Reykjavík Grapevine - 12.08.2011, Page 58

F D
For your mind, body and soul
3 Frakkar
Baldursgata 14 | G5
Aktu Taktu
Skúlugata 15 | E7
Alibaba
Veltusund 3b | D3
American Style
Tryggvagata 26 | D4
Argentína Steakhouse
Barónstígur | F7
Austurlanda-
hraðlestin
Hverfisgata 64A | F7
Á næstu Grösum
Laugavegur 20B | F5
B5
Bankastræti 5 | E4
Bakkus
Tryggvagata 22 | D3
Ban Thai
Laugavegur 130 | G8
Babalú
Skólavörðustígur 22A
| F5
Bæjarins Beztu
Tryggvagata | D4
Íslenski Barinn
Pósthússtræti 9 | E4
Bar Ellefu
Hverfisgata 18 | E5
Café d'Haiti
Tryggvagata 12 | D4
Café Loki
Lokastígur 28 | G6
Café Paris
Austurstræti 14 | E4
Café Roma
Rauðarárstígur 8 | G8
Deli
Bankastræti 14 | E5
Domo
Þingholtsstræti 5 | E4
Einar Ben
Veltusundi | D3
Eldsmiðjan
Bragagata 38A | G5
Fiskmarkaðurinn
Aðalstræti 12 | E3
Geysir Bar/Bistro
Aðalstræti 2 | D3
Garðurinn
Klappastigur 37 | F5
Gata
Laugavegur 3 | E5
Glætan book café
Laugavegur 19 | E5
Grái Kötturinn
Hverfisgata 16A | E5
Grillhúsið
Tryggvagata 20 | D3
Habibi
Hafnarstræti 20 | D4
Hamborgarabúlla
Tómasar (“Bullan”)
Geirsgata 1 | C3
Hlölla Bátar
Ingólfstorg | D3
Hornið
Hafnarstræti 15 | D4
Hótel Holt
Bergstaðarstræti 37
| G5
Humarhúsið
Amtmannstígur 1 | E4
Hressó
Austurstræti 20 | E4
Icelandic Fish & Chips
Tryggvagata 8 | D3
Indian Mango
Frakkastígur 12 | F6
Jómfrúin
Lækjargata 4 | E4
Fjallkonubakaríið
Laugavegur 21 | F5
Kaffifélagið
Skólavörðustígur 10
| E5
Kaffitár
Bankastræti 8 | E5
Kaffivagninn
Grandagarður 10 | B2
Kofi Tómasar Frænda
Laugavegur 2 | E5
Kornið
Lækjargata 4 | E4
Krua Thai
Tryggvagata 14 | D3
La Primavera
Austurstræti 9 | E4
Mokka
Skólavörðustígur 3A
| E5
nonnabiti
Hafnarstræti 9 | D4
O Sushi
Lækjargata 2A | E4
Pisa
Lækjargötu 6b | E4
Pizza King
Hafnarstræti 18 | D4
Express Pizza
Vallarstræti 4 | E4
Gamla Smiðjan
Lækjargötu 8 | E4
Prikið
Bankastræti 12 | E5
Ráðhúskaffi | E3
Tjarnargata 11
Santa Maria
Laugavegur 22A, | F6
Serrano
Hringbraut 12 | I5
Shalimar
Austurstræti 4 | E3
Silfur
Pósthússtræti 11 | E4
Sjávarkjallarinn
Aðalstræti 2 | D3
Sólon
Bankastræti 7a | E5

