Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.09.2023, Side 19

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Tides
Austurbakki 2
7:00-11:00 daily
There is something about a hotel
breakfast, especially one in the
city that you live in. It awakens
muscle memories of holidays
abroad, of indulgence, a taste of
the good life where numerous
trips to the buffet counter puts a
spring in one’s step. Tides has a
little cafe adjacent, but the break-
fast is where all the action is. The
buffet (5500 ISK) is a well stocked
continental affair with nods to
Icelandic tradition. Expect salm-
on smoked and graved, thin slices
of hangikjöt, rye bread, pancakes,
sausages and other buffet staples.
The a la carte menu however real-
ly shines. They make a mean mug
of matcha and the Tides Eggs
Benedict (2300 ISK), served with
a twist of lightly spiced tomato on
brioche is a welcome respite from
hunky needs-a-saw crusty bread
versions. Although why an En-
glish muffin, true to the original,
evades us is baffling. But these
are thoughts easy to push aside
as you sip on their carrot-or-
ange-seabuckthorn juice (1900
ISK). There is no other breakfast
in town that feels as exclusive as
this one, making you feel like you
have one extra zero in your bank
account.
Hjá Jóni
Thorvaldsensstræti 2
7:00-10:30 daily
We went to this newest addi-
tion with zero expectations and
walked out with giant smiles
plastered on our faces. Even if
it isn’t advertised as such, the
everyday breakfast buffet is
open to everyone, walk-ins and
hotel guests alike. At 7900 ISK
for two, this is the most bang
for your buck breakfast deal by
a mile. With their tall windows
overlooking Austurvollur, this is
perfect for a cosy morning date,
business meeting, or a grown up
group outing. What we especial-
ly enjoyed was their table side
serving of warm dishes. Transla-
tion? Expect a cute stack of fluffy,
warm pancakes made to order.
Poached eggs that haven’t been
sitting around dully. And in case
you forgot where you were, the
shot glasses of lysi, lemon slice
in tow, serve as a firm reminder
you’re still in Iceland.
Hraðlestin
Grandagarður 23
11:00-16:00 weekends
Hear me out on this one, sure
it is being offered as a brunch,
and only on the weekends, and
only at their Grandi outpost. But
when you are the lone star in a
sea of sameness, it is but our
responsibility to shine light on
this South Indian breakfast nee
brunch. The masala dosa (3290
ISK) is a golden tube of crunchy
delight, surrounded by bowlfuls
of sambhar, coconutty chicken
curry, ginger spiked alu palya
and two kinds of chutneys. Dosa
is a crispy-soft, griddle cooked
Kannadiga breakfast-tiffin dish
made from a fermented rice-len-
til batter. Technically demand-
ing, this is a hard to execute dish,
especially this North of warmth.
But here, the dosas and the ac-
companiments have consistently
gotten better. You tear off a bit
of dosa, scoop up one chutney,
one sambhar, one curry at a time,
an explosion of varying flavours
in each bite. Psst… you can tack
on an extra dosa to your order.
They also offer steamed idlis,
with crispy medu vadas, perfect
for some sambhar dunking, and
big-as-my-face stretchy bhatu-
ras with a clove scented kheema
masala. Washed down with a cup
of steaming hot masala chai, this
slightly late breakfast slaps like
no other.
www.thelaundromatcafe.com
NOT TO BRAG ......... BUT :)
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The adage, ’breakfast is the most im-
portant meal of the day,’ is newer still
and is credited to a marketing cam-
paign by General Foods in 1944 to, well,
sell more cereal.