Reykjavík Grapevine - ágú. 2019, Blaðsíða 18

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Best of Reykjavík 2019
18 BEST OF REYKJAVÍK 2019
Dining
Greasy burger, or glazed, torched cod head?
Must-Try Dining Experience
Skál
Hlemmur Mathöll
Helmed by one of Iceland’s finest chefs—Gísli Matthías Auðunsson—
anything you order here will be your definitive culinary memory of
Iceland. “Seasonal” and “local” aren’t just clickbait terms at Skál. Be it
smoked carrots on sourdough or crispy seaweed with cured roe, noth-
ing is as simple as it seems. From Icelandic lamb to Arctic char or a
scrumptious vegan meal, Skál has you covered. They boast a natural
wine selection, cocktails on tap, and they debut new drinks regularly,
like the Sultuslaukur rhubarb cider. A culinary adventure like no oth-
er, Skál also won’t break the bank.
Runners Up
Cod Head at Matur og Drykkur
Grandagarður 2
Shock value aside, Matur og Drykkur
elevated Icelandic cooking with this
singular dish—a whole, butterflied cod
head, simmered in chicken stock and
glazed. “The deep fried cod tongues
are the best part,” said the panel. “And
the fish head is basically prime cod
cheeks.” An unmissable treat.
ÓX
Laugavegur 28
ÓX is Iceland’s first chef’s table dining
experience for only 11 diners each
night. Determined to be discreet, the
restaurant is housed in the far end of
Sumac; it is an intimate dining expe-
rience where the walls between the
chef and diner are dissolved over an
intimate and leisurely tasting menu.
Previous Winners
2017: Snaps
2015-6: Ostabúðin
2014: Bergsson Mathús
Best Italian
La Primavera
at Marshall House Bar +
Restaurant - Grandagarður 20
25-years ago, Leifur Kolbeinsson intro-
duced Icelanders to fresh pasta at his
iconic eatery La Primavera. It closed a
few years later, but Icelanders still rem-
inisce about it. Now, Leifur is back in the
kitchen at the Marshall House restau-
rant, with the same focus on simplicity.
“I didn’t even know cod roe could be
so… sophisticated,” mused the panel
as we dined at the anniversary pop-up.
Thanks to diner pressure, La Primavera
made a comeback as a permanent
fixture at Marshall House. A delicious
full circle, if ever there was one.
Runners Up
Essensia
Hverfisgata 4-6
Now hosting a dedicated ‘truffle menu’
at prices that won’t break the bank, Es-
sensia has come into its own recently.
The under-seasoned nightmares have
been laid to rest; the kitchen has a
new spring in its step, dishing out silky
handmade pasta and great calzone.
Hornið
Hafnarstræti 15
It might not be fancy, but O.G. Italian
joint Hornið is still going strong. The
thin-crust pizzas are 100% satisfying—
we recommend the prawn-covered
seafood option—and you can get all
kinds of hearty comfort-food pasta
dishes, should your heart so desire.
Support a true classic and drop by.
Previous Winners
2018: Marshall House
Best Seafood
Fiskfélagið
Vesturgata 2a
With a band of talented chefs in the
kitchen, Fish Company is the definitive
seafood restaurant in Iceland. Banging
out consistently great dishes ever
since they opened, the restaurant
has grown beyond their reputation
for fusion kitschiness. Today, their
Japanese-inspired cod, swimming in
a charred onion dashi, or the North
African style wolf-fish with perfectly
cooked black chickpeas, all enunciate
a finesse and understanding of ingre-
dient, region and technique that other
restaurants can only aspire to.
Runners Up
Fish Market
Aðalstræti 12
“They seem to take the extra step for
freshness,” said one panellist of Fish Mar-
ket’s seafood. This upscale eatery serves
everything from lightly salted cod to
controversial minke whale—details like
ponzu dipping sauce, and fresh Icelandic
wasabi takes the experience up a notch.
Booking recommended, but impromptu
sushi bar stools are sometimes available.
Messinn
Lækjargata 6 & Grandagarður 8
Messinn has been so popular since
opening that they now boast a large
buffet style branch in Grandi. Continuing
to serve ‘fish-in-pans’, Messinn’s
once-generous portions have dwindled,
our panel noted. Thankfully, the taste
and consistency have remained largely
unchanged. We also adore their plokk-
fiskur (although the panel suspects the
recipe has changed recently).
Previous Winners
2018: Fish Company and Fish Market
2014-7: Fish Company