Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.12.2016, Blaðsíða 44

The R
eykjavík G
rapevine
B
est of R
eykjavík 20
16
44
Summer is finally here, with tem-
peratures consistently breaking
ten degrees Celsius and nearly
no darkness. A certain manic fer-
vour is taking control of our overlit
minds and giving us the energy to
sip heartily from the cup of life… or
any cup, for that matter.
So why not enjoy a Saturday with
drinks, friends, and witty conver-
sation? I have devised a guide to
give you a day worth remember-
ing, even if you don’t.
11:30 — Snaps Bistro,
Þórsgata 1
Brunch is what early risers call
an “early lunch” and normal,
sane people call breakfast. There
are two classic cocktails for
morning libations: the Mimosa
(semi-sweet) or the Bloody Mary
(salty). If you stayed in on Friday
night, feel free to start off with
Eggs Benedict (1,890 ISK) and
a Mimosa (1,300 ISK). The semi-
sweet Mimosa complements the
creamy Hollandaise sauce, keep-
ing anything from being too rich
or too sweet. The small portions
also keep you from being bloated
early in the day. For those still re-
covering, or still going, it’s time
for Croque-Madame (2,600
ISK) and a Bloody Mary (1,900
ISK). The Bloody Mary is a good
electrolyte restorative and the
heaviness of a Croque Madame
gets you back on track for the day.
Feel free to mix up the combina-
tions based on your own current
mood or well-being. PRO TIP:
Pancakes don’t go with Blood
Marys.
13:00 — Loft Hostel,
Bankastræti 7a or Prikið
(Upstairs), Bankast. 12
The next stop is about slowly
waking up, allowing your sur-
roundings to build up your ener-
gy and for conversation to quick-
en and increase over the next
couple of drinks. There is no need
to force the day. It’s coming. The
two choices are based on weather:
Loft Hostel in the sun or Prikið
in the rain. At Loft Hostel, there
are standard beers on tap and
some special bottled varieties. I
would not recommend going to
beer yet, though. It’s too much
fluid too early. Loft Hostel has
one of the best prices on a bottle
of Prosecco in town at 4,500 ISK
and a wonderful rooftop balcony
for smoking, chatting, and see-
ing the rooftops of Reykjavík. The
bottle will get two people about
three drinks each—brightening
up your day with some bubbly
without filling your gut. Prikið
upstairs is the perfect rainy-day
afternoon spot. It’s cosy, warm,
and you can get a cup of coffee
(290 ISK) and Baileys (800 ISK).
PRO TIP: No more than two
coffees and Baileys.
15:00 — Take A Walk
or Go to the National
Gallery, 101 Reykjavík
Again, this is weather-depen-
dent. The Reykjavík pond con-
nects to a beautiful park and a
nice stroll is the perfect way to
enjoy the mid-afternoon buzz. It
also helps pace the conversation.
No doubt that by your third glass
of Prosecco, the energy was up.
This gives you a chance to level
out again and use the rapport
built on Prosecco to delve into
deeper, more meaningful mat-
ters. Or it’s a great way to get the
other person to shut up for a bit
while you enjoy your buzz. Sit next
to poet Tómas Guðmundsson
(1901-1983) on a bench at the south
of the pond. It’s a great place for
a cigar, cigarette, or whatever the
kids are smoking these days. The
National Gallery (admission
1,000 ISK) is a great indoor place
to pace the conversation, with oc-
casional grappling insights into
the art being curated. PRO TIP:
You can stroll the pond in the
rain and see the National Gal-
lery while it’s sunny. I’m just
organizing my thoughts logis-
tically. You are the master of
your own destiny.
17:00 — Kaffibarinn,
Bergstaðastræti 1
This should be your first beer of
the day. Kaffibarinn won’t be
loud, and it’s a great place to bring
the energy back up—either post-
walk or post-gallery. Grab a seat
in the front bar, grab a pretzel and
order either a Kaldi Blonde Lager
or a Brewdog Punk IPA depend-
ing on whether you took a stroll
(Kaldi) or were checking out the
gallery (IPA). Also, conveniently,
the bathrooms are large and nice
(at this time of day). Reykjavík has
strange public bathrooms and
their usefulness declines rapidly
throughout the night. PRO TIP:
Poo now (in case you didn’t get
the hint).
19:00 — The Pizza
Place With No Name,
Hverfisgata 12
This will be an adventure. Drink-
ing and pizza go together, but
the Pizza Place With No Name
amplifies your pizza experience
to a more epicurean standard.
I wouldn’t recommend getting
a pizza each. It’s much better to
decide on a pizza and share the
experience together (obviously,
groups larger than two can fol-
low a different rule). You’ll be
eating again later, so don’t eat
too much—especially considering
All Day
Drinking
Guide
A DAY IN REYKJAVÍK -
Words by YORK UNDERWOOD