Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.06.2022, Page 19

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Best Lamb
Sumac Grill + Drinks
Laugavegur 28
If you, like us, can’t stop singing praises of Icelandic lamb, then you
should know that dining on lacklustre cuts of meat drowning in sauce
does not do justice to the wild roaming sheep of Iceland. Sumac is one
of the few places that cooks lamb with none of that sous-vide non-
sense. An unpretentious lamb rib, cooked on the grill, kissed with
smoke and licked by flame is pretty hard to top. Sumac serves it with
blistered grapes, fried almonds, a splash of thinned down muham-
mara and lentils. It’s a dish you can’t get enough of, and thankfully the
restaurant hasn’t dared to take it off the menu.
Runners-Up

Kasbah
Geirsgata 7b
Walking through the doors into
Kasbah you might feel like you’ve time
travelled—and we don’t blame you. The
gorgeous restaurant brings a slice of
Morocco right to the heart of Reykjavik
without resorting to cliched gimmicks.
There are several lamb dishes on the
menu, but our favourite remains the
lamb and prune tagine. Served piping
hot, the lamb is fall-off-the-bone tender
and aromatic with ground cinnamon.
Mop up the sticky juices with the fluffy
‘khobz’, bread that is baked in house
everyday.

Grillmarkaðurinn
Lækjargata 2a
Lamb chops definitely are the photo-
genic cut of the meat world. Besides
the fact that meat cooked on the bone
makes for juicier meat and stellar
presentation, Grillmarket takes it a
step further by sourcing only prime
quality cuts from a local farm. Perfectly
seasoned and cooked to a delicate pink
hue, the marbled chunks don’t need
even a smidgen of sauce.
Previous Winners
2021: Sumac Grill + Drinks
2020: Apotek
2019: Matarkjallarinn
Best Food Hall
Borg 29
Borgartún 29
The panel was divided on whether the
interiors at Borg 29 were ‘campy cool’
or ‘canteen-y soulless box’. What we
could agree on, however, is that this is
one of the more comfortable food halls
to be at with a wide variety of choices
to please most anyone. “Almost every
place makes small plates, which is
excellent for sharing,” observed one
panellist. She’s right, one can choose
from sushi at Umami, to burgers at
Yuzu, to grilled meats at Bál to healthy
skyr bowls at Svala.
Runner-Up

Hlemmur Mathöll
Laugavegur 107
The OG, Hlemmur Mathöll is a small yet
powerful foodhall. Whether it's the
curated champagne selection at Kröst,
the gastropub take on Icelandic cuisine
at the Michelin Bib awarded Skál, hearty
Vietnamese pho or some Napoli pizza by
Flatey, this is the best place to sample
a cross-section of Icelandic restaurant
fare without having to worry about
reservations and wait lists. Finish off
with artisanal Gæta gelato and you're
golden, baby.
Runner-Down
Grandi Mathöll
Grandagarður 16
Grandi Mathöll might have fallen out
of favour, but things finally seem to
be turning around. There is Pronto
Pasta which is popular with families
and Fjárhúsið is still going strong with
their lamb platters, as is Gastrotruck
with their sandwiches. What works
in Grandi’s favour beyond the food is
the magnificent view over Reykjavík
harbour.
Previous Winners
2021: Hlemmur Mathöll
Best Indian
Austur Indía-fjélagið
Hverfisgata 56
What can we say about Austurindia that
hasn’t already been said? That this is
one of Harrison Ford’s favourite restau-
rants, that they’ve been voted one of
top 10 establishments in Reykjavík,
or that they are one of only a handful
of places that have been in town for
almost three decades now? Walking in
through the carved, antique doors, one
is instantly transported to sunny India.
Replete with bronzed teak interiors and
soothing music, smiling staff guide you
to your table.
Runners-Up

Gandhi
Bergstaðastræti 13
Gandhi went through a change of
location during the pandemic but seem
to be settling in at their new quarters.
We highly recommend the prawn kizhi;
even without the customary banana
wrapping it is a tender, fiery rendition
of the South Indian dish. Vegetarians
will delight in their Alu paneer kofta,
which are deep fried and simmered in a
cashew based gravy.
Himalayan Spice
Geirsgata 3
This family-run restaurant has been
serving Nepali cuisine since their
Laugavegur days. Post-pandemic
however, they are in a new airy
location. They seem to have shorn
some traditional Nepali dishes in
favour of more Indian ones, and while
we do miss the Wai Wai chaat, we
console ourselves that the Himalayan
Thali is as good as ever. Pair this with
a round of momos as starters and it's
almost as good as a trip to Nepal.
Previous Winners
2021: La Primavera
BEST OF REYKJAVÍK 2022
Dining
Delicious, even if you can't pronounce it