavík
Tel. +354 552 15 22 · www.dillrestaurant.is
Lífið er saltfiskur
#109 Dill is a Nordic restaurant with its
focus on Iceland, the pure nature and
all the good things coming from it.

It does not matter if it’s the
ingredients or the old traditions, we
try to hold firmly on to both.
There are not many things that make
us happier than giving life to old
traditions and forgotten ingredients
with modern technique and our creative
mind as a weapon.
BJÖRN TEITSSON
ALÍSA KALYANOVA