Atlantica - 01.05.2007, Page 89

88 A T L A N T I C A
( » Continued from pg. 86)
Sjávarkjallarinn. Not easy to  nd, but always
a winner. Try Sjávarkjallarinn’s exotic meat
and seafood sampler and you will not be disap-
pointed. Perhaps you’ll have candied roasted
quail followed by delicate sushi, monk sh
and gorgeous reindeer. Or you might get to
sample some tender kangaroo. The waitsta
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 anise-infused bread top-
ping to the mocha and orange crème brûlée
with candy that pops in your mouth, is out of
this world. 511 1212. sjavarkjallarinn.is
Thrír frakkar. Come on. Try it. Aren’t you
curious as to what whale actually tastes like?
At the homey restaurant Thrír frakkar, whale
is for sale, served as a Sashimi appetizer or a
whale pepper steak. If the  shy meat doesn’t
appeal, there are numerous Greenpeace-ap-
proved meals at what is perhaps Reykjavík’s
top seafood restaurant, including smoked
pu n. Try the specialty, plokk skur, a seafood
mash with potatoes, au gratin.
552 3939. 3frakkar.com
Tveir  skar. At Tveir  skar the menu changes
regularly, according to Gissur Gudmundsson,
the restaurant’s owner. But this change makes
perfect sense, because an adherence to fresh-
ness is Gissur’s motto: “If it’s not fresh today,
you won’t see it on the menu.” One constant
at Tveir  skar is the quality dishes served,
regardless of what the  sh 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. restaurant.is
Vid fjörubordid. Lobster. That’s what the
dining experience at Vid fjörubordid (“At the
Seashore”) is all about, where Icelandic lobster,
or langoustine, is served delicately grilled
and drizzled with melted herb butter and a
spritz of lemon. As a starter, its  avor infuses
the delicate creaminess of the lobster soup,
the self-proclaimed “best in the Republic of
Iceland.” Although you can also  nd a tender
lamb  let or vegetable- lled pu pastry on
the menu of main courses, lobster is what
makes this seaside cozy eatery in the village of
Stokkseyri, 60 kilometers from Reykjavík, so
popular with locals and visitors alike.
695 9588. fjorubordid.is
Vid Tjörnina. Why not go to dinner by the lake,
which is the English translation of
Vid Tjörnina, the restaurant that specializes in Ice-
landic 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. vidtjornina.is
Vox. Because Vox emphasizes local and seasonally
available ingredients, head chef Sigurdur F. Gíslason,
who has been at Vox since its opening in 2002, recom-
mends the “seasonal menu.” “I know the guy who
catches our  sh, the farmer who raises the sheep, and
the woman who picks our mushrooms in the north,”
Gíslason says. “We  nd the absolutely freshest ingredi-
ents possible.” The cooking techniques blend French
with Scandinavian. That is, the delicate, slow-cooking
styles from France are modi ed with the historical
methods of smoking, curing and pickling from Scan-
dinavia. Located on the ground  oor of the four-star
Hotel Nordica, Vox’s atmosphere is as re ned as its
cuisine. The decor is minimalist but unpretentious,
contemporary but elegant.
444 5050. voxrestaurant.com
Eat, Meat & Fish
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