Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.11.2017, Síða 26

BEST OF GUIDES
Quick Food
On The Move
Life in the fast-food lane
Words Alice Demurtas Photos Art Bicnick & Susanna Lam
Despite the wide range of places to
go out for dinner in Reykjavík, find-
ing good spots to eat when you’re
in a hurry can be a daunting task.
Lunch breaks are the worst, but
even late nights snacks or a quick
pick-me-up in between guided
tours or shopping sprees can be dif-
ficult to find. Skip the hot dogs and
ditch the Subway; we’ve decided to
come to your rescue with a list of
places that won’t break the bank or
make your cholesterol jump up to
dangerous levels. Enjoy.
Bánh-Mi Vietnamese Subs
The new Hlemmur Mathöll seems
to be always packed on weekend
evenings, when people are looking
for a good place to have their aperi-
tif. The food hall, however, also
hides some unexpected gems that
will keep you satisfied when you
want a quick bite. The Vietnamese
sandwiches at Bánh-Mi are to die
for. They come filled with meat and
greens, as well as soy-based alter-
natives for vegetarians and sweet
and sour sauces you’ll be dreaming
of for a week. Sit on a bench while
they prep your sub and people-
watch while you can, because once
you get your warm sandwich you
won’t be able to focus on anything
else.
Block Burger
Granted, a burger and fries isn’t
the healthiest of combos, but Block
Burger is the quickest option if you
want something juicy that fills you
up without feeling nauseous once
you get to the last bite. They offer
both meat and veggie patties with a
thin slice of delicious vegan cheese
to top it off. You could skip the
twice-fried chips if you’re in a rush
or if you’re trying to stay healthy,
but it’s your loss, really. You won’t
find better chips in this town.
Súpa
Tucked away between
Skólavörðustígur and Laugavegur,
Súpa is a newcomer to the city cen-
tre, but no rookie when it comes
to soups. The offspring of popular
Súpubarinn, this tiny place is a
pleasure for both the eyes and the
stomach, with its fairy lights and
eye-catching facade. The soups,
however, are the real winner here.
Try the Malaysian on a cold winter
day; it’ll fill your tummy and warm
your heart with a mix of sweet po-
tatoes, ginger and peanut paste.
The Deli
One of the best pizza places in
town, The Deli has lunch offers
on large pizzas that you can take
with you and share with friends or
colleagues. They make their own
dough, sauces and herbs that they
assemble right in front of you. The
vegan pizza is wicked, with toma-
toes, onions, garlic and (weird, I
know) peanuts. If you’re feeling
peckish and you don’t need a whole
pie, grab a slice or two and enjoy
with a drop of their fragrant garlic
oil.
Lobster Hut
Raise your hand if you’re tired of
having falafel at Mandi when you’re
downtown on the piss on a Satur-
day morning. If you are looking for
a quick snack to eat on your way
home while your fingers threaten
to fall off from the cold, stop by the
Lobster Hut for a sandwich. They of-
fer half and whole subs, and you can
add chilli mayo for free. The lovely
ladies in the truck will exchange
pleasantries while you wait, but
they’ll also whip up your sub with
a lot of love. There’s nothing better
to please or your overworked syn-
apses at this point in the night.
Best of Reykjavík 26The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 20 — 2017
SELECTION
FROM BEST OF
REYKJAVÍK
2017
Best Clothing Store
Húrra
Hverfisgata 50 & 78
Húrra Reykjavík is a white-
cube space located on Hverfis-
gata, a street that’s undergone
a huge facelift in recent years.
The store has become a fast
favourite with locals, includ-
ing all the members of our
panel, who collectively called
this one immediately. “Húrra
has created a buzz and excite-
ment around fashion never be-
fore seen in Iceland,” they said.
“They have also single-hand-
edly created a sneaker culture
here. Before Húrra, no one had
ever camped out to buy a pair
of sneakers in Iceland.” The
excitement is for people of off
all ages, they noted: “My boss
who is 63 years old just bought
shoes at Húrra.”
Best Record Store
Lucky
Records
Rauðarárstigur 10
Lucky Records is probably the
biggest record shop in Iceland,
with shelves upon shelves of
new and used vinyl and CDs on
offer. They have a small stage
where local and visiting bands
sometimes perform, and ex-
pert staff that can always help
you find what you’re looking
for. “They stock classics and
limited editions,” said the pan-
el. “It’s expensive, but it’s the
only store with a wide selection
of obscure releases.” The panel
also complimented the pure
variety of their stock: “You can
go in the back room to contin-
ue the search. It’s endless: dig,
dig, dig!”
gpv.is/bestof
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