Reykjavík Grapevine - 07.12.2018, Qupperneq 45

45The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 21— 2018
Homesick Americans need look
no further than Haust’s scaled-up,
Eurified “Big American Christmas
Buffet.” You’ll find pickled cabbage,
braised broccolini, buttery lox paté
with shredded salmon, Brussels
sprouts, glazed pecans, sausage and
carrot stuffing, potato gratin (or
‘Irish mac & cheese,’ as I like to call
it), whole roasted turkey, beef wel-
lington, a make-your-own-dough-
nut station (buffet hack: glaze ‘em
in the chocolate fountain), mini
pecan pies with whipped cream,
passion fruit mousse, snow-dust-
ed yule log, and a paaartridge in a
pear tree! [gasps for air]. Our server,
Amadeus, reached American levels
of attentiveness. Add in winter foli-
age decorations and a two-storey
yule hut for kids, and you got your-
self the cosiest Christmas atmo-
sphere in town. RE
Nostra
Laugavegur 59 (13,900 ISK; wine
pairings: 12,900 ISK)
A subtly seasonal fine dining ex-
perience available as four, six or
eight courses with optional (and
excellent) wine pairings, Nostra’s
Christmas tasting menu is fes-
tive, but without delivering that
unwelcome all-you-can-eat gut-
punch. Winter vegetables are used
creatively in a succession of fresh
but fulfilling dishes, such as the
elevated comfort-food of the Vichy-
sauce foam with dehydrated mush-
rooms, the various iterations of
leek served with lighter-than-air
poached cod, and the celeriac crisps
accompanying the delectable, per-
fectly medium-rare reindeer thigh.
The poached apple was served with
salted caramel and toasted carda-
mom, and the chocolate mousse
with nitrogen-frozen cherry grani-
ta. The atmosphere was intimate—
better for pairs than groups—and
the pairings and service flawless. A
decadent treat. JR
Grillmarket
Lækjargata 2a (Lunch 6,490 ISK,
Dinner 11,400 ISK)
Doing fancy like no one else, Grill-
market’s Christmas menu is a mer-
ry blend of their menu superhits,
like the salted cod with apples, in-
terspersed with holiday staples like
laufabrauð with lamb tartare. The
lightly grilled minke whale with Ice-
landic wasabi is a downright treat
and the langoustine tempura alone
was a deciding factor in choosing
their dinner rather than the Christ-
mas lunch. We suggest you pair it
with their off-menu spice-infused
citrus mocktail—light and airy,
they’re so good we might go back
just for another. Efficiently paced
and portioned, this is ideal for
groups large and small. SB
Kolabrautin
Harpa (9,900 ISK)
While most establishments seem
to have foregone the buffet format
for sit-down Christmas courses,
Kolabrautin keeps the hlaðborð
in the jólahlaðborð. The buffet
presents an array of cold and warm
courses that run the gamut from
pickled herring to a delightful lamb
neck terrine, salmon ceviche, and
some American-leaning dishes like
turkey with stuffing. There’s roast
goose, slow-cooked pork belly with
crackling, and the dessert buffet
is likely the prettiest in town—we
recommend the creamy eggnog
crème brûlée. Coming in at under
10,000 ISK, it’s served with priceless
views of Reykjavík harbour. SB
Public House
Laugavegur 24 (7,990 ISK)
I took my sister for this one, and
neither one of us have ever eaten so
much in our lives (it turned that the
kitchen had accidentally doubled
some courses). The menu items
are definitely a little off-piste by
the usual holiday standards but it
kicks off with a traditional Glüh-
wein (“glögg”—the best I’ve tried in
Reykjavík). Stand-outs include the
stuffed quail dressed up as a bite-
sized turkey, a delicious mushroom
and ptarmigan soup, and sticky
duck wings with marinated orange
slices and red cabbage—like less
spicy Korean chicken. For fans of
fowl and freaky flavours, the warm
welcome will leave you in good holi-
day cheer into the new year. RE
Skelfiskmarkaðurinn
Klapparstígur 30 (Sun–Tue 6,990 ISK,
Wed–Sat 8,990 ISK, Lunch 5.990 ISK)
If you’re craving a French-brasserie-
style feast, Skelfiskmarkaðurinn
is the way to go. Their Christmas
menu is a decadent yet fresh gas-
tronomic adventure that leaves your
senses and belly satisfied. The ap-
petisers included prawns, mussels
and snow crab with cherry vinai-
grette, foie gras with fresh red cur-
rants, tasty smoked salmon tartare
and brioche bread toasted and but-
tered to perfection. The main was a
hefty chunk of beef wellington and
vegetables with a red wine glaze.
To finish it off, a delicious baked
cheesecake with berries and cara-
mel. Be sure to check out the mulled
wine and Christmas cocktails. AJF
Kol
Skolavörðustígur 40 (Fri & Sat
10,990, 8,990 Sun-Thurs)
With a relaxed steak-house vibe,
Kol’s four-course menu kicks off
with a delicious ptarmigan soup,
poured at the table over croutons,
truffle cream and blueberry jam.
Next comes the impressively pre-
sented Christmas platter, contain-
ing bites like hangikjot vol-au-
vents, smoked salmon, juicy tiger
prawns, and plenty of trimmings.
The choice of mains is charred
salmon—served a touch on the rare
side—and the preferable reindeer
fillet option, with rich red wine
gravy and a slice of perfect pork
belly. The dessert wins points for
presentation, squeezing ginger-
bread, chocolate, mint and caramel
flavours under a gold-dusted dome.
The wine pairings are serviceable;
the cocktails top-notch. A parent-
friendly option. JR
REYKJAVÍK’S
FIRST
BREWPUB
lunch from
1.690 kr
BRYGGJAN BRUGGHÚS * GRANDAGARÐI 8 101 REYKJAVÍK * 00354 456 4040 * WWW.BRYGGJANBRUGGHUS.IS
ÓÐINSTORG | 101 | REYKJAVÍK | ÍSLAND
SNAPSBISTRO.IS | +354 5116677
FRENCH ONION SOUP
Icelandic Ísbúi cheese, croûtons
2.390 kr.
MOULES MARINIÈRES
steamed mussels from Breiðafjörður
2.600 kr.
FISH OF THE DAY
chef´s special
3.890 kr.
Lunch offer from 11:30 - 14:00 1.990 kr.
EST. 2012REYKJAVIK