Reykjavík Grapevine - 03.07.2015, Síða 10

10
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 9 — 2015
Welcome, readers, to our 2015 BEST OF
REYKJAVÍK issue. It’s that time in the
midsummer when the days are long, the
nights are nonexistent, and people are in
an upbeat and active mood. The streets
of Reykjavík have a carnival feeling, with
people eating out, flaneuring around, hav-
ing drinks with friends, taking long walks,
going to festivals, and generally squeezing
every drop of enjoyment out of the bright-
est season.
With that in mind, there’s no better time
to celebrate the things that make Reykja-
vík a pretty great place to live (we’ve had
the whole winter to carp and grumble, af-
ter all, so we’re ready to take a little break).
After a long process of taking suggestions
from our readers, contributors and resident
experts, arguing around pub tables, check-
ing in on much-loved classics and promis-
ing new places, tearing it all up and start-
ing again, then arguing a whole lot more,
we’ve come up with the following list of
the very best this little city has to offer.
So put your feet up, and dig in. And
hey, if any of our winners make you sit up
again, spluttering with indignation, then
we want to hear why. A list like this is a
constant work in progress—it’s the result
of lots of toing and froing between people
with varying tastes in pretty much every-
thing. So if you feel the compulsion to raise
a figurative or actual eyebrow, high-five us,
scream blue murder, or anything between,
give us a shout at letters@grapevine.is.
And finally, if you’d like to flag some-
thing for next year’s list, drop us an email
at bestof@grapevine.is, and we’ll be sure to
check it out. Okay, that’s all! Get out of this
intro and start reading! Go on, get!
Best Burger
Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar
—
Geirsgata 1, Bankastræti 5
There has been a burger explosion in
Reykjavík lately. Every mid-range and
fine dining restaurant seems to have one
and we get a new gastropub every month
it seems. Icelanders love their burgers
and it’s the food topic we’re most inter-
ested in arguing back and forth over. The
problem is that most of these restaurants
are giving the burger their special flair,
from the Kol burger with slow-cooked
brisket and blue cheese to the lamb
Mountain Burger at Íslenski Barinn. But
if it’s a basic American cheeseburger you
want then Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar
has got you covered. It’s a simple, sa-
voury, dependable and popular burger.
People might personally rank another
burger higher but “Búllan” will make an
appearance in everyone’s top three.
Honourable mention: Lebowski Bar
2014: Kex Hostel
2013: Vitabar
2012: Grillmarket
2011: Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar
2010: Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar
2009: Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar
Best Veggie Burger
Brooklyn Bar
—
Austurstræti 3
This was an incredibly contentious cat-
egory as 2015 saw enormous growth in
innovative and tasty veggie burgers of
all shapes and sizes. There are no hard
or fixed rules for what a veggie burger
should be but if it’s a typical mulched nut-
bean-veggie patty you’re in the mood for
then Brooklyn Bar is your place. Here’s
what our food editor had to say in his re-
cent review of the place: “It’s a savoury
veggie burger with a fantastic texture
and the perfect amount of some kind of
cream-cheese sauce. In fact, it’s probably
the best veggie burger in the city.”
Honourable mention: Celeriac slice
burger at Roadhouse
2014: Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar
2013: Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar
2012: Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar
2011: Hamborgarafabrikkan
2010: Saffran
2009: Drekinn
Best Specialty Burger
Reindeer burger at Gallery
Hotel Holt
—
Bergstaðastræti 37
If you want to treat yourself, then why
not splurge on the most decadent and
luxurious burger in Iceland. Gallery Res-
taurant at Hótel Holt is an institution of
white tablecloth dining in Reykjavík. In
the evening this is where you go to enjoy
roasted langoustine tails and take ad-
vantage of an eclectic wine cellar, but for
lunch the brasserie offers a truly special
burger. It’s a locally sourced 100% rein-
deer burger topped with blue cheese,
blueberry jam and a poached egg in beet-
root juice. It comes served with house
fries and a proper hollandaise sauce. It
is literally Rudolph with a red eggy nose.
It will set you back 3450 ISK but this
unique spin on the classic cheeseburger
is worth every drool-covered penny.
Honourable mention: Black Slider at
Public House
2014: “The Empire State,” Roadhouse
2013: Hamborgarafabrikkan’s
Christmas burger
2012: Vitabar’s ‘Forget-me-not’
2011: Vitabar
2010: Hamborgarafabrikkan
2009: Vitabar
Best Ice Cream
Valdís
—
Grandagarður 21
The last few years saw a lot of growth in
new artisanal ice cream parlours, but for
the best all-around ice cream joint it still
has to go to Valdís. You won’t go there
for the soft serve but if it’s inventively
flavoured scoops you’re after then Valdís
is your place. It’s not gelato in the strict-
est Italian sense but the rhubarb and
peppery liquorice scoops are perennial
favourites with locals and tourists alike.
One panellist recommended the caramel
and salted peanut, noting that the freshly
baked waffle cones really take it to the
next level.
Honourable mention: Sandholt
2014: Valdís
2013: Valdís
2012: YoYo
2011: Ísbúðin Ísland
2010: Ísbúðin Ísland
2009: Ísbúð Vesturbæjar
Best Indian Food
Gandhi
—
Hverfisgata 56
For Indian food, Austur-Indíafjelagið
(The East India Company) is unbeatable.
This is why we have given it the status of
an institution, to give other restaurants a
little time in the spotlight. This year saw
at least one new Indian restaurant with
Bombay Bazaar in Kópavogur, but other-
wise we have the two other Indian res-
taurants in the Reykjavík area: Shalimar
and Gandhi. Shalimar is on the budget
end of the spectrum and Gandhi lands
somewhere between Austur-Indíafje-
lagið and Shalimar with its comfy little
basement restaurant by Austurvöllur. As
our food editor concluded in his review
of the place: “It’s partly Kerala cuisine.
Think Indian meets Indonesian, with
coconut, fish, coriander, and lamb. More
piquant than simply spicy.”
Honourable mention: Bombay Bazaar
2014: Gandhi
2013: Austurlandahraðlestin
2012: Ghandi
2011: Austurlandahraðlestin
2010: Shalimar
2009: Austur-Indíafjelagið
Dining and
Grubbing
Best Of Reykjavík
Words by The Reykjavík Grapevine
Photos by Anna Domnick, Art Bicnick and others
Best of meetings led by Ragnar Egilsson (Dining & Grubbing),
John Rogers and Rex Beckett (Drinking & Nightlife, Activities
& Fun times, Shopping & Commerce)