Reykjavík Grapevine - Jan 2020, Page 35

The Lady Of The
Mountain In A
Ferris Wheel
Fjallkonan takes its %uest on an interestin% ride
Words: Ragnar Egilsson Photos: Art Bicnick
Cupcakes on Ferris wheels, smoke-
filled bubbles on cocktails, duck leg
pancake towers in birdcages—Fjall-
konan is big on whimsy and not shy
about it.
Located at the historic at Hafnar-
stræti 1-3, the duck leg bird cages
serve as a sly call-back to the build-
ing’s history. Originally the site of
“Fálkahúsi!” (The Falcon House)
which was used to store locally-cap-
tured falcons for the Danish king
during the latter half of the 18th
century. The original building was
torn down in 1868, and between 1880
and 1907 the house was expanded.
Two floors were gradually added
and ultimately the city stuck a cou-
ple of wooden falcons to the ridge of
the roof in memory of the halcyon
days of colonial bird prisons. The
structure remained essentially the
same until it was officially given
protected status in 1991.
The rotation
The 2000s saw the location play
host to a rotation of bars, cafés, and
restaurants such as Café Victor,
Uno, Balthazar, Rustik, and Gali-
leó. Curiously, all of them featured
a Mediterranean or Icelandic theme
or some combination thereof and
Fjallkonan seems set to continue
that theme with added pizzazz (no
pizzas, though).
Lady of the mountain
Fjallkonan opened in June 2020,
with the most Icelandic name pos-
sible (“Lady of the Mountain” being
the literal female personification of
the nation), and backed by the same
team of restaurateurs that own next
door’s gastropub Sæta Svíni! as well
as sharing owners with perennial
local favourites Apótek, Tapasbar-
inn and Sushi Social.
As with the other restaurants on
their roster, the menu at Fjallkonan
is extensive and features a wide ar-
ray of ingredients. The price bracket
would land them in high-end dining
but it’s a relaxed-fit atmosphere and
the portions are quite generous. A
couple of “small courses” may well
be enough for a date night (espe-
cially if you’re hoping the date goes
well and don’t want to feel like a hu-
man bouncy castle).
Shift of focus
Initially, the cuisine of Fjallkonan
complemented the patriotic name,
with a reasonably strong focus on
Icelandic techniques and ingredi-
ents, but it has gradually moved
to include more inspiration from
Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern
cuisines. This amalgamation of in-
fluences is well represented by the
presence of “skyr tahini” in several
dishes or by employing savoury Ice-
landic crepes for the hoisin duck
wraps.
Vegans and vegetarians are well
served with dishes like BBQ mush-
room “ribs” and yuzu-glazed beets
with whipped feta cheese (the sec-
ond being a particular stand-out).
Deconstructed desserts
The atmosphere is lively on week-
ends, with groups of locals and
tourists of all ages plonking down
to quaff bright cocktails and stuff
themselves with deconstructed des-
serts influenced by classic Icelandic
candies before disappearing into
the Reykjavík night to plow through
the sleet.
The inclusion of one of the city’s
largest outdoor seating areas meant
that Fjallkonan has been quick to es-
tablish itself during one of Iceland’s
warmest summers on record and it
isn’t showing any signs of letting up.

35The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 01— 2020
Rustic n' crusty! (say that three times fast)
Food
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