Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.09.2023, Qupperneq 28

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Best of Reykjavík 2023
28
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REYKJAVÍK GRAPEVINE
BEST FOODHALL
“...it is precisely its size and careful
curation of cuisines on offer that
underlines its cool-beyond-trends vibe.”
– Reykjavík Grapevine
There has been considerable buzz
in local media the past few weeks
since the Michelin Guide Nordic
Countries revealed that Iceland
was adding another name to its
roster of one-starred restaurants.
Moss, at the Retreat by Blue La-
goon, is the latest awardee, join-
ing Óx and Dill on the prestigious
list.
The number of Miche -
lin-starred restaurants in a place
is a new standard of measuring
a tourist destination’s culinary
prowess. But what is a Michelin
star, how are they granted, and
how does recognition by Miche-
lin – or comparable rankings like
World’s 50 Best or the Nordic
White Guide – impact the dining
and tourism industry?
Where does Iceland stand
compared to our Nordic neigh-
bours? Do we have what it takes
to be a global dining destination?
Ranking the
ranking systems
Contrary to popular belief, Miche-
lin stars are awarded to restau-
rants and not individual chefs.
One star is awarded to restau-
rants worth stopping by, two-star
restaurants are worth a detour,
and three-star restaurants justify
a dedicated trip. Other recogni-
tions awarded are the Green Star
designating establishments with
strong sustainability practices
and the Bib Gourmand given to
eateries offering the best value
for money establishments.
While Michelin is considered
the gold standard of a place’s cu-
linary prowess, the Sweden-based
Nordic White Guide has long mea-
sured the pulse of the culinary
scene in the Nordics, with the Mi-
chelin Guide often playing catch
up to their recommendations.
Heck, the White Guide pegged Óx
as a master level restaurant back
in 2019!
Elsewhere, global rankings
carried out by World’s 50 Best
have been formidable competi-
tion with their “50 Best Discov-
ery” sub-category tagging local
cocktail bar Jungle on their cov-
eted “Bar Discovery” list.
Global rankings aside, The
Reykjavik Grapevine has become
the most comprehensive local
restaurant guide with our annual
Best of Reykjavik Dining scouring
the best the city and country have
to offer, making it decidedly the
most influential tastemaker in
Iceland – and we get it right long
before any other listicle.
The impact of earning a Mi-
chelin star or being placed on
a global best list has an imme-
diate impact on a restaurant’s
business. Speaking with Food &
Wine magazine in 2017, Joel Ro-
buchon, holder of the most Mi-
chelin star awarded restaurants
in the world, broke it down like
this: “With one Michelin star, you
get about 20 percent more busi-
ness. Two stars, you do about 40
percent more business, and with
three stars, you'll do about 100
percent more business. So from a
business point ... you can see the
influence of the Michelin guide.”
Local businesses have similar-
ly seen a spike in reservations fol-
lowing Michelin announcements,
so global trends prevail here, too.
Fostering a fertile
environment
With the ongoing influx of tour-
ists, the role of the food and bev-
erage industry cannot be under-
estimated. A 2022 report by KPMG
minces no words in stating that
the restaurant industry contrib-
utes disproportionately higher
wages and employs more people
than other tourist-facing indus-
tries – a whopping 46.2 billion ISK
in restaurant wages vs 38.3 billion
in hotel wages.
In my retrospective for this
publication on Icelandic dining
culture in 2022, I touched upon
the lost opportunity of turning
Iceland into a global dining des-
tination. This isn’t wishful think-
ing. Research shows that 95% of
global travellers today consider
themselves “food travellers,” with
70% of them picking a destination
based on food and drink choices.
Interestingly, 59% believe
food choices are more important
now than they were five years
ago. A 2022 report by the Nordic
Ministers titled “Nordic Food in
Future Tourism” highlights the
intersection of restaurants, food
producers, farmers and animal
husbandry as essential to at-
taining common goals of being
an attractive destination where
“eating and travelling in harmony
with nature and local culture is a
desirable lifestyle.”
For reasons unknown, howev-
er, Iceland’s potential as a gastro-
nomic leader has been systemati-
cally overlooked.
Íslandsstofa (Business Ice-
GUIDE
A True Gastronomic
Destination
Icelandic cuisine is beyond shock value sheep’s
head
Words: Shruthi Basappa Photo: Art Bicnick