Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.05.2017, Page 50

The New Italian
Reykjavík's best Italian and Italian-ish cuisine

Words: Ragnar Egillson Photo: Art Bicnick
Whether it ’s Mario Batali and
Oscar Farinetti kicking off an
unstoppable food hall trend with
Eataly or dumping a Berlusconi
clone in the White House, it seems
the world just can’t get enough of
that Italian steez.
The people you’re most likely
to see eating out in Iceland are
those with enough youthful vigor
to leave the house, and enough
disposable income to splash on
three-course meals in Reykja-
vík (think those born 1970-1985),
whose student life and early adult-
hood was synonymous with pasta,
noodles, pasta and more pasta.
The fact that these people can still
stomach the idea of Italian food is
a miracle. But Italian food is eter-
nal—it has so much to offer that it
can adapt to anything you throw
at it, rebranding whilst finding
new ways to infect us with the
dolce vita.
If all of this has left ye hanker-
ing for Italian, here is the quick
guide to what Reykjavík has to of-
fer.
Hornið
The oldest operating pizzeria in
Iceland, Hornið opened in 1979.
Italian food was the the first to
represent that most cringe-wor-
thy of terms, “ethnic cuisine”, and
it remains the best represented
ethnic cuisine in Iceland (where
are my Polish restaurants at?). Try
their dependable, basic thin-crust
pizzas.
Ítalía
Iceland has never had a signifi-
cant number of Italian expats, but
Ítalía has the dual distinction of
being run by actual bonafide Ital-
ians and being the second-oldest
Italian joint in town
(1991). T h i s i s a
place for fried egg-
plant parm, seafood
pastas, and decor
cheesier than their
rigatoni.
Mat Bar
Ma r Ba r doesn’t
identify as an Italian place. It’s a
modern take on Northern Italian
food with a Nordic flair (at least
as much flair as us terminally
stoic Scandis can muster). Think
grilled vegetables, polenta, arctic
char, monkfish liver, cured meat,
full-flavored cheese, and well-
rounded cocktails.
Marshall Restaurant & Bar
Marshall is a little out of the way,
in a minimal and wide-open space
framed by brutalist touches. Ex-
pect golden redfish crudo, ‘nduja
and langoustine tagliolini, and
moonshine cocktails in the well-
heeled millennial foodie’s Italian
restaurant of choice.
Borðið
Borðið falls firmly in the category
of “Mediterranean Cuisine” in the
Yotam Ottolenghi style. It fea-
tures a rotating seasonal menu
with nods to North African, Israe-
li, and Italian food. Think roasted
veggies, bastardized pestos, shak-
shouka, and hummus. You won’t
leave hungry.
Essensia
While less likely to dodge the
designation of Italian, Essensia
doesn’t exactly flaunt it, either.
The atmosphere is relaxed, and
the service fussy—if
it wasn’t for the legs
of cured meats hang-
ing from the rafters,
it would pass for an
upscale French joint.
Grab an excellent Nea-
politan pizza and ten-
derloin carpaccio.
On the Horizon
Massimo og Katia have just
opened their Italian specialty
store at Laugavegur 163. There
are rumors of a new Italian place
opening at the Hlemmur Food
Hall set to open in June. Modern-
ist Italian restaurant Kolabrautin
is undergoing some kind of mys-
terious revamp. At last, but not
least, Jamie’s Italian is set to open
a branch smack in downtown
sometime this July.
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“Italian food
is eternal—it
can adapt to
anything you
throw at it.”
49The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 07 — 2017