Reykjavík Grapevine - 19.06.2015, Qupperneq 63

FOOD
FOR YOUR MIND BODY AND SOUL
Nauthóll Bistro is considered one of
Reykjavík’s best-kept secrets. I have
been living in Iceland for a while now
and never knew about this place. The
Bistro is behind the University of Reyk-
javík, overlooking Nauthólsvík, an area
best known for its artificial beach. The
idea of a casual evening out with my
friend sounded like the perfect excuse
to explore the place.
Now, I’ve been to many restaurants
in town, but I have yet to come across
one that was as packed to the gills as
this one. And this was on a weekday
night. We took this as a good sign, aug-
mented by how politely they had re-
scheduled our dinner reservations on a
busy night. As a diner, I really appreci-
ated that.
The restaurant is bright and airy
with expansive views. Given that the
place was practically bursting at its
seams, we ended up waiting almost 40
minutes from being seated until our
first course arrived. However, things
were off to a good start with the house
bread and the accompanying hummus-
skyr butter. The waitress was friendly,
she knew the menu, and had helpful
wine recommendations for my friend.
The whipped skyr butter topped with
toasted rye crumbs was both tangy and
intriguing. But given the quality of milk
here, I would really like to see restau-
rants make their own cultured butter.
It’s about time and what could be more
local than smjör, really? But, I digress.
We went for the Fresh Spring Rolls
(2,490 ISK)—rice paper rolls with
mango, avocado, chili mayo and a ses-
ame-soy dipping sauce. The rolls were
refreshing and certainly did not need
the mayo. The chili is a nice hit of heat
though, so don’t toss it aside! Next up
was the Carpaccio (2,790 ISK), paper-
thin slices of a cured fillet that was sa-
voury on its own. If you go there to try
just one thing, make sure it’s the Car-
paccio, as it is a faultless dish. The beef,
with the whole-grain mustard, toasted
pine nuts and generous parmesan, was
delicious. My friend and I were particu-
larly satisfied and couldn’t wait for the
rest of the meal.
For the main course, my friend or-
dered the Fried Trout (4,290 ISK) with
a glass of the house Chardonnay. I kept
things local as well, and ordered what
many consider a classic here, the Lamb
Loin with Shredded Shank. The trout
came in a mussel sauce with dill oil and
roasted cauliflower. I snuck in more
than one bite of that perfectly cooked
fish. The bits of fresh cucumber and
trout roe were a pleasant and unexpect-
ed surprise. The dill oil, though, I have
reservations about, no matter how well
done.
My lamb was a slight letdown. It
was a beautiful platter but the loin was
a touch dry, and the shredded shank
meat a touch greasy. The black garlic
was completely lost in what seemed
like lamb jus mayo. The roasted veg-
etables were on-point however. Don’t
get me wrong, it was a perfectly decent
dish, but at 5,390 ISK, I expect a fault-
less dish.
Even though we were too full, the
pace of the meal was such that we did
end up ordering dessert, and boy were
we glad we did! The tame-sounding
Icelandic Strawberries (1,950 ISK) was
the clear winner: perfectly churned
strawberry sorbet, on a mound of fresh
berries and crème anglaise (that an-
glaise needs some whisking, guys!)
scattered with fresh mint. It was an Ice-
landic summer on a plate.
The French Chocolate Cake with
pistachios (1,950 ISK), on the other
hand, was nothing to rave about, al-
though the homemade vanilla ice cream
that was served with it was excellent.
The Nauthóll Bistro is clearly a lo-
cal favourite. It’s easy to see why, with
the fresh produce, friendly service, and
beautiful scenery. Signs of brilliance
are there, like with that skyr butter and
sorbet. They need just that bit of work
for all-around perfection. The place is
ideal for a romantic evening, or a family
lunch. Though pricey, it has that easy
air about it that allows one to stroll in in
a bike helmet. It is a place to graze and
linger. So do make some time.
Skyr-Smjör And Summer Sorbet
SHRUTHI BASAPPA
HÖRÐUR SVEINSSON
What We Think:
Satisfying food that stops short
of perfection. A little more work
would take it to the next level of
casual fine dining.
Flavour:
Global classics with a focus on
local produce.
Ambiance:
Modern bistro.
Service:
Friendly and genuine.
Price for 2 (with drinks):
18-22,000 ISK
Nauthóll Bistro
Nauthólsvegur 106, 101 Reykjavik
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.
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The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 8 — 2015