Reykjavík Grapevine - 18.05.2018, Síða 26

BEST OF REYKJAVÍK
Best
Cocktails
Hverfisgata 12
Hverfisgata 12
As well as serving up damn
fine pizzas, the bartenders at
H12 stir and shake up fabulous
concoctions that delight and
inebriate the senses. With its
charming yesteryear environ-
ment and truly lovely waiting
staff, it’s the perfect place to
raise a pinky and joyfully tilt
your head back with a great
cocktail, mixed to perfection.
They offer standard classics
and innovative takes on old fa-
vourites using items from their
food menu, like the pizza-juice
bloody mary—a spicy, vitamin
C-rich hangover cure that’s per-
haps the best in town.
Pablo Discobar
Veltusund 1
Still a relative newcomer in
the local bar scene, Pablo has
quickly established itself as a
place with great cocktails for
the dress-code loving crowd.
The drinks and the décor are
maximalist, lavish, and tropi-
cal, and the extra little tacky
patina gives it a certain Scar-
face Miami Beach charm.
Mat Bar
Hverfisgata 26
This fancy drinking hole is con-
nected to the Hilton Canopy ho-
tel complex and has an unusual
wine list focussing on cold-cli-
mate wines. There’s a long bar
with plenty of space, and it has
a swanky kind of feeling, so sip
your drink and people-watch
whilst role-playing some kind
of 'American Psycho' lifestyle.
If you want. You weirdo.
CITY GUIDE
The Breakfast Club
Reykjavík’s best spots for an early
morning snack or a decadent brunch
Words: Phil Uwe Widiger, John Rogers & Hannah Jane Cohen
Photos: Art Bicnick
It’s 7am on a Saturday morning.
You’re up early, or maybe you’ve
just arrived in Reykjavík, and you’re
walking down Laugavegur amidst
the detritus of last night, complete
with a few post-party zombies that
haven’t gone to bed yet. But you
don’t care about all that—you’re
hungry. Very hungry. Everything
looks closed, but don’t worry—we
at the Grapevine have your back.
Here’s a list that’ll guarantee your
survival until lunch.

Early openers
One of the biggest Icelandic cof-
feehouse chains Kaffitár opens
on Bankastræti at 7am every day,
and will treat you to bacon and egg
sandwiches, hummus and cream
cheese toasts, and sweet satisfiers
like croissants and cinnamon buns.
Oh, and they have great coffee, too.
If you’ve just arrived in Iceland,
and had your pre-flight coffee at a
Starbucks, maybe you wanna try
something else. Go to Bergsson at
Templarasund—they open at 7am
and serve a wholesome breakfast
of salad, fruit, eggs and bread un-
til 11am. If you’re after something
more substantial like a classic Eng-
lish fry-up or US-style bacon and
pancakes, try the cosy basement
joint Grái Kötturinn on Hverfisga-
ta, open from 7.30am—2pm daily..
All-day breakfast
Whether you’re carbo-loading be-
fore a marathon or carbo-loading
after partying, Prikið’s breakfast
kills it. With big portions and a
homely vibe, you can get every-
thing from pancakes to an English
breakfast at this local hotspot. Our
pick? The ‘Breakfast of Champions,’
with eggs, bacon, oranges, skyr and
camembert, or the ‘Hangover Killer,’
which includes a massive sandwich
and a hangover shake that contains
both coffee and Jack Daniels.

Fancy brunch
Reykjavík has a few brunch places
that are guaranteed to make you
go “yummy yummy in my tummy.”
Café Paris on Austurstræti is top
of the list, with its near-perfect
eggs Florentine, top-notch fried
chicken with waffles, and a hulk-
ing stack of pancakes with maple
syrup. Yep, we know, you’re drool-
ing now. Hverfisgata 12 is also a
good option, serving a brunch menu
all week that includes eggs how you
want them, Korean chicken, savoury
porridge and breakfast pizzas. For
a continental-style cooked break-
fast, try Snaps on Þórsgata, which
serves omelettes, eggs benedict, and
croque-monsieur (pssst, they serve
a great bloody mary, too).

Vegan option
It’s a new day—why not start it
cruelty-free? Kaffi Vínyl on Hver-
fisgata serves hands down the best
vegan breakfast in town. Whether
you’re craving melt in your mouth
croissants, toast with avocado and
cashew cream cheese, or sweet
cupcakes that make your taste buds
tingle: they’ve got you covered. Ví-
nyl opens at 10am on weekdays, and
11am on weekends.

Newcomer
Egill Jacobsen is located on Austur-
stræti, in the spot that the late and
lamented Laundromat Café used
to be. They opened very recently,
not that you’d be able to tell from
the great food—they serve break-
fast and brunch from 8am-4pm ev-
ery day, including a customisable
(choose four ingredients) breakfast,
fresh juices, a breakfast burrito, a
breakfast for champions, oatmeals,
yoghurt, pancakes…you catch our
drift.
26The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 08 — 2018Best of Reykjavík
How do you like your eggs?
ramen
momo
“ The
Icelandic
ramen ”
Tryggvagata 16
Open 11:30-22:00
saegreif inn. is
Geirsgata 8 • 101 Reykjavík • Tel. 553 1500 • seabaron8@gmail.com
An absolute
must-try!
Saegreifinn restaurant (Sea Baron) is like none other
in Iceland; a world famous lobster soup and a diverse
fish selection.