Sushibarinn
Laugavegur 2 | E5
Sushismiðjan
Geirsgötu 3 | C3
Svarta Kaffi
Laugavegur 54 | F7
Sægreifinn
Verbúð 8, Geirsgata
| C3
Tapas
Vesturgata 3B | D3
Thorvaldsen
Austurstræti 8 | E4
Tíu Dropar
Laugavegur 27 | F5
UnO
Hafnarstræti 1-3 | D3
Vegamót
Vegamótastígur 4 | F5
Við Tjörnina
Templarasund 3 | E4
Vitabar
Bergþórugata 21 | G7
Food & Drink | Venue finder
The idea of a Viking themed bar triggers
the same knee-jerk reaction that natives
get when they're confronted with the
puffin plush toys and plastic helmets
shops in downtown Reykjavík. It’s un-
derstandable that we're seeing more of
these shops given the summer traffic
of visitors to Reykjavík, but it's always
a little heartbreaking to see a charming
old wooden house get press-ganged into
tourist service. But I’m inclined to cut
Víkingakráin (The Viking Tavern) some
slack.
Víkingakráin is firmly in the spirit
of those Medieval Times jousting places
we all know and love/loathe. In my opin-
ion, the place has real potential to offer a
barrel of stupid fun to foreigners and lo-
cals alike and if you need to put on your
ironic hat to enjoy it then be my guest.
For one thing, they've gone out of
their way to maintain authenticity and
are well ahead of the Viking Village in
Hafnarfjörður which is too 'Disneyfied'
and 'plasticky'. Here there isn't a plas-
tic horned helmet in sight and the cos-
tumes (every guest gets one!) are quite
convincing.
For what’s mostly a bar, Víkingakráin
offers an ambitious menu. Local dishes
and local ingredients make up most of
the menu and of course the usual rotten
shark, smoked lamb and wind-dried cod
are well represented. But they also offer
things like salted cod in orange sauce
(3.100 ISK) and lamb filets in beer sauce
(3.900 ISK) and some interesting group
menus, which I didn't get a chance to
try. So they seem to be aiming for bistro
status.
My companion and I kicked off with
what should be considered the basics:
Icelandic lamb stew (1.600 ISK) and
the creamy fish soup (1.450 ISK), and
the recommended light lager Jökull to
wash it down. The lamb stew I’m used
to is served with either rice or oatmeal
as a thickening agent and so the thin
broth-like stew that they offered didn't
feel quite right. They do get a big plus
for skimming off most of the fat as the
fat on the Icelandic lamb can have an
almost overbearingly gamey taste to it.
They also used what looked like fresh
herbs and vegetables, which is not a
given.
The fish soup was somewhere be-
tween a Manhattan and a New England
clam chowder and worked well—mixed
seafood, heavy on the cream, but with
fresh tomatoes and white wine (also
sour whey?) to lift it up.
For the main course we picked the
lamb shank with blueberry sauce (3.400
ISK) and the interesting-sounding Arc-
tic char with a cumin-brennivín sauce
(3.100 ISK). The Arctic char was of
the typical mass-farmed variety and I
missed the burned, crispy skin, which is
where the char really shines. The sauce
tasted more of burned butter than cum-
in and the overall impression was bland
and did not do justice to the Arctic char.
The Lamb shanks, I'll bet good mon-
ey on, had been boiled prior to roasting.
Overcooked, the flavour wasn't there
and the salty blueberry-free bouillon
sauce did little to liven up the protein.
I squeezed in a dessert of rice pud-
ding with blueberry “kissel” (also known
as “jam”) and got what looked like a Rice
Krispies yoghurt bar. It was day-old, cin-
namon-less mulch and I heartily recom-
mend the cream pancake or skyr in its
place.
I would like to give kudos to the lady
holding down the fort by herself for
the better part of the evening and with
a packed room of tourists too! It can be
difficult to predict traffic in restaurants
aimed at tourists and these things hap-
pen but she was professional and friend-
ly despite the workload.
The menu may be over-ambitious for
this range and the kitchen needs a kick
up the ass, but I’d say it does the job for
a theme bar/restaurant and could easily
be raised up a notch with a few easy fixes
(if you have to precook it, then leave it
off the menu!).
Overall, Víkingakráin does a good
job of letting you know what you’re in
for and if you take it for what it is then
the meal should live up to expectations.
However, it would be nice to see the
theme of the place explored further, in-
volve the guests more, add more events,
involve the staff more, maybe some bar
games, like an axe challenge with free
shots for those who hit the bulls eye!
SORRY, NO MONK MEAT
RAGnAR EGILSSOn
JULIA STAPLES
there are a lot of positive
reviews about..
also....
the best thai food
year 2009, 2010 and 2011
authentic thai crusine
served in elegant surroundings
with spicy, very delicious and
reasonable prices.

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tel : 55-22-444, 692-0564
www.banthai.name
TOP TEN for....
The Best Restaurant in Iceland
D V. 17.06.11
A genuine Nordic 3 course feast
starting from 4.900,-
Pósthússtræti 11 101 Reykjavík Tel: 578 2008 www.silfur.is
sushismiðjan
Veislubakkar
pantanir í síma
517 3366
www.sushismidjan.is
What We Think: Theme bars are
fun! Kitchen needs a boot up the
arse!
Flavour: Viking! (and sometimes
missing)
Ambiance: Fun but less rowdy
than you’d think
Service: Heroic
Víkingakráin
(The Viking Tavern)
Pósthússtræti 9, 101 Reykjavík