Reykjavík Grapevine - Oct 2020, Page 14

Eat, Pray,
Quarantine
The best takeaway for your time alone
Words: Iona Rangeley-Wilson & Valur Grettisson Photos: Art Bicnick
It’s evening, you’ve just started ‘Suc-
cession’ and the prospect of any
kind of human contact is at least 6
days away, or maybe even 14. So how
does one quell their sadness in the
light of such solitude? That’s right!
It’s time to eat your lonely, lonely
feelings. Of course, you’ll need to do
so through delivery places or kind
friends and family members who
will bring the food (safely) to your
door. Please, don’t risk the safety of
others just to satisfy a craving.
And remember: Your lonesome
tears will add a nice salty seasoning
to every meal.
Ramen Momo
Tryggvagata 16
Start off your inside time by order-
ing some ramen from Momo. The
beloved hole-in-the-wall ramen bar
was the first in Iceland and also
gives a discount for bringing your
own container. (Not that you can!
You’re in quarantine, remember?)
Although most of their ingredients
are made in Iceland, that Japanese
taste means that if you close your
eyes and concentrate very hard, you
might be able to convince yourself—
just for a moment—that you’re
somewhere far, far away from here.
But you’re not. So try the Gyoza.
IRW
Local Salad
Various locations
It’s been a whole day now. Is that
enough time to suddenly start
questioning your life choices, have
a minor breakdown and resolve it
by swearing off carbs for the REST
OF YOUR LIFE? Of course, it is. This
won’t last, but while it does, try a Lo-
cal Salad. Do some yoga, taste the vi-
tamins and dream absent-mindedly
of your childhood, when everything
was simpler. Along with veggie and
vegan options, they even have keto-
specials, for those who won’t let
quarantine ruin their gains. IRW
Flatey Pizza
Grandagar!ur 11 & Hlemmur Mathöll
Okay. 24 healthy hours was a pretty
good stint, but who are you kidding?
This is quarantine. You wouldn’t
be doing it right without eating an
entire pizza, drinking a bottle of
wine and passing out in front of an
episode of ‘Friends’ you’ve seen ten
times already. But if you’re going
to ruin your diet, at least make it
classy: Flatey Pizza boasts a killer
sourdough base and they even have
pizzas to match the seasons. Does it
get any classier? We’d recommend
the Tartufo, which features moz-
zarella, ricotta, potatoes, and truffle
oil, but that said, if you wanna go
nuts, you can always opt for the
Nutella pizza. But please have some
self-respect whilst eating it. On sec-
ond thought, that would be… perfec-
tion. IRW
Kore
Various locations
There are two kinds of people in
the world: The one who eats “Asian
food” and the one who understands
that continents are composed of
more than one country (ignoring
Australia, obviously). Luckily, Kore
is for both. The food there is not only
sublime, but the head chef has put a
lot of thought and research into the
menu. Which basically means that
now Icelanders can buy the Kimchi
(it’s insane) or the crispy Tteok-
bokki—which is incredibly fun for
me to order over the phone with
my accent. Kore is the best when it
comes to Korean food in Iceland and
is highly recommended when one is
hungover or just fed up by the win-
ter darkness. VG
Dirty Burger and Ribs
Austurstræti 18
It’s a sad fact that some people go
their entire life without being truly
honest to themselves. But the mo-
notony of quarantine calls for some
brutal soul-searching; it’s an op-
portunity to finally accept yourself
fully. Start with this honest fact—
Dirty Burger & Ribs is as real as it
gets when it comes to greasy food.
They have the best homemade buf-
falo sauce, smoke their own bacon,
serve up wings that are nothing less
than perfection and slow cook their
pulled pork with nothing short of
love. Dirty is the place you call when
you admit to yourself that you’re
done with green juice and want a
real barbeque feast. It’s also not a
bad option when you want to cry
into your pillow and wonder why
you are so disgusting. Either way, it
works. VG
BEST OF REYKJAVÍK
Best Place For
Aurora Spotting
Grótta
Seltjarnarnes,
170 Seltjarnarnes
Grótta is something of a hidden
gem. At the end of the Seltjar-
narnes peninsula, not far from
the centre of Reykjavík, there’s
a lonely, windblown, red-topped
lighthouse, with a walkable
causeway that’s only accessible
at certain times, depending on
the tide. There’s a black beach, a
miniature hot pot, and a nature
reserve. Now, to find the North-
ern Lights, it’s rather complicat-
ed. Basically, you stand on this
picturesque beach, open your
eyes, and look up. There you go.
Pure happiness. Note: Be aware
of the tides if you're gonna cross
over and check out the light-
house. You could get stuck over-
night.
RUNNERS UP
Landakotstún
Hávallagata 14-16,
101 Reykjavík
This spot is a sneaky one. It’s
smack dow ntow n, but yet
there’s magically enough dark-
ness there to spot the aurora if
it’s burning up above the city.
Where is it, you ask? Find the
Catholic Church—there’s only
one—and walk to the bench be-
hind it. That’s it. Now, pull out
your flask and enjoy the green
fire in the sky.
Sæbraut
Sólfari!, Sæbraut,
101 Reykjavík
Reykjavík’s coastline path fea-
tures a gorgeous sculpture called
Sólfar The Sun Voyager”). There,
take a seat and soak up the dark
ocean as you enjoy the dancing
lights above you. It’s a simple
spot that can be surprisingly se-
cluded.
14The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 08— 2020Best of Reykjavík
9/10 dentists recommend Local for loneliness
Joy, Sustainability
& Honesty
Kaupvangur 17 - Egilsstadir
tel: +354-471-2450
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all days 15 - 19
Best selection of Icelandic
Beers in the East
Private rooms & dorms
Homemade cakes & soups,
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