Reykjavík Grapevine - dec 2020, Qupperneq 14

Support The
Holiday Economy!
Buy shit! Then give it away!
Words: The Grapevine Gift Givers Photos: Art Bicnick & Various Studios
We get it: You’ve got a lot on your
mind. So let us lighten your meta-
phorical holiday load with the offi-
cial Grapevine gift guide. We’ve got
choices that everyone on your list
is guaranteed to love. And if they
don’t, do you really want those los-
ers in your life?
Pastel Flower Bouquet
Pastel Flower Studio, Hverfisgata 50
Flowers die but a dried flower bou-
quet from hidden gem Pastel Flower
Studio will last forever. The runner-
up of Grapevine’s 2020 Best of Reyk-
javík Hidden Gem award, Pastel is a
charming little studio that creates
unique (and incredibly trendy tbh)
arrangements that reference classic
Icelandic nature in unexpected and
innovative ways. So for that aspira-
tional Nordic style moment, grab a
bouquet of muted jewel tones, put it
in a very minimalist vase and pres-
ent it to your stylish friend with a
bottle of natural wine. Bonus points
if you add a round trip ticket to Ber-
lin for when 2020 ends.
Fischer Solid Perfume
Fischer, Fischersund 3
& shop.grapevine.is
From packaging-free shampoo to
a special perfume section, Grape-
vine-favourite Fischer serves up a
sensory, highly aesthetic shopping
adventure. To be frank, basically, ev-
erything they offer would be a stun-
ning gift, but there’s something
about the personal, long-lasting
nature of perfume that really makes
our heart melt. All of Fischer’s
perfumes are vegan, alcohol-free,
paraben-free and made with organ-
ic ingredients—more importantly,
said ingredients will remind the
recipient of your eternal love and
superior taste every time they use it.
While we’re fans of all their scents,
we’re particularly enamoured by
n.8, which, among other things, is
supposed to smell like “Arctic wind
blowing through hair in a damp
pine forest.” Mom’ll love it.
Ragnar Axelsson ‘Arctic
Heroes’
Bookstores around Reykjavík
& shop.grapevine.is
‘Arctic Heroes’, the latest photog-
raphy book by Ragnar Axelsson, or
RAX, is an intimate 40-years-in-
the-making documentation of the
Greenlandic sled dog. That said,
even referring to the project as a
“photography book” feels reduc-
tive. Ragnar spent decades getting
to know Greenlandic hunters and
hearing deeply personal stories
about their intimate relationships
with their dogs—a select few of
which were put in the book along-
side hundreds of photographs. Flip-
ping through the pages is truly a
visceral experience, allowing you
to enter a remote world that feels
lost in time. Hopefully, we will all be
able to travel again soon, but until
then, indulge in some canine escap-
ism. Woof.
Farmers Market Socks
Farmers Market, Laugavegur 37 &
Hólmasló! 2 & shop.grapevine.is
What could be better than giving
someone the gift of warmth? Ev-
eryone loves to receive socks for
Christmas and these ones from
Farmers Market are the perfect
stocking stuffer. We all know some-
body who walks around with holes
in the bottom of their socks—and
cold feet really are the worst—so
why not help them out and set them
up for a warmer 2021? They’d appre-
ciate it a lot, trust us. The designs
of these Farmers Market socks are
also wholesome and folksy af, and
with their vintage vibes, they’re the
perfect accent to any cosy outfit.
66ºNorth Recycled
Backpack
66ºNorth, various locations
& shop.grapevine.is
This backpack is made with leftover
fabric, meaning it reduces waste
and is better for the planet. We love
to see it. This is the perfect gift for
your friend or relative who is so
conscious of their carbon footprint
that they carry around zero-waste
cutlery, a reusable coffee cup and
cruelty-free vegan hand soap at all
times. What better way to show
them you support their virtuous
plight than by gifting them some-
thing they can carry it all around
with? The backpack comes in 10
different colours, including stark
neons, silver and black—so there’s
something for everyone, including
you and your cyber-goth squad.
BEST OF REYKJAVÍK
Unmissable
RVK Bites!
The Pretzel
Croissant at Brau!
og Co.
You don’t need to be in love
with pretzels or croissants to
love this hybrid, found at one of
Reykjavík’s stand-out bakeries.
Here, elements of Germany’s
shiny, knotted invention have
been merged with France’s na-
tional pastry to produce some-
thing wholly different. You get
hit with the almost-bitter malt
flavour of the pretzel before
being embraced by the buttery
goodness of the croissant. You’ll
thank us later.
An Ice Cream
Sandwich at Skúbb
The Grapevine’s love of Skúbb is
no secret and it’s no big conspir-
acy; they simply make the best
ice cream in the country. Vibrant
flavours, natural colours, creamy
texture—they are consistently
wonderful. The parlour rotates
their flavours quickly so it’s diffi-
cult to guarantee the availability
of a specific flavour (also: don’t
make me Sophie’s Choice this
thing). All we ask is you slap your
flavour of choice between two of
their rich, freshly-baked choco-
late chip cookies.
The Lemon Poppy
Seed Doughnut at
Deig
As with Skúbb, it’s hard to make
any promises about availability
at Deig due to the bakery’s love
of innovation and surprising
flavours. The good news is that
you’ll rarely see a misstep there
as all of their stuff is amazing.
Stop by, and Deig’ll fix you up with
a chocolate cake cruller, crème
brûlée doughnut or some oth-
er fried delight. But if you get a
chance to taste their glazed, al-
most cakey, lemon poppy seed
doughnut—leap on it like a were-
wolf.
14The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 10— 2020Best of Reykjavík
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,
vegan & friendly food