Reykjavík Grapevine - maí 2020, Blaðsíða 14

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Best of Reykjavík 2020
14
Best Cheap Meal
Icelandic Street Food
Lækjargata 8 & Laugavegur 85
Plokkfiskur, a fish stew cooked with boiled potatoes and bechamel,
is traditionally eaten with heavily buttered rugbrauð (dark, dense rye
bread) and is on everyone’s must-try list when they visit Iceland. At
Icelandic Street Food you can have all this and more—shellfish soup,
traditional kjötsúpa (lamb soup), the aforementioned ‘Fisherman’s
Special’, hjónabandssæla (rhubarb-oatmeal crumble pie) and pan-
cakes for about 2000 ISK. The clincher, however, is that buying one
shellfish soup allows you to have a refill of the lamb soup, and then the
fish and then the desserts and it goes on! Simply put, an impossible
offer to beat. The barnyard funk is especially ambient as you sit and
sip on your lamb soup like a farmer of yore.
Runners-Up
108 Matur
Fákafen 9
A dark horse amongst Skeifan’s many food
joints is 108 Matur with a refreshing spin
on Icelandic lunch buffets. Embracing
the Soviet canteen like disciplined, sus-
tenance only vibe, it is ,“honest old school
construction but with extra flair” like the
fresh green peas in lieu of canned Öra,
with a flurry of fresh dill. Pick your main
course (vegan available too!) from the ro-
tational menu, and the salads, sauces and
all other accompaniments are unlimited.
Coffee and cake seal the deal.

Chinese Flavour
Hverfisgata 119
You’d be hard pressed to find a cuter
food truck with prices as little as 350
ISK. Chinese Flavour lives up to its name,
offering us a taste of Beijing-style street
fare. There is a hearty scallion pancake,
dumplings and baos. What you shouldn’t
leave without however are the cumin salt
rubbed lamb skewers, cooked to order,
and a chat with the friendly proprietors.
Previous Winners
2019: Lamb Street Food
2018: Icelandic Street Food
2017: Bike Cave
2016: Noodle Station
2015: K-Bar
Best Brunch
The Coocoo’s Nest
Grandagarður 23
It's with good reason that this
family-run restaurant has made such
a strong impact on the local brunch
scene. Such is the popularity of their
sumptuous fare that they now offer
brunch starting Fridays. The pan-
cakes are American perfection. That
award-winning sourdough is put to
good use under poached eggs bathed
in a silky hollandaise tickled with blue
cheese, the wreck-your-bank-account
avocado toast, or just simply grilled
and served alongside an omelette that
feeds six. We kid, but only partially. Iris,
one of the owners, insists people leave
well fed and stuffed. And even though
Luna Florens extends the seating avail-
ability, it’s best to make a reservation.
Runners-Up
Snaps
Þórsgata 1
To Sunday like the locals do, head to
Snaps. Serving up the perfect laid-back
brunch, choose from various egg
preparations, sandwiches or salads.
The croque monsieurs are especially
good if you are nursing a hangover and
nothing but a rich sando will do. Couple
with the bloody good Bloody Mary and
you’ll be ready for another night of
debauchery.
Café Paris
Austurstræti 14
Paris' Austurvöllur location is postcard
perfection for sun-bathing, people
watching and yes, everyday brunching.
Despite recent upheavals, Paris is back
on track with their stack of pancakes,
eggs florentine and, wait for it, table
service! Make it a ‘Boozy Brunch’ and
sightseeing in Reykjavík will already be
off to a great start.
Previous Winners
2019: The Coocoo’s Nest
2018: Cafe Paris
2017: VÓX
2016: Coocoo’s Nest
Best Seafood
Fish Company /
Messinn Grandi
Joint Winners
Fish Company
Vesturgata 2a
Fish Company is the definitive seafood
restaurant in Iceland. Their around the
world inspired tasting menus are a
great way to try the best the waters
around Iceland have to offer, from
Atlantic cod served Japanese style to
harissa stocked wolf-fish. Many chefs
have cut their teeth in this very kitch-
ens. The restaurant also has fantastic
lunch deals. With an eye on sustain-
ability, they are also limiting their
serving of the now overfished Icelandic
langoustine, a laudable effort.
Messinn Grandi
Grandagarður 8
Inspired by Tjöruhúsiđ's fish-in-a-
pan buffet-style dining in Ísafjörđur,
Messinn has always aspired to the
same level of enthusiastic pescatar-
ian feast—something they really nail
in their Grandi outpost. With tables
looking out to the harbour, it is a
picturesque setting to slowly savour
the honey butter glazed trout, the plok-
kfiskur or for the more adventurous,
pan-fried gellur or cod throats. Lunch
is especially popular with large groups
and office goers. Dinner is ideal if the
lunch frenzy isn't your thing.
Runner-Up
Sægreifinn
Geirsgata 8
“They always seem to have something
I wouldn't have otherwise tried,” said
one panellist of Sægreifinn's food.
Case in point being the skewers of the
day's catch, grilled to order. Our astute
panel points out that the originally
curry-laced seafood soup is now more
a tomato based broth. Nevertheless,
the entire experience of huddling up in
front of the porch, sipping on soup and
listening to tales of it's late founder, the
Sea Baron, is unmatched.
Previous Winners
2019: Fiskfélagið
2018: Fiskfélagið & Fish Market
2015-7: Fiskfélagið
BEST OF REYKJAVÍK 2020
Dining
If they're over 7mm wide they're chips, not fries
NATURALLY
DELICIOUS
FLAVOURED BY THE WILD PASTURES OF PURE
ICELANDIC NATURE. TASTE THE DIFFERENCE.
FIND A RESTAURANT SERVING FREE RANGE ICELANDIC LAMB NEAR YOU
ICELANDICLAMB.IS/PARTNERS