Atlantica - 01.04.2006, Page 90

88 AT L A N T I CA
Eat, Meat & Fish
ICELANDa
SPECIAL PROMOTION
SALT LOUNGE BAR AND RESTAURANT.
After spending a day trawling around down-
town, scoot over to the casual and sophis-
ticated Salt Lounge Bar and Restaurant.
Right downtown in the former headquarters
of shipping icon Eimskip, Salt has turned a
corner of Icelandic history into a chic lounge
bar, with 20th century design and global elec-
tronica soundtrack that make it 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 dinners of free-range
lamb, fresh seafood, and creative dishes with
a Latin American accent. In the lobby of the
Radisson SAS 1919 Hotel. 599-1020
VID TJÖRNINA. Why not go to dinner by
the lake, which is the English translation of
Vid Tjörnina, the restaurant that specializes in
Icelandic seafood, located next to the Tjörnin
lake in downtown 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 Bac-
calao 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.lækjarbrekka.is
SJÁVARKJALLARINN.Not easy to find, but
always a winner. Try Sjávarkjallarinn’s exotic
meat and seafood sampler and you will not
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 waitstaff is friendly and helpful as they
guide you through the languid meal that
might be – no matter how well heeled you
are on the food circuit – among the best
you’ve had. Almost everything, from the an-
ise-infused bread topping to the mocha and
orange crème brulée with candy that pops in
your mouth, is out of this world. 511-1212.
HUMARHÚSID. The “Lobster House”
opened up downtown 11 years ago, special-
izing in lobster, seafood and meat dishes.
Try the lobster bisque, prepared with cream,
brandy, and lobster, or the whale sashimi
served with licorice-soy sauce. For your main
course, try the popular “five times” lobster
– lobster cooked five different ways – or
another special of the house, the popular
tenderloin of horse. And for dessert, the
white chocolate crème brulée will treat you
right. 561-3303. www.humarhusid.is
TVEIR FISKAR. At Tveir fiskar the menu
changes regularly, according to Gissur
Gudmundsson, the restaurant’s owner. But
this change makes perfect sense, because
an adherence to freshness is Gissur’s motto:
“If it’s not fresh today, you won’t see it on
the menu.” One constant at Tveir fiskar is
the quality dishes served, regardless of what
the fish of the day happens to be. And the
dining experience is enhanced by the elegant
atmosphere of this restaurant, perched on
the edge of Reykjavík’s historic harbor.
511-3474. www.restaurant.is
THRÍR FRAKKAR. Come on. Try it. Aren’t
you curious as to what whale actually tastes
like? At the homey restaurant Thrír frak-
kar, whale is for sale, served as a Sahsimi
appetizer or a whale pepper steak. If the
fishy meat doesn’t appeal, there are numer-
ous Greenpeace-approved meals at what is
perhaps Reykjavík’s top seafood restaurant,
including smoked puffin. Try the specialty,
Plokkfiskur, a seafood mash with potatoes.
552-3939. www.3frakkar.com
( » Continued from pg. 87)
064-94ICELANDAtl306.indd 88 23.4.2006 23:30:02