Iceland review - 2012, Page 80

78 ICELAND REVIEW
Dill located in the beautiful nor-
dic house, dill restaurant opened
in 2009, but already sits atop
the mountain as one of the most
interesting and exciting restaurants
in town. led by chef-sommelier
duo gunnar gíslason and ólafur
ólafsson, dill excels in the modern,
local flavors of new nordic Food.
Everything from the cutlery to the
sommelier’s suit is of nordic origin;
you won’t even find olive oil in this
kitchen. in the daytime dill serves
relaxed brasserie style lunch and
coffee, in the evening there is a
7-course set fine-dining menu,
including champagne and coffee.
Fried plaice with the namesake dill,
artichokes with seaweed, smoked
haddock and blue mussels, and
to finish an almond cake with
cinnamon cream… is your mouth
watering yet? and what better
setting than the nordic house,
designed by renowned Finnish
architect alvar aalto and located
in the Vatnsmýri plains, the view
over downtown reykjavík is simply
breathtaking.
552 1522. dillrestaurant.is
Fish Market take the sophis-
tication of new york and pair it
with the elegance of paris and
the trendiness of tokyo, and you
have the formula for Fish Market’s
unbeatable atmosphere. Match
that with its equally spectacular
haute cuisine with an asian flair
and you have the recipe for a
restaurant that’s here to stay. the
crown jewel of its kitchen is the
nine-course tasting menu. high-
lights include miso-marinated black
cod served with tiger prawns and
apricots, king crab with chili and
lemongrass, and arguably the most
tender quail on the planet comple-
mented by a delicate barbeque
sauce. the restaurant has also
earned a well-deserved reputation
for its sushi and sashimi, as fresh
as it is elegant. located in the heart
of downtown, no detail is spared.
tea lights illuminate the soft, rich
furnishings, and highlights of bam-
boo and asian flora create a trendy
atmosphere to which the city’s glit-
terati come flocking. save room for
the sorbet: green tea, lychee and
blood orange. the perfect scoops
are almost too beautiful to eat.
578 8877. fishmarket.is
Fjalakötturinn named after
and housed in a building designed
to look like the first movie theater
in iceland, in operation from 1906
to 1926, Fjalakötturinn gastro res-
taurant offers historical ambiance
in an intimate setting in the heart of
101 reykjavík. Enter through hotel
reykjavík Centrum, take a seat
with a view of the parliament and
Cathedral, soak up the atmosphere
and enjoy first-class service while
sifting through the tempting menu
and varied selection of wine. to
make the most of your dining expe-
rience, order a six-course tasting
menu for an excellent price, and
have the chef enchant you with
one curious course after another,
choosing from a range of seafood
and meat specialties, diverse
cheese dishes, complete with
something sweet or chocolaty and
a post-dinner coffee—everything
a feast for the eye as well as the
taste buds.
514 6060. fjalakotturinn.is
FjöruborÐiÐ lobster. that’s
what the dining experience at
Fjörubordid (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 flavor infuses the
delicate creaminess of the lobster
soup, the self-proclaimed ‘Best in
the republic of iceland.’ although
you can also find a tender lamb
filet or vegetable-filled puff pastry
on the main course menu, lobster
is what makes this seaside cozy
eatery in the village of stokkseyri,
60 kilometers from reykjavík, so
popular with locals and visitors
alike.
483 1550. fjorubordid.is
Geysir Bistro & Bar Housed
in the same building as the
Tourist Information Center
and sitting directly above The
Seafood Cellar, Geysir Bistro
and Bar is an airy, spacious pit-
stop for a hearty, unpretentious
meal. While Geysir makes no
claims of being a gastronomic
eatery, the menu offers a sat-
isfying array of fish and meat
dishes, burgers and sandwiches
and an inventive selection of
starters using high-quality local
produce. With swift and atten-
tive service, generous portions
and a well-conceived wine list,
Geysir is the perfect venue
for a dinner among friends or
for a couple looking to break
away from the kitchen and
treat themselves to a burn-free,
mess-free, washing-up-free
evening out. 517 4300. geysir-
bistrobar.is
the Grill Market the deli-
cious food prepared and served at
grillmarkadurinn, the grill Market,
is based on close collaboration
with farmers all across iceland
giving personal advice regarding
their produce, whether it is honey,
cheese, skyr, beef, mutton or quail.
then, the grill Market’s chefs, who
are among iceland’s finest, take the
ingredients and use them to make
unique and often surprising dishes
ranging from vegetarian meals
to red-blooded steaks. Further
enhancing the natural experience,
smoke, fire, wood and coal is used.
the grill Market, which opened
its doors last year, is located at
the heart of the city center in an
historic building dating back to
1920, originally built as a cinema.
the contemporary décor is inspired
by icelandic tradition and nature,
featuring natural wood, fish leather
and lava. open from 5 p.m., the
grill Market lounge is located
on the lower floor. there, enjoy a
cocktail or glass of fine wine in a
bona fide relaxed icelandic atmo-
sphere.
5717777. grillmarkadurinn.is
hótel ranGá you could start
with the seafood soup, laden
with chunks of fresh salmon,
monkfish and prawns. Maybe
you’ll sip some of the hotel’s
own-label beer, hrammur. then
you could try hótel rangá’s take
on the surf and turf, featuring
scallops drizzled in lobster oil
and icelandic mountain lamb.
But whatever you do, leave room
for the chocolate and skyr cake,
a signature concoction of rich
chocolate and velvety skyr-based
cheesecake for which locals are
happy to drive the 100 kilometers
sPECIAL PROmOTION
Reykjavík’s chefs know how
to feed their people. Here is a
guide to the vie gourmande
in the capital and beyond.