Reykjavík Grapevine - ágú. 2019, Blaðsíða 32

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Best of Reykjavík 2019
32
Third wave /
Scandinavian coffee
In recent years, a new style of cof-
fee-making has come forth that’s
all about roasting the coffee light-
ly so it’s less bitter and burnt and
leaves more of the beany taste be-
hind. While Italian coffee is about
consistency, third wave—what we
call this new style—is about vari-
ety. Reykjavík Roasters has been
the local standard bearer for third
wave beans and cups. Pallett in
Hafnarfjörður is also a popular
place for this, especially among
Grapevine journalists. Recently,
upstart roastery Kvörn has been
making (third) waves, as have
Bismút and Kaffi Laugalækur,
with Bismút winning our coveted
“Best Coffee House” award in this
year's Best of Reykjavík Awards.
Pumpkin spice latté
frappuccino with
extra sprinkles
Te & Kaffi are the best at “special-
ity orders”. By the way, I ordered
their vaunted “Pumpkin Spice
Latté” the other day, years after
hearing Americans buzz about
this drink of legend. Did you know
that it’s just a regular latté plus
sugar and cinnamon? And most
cafés have cinnamon that you can
get for free. Don’t get a pumpkin
spice latté! Grow the fuck up and
stop diluting your coffee with
sweeteners like an overgrown
toddler. No time like the present.
You can do it, we believe in you!
Transitional Style
I cribbed this term from typeface
history to describe Kaffitár on
Bankastræti, which has a brew
that sits somewhere snugly be-
tween the two styles, darker than
the fruity Scandinavian tones,
but not quite the deep aroma of
Italian.
Italian coffee
First, you have classic Italian cof-
fee. This is the dark-roast, bitter,
thick brew that hits your palate in
a sharp but pleasing way. The king
of the crop here is Kaffifélagið,
but Prikið also serves a gut-punch
of an espresso that’ll put hair on
your chest, which can be unfortu-
nate for women.
African
African describes a super dark
brew, or burnt, really, to my weak-
ass palate. Many of my friends
swear by it. I don’t. The place of
legend for this style of coffee is
Café Haiti, a place with a slightly
corny decor and a good selection
of cakes, or in other words, a re-
laxing, unpretentious space. The
service is lovely and friendly, and
it never seems very crowded.
Just an espresso
for me, takk
Most people that are into espres-
sos go for the Italian variety, as
the Scandinavian light roast can
get pretty sour. Kaffifélagið is a
popular spot.
A lovely latté
If you’re looking for a consistent-
ly great latté, Te & Kaffi is the
place to go. They have branches
all over the place and will do Star-
bucks-like frappos, but their regu-
lar coffee drinks are much better
than what you’d expect from a
chain, certainly a few steps above
Starbucks, Costa, Segafredo and
the like.
“Grow the fuck up and stop diluting your
coffee with sweeteners like an overgrown
toddler.”
CITY GUIDE
The Grapevine
Guide To Coffee
Our art director loves caffeine,
and he’s here to help
Words: Sveinbjörn Pálsson Photos: Art Bicnick
First things first: There’s no such thing as “best” when it comes to
coffee advice. People have different palates and different needs, so
really, this guide isn’t so much geared to finding coffee for you as it
is finding you and then getting some nice coffee. But that’s totally
fine, as you’re probably in Iceland to find yourself anyway.
Café/Bistro/Bar/Live music

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