Reykjavík Grapevine - 28.09.2013, Page 47

Ó ! 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
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.
Revival Of The Fittest
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Argentína has been a well-known es-
tablishment in Reykjavík since it first
opened in 1989, but its heyday was
undoubtedly in the ‘90s. Throughout
the decade of questionable hairstyles
and 501 Levi’s jeans, Argentína was
the restaurant of choice for lead
singers of pop groups, movie stars
and business moguls who wanted to
see and be seen. This, however, has
not been the case after the turn of
the century.
As the name suggests, Argentí-
na’s forte is something very Argen-
tinian—huge charcoal grilled steaks.
The place itself is very “macho,” as
far as the term goes: there’s a lot of
wood on the walls and a large grill
is placed in the middle of the dining
area next to the kitchen. The decor is
somewhere between a hunting lodge
and the inside of a medieval castle—
but in a good way. The place is very
clean and the air is not too heavy or
stuffy, despite the grill. I’d hate to
imagine how it was, however, when
Argentína offered up huge cigars
after the meal, back in the days when
indoor smoking was allowed. Ahh,
the ‘90s...
In any case, today’s menu is
made up of starters consisting of
either something with langoustines
or Carpaccio. My companion chose
roasted langoustines and escargot in
garlic and coriander (2,980 ISK). The
dish came with a bit of rocket salad
and a citrus dressing which was very
refreshing. The langoustines were a
touch overcooked, but overall a fine
starter. I had the lobster soup with
lobster tails and cream (2,420 ISK).
It was a cognac-based soup, very
powerful and tasty. There tends to
be confusion in Iceland about what
a lobster is and what a langoustine
is, and this was not lobster, but
langoustine. There could have been
more langoustine tails, but knowing
what was coming up next, there was
no reason to complain.
Before our main course, our waiter
also brought us a palette-cleanser. A
mint sorbet served in a wine glass
with sparkling wine. This was a nice
touch, very refreshing, perfect for
starting anew.
For our main courses we had
already decided that we were going to
“pack in an artery,” to quote Seinfeld.
When in Rome and all that. My
companion had the 35- day dry aged
rib-eye (6,350 ISK) and I went for
the more conventional T-Bone steak
(5,930 ISK). All steaks at Argentína
are served with a baked potato with
sour cream, wok-fried vegetables and
a sauce of choice. My companion
chose the classic béarnaise, while
I had the foyot-version—basically
a béarnaise with beef stock. Both
our steaks were cooked to a tender
medium-rare perfection, they were
truly “melt in your mouth” delicious,
not really needing anything like the
sauce or extra seasoning. True meat
heaven. The sauces were however,
quite good. The foyot was excellent
even.
For dessert my companion de-
cided on a warm Valrhona choco-
late cake served with home-made
vanilla ice cream (1,940 ISK). I was
basically too full by this point and
simply asked for a spiked coffee
drink, the “Argentina” (1,450 ISK)
with amaretto, tequila and whipped
cream. Perfect for the time and place
and very tasty. The Valrhona takes 20
minutes, as it is made from scratch,
but it was totally worth it. It had a
wet and oozy centre and it went well
with the fresh vanilla ice cream and
honey-roasted crushed nuts for some
crunchy texture—a true delight.
All in all we were very pleased
with our meal. There were hardly
any faults and the service was impec-
cable. Everything was explained
very clearly, our glasses were always
full and we were made to feel very
relaxed and at home—the way it
should be. We both agreed that
Argentína is due for a revival. The
meaty, creamy, buttery culinary arts
might not be good for you on a daily
basis, but if you want to indulge in
those elements once in a while—Ar-
gentína is the place for you.
BJÖRN TEITSSON
MAGNÚS ANDERSEN
Argentína
What We Think:
It’s an Argentina steakhouse—
rustic, macho and meaty
Flavour:
South American, southern
European
Ambiance:
Fine dining, but relaxed and homey
too.
Service:
Service is second to none
Price for 2 (with drinks):
30-35,000 ISK
Barónsstígur 11a, 101 Reykjavík