Atlantica - 01.06.2006, Side 87

Eat, Meat & Fish
JÓMFRÚIN. If Gallup was to poll Reykja-
víkians about their favorite Danish open-face
sandwich restaurant, Jómfrúin would win
hands down. Okay, so there’s really only
one Danish open-face sandwich restaurant
in town, but walk down Lækjargata street
at lunch, peek into Jómfrúin’s windows and
see for yourself: the restaurant that is a little
touch of Denmark is packed. “It’s popular be-
cause of Iceland’s relationship to Denmark,”
says Kristján Sigurdsson, the restaurant’s
financial manager, referring to Iceland’s for-
mer status as a Danish colony. “We have quick
service. Great food. And the location is good.”
But don’t take Sigurdsson’s word for it. Try
it yourself, but make sure to order the “H.C.
Andersen”: rye bread with crisp bacon, liver
paté, port aspic, horseradish and the ubiqui-
tous butter spread across most of Jómfrúin’s
open-face sandwiches. Lækjargata 4. 551-0100
HAFID BLÁA. Located on a peninsula
between Thorlákshöfn and Eyrarbakki, on
the southern coast, only the spectacular view
from your table beats Hafid Bláa’s exquisite
cuisine. Watch the North Atlantic’s white-
capped waves crash ashore as you dine on
some of the world’s freshest seafood and fish.
Start with a bowl of the seafood soup, which
the chef will tell you is taken from “Ægir,
the god of the sea.” Be sure to ask about the
fish special, but the lobster, grilled to perfec-
tion and served with rich garlic butter and a
salad made from Iceland’s freshest summer
vegetables, is really what dreams are made
of. Ægir would agree.
In the town of Thorlákshöfn, 483-1000
KEBAB HÚSID. Kebab Húsid is Reykjavíki-
ans’ favorite spot for a kebab or pizza at 5am
on weekends. The pita breads, chili sauce
and tzatziki are homemade, and the fries are
always piping hot. But you can find an afford-
able meal at Kebab Húsid anytime of day and
in addition to their kebabs, they serve some
of the city’s best fish and chips (a perfect
chance to try fresh Icelandic seafood without
a hefty price tag). Their downtown location
is hard to miss, but if you want more seating
and even a television, head to their branch on
Grensásvegur, outside downtown.
Lækjargata 2, 101 Reykjavík. 561-3070
AUSTUR-INDÍA FJELAGID. With the
current minimalist aesthetic in vogue in
Reykjavík, Austur Indía Fjelagid offers a rich
sensory experience in both its food and its
environment. Everything about the place is
stylish – their logo, their menu, the carefully
chosen antiques and art on display from
around India. Try the Kashmiri naan, topped
with sweet dried fruit. Order the tamarind
and coconut basmati, typical in southern
India. And it would be a terrible, terrible
shame not to order one of Austur Indía’s tan-
doori meat dishes. The marinated lamb and
chicken, cooked in the kitchen’s traditional
clay tandoori ovens imported from Lon-
don, are genious. The meat is so tender and
flavorful it makes you wonder how you’ve
been eating meat any other way all your life.
552-1630. www.austurindia.is
86 AT L A N T I CA
Reykjavík’s chefs know how to feed their people. Here is a guide to
the vie gourmande in the capital and beyond.
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