Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.08.2014, Qupperneq 70

Hverfisgata 12 · 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.
F D
For your mind, body and soul
www.fabrikkan.is reservations: +354 575 7575
BE SQUARE AND BE THERE
PLEASED TO
MEAT YOU!
The Hamburger Factory is Iceland's
most beloved gourmet burger chain!
Our 15 square and creative burgers are made from
top-quality Icelandic beef and would love to "meat" you.
Reykjavík
The groundfloor of
Höfðatorg, the tallest
tower in Reykjavík, right
opposite Höfði
Akureyri
The groundfloor of
the historic Hotel Kea,
in the heart of the
city center
Our burgers are square - beef and bun!
Does it taste better? You tell us!
HERE WE ARE
ATTENTION
HAMB
URGER
FACT
ORY
TH E ICE"N DIC
Kol was somewhat of a puzzle to me: a
restaurant that opened its doors early
this year to some acclaim, but hasn’t yet
reached its full commercial potential—or
so I thought. My companion and I graced
Kol with our presence on a busy Friday
evening. Every seat was filled with peo-
ple who seemed ready to put the endless
summer rain out of their minds by con-
suming grilled food… and cocktails. Lots
of cocktails.
Kol is brilliantly situated near the top
of Skólavörðustígur, a short distance from
Hallgrímskirkja church. The place is de-
signed pretty much like every other new
eating establishment that has opened in
Reykjavík the last three years: wooden
floors and ceilings with bronze and dark
colours in abundance. This has grown a
bit tiresome, but who am I to complain?
This is perhaps supposed to convey a
dark, cabin-like machismo or to create a
rustic kind of atmosphere. The menu cer-
tainly suggests that.
After a nice time in the very crowded
lounge where we enjoyed an excellent
cocktail each, we were seated in the cellar.
This sounds like a bad thing, but the seats
on the bottom floor are actually quite nice,
close to the open kitchen where diners
can have a look at everything going on.
Lots of smoke, lots of fire. Very exciting.
My companion and I decided upon
a mix of small courses for our entrees
(4,690 ISK, for two). This turned out to
include a beef taco, tequila ceviche, a
duck mini-burger and—get ready—minke
whale tartar. I was actually disappointed
by the fact Kol serves whale. There is a
misconception about Icelanders’ fond-
ness for those mammals of the sea, and
by our waiter’s own admission, very few
Icelanders actually order it. That said, as it
had already been cooked and presented to
me, I did try it. And it was pretty good. A
nice soy-based dressing worked very well.
Of the other entrees, the ceviche stood
out. With a nice hint of tequila, the acid-
ity of the mixed citrus marinade perfectly
cooked the seafood. Very fresh, very nice.
For the main courses, Kol has a menu
that is quite “macho.” Everything is grilled
on a huge charcoal fireplace in the middle
of the kitchen, which brings about a nice
caramelising Maillard-effect, the meat hav-
ing grill marks and a smoky note of flavour.
I chose a Confit de Canard (3,990 ISK), while
my companion had a 250 gram grilled rib
eye steak (4,690 ISK). Both dishes were
well above average, although if I were to
go again, I would choose the rib eye. The
duck was lying on a bed of bygotto (barley-
based risotto), with delicious sweet potato
purée and very nice poached carrots that
had been sweetened with honey. A small
glaze of concentrated orange was on top
of the duck leg, a very nice touch. The rib
eye was cooked perfectly—a nice sear on
the outside, yet red and juicy on the inside.
Perfectly seasoned as well. It was served up
with root vegetables and béarnaise sauce,
which weren’t needed to be honest. The
beef was the star of the plate, and there was
plenty of it.
After a feast like this, where we really
managed to pack an artery, there was re-
ally no room for dessert. So instead, we
decided upon another cocktail—TGIF
and all that. And, it must be noted that
Kol serves up award-winning cocktails,
claiming three of the top five spots in the
last Icelandic Mixologist Championships.
My companion and I recommend the Old
Mexican Sour (2,400 ISK) and Red Mon-
roe (2,000 ISK), the former offering a nice
splash of mescal, and the latter being the
perfect tangy bitter taste you crave after
a meal. The drink prices are perhaps a bit
steep, ranging from 2,000 ISK to 2,500
ISK, but the upscale clientele didn’t seem
to mind, and neither did we. Something
has to be done to cheer us up in this rain,
ne c’est pas?
Grilled Meat In The Summer Rain
BJÖRN TEITSSON
ALISA KALYANOVA
What We Think:
Charcoal, dark colours, meaty,
macho.
Flavour:
French classics, Asian fusion.
Ambiance:
Crowded, loud, upscale clientele.
Service:
Very professional and laid
back. Our two young servers
explained everything and were
enthusiastic about making our
experience as fine as possible.
Price for 2 (with drinks):
20,000 ISK, which was fair.
Kol veitingahús
Skólavörðustígur 40, 101 Reykjavík