Atlantica - 01.10.2006, Síða 73

AT L A N T I CA 71
SPECIAL PROMOTION
PHOTOS BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON
(Continues on pg. 72 »)
Eat, Meat & Fish
Reykjavík’s chefs know how to feed their people. Here is a guide to the vie gourmande in the capital and beyond.
AUSTUR INDÍA FJELAGID With the cur-
rent minimalist aesthetic in vogue in Reykja-
vík, Austur Indía fjelagid offers a rich sensory
experience in both its food and its environ-
ment. 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 tandoori meat
dishes. The marinated lamb and chicken,
cooked in the kitchen’s traditional clay
tandoori ovens imported from London, are
genius. 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
HÓTEL HOLT For an aristocratic dining
experience that won’t leave you sore in the
wallet, lunch at the elegant Hótel Holt where
sommelier Ómar Nilsen will serve you a two-
course meal for only ISK 2,300. Add a deli-
cious, mouthwatering dessert for only ISK
600. The menu contains a selection of four
Hors d’Oeuvres and four main courses, three
of which are “fish related,” says Nilsen. The
lunch experience at Hótel Holt runs seven
days a week from 12:00 to 2:30. Reservations
are preferred. 552-5700. www.hotelholt.is
LA PRIMAVERA “Start with the beef
carpaccio,” says Leifur Kolbeinsson, owner
and chef of La Primavera. “It’s been on
the menu since we started.” An excellent
choice, and good to know that as the Italian
restaurant’s menu evolves, this old stand-by
will remain. When you dine at La Primav-
era, located on Austurstraeti, 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
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 electronica 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
LAEKJARBREKKA Romantic and elegant,
Laekjarbrekka feels like a European inn.
Housed in one of Reykjavík’s oldest build-
ings, Laekjarbrekka 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.laekjarbrekka.is
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