Reykjavík Grapevine - 03.02.2012, Blaðsíða 43

Reykjavík Grapevine - 03.02.2012, Blaðsíða 43
R E V I E W S Eyrarbraut 3, 825 Stokkseyri, Iceland · Tel. +354 483 1550 Fax. +354 483 1545 · info@fjorubordid.is · www.fjorubordid.is At the Restaurant Fjöruborðið in Stokkseyri > Only 45 minutes drive from Reykjavík By the sea and lobster a delicios So we’ve covered a bistro and a brasse- rie in the same issue. Look at us getting all French! Geysir proudly displays their Tri- pAdvisor review on their website and they have little tabs with messages such as “wine and real coffee” and “don’t for- get the desert” (sic), which give me the impression that it was a laid-back place and a labour of love. Nobody needs to put on a suit to impress me. Besides, the fact that it claims to be a bistro should tell you that right away (bistros with dress codes bother me to no end). A bistro should be a friendly café/ bar with simple, crowd-pleasing food and a decent selection of wine and beer. It should be a place to hang out and have a chat without having to vacuum the wallet. Bonus points for serving local or French cuisine and for being family-owned. It’s only fair to hold Geysir bistro to that standard. Geysir has a lot of stuff geared towards groups and private parties and I could see the place working for that, suitably located in Geysishúsið, a glass building built around the remnants of what used to be the oldest commercial building in Reykjavík. In 1992, the building was taken over by the city and turned into a city information & visitor centre. Ever since it has housed some kind of tourist-friendly operation. One being Geysir, which is located above the Seafood Cellar—an unenviable posi- tion as the Seafood Cellar is generally considered one of the best restaurants in Iceland. The main room at Geysir is heavy on wood and quite open. I could definitely see the appeal of renting the space out for a small group. The prices aren’t too bad either considering this is Iceland we’re talking about, but for those kinds of prices I would expect a pretty solid bistro menu. That’s why I’m sorry to say I was let down by my expectations. It’s a scattershot menu, offering crêpes, chicken pasta, gravlax, cheese- burgers, seafood specials and wiener- schnitzel. The idea probably being that everyone in the family would find something to their liking, like a TGI Friday’s. I should mention that I really liked our server—one waitress, the owner herself, serving the entire room, yet maintaining a fast, professional and light-hearted service—full marks there. I chose the seafood and snails in white wine sauce starter (2355 ISK). And a friend had the deep-fried Camembert with redcurrant jelly (1755 ISK). Anything as rich as a deep-fried Camembert is unlikely to fail and it’s safe to recommend. The portion size for the seafood and snails was good and the seafood worked but the snails had a terrible texture. For main course I had the Arctic trout with braised fennel, oyster mush- rooms, lobster and hollandaise (3355 ISK). Four lonely scrapings of lobster proved pointless, but the fennel and mushrooms worked wonders and the trout was cooked right. The hollandaise did not taste fresh. My friend had the beef entrecôte steak with mushrooms, potatoes, pearl onions and bacon (3955 ISK). Again the sides worked fine, but the steak had no claim to the name “entrecôte.” A true entrecôte is a beef- steak cut from between the ninth and eleventh rib, or at least a very tender premium cut rib eye. This steak was flattened, bloodless, flavourless and gloomy. And the bacon was pointless. We finished with a Jack Daniel’s chocolate cake with deep-fried ice cream (1495 ISK). The ice cream was all right, but the cake had a texture of a grainy baked cheesecake and tasted of nothing—definitely neither whiskey nor chocolate. We came in a good mood, hungry, ready for a couple of drinks and a basic meal, we weren’t expecting much and were feeling very forgiving. Somehow we ended up talking about nothing but the food for all the wrong reasons. I guess it was wrong of me to compare Geysir to Friday’s—at least their Jack Daniel’s dishes taste of whiskey. Now, it is possible that we chose the wrong things on the menu. I had heard good things about the mussels, but neither of us was in the mood. The service was also excellent and the ambi- ence could be great with a few minor changes. But I want to know what kind of food-loving person would put out these dishes without realising how much better they should be. A dependable stream of tourists is no excuse for getting this sloppy. That Place Above The Seafood Cellar What We Think: Not a disaster, but the kitchen lacks enthusiasm. A smaller and more focused menu might be a good idea. The trout, the Camembert and the service were good. The steak and dessert weren’t at all. Flavour: Some French influences, but hardly orthodox. Diner food meets dispirited bistro. Ambiance: Perfect location but would benefit from softer lights, louder music and a livelier dining experience. Service: Charming and friendly Price: 15–20,000 ISK for three courses and drinks Geysir Bistro & Bar Geysishúsið, Aðalstræti 2

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