Iceland review - 2013, Síða 80

78 ICELAND REVIEW
dill located in the beautiful
nordic 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 gun-
nar gíslason, dill excels in the
modern, local flavors of new
nordic Food. Everything from
the cutlery to the sommelier’s
suit is of nordic origin. in the
daytime dill serves relaxed
brasserie-style lunch and cof-
fee, in the evening there is a
seven-course set fine-dining
menu, including champagne
and coffee. Fried plaice with
the namesake dill, artichokes
with seaweed, smoked had-
dock and blue mussels, and to
finish, an almond cake with cin-
namon cream... is your mouth
watering yet? and what better
setting than the nordic house,
designed by renowned Finnish
architect alvar aalto and locat-
ed in the Vatnsmýri plains, the
view over downtown reykjavík
is simply breathtaking.
552 1522. dillrestaurant.is
fiSH Market take the
sophistication of new york
and pair it with the elegance of
paris and the trendiness of to-
kyo, and you have the formula
for Fish Market’s unbeatable
atmosphere. Match that with its
equally spectacular haute cui-
sine 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 complemented
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 bamboo and
asian flora create a trendy
atmosphere to which the city’s
glitterati 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 restaurant
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
experience, order a six-course
tasting menu for an excel-
lent price, and have the chef
enchant you with one curious
course after another, choos-
ing from a range of seafood
and meat specialties, diverse
cheese dishes, complete with
something sweet or chocolaty
and a post-dinner coffee—ev-
erything a feast for the eye as
well as the taste buds.
514 6060. fjalakotturinn.is
fjöruBorðið lobster.
that’s what the dining expe-
rience at Fjöruborðið (‘the
seashore’) is all about, where
icelandic lobster, or langous-
tine, 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-pro-
claimed ‘Best in the republic
of iceland.’ although you can
also find a tender lamb filet and
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
tHe grill Market
the delicious food prepared
and served at grillmarkaðurinn,
the grill Market, is based on
close collaboration with farm-
ers all across iceland giving
personal advice regarding their
produce, whether it’s 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 experi-
ence, smoke, fire, wood and
sPECIAL PROMOTION
Reykjavík’s chefs know how
to feed their people. Here is a
guide to the vie gourmande
in the capital and beyond.