Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.07.2013, Qupperneq 30

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Things They Like
Reykjavík Institutions Aka ‘The Untouchables’
Thomas Brorsen
activist
Naree Thai on Frakkastígur is my favourite place. Consider-
ing that it is so affordable, the food is amazingly good. It’s au-
thentic Thai with wonderful surroundings and the best service
in Reykjavík, ever! This is a place I go with family, groups of
friend or on romantic dates (that don't have to cost 20,000 ISK).
Parker Yamasaki
Californian
I like the tastes of Reykjavík. Not necessarily the cuisine, but
particular tastes. Like black liquorice, for instance. Back home
people turn their mouths downward and crinkle their nose at
its mention, here not only do the markets carry it, but they ded-
icate entire sections to it in all of its glorious forms.
Then there's the cream. You get cream on the side of, well,
nearly everything. I've been served ice cream with a side of
cream, and it wasn't redundant at all. And I can't overlook the
kókómjólk (chocolate milk) phenomenon. I've never seen so
many grown men sucking on juice boxes of chocolate milk, and
making it look so good.
Vigdís Hauksdóttir,
MP for the Progressive Party
The Austurvöllur parliamentary square is a place I hold dear
to heart, as it really improves Reykjavík as a whole. It’s a great
place for outdoor activities and you know spring has arrived
when Austurvöllur gets packed. It is a dignified and charming
place that’s been preserved for many decades, and it becomes
the heart of Reykjavík on June 17, Iceland’s national day. The
policy is of course to maintain the square and safeguard the
houses surrounding it.
Auður
Student
I loved sitting down at Hemmi og Valdi and enjoying a beer
with friends. Now that place has shut down, but the Bunk bar is
also great, especially if you get a seat out back.
Dóra Kolka
Teaching assistant
I often go to the Blue Lagoon, especially during the winter
months. It’s a fantastic place to chill out and just melt away.
Jón Gnarr
Mayor of Reykjavík
Reykjavík is a very cosmopolitan city where everything is with-
in walking distance. I love walking through the city, looking at
houses and enjoying society.
Halla Helgadóttir
Executive director of the Icelandic Design Centre
For the greatest part of my life, I’ve lived on Ásvallagata in the
old west end of Reykjavík, and it has left a strong impression
on me. The location is great, and it has just the right variety of
single houses and block flats there. The gardens on the street
are great, too.
I also love the centre of Reykjavík as it is constantly evolv-
ing. Just look at the Laugavegur shopping street and how it
keeps renewing and reinventing itself. It has become more
beautiful and greener, and you run into a lot of fun people.
There are also a lot of great restaurants downtown. I walk a
lot through the city, and it is always a treat, reminding me how
great it is to live here.
Through compiling our second annual best of list back when,
we reached the conclusion that some of these places are so
firmly established as local favourites that naming them “best
of” anything is sort of redundant.
Furthermore, we thought having to compete with local fa-
vourites was almost unfair to all the new places trying to make
their name. There will only ever be one Ísbúð Vesturbæjar, and
it will probably remain Reykjavík’s favourite ice cream joint for
as long as they don’t mess up horribly. That shouldn’t mean we
can’t get excited and dish out props to other ice cream vendors.
We came up with a solution that would give us a chance to
honour some of the perennial local favourites while still giving
props to new and exciting places. We simply made a category
that we call REYKJAVÍK INSTITUTIONS.
What makes a ‘REYKJAVÍK INSTITUTION’? By our defini-
tion, a ‘REYKJAVÍK INSTITUTION’ is a place or entity that’s
time and time again proven itself as one of the best of its
kind, and has remained a must-visit through the years. When
achieving INSTITUTION status, an establishment is automati-
cally disqualified from winning any ‘best of’ categories, be-
cause you’re beyond being ‘best,’ having been all consistently
awesome for a long, long time.
A REYKJAVÍK INSTITUTION is a must-visit for tourists to
Reykjavík.
A REYKJAVÍK INSTITUTION will retain its status as such
until it starts sucking, in which case we will ceremoniously re-
move them from our list next year.
Without further ado, here are our REYKJAVÍK INSTITU-
TIONS, along with some choice reader and specialist quotes
that argue their status:
KAFFIBARINN
“Despite some ups and downs, Kaffibarinn has remained the
undisputed reigning champion of Reykjavík nightlife and drink-
ing for well over a decade. They are a true nightlife institution.”
BÆJARINS BESTU
“Everyone goes there. All the time. For over 70 years now. Not
exactly gourmet dining, but a really freaking great snack none-
theless.”
ÍSBÚÐ VESTURBÆJAR
“It’s hard to explain the charm to outsiders, just tell them to go
there. The ever-present queue speaks for itself.”
HORNIÐ
“For a restaurant to remain so consistently on top of its game
for over thirty years is one huge achievement. They are cosy,
dependable and ever-tasty.”
MOKKA
“They brought ‘coffee’ to Iceland, pretty much”.
TÍU DROPAR
“Quintessentially Icelandic in every way. The coffee, the cake,
the vibe. If I were to point a visiting friend to ‘the essence of
Iceland,’ this is where I would send him.”
KOLAPORTIÐ
“If Kolaportið weren’t around, we’d need to establish it imme-
diately, lest we vanish back to the dark ages of commerce.”
BÓKIN – BÓKABÚÐ BRAGA
“It’s hard to imagine Reykjavík without it. So let’s not.”
BRYNJA
“This neighbourhood hardware store almost predates
Laugavegur, and they always serve you with a smile (and don’t
mind throwing in some good advice when needed).”
AUSTUR-INDÍA FÉLAGIÐ
“Probably your safest bet for fine dining in Iceland, period.”
JÓMFRÚIN
“This Danish ‘smørrebrød’ house provides a unique atmo-
sphere and taste you won’t find elsewhere in town... or in the
world for that matter.”
PRIKIÐ
“Serving old men their morning coffee since way back, and
somehow combining that with serving beer and hip hop to
young folks since the late ‘90s. And burgers. And milkshakes.
A one of a kind place with spirit and soul.”
SUNDHÖLL REYKJAVÍKUR
“The Guðjón Samúelsson designed Sundhöll Reykjavíkur with
its maze of locker rooms is a beautiful building, and the nude
sunbathing facilities, soothing hot pots and an atmosphere
that has remained relatively unchanged since the 1930s all add
to its appeal. While some of Reykjavík’s other pools might of-
fer more diversity, Sundhöll Reykjavíkur remains a unique and
enduring local favourite.”
---
Feel like we missed one? Drop us a line at bestof@grapevine.is
explaining why a given place should be merited INSTITUTION
status, and we shall consider it for our 2014 edition!
by Tómas Gabríel Benjamin
30The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 9 — 2013