Reykjavík Grapevine - Jan 2022, Page 29

Food 29The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 01— 2022
ed. Do linger by
the bar; the al-
abaster-bronze
Er ic S ch m it t
chandelier alone
warrants a visit. Designed to tran-
sition from breakfast to lunch and
dinner, it is a clever use of space go-
ing from night to day without losing
any grandeur.
Chef Gunnar Karl Gíslason, of
Michelin-starred restaurant Dill, is
a consulting chef and has designed
the dining experience as a focussed
showcase of familiarity for the
global traveller, seen through the
Icelandic lens. Chef Georg Halldórs-
son brings this vision to life.
The morning quiet, particularly
a dark Icelandic winter morning,
is an alluring thing. The world is
slower and service is quieter, but no
less attentive. Immersed amongst
all that gentleness, it is only fitting
that breakfast also be a tender af-
fair. Expect a superb salmon on rye
toast. If smoked fish isn't your cup
of tea, how about a zingy carrot-
seabuckthorn smoothie to chase
down a bowl of fragrant tarragon
granola and skyr? There are soft
boiled eggs with toast if, like me,
you are nostalgic for simple fare
that harks back to childhood. Al-
though the English muffin was
amiss, I enjoyed the eggs benedict
with silken hollandaise, the single
egg portion ample enough for one.
At about 5000 ISK for two, it’s a lux-
urious start to the day in a beautiful
space, and with exemplary service
it's something I cannot recommend
enough.
Great variety
While breakfast is wonderful, din-
ner is truly memorable. You are
warmly greeted and escorted, and
the maitre’d—most likely Alex—is
likely to make small talk; a welcome
trait for service in Iceland. If you’re
a regular, he’ll remember you. A GG
Martini, is a must—Gunnar’s own
recipe by way of Bombay is a po-
tent, stiff drink that isn’t fooling
around. The non-alcoholic drinks
are grown up as well, eschewing
sugary sweet syrups in lieu of fresh,
natural flavours.
The wine list straddles old and
new worlds with a smattering of
natural wines, (be warned of the
steep pricing). Choices by the glass
may be limited, but what they
do have are often hard to find in
Iceland such as Samartzis Estate
Merlot & Mouhtaro from
Greece. I was a little
disappointed to find
no dessert wines of-
fered by the glass,
which can make din-
ing out as a couple
or on your own a tad
less exciting, (espe-
cially when a bottle of
Argentinian Vinyes
Ocults from Tomás
Stahringer is on of-
fer). But as I have come
to learn, there is noth-
ing a polite request
won’t fix. Veronika,
the sommelier, is es-
pecially good at making such re-
quests happen.
Mind the grilled
chicken
The lamb tartare with whimsically
small flatkökur is a great start, if
you haven’t already had too much
of the complimentary milk bread.
Celebratory Icelandic produce is
centre stage. There is cod; dover
sole currently makes an appear-
ance; a superb whole lamb shoulder
cooked so tenderly that it fell apart
with a sigh; and a very Christmassy-
looking stuffed grilled trout with
garlic butter, its expert cooking
proving the kitchen’s skills with
the Josper grill. Beef choices are
from the US but their origins are
worryingly unclear, a detail I hope
the restaurant will redress; know-
ing the providence of produce does
make for a more enjoyable dining
experience.
Regardless, may I draw your
attention to the grilled chicken.
Meant to be shared by two, but really
it serves four, this dish best encap-
sulates the spirit of Tides. A famil-
iar dish takes on an edge by being
served deboned, whole, with a lus-
cious sauce poured tableside. Were
it not for the elegant settings, it's a
dish I would tear into barehanded.
The grilled to-share dishes are all
served with a side of vegetables. I
am particularly fond of the nutty
kabocha squash served alongside
them, with the seeds also roasted
and ground, adding a certain je nai
se quoi to the sesame strewn sauce.
What they do, they do
well
As with the rest of the menu, des-
serts are a refined take on homey
classics. Like the carrot cake, which
takes on a rich fruit cake appear-
ance, or the chocolate ice cream
with black pepper and olive oil.
Does some of the fare at Tides
scream dated? Sure. It may not be
a bold, mould-breaking menu, but
what they do they do so very well.
What is groundbreaking about The
Reykjavík Edition, however, is the
sterling service—from the bellhops
to the maitre’d to the waiters to the
bartendersm, and everyone you en-
counter from check-in to breakfast
service the day after. Not once does
it falter. Sure the early days of its
opening made for delightful social
studies for the observant. The awk-
wardness of guests unaccustomed
to coat checks, and the sometimes
stiff reactions to small talk, (which
I find absolutely refreshing), have
now given way to awed responses—
“It’s like you are not in Iceland!” It is
disappointingly telling if one thinks
of good service as something that
only happens abroad. This alone
makes Tides and the whole of the
hotel a cut above the rest, and I fer-
vently hope they will continue to be
so.
The Edition Reykjavik
Visit the hotel at Austurbakki 2
“The entire
building
complex oozes
newness;
I swear I
imagined I
could smell the
shuo sogi ban
cladding”
H
ve
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