Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.02.2016, Side 43

FOOD
OH WHAT YEARS
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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E s t . 2 0 1 2R e y k j a v i k
23
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 02 — 2016
Hrefna:
We visited
Sólon on a par-
ticularly ordi-
nary Wednes-
day afternoon.
The place felt
familiar. Maybe
because I pass
it every day
on my way to
work, envy-
ing the patrons
who always
seem so happy
with their curly
fries and drinks.
Its location,
right where
L a u g a v e g u r
morphs into
Bankastræti ,
is perfect for
people-watch-
ing and coffee
drinking in the
sun, although
February in
Iceland means
you’re more
likely to find
patrons tucked away by the geothermal
radiators. When we arrived at 3pm those
patrons were mostly tourists grabbing a
bite between sightseeing.
I was excited to try this restaurant,
mainly because it’s one of those places
that has always just been there. Sólon
sticks by Laugavegur like an old friend
and this has earned it some goodwill.
A friendly waitress served us right
away. I ordered the minke whale, because
in Icelandic minke is called Hrefna (get
it!?). At 3,990 ISK, it was relatively fairly
priced, especially since the dish made
for such a nice meal. So long Veganu-
ary, I guess. A bottle of Rosso Di Toscana
(5,700 ISK) served to perfect my entrée—
it was superb!
Sólon’s interior could do with some
renewing, though, and the playlist that
blared throughout our meal was quite
awful. However, those are things that likely
don’t bother guests who are simply looking
for good, fairly priced Icelandic food.
York:
Wednesday seemed like as good a day as
any to review a restaurant. The first thing
I noticed walking into Sólon was these
large paintings of horses—especially the
close-up one of a horse’s eye glaring at
our table for two right next to the bar.
My co-worker and I took our place
under the Eye of Sauron and delved
into the menu, which has an assortment
of light and fresh lunch items, but also
features some decidedly heavier fare.
The wine list was more than sufficient
for Reykjavík. As an avowed carnivore, I
went with the grilled salmon (3,990 ISK).
The service was quick, and the room
was bright and open. I would recommend
going there with friends or on your own.
It’s the type of room that has so much
sunlight you could eat your wintertime
blues away alone, with the light as your
only friend (though, if light is your only
friend you may want to consider joining a
club or volunteering somewhere).
The presentation of our food was sur-
prisingly artistic—Instagram food porn,
if that’s what you you’re into. My co-
worker wouldn’t stop talking about ‘Sex
and the City’, which I was under the im-
pression had ended many years ago. She
may or may not be aware of that fact, but
we decided to have a few digestives—or
in her case, a cocktail.
We also had shots. I’m not sure who’s
idea that was, but I didn’t hate it. Sólon
turned out to be a pleasant surprise, and I
will definitely be going back there.
By Hrefna Björg Gylfadóttir
& York Underwood
Sólon Bistro
Bankastræti 7a,
Reykjavík
www.solon.is
562 3232
Mon-Sat: 11 am – 11:30
pm Sun: 12 pm to 11:30
pm.
What we think
Best for people-
watching
Flavour
Icelandic
Ambiance
Calm in the after-
noon, likely less so
in the evening
Service
Quick and
professional
Price for 2 (with
drinks)
13,680 ISK