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City Guide - Reykjavik - Food and Drink | ||
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Food and Drink The bountiful fishing grounds of the Iceland coastline are culinary Reykjavik's main source of inspiration, so the fruits de mer are one of the mainstays of the Icelandic diet. Varieties of fish that often appear on menus include steinbítur (catfish), skata (skate), skötuselur (monkfish) and lúda (halibut), and, in summer, lax (wild salmon) and silungur (trout) are served. The permutations on the fish theme are endless: fiskibollur (fish balls), fiskpylsur (fish sausage) and fiskfars (fish dough) are some of them. Reykjavik's speciality is codchrynn, or 'the chin of the cod', marinated in vinegar and fried in egg. Most fish dishes are always served with whole fried potatoes. The second staple is kjöt or meat. Sheep breeding goes back hundreds of years and as flocks roam freely in mountain areas during the summer, feeding on fresh grass and wild herbs, the meat is particularly delicious. Other meats include lamb (lamb), naut (beef), svín (pork), folald (horsemeat, ordinarily foal) and hreindyr (reindeer). The only aberration from the norm in the poultry section is lundi (puffin), which can come smoked, boiled or fried. Prohibition ended in 1989, but alcohol is still expensive, although the local brew Brennin ('Black Death') is cheaper. Icelanders normally eat their evening meal around 1900-2200, although this is often earlier in family homes. Lunch is taken between 1200 and 1400. The dining districts are all centrally located, some of the more upmarket restaurants are centred in the Old Town. In a slightly upmarket restaurant a full evening meal with drinks will cost IKr2000-3000, perhaps even hiking up to IKr5000 in more formal places. Lunching or dining at café-pubs costs significantly less króna, leaving more in the wallet for drinking pursuits. Service charges are included in most bills and tipping is not expected. Restaurants One of Reykjavik's finest restaurants is also its highest, Perlan, Öskjuhli (tel: 562 0200). While guests dine on meals like grilled fillet of lamb with rosemary (IKr2690) or salmon steaks with fresh asparagus sauce (IKr2100), the view of Reykjavik changes as the restaurant gently rotates, completing a full circle every two hours. Viö Tjörnina, Templarasund 3 (tel: 551 8666), is set in an old aristocratic home. Chefs Rúnar Marvinsson and Gunnar Páll, labelled by the local press as 'cuisine revolutionaries', have an innovative approach to Icelandic food, including meals like ray fish with a caper sauce (IKr1950) and honey-sautéd catfish with curry and onion (IKr1980). One of the best for seafood is named after Richard Bach's novel Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Jonatan Livingston Mávur, Tryggvagata 4-6 (tel: 551 5520). Fish meals are priced from IKr1800 and meat dishes from IKr2400. Naust, Vesturgata 6-8 (tel: 551 7759), housed in an ex-salt cellar, offers a 'tourist menu', which includes fare like shark with ice-cold Brennivin, a selection of herring, scallops and shrimps, smoked lamb with a white sauce and dessert of milk curds with a blueberry sauce all for IKr2900. For a romantic little restaurant in the old part of Reykjavik, Prir Frakkar hja Ulfari, Baldursgata 14 (tel: 552 3939), specialises in seafood and whale meat; prices start from IKr2100. Another restaurant for romance is also one of Reykjavik's newest, Raudara (Red River Steakhouse), Raudarastigur 39 (tel: 562 6766), located in an old brewery. It serves meals like lobster soup followed by fresh mountain lamb with a wild mushroom sauce (IKr2600) and 'seafood gratin': halibut, salmon and lobster topped with cheeses (IKr1890); for the more adventurous a Viking dish, grilled foal, costs IKr2400. Happy hour is 1730-1930. Reykjavikians are keen on Italian food, and two of the best include Caruso, Pingholtsstraeti 1 (tel: 562 7335), which serves pizza and pasta, as well as lamb and fish dishes from IKr1100. Those hankering for something spicy will love the dining option at Austur Indiafjelagio (The Indian Food Adventure), Hverfisgata 56 (tel: 552 1630). The chef has had 20 years training in India and presents regional dishes from all over the country; an average price for a meal starts from about IKr1500. With a meat-heavy diet, vegetarians will find an escape at Á Naestu Grösum (One Woman Restaurant), Laugernesvegur 20b (tel: 552 8410). The restaurant serves a range of vegetarian pulses and grain dishes plus delicious homemade breads and organic wine from France and Germany. A meal with coffee and cake costs about IKr1000. Going a step further is the vegan-style Graenn Kostor, Skólavördustigur 8b (tel: 552 2028), which has spicy vegetarian dishes and sweets; it is open till 2100. Expect to pay around IKr590. Cafés Reykjavik has many cafés which are open in the day for a coffee and a snack, but most of them turn into bars at night (see the Nightlife section for café-bars). The following are more traditional cafés. One of Reykjavik's oldest coffee houses, Mokka Espresso-Kaffi, Skólavördustigur 3a, has a huge selection of foreign newspapers. In a similar vein, Grái Kötturinn (or the Grey Cat), Hverfisgata 16a, is run by artists, opening its doors at 0700 to a fanfare of English and American breakfasts. It is also home to a library specialising in Icelandic poetry and literature. Run by a mother and son team, Baunin, Sídumúli 35, has fabulous homemade cakes and breakfasts (with cod-liver oil supplements). |