Atlantica - 01.09.2004, Qupperneq 60

58 A T L A N T I C A RESTAURANT CAFES´
In Iceland, when summer fades to fall, locals flock
back to their favourite inside hangouts: the cafés.
Where should you go for that fix of caffeine, and
warm shot of conversation? Read on:
1) Hressingarskálinn: Don’t worry about trying to
pronounce that mess of a word. We all call it Hresso.
Located right downtown (Austurstraeti 20), this spa-
cious café is perfect for anyone packing a laptop in
that TIMBUK2 bag. They got wi-fi!
2) Mokka: The oldest café in Reykjavik (see #6),
Mokka (Skólavörðustíg 3a) serves the best waffles
in the city, and after an hour the continuous drone of
the espresso machine becomes as soothing as a lul-
laby.
3) Mál og menning: On the third floor of this book
store is Súfistinn, a café serving decent food, but
scrumptious chocolate cake. Page through one of
the bookstore’s magazines while you gorge.
4)Café Paris: As the name suggests, Café Paris
(Austurstraeti 14) has an international feel. After sip-
ping on an espresso and chatting with friends, you
forget you’re in Iceland. Then you walk outside.
5) Grái Kðtturinn (Gray Cat): With books lining the
shelves of the Gray Cat (Hverfisgata 16a), the café
gives off the air of an underground bookshop.
Probably the only place in the world where you can
buy a stack of pancakes for $15.
6) Prikid: Said to be the first coffee house in
Reykjavik (see #2), Prikid (Bankastraeti 12) attracts a
young crowd of mostly (in their minds) artists.
7) Reykjavik Bagel Company: It serves bagels, stu-
pid. Okay, so RBC (Laugavegur 81) is more than a
café. Still, with its large windows, and gourmet cof-
fees, it’s a cool place to hang out. Plus you can wi-fi.
8) Kaffitár: Great coffee. Plus, at Kaffitár
(Bankastræti 8), there’s no smoking allowed! Enough
said.
9) Segafredo: The newest addition to the mass of
cafés in Reykjavik, Segafredo (Laekjartog 5), an
Italian chain, is the perfect way to enjoy a slice of
Italy while stuck in the grey overhang of Iceland.
10) Kaffitár: No, this isn’t a repeat of #8. For all you
mall rats, Kaffitár also has a café in Kringlan mall.
CAFÉ CULTURE
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It seems that if you ask anyone in Iceland to recommend a restaurant, Austurindíafjelagid’s name
comes up again and again. In fact, the restaurant’s place at the top of the food chain is very
secure. “The best Indian restaurant in Europe” (according to the Lonely Planet guide) celebrates
its tenth birthday in 2004 and Atlantica paid a visit to sample the menu and find out how this excel-
lent restaurant got started.
When the owners Chandrika and Gunnar moved here from the United States ten years ago,
there was one Indian restaurant in Iceland. They took over that place and turned the business into
one of the top spots in the country. At first, it was difficult to find the ingredients for the dishes
and the young couple did all of the cooking themselves. The heart of Indian cuisine is in its vari-
ety of spices and many of these simply weren’t available in Iceland ten years ago. “We flew many
of the ingredients in from my parents,” said Chandrika about the first few years. “Fresh corian-
der is very important and I tried for a while to grow fresh coriander in my home, but of course the
winter came and it all died. I don’t have a very green thumb.”
There is an almost overwhelming variety of dishes on offer, but choosing your meal is made con-
siderably easier by a very helpful staff. They’re able to answer all of your questions about how
the food is prepared or what the names of the dishes mean in English. Dining at
Austurindíafjelagid is a total experience as the four chefs working at the restaurant each spe-
cialize in a different cuisine from the four main regions of India. While you’re waiting for your
food, make sure you ask about the antique decorations that adorn the room. Keeping the room
fresh as the ingredients in their food, Chandrika and Gunnar regularly change the interior of the
restaurant with new art pieces from India.
The tenth birthday celebrations should be an interesting party given the Ausurindíafjelagid’s his-
tory for throwing an excellent bash. For an árshátid (annual festival) at a Stikkishólmur fisheries
company a few years ago, the restaurant supplied not only the full range of Indian dishes from
their menu, but also traditional Indian dress clothes for employees of the company to wear.
Although the restaurant has wide appeal throughout Iceland, Chandrika says that it has been
“especially popular with musicians.” Both The Pixies and Metallica ate there when they played
in Reykjavík during the summer (in fact, some Pixies went back several times). Actors haven’t
been shy about showing up either and Harrison Ford’s appearance at the restaurant caused a stir
a few weeks ago. As for the locals, the crowd covers just about everything from the artist crowd
to politicians and bankers. If there’s a secret to their fanbase, it most likely lies in the fact that the
restaurant provides an dining opportunity that is unmatched in Iceland or the rest of Europe.
Austurindíafjelagid celebrates a decade in the restaurant busi-
ness this year. Atlantica went to find out more about Reykjavik’s
oldest Indian restaurant and why their staff and customers can’t
are so loyal.
❍
THE ROCK STARS’ CHOICE
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