Reykjavík Grapevine - 18.07.2014, Side 18

THE NUMBER 1 MUSIC STORE
IN EUROPE ACCORDING TO
LONELY PLANET
SKÓLAVÖRÐUSTÍG 15, 101 REYKJAVÍK AND HARPA CONCERT HALL
Best Bakery
Sandholt
Sandholt is another perennial Grape-
vine favourite that continues to deliver.
And sure, its fresh croissants, pastries,
breads, sandwiches and baked goods
will set you back marginally more than
some of the city’s other top-of-the-line
bakeries, but you won’t regret spending
the extra krónur, particularly if owner
Ásgeir Sandholt has done the day’s bak-
ing. A fourth-generation baker, Ásgeir
still uses the same oven that his prede-
cessors used when the bakery opened in
1920, although he has changed up nearly
everything else about the place, includ-
ing the bread recipe (a deceptively simple
one which was in use 100 years ago). The
bakery also recently expanded its seat-
ing area and added a back porch, both of
which make stopping here for coffee and
cake quite cosy, no matter the weather.
Oh, and an added bonus in case you, like
several Grapeviners, have strong opin-
ions about such things: Sandholt’s fancy
new machine allows you to choose ex-
actly how thick your bread slices will be.
2013: Sandholt
2012: Mosfellsbakari in Reykjavík
2011: Sandholt
2010: Sandholt
2009: Mosfellsbakari
Best Indian
Gandhi
Gandhi primarily serves cuisine from
Kerala in South India. It “is nutty both in
the sense that it uses coconuts with wild
abandon and in that its influences are
maddeningly diverse as the region boasts
a reasonably large (mostly) non-vegetar-
ian Christian and Muslim community,
while the surrounding regions are mostly
Hindu and/or vegetarian,” as our food
critic explained last time we paid Gandhi
an official visit. “As much as I agree with
Gordon Ramsey about the simple two
page menus, it simply doesn’t apply here.
No one in their right mind goes to India
for minimalism,” he noted before going
on to praise the delicious food and the di-
versity it brings to Reykjavík’s restaurant
scene. Note: Its price range is somewhere
between Shalimar (a Pakistani place,
which gets an honourable mention) and
Austur-Indíafjelagið (a North Indian
place, which we have deemed an institu-
tion and is thus not in the running for an
award).
2013: Austurlandahraðlestin
2012: Ghandi
2011: Austurlandahraðlestin
2010: Shalimar
2009: Austur-Indíafjelagið
Best Thai Food
Ban Thai
Clearly, Ban Thai is a Grapevine favou-
rite: it’s won Best Thai five times and was
our Best Goddamn Restaurant in 2011. In
the words of one of our panellists, “Price
aside, the food here is just like in Thai-
land.” The quality of each dish is excel-
lent, and the menu is massive. Ban Thai’s
interior is kind of swanky, making it re-
ally nice to eat there, though the service
isn’t the most efficient. If they’re not too
busy, ordering takeaway ahead of time
can save you some time. But wherever
you eat your Thai, Ban Thai makes the
best in town.
2013: Yummi Yummi
2012: Ban Thai
2011: Ban Thai
2010: Ban Thai
2009: Ban Thai
Best Kebab
Mandi
Last year, Mandi was close to storming in
and grabbing Best Kebab in its first year,
but barely missed out in favour of kebab
mainstays Habibi. This year, the numbers
came out in favour of Mandi, and deserv-
ingly so. While their lamb kebabs are
delicious and their falafels have our veg-
etarian stamp-of-approval, the real star
of the show is the rolled kebab. Offered in
chicken, lamb, or mixed, with the help of
cheese, corn, green olives, rainbow rice,
and dripping with your choice of yoghurt
sauce or spicy sauce, the rolled kebab is
one of the absolute best one-hand-re-
quired meals in town. Tightly enclosed
in a warm, pressed-to-golden-perfection
wrap, at 1250 ISK, it never fails to hit the
spot. Though Mandi is awkwardly situat-
ed (a bit reminiscent of a corner store), the
service is friendly and caters to a diverse
crowd—“from anarchists and biker clubs
to families passing through and late-
nighters,” says one of our writers—and
better yet, it’s open until 6 am on Fridays
and Saturdays.
2012: Kebab Grill
2011: Habibi
Best Coffeehouse
Reykjavík Roasters
(Formerly Kaffismiðjan)
Reykjavík Roasters takes the top spot
this year and it’s not hard to see why.
