Iceland review - 2015, Qupperneq 96

94 ICELAND REVIEW
Eat Meat & Fish
Complement your Blue Lagoon experience with a meal at Lava Restaurant. Head chefs
Viktor Örn Andrésson and Þráinn Freyr Vigfússon, winner of the 2014 Nordic Chef of the Year com-
petition and head of Iceland’s national culinary team, respectively, showcase the best Iceland has to
offer in a range of light and gourmet dishes served in a unique environment with views of the Blue
Lagoon. Their dedication to local ingredients includes sourcing fish off the boats at nearby Grindavík
harbor and blue mussels off Reykjanes peninsula. Menu highlights include soup with garlic-marinat-
ed langoustine, white chocolate and seaweed; slowly cooked cod with smoked langoustine salad;
torched salmon with smoked onion, apple, watercress and horseradish and fried rack of lamb and
grilled lamb shoulder with pickled red onion. Open for lunch and dinner. Spa and dining packages
are available. Make Lava Restaurant part of your unforgettable trip to the Blue Lagoon.
420-8800. bluelagoon.com
In the heart of Akureyri, North Iceland, lies the unique restaurant Rub23, owned and operated by
one of Iceland’s most renowned chefs, Einar Geirsson. Specializing in seafood, the menu offers a wide
variety of fish and sushi dishes, as well as juicy steaks and delicious desserts. What makes the restau-
rant unique are the homemade spice mixtures customers can choose from, so-called rubs, which are
either sprinkled on or rubbed into the food. The customer first chooses a particular ingredient, fish or
meat, and then a rub. The menu also includes the chef ’s favorite combinations. Funky, fresh and full
of flavor, make sure to dine at Rub23 the next time you’re in Akureyri. 462-2223. rub23.is
R U B 2 3
B L U E L A G O O N L AVA R E S TA U R A N T
SPECIAL PROMOTION
Visit Hafnarfjörður and you can’t miss the Viking Village and its beautiful old-style wooden buildings
which house a hotel and two restaurants. The restaurants Fjörugarðurinn and Valhalla are intercon-
nected and can seat up to 500 guests. Both offer à la carte menus and set menus for groups. The menu
has a Viking flair and includes Iceland’s famous sheep face and þorramatur (often pickled or putrefied
winter ‘delicacies’). Luckily the Vikings were also famous for their steaks, and the menu includes fish
dishes, pasta and more. Fjörugarðurinn is decorated with wood carvings, stuffed birds, fish tanks and
hide-covered seats; while Valhalla is smaller and cozier, with space for about 40 guests. The kitchen
is open daily from 6 pm to 10 pm and there’s usually live entertainment, with hordes of Vikings and
Valkyries jaunting about, singing. Groups love being ‘victims’ of Viking raids, but they have to book,
unlike a thousand years ago… 565-1213. fjorukrain.is
V I K I N G V I L L A G E R E S TA U R A N T S A N D H O T E L
A place bursting with the delicious smells and flavors of both the traditional Spanish and the best of
Icelandic tapas, Tapas Barinn is a ray of sunshine in downtown Reykjavík. The restaurant’s exten-
sive menu contains over 50 dishes to suit all tastes. A must-try is the Icelandic gourmet feast, which
starts with a shot of the infamous national spirit, Brennivín, and is followed by six delicious Icelandic
tapas, such as ‘puffin with blueberry’ and ‘Brennivín sauce and minke whale with cranberry and
malt sauce.’ Other popular dishes include Icelandic lamb, sea trout and lobster tails, and no feast is
complete without a delicious dessert; go for the ‘white chocolate skyr mousse with passion fruit.’
551-2344. tapas.is
TA PA S B A R I N N