Iceland review - 2006, Side 78

Out the windows of one side of Hótel Búdir, you can watch the sun set
over the white cap of the Snaefellsnes glacier; on the other, the sun rises
over a crescent bay. On the southern coast of the Snaefellsnes peninsula,
Búdir is one of the most beautifully situated hotels in Iceland, as graceful
inside as the black lava field, yellow sand beaches and grassy plateaus that
surround it. It earned a place on Condé Nast Traveler’s 2004 Hot List, and
it deserves it.
And part of the charm of visiting Búdir is experiencing its kitchen. With its
views of Snaefellsnes, elegant interior, fantastic wine menu and exquisitely
prepared entrées, the dining room at Búdir has become a favorite weekend
getaway for foodies from Reykjavík and tourists alike.
“We could say the Icelandic kitchen originated here,” says Úlfar
Thórdarson, Búdir’s manager. The hotel has been a Snaefellsnes institution
since the hotel opened in 1947, but became a dining destination in the
late 1970s when the kitchen began to innovate with fish. Búdir started to
prepare monkfish, traditionally too ugly a fish to consider eating, and fish
cheeks, which were generally exported.
Fish has remained a Búdir specialty. The day’s fish is picked up from the
boats in harbors on the Snaefellsnes peninsula. The spring and summer
menu changes weekly, with the option for guests to choose from an à
la carte menu or let chefs Pétur Thórdarson and Thórhallur Andri do the
choosing for them on three-to-five course set menus.
The hotel will introduce its spring and summer menu in mid-April, carrying
on the tradition of using fresh Icelandic ingredients like cod, shellfish and
lamb. In summer, the hotel has its own garden of cabbage, cauliflower,
root vegetables, potatoes and herbs. The kitchen bakes its own bread, and
dinner’s catch is swimming in the waters just outside the door. And don’t
miss the hot chocolate cake – a regular on the dinner dessert menu, and
worth the two-hour drive from Reykjavík all by itself.
Hótel Búdir’s 28 rooms can accommodate up to 56 guests, but its two
dining rooms can easily host a dining event for 140 people. The hotel has
become an increasingly popular destination for weddings with Icelanders
and couples from abroad. From April 1, Hótel Búdir will be open every day
of the year.
365 Snæfellsbær, iceland. +354 435 6700. www.budir.is
Tel. 435 6700
budir@budir.is
www.budir.is
We know the view is incredible
But the food is also amazing at Hótel Bú›ir.
So, we may have the perfect combination.
A visit to Hótel Bú›ir is an absolute feast for
your taste buds. The fish, our pride and joy,
is prepared by our expert chef from
the freshest catch, straight from
the sea. And the view is of course
... incredible.
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Augl 192x116.ai 4/5/06 5:02:37 PM
Spring AT bÚdir
76 EAT WELL