Reykjavík Grapevine - 07.12.2018, Blaðsíða 50

TOWN GUIDE
Selfoss
Words: John Rogers Photos : Timothée Lambrecq
South Iceland’s main town of Sel-
foss is an hour-long drive from
Reykjavík on the banks of the wide
and gushing Ölfusá river. It’s not
immediately charming—the main
street is lined by dull municipal
buildings, a mall, and some chain
stores—but it’s nevertheless a hub
for the area, with plenty of things
to see and do.
Stay:
Hótel Selfoss
This grand old pile stands a
stone’s throw from the Ölfusá.
Some rooms look back over the
wide torrent; when we were there,
sheets of shattered ice swirled and
eddied in the crook of a bend in
the river. The reception corridor
winds around through an atrium
into a kind of mini-mall, includ-
ing meeting rooms, a restaurant,
a sports bar, and a small window-
less spa with a steam room, sauna
and hot pot.
Read: Bókakaffið
A cosy café and bookshop, if
you find yourself caught in a
snowstorm this could be the
perfect hangout to while away
some time with a good book.
Shop: Secondhand
Market & Handicrafts
Across the street you’ll find two
interesting independent shops.
One is a labyrinthine handicrafts
stores with all kind of ornaments,
jewellery, artwork, knitwear and
charming locally made knick
knacks; the other is a sprawling
second hand store with a vast
mixture of used goods, from
electronics to furniture, cloth-
ing, paintings, kitchenwares,
toys, luggage, and pretty much
any thing you could imagine.
You’ll come out with some es-
sential bits and pieces you didn’t
realise you needed.
Eat: Kaffi Krús
This homely cafe is located in a
wooden house, nested amongst
the various mall-style buildings
on the main strip of Selfoss. They
have lunch options of soup and
cod, but the star of the show is the
platter of cakes—there are usu-
ally seven or eight decadent treats
to choose from. They have brunch
options on weekends.
Visit:
Bobby Fischer Centre
This small museum is dedicated
to the erratic, virulently anti-
semitic, 9/11-supporting weirdo
and renegade chess genius Bob-
by Fischer. Bobby spent the last
chapter of his life as an émigré,
ending his days in Iceland after
getting into various diplomatic
shitstorms. The museum is open
by appointment—visit the shop
out front to get in.
Dinner: Tryggvaskáli
One of the finest restaurants in
southern Iceland, Tryggvaskáli
is located in the house that was
formerly Selfoss’ historic first ho-
tel. A listed building, the interior
still has the old layout, resulting
in a charming series of nooks, re-
ception areas and private dining
rooms that were once bedrooms.
The kitchen uses local ingredients
with a playful flair, creating com-
plex, colourful, surprising dishes.
A cut above most rural restau-
rants, it’s worth making Selfoss
your dinner stop.
Travel
Distance from Reykjavík: 57km
How to get there: Route One south
Car provided by: gocarrental.is
Accommodation provided by: hotelselfoss.is
The best of Icelandic produce
with a nod to Japan and South
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flavours, share plates and award
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Þingholtsstræti 5 • 101 Reykjavík
Tel. 568 6600 • sushisocial.is
Our kitchen is open
17.00–23.00 sun.–thu.
17.00–24.00 fri.–sat.
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