Reykjavík Grapevine - 03.07.2015, Blaðsíða 60

Sunday - Wednesday: 11.30 - 18.00 / Thursday- Saturday: 11.30 - 23.30
Grandagarður 2 - 101 Reykjavík - tel: +354 571 8877 - www.maturogdrykkur.is
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Beckoning passersby with large, open
windows, Kaffihús Vesturbæjar would
fit right in among the sleek downtown
cafés. But the café’s location—away
from the city centre. and right across
from the much-loved Vesturbæjarlaug
swimming pool and Melabúðin grocery
store—was deliberate, according to the
café’s manager, Margrét Marteinsdót-
tir, who has been living in the neigh-
bourhood for at least two decades.
Because Vesturbær doesn’t have
a lot going for it in terms of stores and
cafés, the café, as Margrét described
it, is a “little social project” in a way.
The café began with a conversation be-
tween Margrét’s brother and some of
his friends. “They were saying, ‘There
should be a café here in Vesturbær—
why isn’t there a café?’ And many peo-
ple in Vesturbær were talking about it,
but still no one opened a café,” Margrét
explained. They had been eyeing the
current building—then, a pharmacy—
for a while, and in June 2014, the owner
gave them the go-ahead to take the
spot. In October, Kaffihús Vesturbæjar
was born.
A long-awaited café
The effect on the community, accord-
ing to Margrét, has been palpable.
“Every day, people are a little bit hap-
pier,” she said with a wide grin. “This
neighbourhood was ready for this café.
I think people have been waiting for it
for many years.”
Margrét pointed to the location,
too, as a strength not only for the café—
a short walk from downtown, minutes
from the waterfront, and right near
the pool—but also as a contributor to
growth for Vesturbær as a whole. “We
thought maybe there would be less
business at the pool, but there’s been
more!” she nodded. “That’s what hap-
pens when there is something going on
in neighbourhoods—everything gets
bigger and happier.” Margrét empha-
sised that with café, she and the owners
hope to encourage Vesturbær residents
to get out of their homes and walk or
bike around more.
The café is comfortable, with sim-
ple, rustic décor and soft lighting, but
has a breathable feeling to it—airy and
full of natural light thanks to its broad
windows that overlook the street.
Margrét stared off at the windows to
admire them, highlighting the atmo-
sphere they create in the café. “This
is just a great window—there are no
mountains outside of it, ok, I can find
those somewhere else. But it’s just the
life out there—the people, the dogs, the
cats, and everything that’s going on,”
she gushed. “I love it—it’s just my neigh-
bourhood, but I love it.”
The regulars
have moved in
Kaffihús Vesturbæjar has already at-
tracted a steady group of regulars, both
from the neighbourhood and outside.
The most adorable of whom was prob-
ably a four-year-old girl from next door
who ran over to our table, dressed in
a pink tutu dress. “Every day she gets
macaroni,” Margrét said, giving the girl
a warm hug. “One of our best custom-
ers.”
The café offers the standard fare of
coffee from Reykjavík Roasters, as well
as several food options including steak,
soups, hamburgers and vegan burgers,
and Margrét emphasised that they try
to buy locally and provide vegan op-
tions for customers. “When we do a
vegetarian dish, we want to make it
vegan, because then everyone can eat
it,” she explained. “A vegetarian doesn’t
mind if it’s vegan, but a vegan minds if
it’s only vegetarian.”
If you come for lunchtime, though,
you can grab the cauliflower soup, the
café’s most popular dish, which attracts
cauli-fans from 107 and beyond. “It’s
the best in town—it is!” Margrét said,
wide-eyed. “We were thinking, maybe
we should make another soup for the
summertime, because cauliflower is
maybe more for the winter. But then the
customers were really crying.” Another
specialty is the mussel soup, made by a
chef from Belgium. “A Belgian knows
how to do her mussels,” Margrét nod-
ded.
Another particularly pleasant fea-
ture in the café is the record player,
along with a substantial selection of
records to choose from—some of which
have been donated by Icelandic artists
who visit the café. The café had a few
events back in the fall and winter—such
as music performances and poetry
readings—and Margrét hopes to host
more in August.
In the meantime, Margrét and com-
pany are planning on just continuing to
care about the coffee and food and the
people who enjoy it, and enjoying the
love and loyalty that they’ve received
from the community so far. “People
are so thankful and so happy, and we
want to thank the people that are so
thankful!” she laughed. “It’s been nine
months, and it’s still open—this is just
like pregnancy. We are on the ninth
month, and everything is going very
well. Yes, this place is our baby.”
Walking from downtown over to Vesturbær, the westernmost district of Reykjavík, things
quickly become residential. Souvenir shops are swapped out for apartments, restaurants re-
placed by backyards with children on trampolines, and soon enough, you’re almost at the
oceanfront. You might be surprised, then, to find Kaffihús Vesturbæjar, a relatively new ad-
dition and the sole café in the 107 postal code.
Photos Kaffi Vest
Words Katie Steen
Out Of The City And Into
The Heart Of 107
FOOD
BEST OF
20
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 9 — 2015