Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.12.2016, Blaðsíða 10

The R
eykjavík G
rapevine
B
est of R
eykjavík 20
16
10Dining Lists
Best bakery
Sandholt
Laugavegur 36
Sandholt wins this spot again, but not for lack of competition. This
is simply a bakery that always delivers. The pastries are flaky and
not overly sweet, and the sourdough bread is, quite right, famous.
If you’re staying in a hotel, or more likely an Air BnB, grab one of
their delicious loaves and keep it for snacks. If the weather magically
cooperates, have a picnic in the park.
Runners Up
Mossfellsbakarí
Háholt 13, Mossfellsbær
Mossfellsbakarí should be incorporated
into any day trip outside of the capital
area. It’s the perfect pastry or sandwich
stop—pick up your lunch before driving
the Golden Circle or visiting the Halldor
Laxness museum.
Newcomer
Brauð & Co.
Frakkastígur 16
Brauð & Co. has burst onto the bakery
scene in downtown Reykjavík, looking
to give Sandholt a run for its money.
It regularly sells out, and looks poised
to become a mainstay in downtown
Reykjavík food culture. This could be
the beginning of an all-out gluten-pow-
ered war.
Previous Winners:
2015: Sandholt
2014: Sandholt
2013: Sandholt
2012: Mosfellsbakarí
2011: Sandholt
Best indian
Austur-
Indíafélagið
Hverfisgata 56
Austur-Indíafélagið is an institution. An
authentic fine-dining Indian restaurant
with all the high-quality spices, recipes
and techniques you’d expect to find in
a much larger European capital. The
menu takes many of the classic recipes
of Indian cuisine, and serves them with
a creative twist and consistently sky-
high quality. It’s amongst the very best
restaurants in Iceland—and priced as
such. Make sure to call ahead and make
a reservation, because it’s very popular.
Runners Up
Hraðlestin
Hverfisgata 64
Hraðlestin is a takeaway joint that offers
a tasty spin on Indian street food, with
naan rolls, Indian-style pizzas, samosas,
pakosas, soups, and all kinds of great In-
dian comfort foods that’ll really hit the
spot if you wanna put your feet up and
eat at home. They have four locations
and lunch and dinner menus. Call ahead
with your order for convenience.
Gandhi
Pósthússtræti 17
Gandhi is a comfy little basement
restaurant by Austurvöllur. As our
former 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.”
Previous Winners:
2015: Gandhi
2014: Gandhi
2013: Austurlandahraðlestin
2012: Ghandi
2011: Austurlandahraðlestin
Best coffeehouse
Stofan
Vesturgata 3
If you know anything about the lat-
té-drinking 101 crowd, winning 'Best
coffeehouse' is a major achievement.
Stofan wins for being a great all-around
coffeehouse, and for having what
Icelanders call “stemning,” which means
atmosphere or vibe. With two floors,
charming antique furniture, and seating
that’s a good distance from the noise of
the espresso machine, the stemning is
perfect, and you’ll see locals and tourists
alike reading books, playing chess, and dis-
cussing the social construction we all live in.
Runners Up
Kaffihús Vesturbæjar
Melhagi 20
Kaffihús Vesturbæjar was the clear
winner in the eyes of our panel’s west-
side Vesturbær-ites, but it’s top quality
coffee, French-style macaroons and
tasteful decor weren’t quite enough to
convince the 101 rats on our panel. But
for those out west, the location, menu
and feel of this place make it a perfect
neighbourhood cafe.
Reykjavík Roasters
Kárastígur 1
Roasters has made some changes that
didn’t sit well with the judges, such
as the removal of wi-fi, free refills,
and much of the more comfortable
furniture. Nobody would deny that they
have the best coffee, with the beans
roasted in-house—but the café experi-
ence on offer has, sadly, gone downhill.
Previous Winners:
2015: Kaffihús Vesturbæjar
2014: Reykjavík Roasters
2013: Kaffismiðjan
2012: Kaffismiðjan
2011: Kaffismiðjan
BEST OF REYKJAVÍK 2016
Dining
It's not expensive for Norway