Atlantica - 01.02.2006, Qupperneq 63

Eat, Meat & Fish
LA PRIMAVERA. “Start with the beef car-
paccio,” says Leifur Kolbeinsson, owner and
chef of La Primavera. “It’s been on the menu
since we started.” An excellent choice. When
you dine at the Italian restaurant, located
on Austurstræti, try the fillet of reindeer
with Gorgonzola filled fig and chanterelle in
marsala. If the dish is not on the menu, don’t
fret, because La Primavera’s choices of fresh
fish are mouthwatering.
561-8555. www.laprimavera.is
VOX. This recently revamped restaurant
in Hotel Nordica has turned buffet and
bistro food into an art form. Their new light
brunch buffets please both the foodie and
dieter in you, and their Sunday brunch is a
showstopper, stacked with eggs, bacon, fresh
juices and loads of desserts. Any given night
you can sit down to an elegantly casual meal.
You will walk out wowed by the food and
spoiled from the service.
444-5050. www.voxrestaurant.com
PERLAN. It’s hard to think of a better place
to treat yourself to a good dinner in the heart
of winter than at Perlan. “The Pearl,” one
of Reykjavík’s most noticeable architectural
landmarks, is more striking to eat in than
to look at. The inside is lined in little white
lights, and the dining room rotates while you
eat. Appetizers like wild mushroom carpac-
cio and entrées like Gressingham duck
breast make this modern spin on Icelandic
cooking an indulgence worth your while.
562-0200. www.perlan.is
SALT LOUNGE BAR AND
RESTAURANT. Right downtown in the
former headquarters of shipping icon
Eimskip is the casual and sophisticated
Salt Lounge Bar and Restaurant, whose
20th century design and global electronica
soundtrack make the perfect place for a cup
of coffee or a glass of wine. The restaurant
has a kitchen where you can see the chefs
preparing free-range lamb, fresh seafood
– vibrant and creative dishes with a Latin
American accent.
599-1020. www.1919.reykjavik.radissonsas.com
VID TJÖRNINA. Dinner by the lake, which
is the English translation of Vid Tjörnina,
the restaurant that specializes in Icelandic
seafood, located next to Tjörnin in down-
town Reykjavík. Okay, so it’s a pond, not a
lake. Regardless, after enjoying a meal of
the freshest salted cod you’ve ever tasted in
the cozy restaurant that feels like your living
room, grab some bread, step down to the
pond, and feed the waterfowl.
551-8666. www.vidtjornina.is
LÆKJARBREKKA. Romantic and elegant,
Lækjarbrekka feels like a European inn.
Housed in one of Reykjavík’s oldest build-
ings, Lækjarbrekka is a classic restaurant
serving a diverse menu, from café-styled,
light lunches to main courses such as
Baccalao in a crust of Manchego, or
Icelandic lobster tails. After dinner, retire
to the bar and cognac room to finish off
the night in style.
551-4430. www.laekjarbrekka.is
SJÁVARKJALLARINN. Order the exotic
meat and seafood sampler at Sjávarkjallar-
inn, or the Seafood Cellar, and you won’t be
disappointed. Perhaps you’ll have candied
roasted quail followed by delicate sushi,
monkfish and gorgeous reindeer. Or you
might get to sample some tender kangaroo.
The presentation is flawless, and the wait
staff is friendly and helpful as they guide you
through a languid meal that might be – no
matter how well heeled you are on the food
circuit – among the best you’ve had.
511-1212. www.sjavarkjallarinn.is
AT L A N T I CA 61
SPECIAL PROMOTION
PHOTOS BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON
048-53 Atl 106 Suburbs+Ice copy.indd 61 21.2.2006 13:15:50