Atlantica - 01.09.2007, Page 74

72 A T L A N T I C A
( » Continued from pg. 71)
Eat, Meat & Fish
ICELANDa
SPECIAL PROMOTION
lamb. For evidence of Hall’s mastery try the
trio of salted cod: pan-fried, brandada in pastry,
and traditional à la Basque. Siggi Hall’s wine list
comprises a good collection of French, Italian
and Spanish wines, including many reds that
are splendidly matched with seafood. Try the
Monte Vibiano from Umbria together with the
cod entrée and you will never again question
the wisdom of pairing red wine with  sh.
511 6677. si ihall.is
Silfur Since its opening last summer, Silfur has
become a mainstay of those seeking the best
that Reykjavík dining has to o er. Condé Nast
Traveler agrees, having added the restaurant
to their exclusive Hot List for 2007, among
94 other gastro-wonders around the globe.
Located on the ground  oor of the Hotel Borg,
Silfur o ers a hip and intimate backdrop for a
late dinner prepared by two of Iceland’s top
chefs, Steinn Óskar Sigurdsson, 2006 Icelandic
Chef of the Year, and Gunnar Karl Gíslason, of
the Sjávarkjallarinn restaurant. Get there early
to choose from one of Reykjavík’s best cocktail
menus, o ering everything from the inventive
blueberry mojito to Veuve Cliquot by the glass.
Move on to a  rst course of smoked salmon
and salmon tartar served with wasabi ice cream,
or Icelandic langoustine served with coriander
foam and wing beans. For your entrée, try the
tender medallions of pork tenderloin served
alongside pork cheeks, cinnamon apples and
celery root purée. Every dish is simple and
elegant, and a sommelier is always available to
help you choose the perfect bottle from Silfur’s
renowned selection of wine and champagne
including, of course, Cristal. 578 2008. silfur.is
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 topping to the
mocha and orange crème brûlée with candy
that pops in your mouth, is out of this world.
511 1212. sjavarkjallarinn.is
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 of 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
Daily News from Iceland icelandreview.com
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 season-
ally available ingredients, head chef Sigurdur F.
Gíslason, who has been at Vox since its open-
ing in 2002, recommends 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
ingredients 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 smok-
ing, curing and pickling from Scandinavia.
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 un-
pretentious, contemporary but elegant.
444 5050. voxrestaurant.com