Reykjavík Grapevine - maj 2019, Side 14

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Best of Reykjavík 2019
14
Best Cheap Meal
Icelandic Street Food
Lækjargata 8 & Laugavegur 85
You can’t beat the prices at this tiny spot with a big heart. All the soups
are available in a bread bowl with—wait for it—unlimited refills! You
can choose from a lamb soup, a buttery traditional plokkfiskur and a
veggie soup, and your refill can even be a taste of another dish. Ice-
land prides itself on the quality of its lamb and fish, so kjötsúpa and
fiskisúpa are safe bets. If you’d like to try affordable local food, and
you're very, very hungry, this is the spot.
Runners Up
Fish and Co.
Aðalstræti 16
This stark black wagon parked in
Fógetagarðurinn sells succulent cod
for a hard-to-beat 1,000 ISK. The fish is
pan-cooked in butter with wilted spin-
ach and a few blistered tomatoes for
acidity. “Just don’t forget your gloves
on a cold day,” warns one panellist.
Lamb Street Food
Grandagarður 7
Food wrapped in a flatbread is a uni-
versally-loved thing of beauty. At Lamb,
they take things a few steps further
and make everything from scratch.
Anything you order sits under the 2,000
ISK tag. What’s lesser known however,
is that their wraps are perfect for
sharing, making it the cheapest meal in
town by far.
Previous Winners
2018: Icelandic Street Food
2017: Bike Cave
2016: Noodle Station
2015: K-Bar (RIP)
2014: 10-11 after 14:00
Best Family Restaurant
Hamborgara-
fabrikkan
Höfðatorg, Kringlan
KIDS' CHOICE The Hamborgara-
fabrikkan burger chain is ideal for a
lunch outing with the family. There are
plenty of distractions for young diners,
including borrowed iPads and head-
phones to keep the kids entertained
and distracted. The child-friendly vibe
explains why it continues to be a popu-
lar haunt for birthday parties, so don’t
be surprised by the chorus of “hún á
afmæli í dag” wafting around the room
every now and then.
Runners Up
Kaffi Laugalækur
Laugarnesvegur 74a
PARENTS CHOICE For many a
young parent, the cafe stop at the end
of a long stroll is the proverbial pot of
gold. Kaffi Lækur is especially popular
with new parents, with a special kids’
corner for crawlers and drawers. The
generously topped chicken and pesto
‘litla gula hænan’ and the ‘shawarmaba-
ka’ are our top lunch picks.
Hard Rock Café
Lækjargata 2A
A good family place needs to be appeal-
ing to parents and kids alike. The Hard
Rock Café caters perfectly to the needs
of a family group, with a diverse menu,
special kids plates, colouring menus,
free drink refills, and lids on drinks to
help contain spills.
Previous Winners
2018: Jamie's Italian
2017: Hamborgarafabrikkan
2016: Laundromat
2015: KEX Hostel
Best Vegan Meal
Sumac
Laugavegur 28
One of the persistent faves with the
local vegan community, despite not
catering solely to vegans, Sumac’s Mid-
dle Eastern-inspired fare makes it the
vegan destination to beat. No insipid
‘nut steaks’ in sight here: instead, the
kitchen treats vegetables as the star
of the show, eggplants are grilled to
silkiness, the cauliflower roasted whole;
often draped with bright pomegranate
arils, it’s a treat for anyone. Ask for
the Lebanese wine; the interesting
backstory of its harried continuance
seals the outing.
Runner Up
Nostra
Laugavegur 59
While neither exclusively vegan nor
vegetarian, Nostra is inclusive in a way
that illustrates the future of fine dining.
“Vegetables are built into the place, not
simply an afterthought,” said the panel.
It’s worth pointing out that Nostra is
one of a handful of restaurants that
have a dedicated vegan-vegetarian
menu, so “the entire table can enjoy a
tasting menu together, with none of
that mixed diet awkwardness.”
Veganæs
Tryggvagata 22
NEWCOMER One of our few
exclusively vegan places, Veganæs
shows how vegan food can be just as
down-and-dirty as a burger joint. “You
don’t need to have a yoga mat under
your arm when you go there,” said the
panel. See vegan food in a new light,
and catch a goth drag show while
you’re at it.
Previous Winners
2018: Skál and Mat Bar
2016-7: Kaffi Vínyl
2015: Teni
BEST OF REYKJAVÍK 2019
Dining
If they're over 7mm wide they're chips, not fries
Free roaming since 874, Icelandic Lamb continues to be a rare specialty that’s humanely raised on
family owned and operated farms.
Flavored by the wild pastures and raised without any hormones or antibiotics in one of the purest
environments in the world, Icelandic lamb meat is wonderfully lean, avorful and tender.
e distinctive taste is a result of the wild pastures; the grass and the aromatic and spicy herbs on which
the lambs graze.
Icelandic Lamb
When dining in Iceland always look for the Icelandic Lamb Shield.
Our Symbol of Trust, Consistency and Quality for Genuine Icelandic Lamb
Products.
LOOK FOR THE SHIELD
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