Reykjavík Grapevine - apr 2021, Qupperneq 16

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Get the bigger, more detailed version of The Reykjavík Grapevine
City Map at your nearest hotel or guesthouse, with selections from our
Best-Of awards, vital info, downtown bus stops and a wider view of the city.
!"
Downtown &
Harbour District
Dining
1. Plútó Pizza
Hagamelur 67, 107 Reykjavík
Love pizzas, but don’t think they’re
quite big enough? Why not dive into
an 18 inch pie from Plútó Pizza? Or, if
that sounds a bit much, opt for their
slice and drink deal; and when we
say “slice”, we’re still talking about
a quarter of a pizza here—you won’t
go hungry.
2. Eriksson Brasserie
Laugavegur 77
It’s hard to categorise Eiriksson with
its Italian-French leaning menu. The
interiors and menu whisper nouveau
r iche indulgence , the ‘ fancy ’
ingredients are a giveaway. But all
these reservations aside, they dish
out a mean veal, good steaks and a
smattering of pasta and pizzas.
3. Bastard Brew & Food
Vegamótastígur 4
This downtown bar/eatery is a bit
of a palace. It’s an English pub style
environment, without the sense of
history—everything from the tables
to the plush leather seating are
catalogue-fresh—but with eleven
beers on tap, a mdedly of burgers,
sharing plates, and comfort food,
it's one of our favourite post-work
hangout spots. Their tacos are unreal
by the way. Swoon.
4. Café Babalú
Skólavör!ustígur 22
A staple for all Reykjavíkingur, Babalú
offers comfort food for folks on a
budget as well as a Star Wars themed
bathroom (seriously). Their chilli will
fill your belly, and there’s a vegan
carrot cake sure to tempt you back
for repeat visits. Unpretentious and
bubbly, tuck yourself into a booth
downstairs or squirrel yourself
away for a quiet tête-à-tête over tea
upstairs. And try the vegan carrot
cake, we beg you.
5. Deig
Vegamótastígur 4
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 other
fried delight. But if you get a chance
to taste their glazed, almost cakey,
lemon poppy seed doughnut—leap
on it like a werewolf...
6. Sumac Grill + Drinks
Laugavegur 28
S uma c ’s v ib rancy se e ps into
everything—the food, ambience,
service and its mix of diners across
age groups. By focusing on flavour
profiles unique to the cuisines, it is a
successful transplant from Beirut to
Reykjavík. For an indulgent spread,
we recommend getting all the dips
and a few flatbreads. Mop it up with
the excellent grilled lamb chops
and the now cult whole roasted
cauliflower.
7. Hlemmur Mathöll
Hlemmur Square
They got it all, folks: Bahn mi, Napoli-
stye pizza, fish tacos, lamb specials,
Michelin-quality high end cuisine,
coffee, and even fucking gelato now.
Yup, this food hall is a one-stop-shop
for literally everything in Reykjavík's
beloved bus station. It's also one of
Grapevine's favourite places for a
first date, in case you're like, in the
market for that.
8. Fine
Rau!arárstígur 33
Did you know that the Chinese kanji
for fine recalls that of rice/meal? This
proper Sichuanese restaurant packs
a wallop of flavour, heat and textural
delight in each of their selections.
The simply stir-fried hot and sour
potato matchsticks and vegetables
are exactly the kind of subtlety
that has been absent from Chinese
cuisines in these parts and puts to
rest doubts that this is only a fiery
spicy cuisine. Other must-tries are
the beef in hot oil, yu-shiang chicken.
9. Chickpea
Hallveigarstígur 1
Tucked in next to downtown’s
Kronan supermarket lies Chickpea,
a new bijoux vegetarian eatery. The
restaurant is based around falafel,
which is delicious, bringing to mind
the fresh bites you’d find on the
carts of the Middle East—and the
salad is equally as visceral. Many of
the ingredients are locally sourced
and seriously—try the kim chi. It's a
family secret and positively to die for.
10. Búllan
Geirsgata 1
An oldie but a goodie, Búllan slings
a solid burger that seals Iceland’s
reputation as a worthy burger
destination. It was the winner of our
Best Of Reykjavík 2020 Best Burger
award and man, does it deserve that.
Go for a nice greasy hangover meal
or go on a date—either will be, as
Chandler would say, perfection.
11. #rír Frakkar
Baldursgata 14
To get a sense of Icelandic food
culture from a time before it was
fashionably New Nordic, pay a visit
to $rír Frakkar. This restaurant has
not let anything sway them from
tradition—you’ll spot everything
from foal, to black bird, to cod
throats and plokkfiskur that are sure
to remain long in your memory. A visit
to this place underlines that good
old-fashioned Icelandic cooking can
be all kinds of memorable.
Drinking
12. Vínstúkan Tíú Sopar
Laugavegur 27
The charming basement bar focuses
on natural wines as well as wines
from smaller producers and lesser-
known regions. They have twelve
bottles open at any one time, and
the selection changes daily, so you
truly never know what you’re going
to get.
13. Aldamót Bar
Kirkjutorg 4
Taking over the famed Klaustur place,
this cosy spot is the perfect mix of
classy and relaxed. It's become a
favourite of our Culture Editor in the
past months with socially distance-
safe tables and table service. This
place has got a bright and boozy
future.
14. Kiki Queer Bar
Laugavegur 22
Kiki is a love-it-or-hate-it situation,
but if you’re looking to dance to the
greatest hits of the past 30 years,
it won’t disappoint. Even though
right now there is no dancing, they
are re-opening up with tables,
small drag shows and other queer
entertainment. RuPaul bless.
15. Miami Bar
Hverfisgata 33
With a sharp aesthetic that’s miles
ahead of any other joint in town,
Miami serves up pure vice with a
splash of cosmopolitanism and a
dedicated ping-pong room in the
basement. If that’s not enough,
they also offer Cuba Libre on draft.
So sit back, drink, and you’ll feel
just like you’re in ‘Scarface’—minus
the massacres and mountains of
cocaine.
16. Mengi
Ó!insgata 2
Mengi’s concert room is more white
cube than dive bar. The programme
encourages new collaborations and
experimental performances, so even
if you know and love the work of the
musicians you’re seeing, you might
be treated to something brand new
on any given night.
17. Luna Flórens
Grandagar!ur 25
Part flower-child, part spiritual and
with a whole lot of whimsy thrown
into the mix, this cosy and hand-
crafted bar is so intimate it makes
you wanna spend the day musing
about geodes, lunar cycles and tarot
card readings. You can do all this and
more while sipping on their excellent
house cocktails and an excellent slice
of vegan cake. Go for an after work
drink. That's when this place thrives.
The Map
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VÍNSTÚKAN
Wine bar

& food
Laugavegur 60A, 101 Reykjavík
himalayanspiceiceland.com
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