Since it opened in 2008, the experience
of nipping into Roasters has continually
improved. The atmosphere is part sen-
timental Belle and Sebastian party, part
knitting with granny and part minimalist
art-school cool: you’ll enjoy the sounds of
quietly crackling vinyl records as you sip
your painstakingly-roasted coffee. Ethi-
cally-minded as well as caffeine-spirited,
Roasters also purchase directly from
farmers in both Colombia and Nicaragua,
and roast on location. The staff is always
attentive, taking plenty of care with cof-
fee presentation while they tailor your
drink to your taste buds. Furthermore,
with three unique different brewing
methods available, even the most critical
and experienced coffee connoisseur will
find something to write home about.
2013: Kaffismiðjan
2012: Kaffismiðjan
2011: Kaffismiðjan
2010: Kaffismiðjan
2009: Kaffismiðjan
Best Coffee To-Go
Kaffifélagið
Having briefly ceded the throne to Litli
Bóndabærinn (which recently moved to
Grafarvogur), Kaffifélagið has surged
back to reclaim their title as best cup of
joe-to-go. According to our resident cof-
fee connoisseur, at Kaffifélagið you just
“feel like you’re getting something more.”
They put some heart into serving up your
coffee, asking how much milk you want
instead of just slapping it all together and
tossing it in your direction. Beyond that
(milk of) human kindness, their coffee is
sourced with the finest Italian espresso
beans, making for a deep, full-flavoured
drink. Due to limited seating space, the
“to-go” part is almost by necessity—how-
ever if there are seats available, be sure
to sip, pause, and take advantage of the
friendly atmosphere.
2013: Litli Bóndabærinn
2012: Kaffifélagið
2011: Kaffifélagið
2010: Café Haiti
2009: Kaffifélagið
Best Place To Get Tea
Cafe Babalú
With its shiny yellow exterior, quirky,
cluttered décor and the strong, exotic
aromas emanating from its kitchen, Ba-
balú is a beacon of good, relaxing vibes
and nurtures that nostalgic, carefree
part of your soul. And better yet, Babalú
has an endless tea list hip enough for all
the Ramona Flowers out there. They’ve
also developed a delicious mutant tea/
coffee offspring in their ‘chamomile soya
latté.’ It’s easy to spend the better part of
a day curled up on the sofa, talking to the
friendly staff and visitors or taking to the
comfy balcony to soak up those rays dur-
ing the summer months.
2012: Litli Bóndabærinn
2011: Te og kaffi
Best Sushi
Sushisamba
Sushi tends to be a contentious topic.
While the purists (“I eat sashimi and
sashimi only”) dismiss places serving
elaborate rolls, Icelanders tend to enjoy
creative takes on classics and have a spe-
cial affinity for sauce. And Sushisamba
excels on both counts. “It’s not even up
for debate,” one of our panellists noted.
“They’re creative, they think outside of
the box.” Another avid fan pointed out
that “they don't do the sushi in a very
traditional Japanese way, but that's not
necessarily bad, as a lot of the sushi you
get anywhere has some international
influence...I can only say this: people
think rice is easy. For sushi it is not, if you
want to get it just right. Making it OK is
easy. Making it dead-on is hard.” Thus,
Sushisamba takes the toro, err...Spicy
Chicken Roll...err...Deep-Fried Volcano
Roll with extra spicy mayo on top.
2013: Sakebarinn
2012: SuZushii
2011: SuZushii
2010: Sushibarinn
2009: Sushismiðjan
Best Vegetarian
Gló
Reykjavík may not have many veggie-
centric spots, but for four years running,
when anyone has asked us, sceptically,
to name the city’s best Vegan/Raw/Veg-
etarian place, we’ve been able to hold
our heads high and unanimously, joy-
ously proclaim: Gló! With a rotating daily
menu featuring everything from veggie
sushi and deconstructed raw pizzas (re-
ally delish!) to a veritable smorgasbord
of mixed salads, fresh-squeezed juices,
daily-made desserts, and yes, even a to-
ken meat-eater’s option, Gló offers some-
thing unexpected, filling, and satisfying
for everyone.
2013: Gló
2012: Gló
2011: Gló
2010: Á Næstu Grösum
2009: Á Næstu Grösum
18
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 10 — 2014 Best Of Reykjavík!