Reviews: Eating Out in Reykjavík
Reykjavík is a great place to eat. Gone are the days when absolutely everything was ludicrously expensive. Now, you can sample Icelandic cuisine and world cuisine with an Icelandic twist without a second mortgage. Here’s where I chose to eat.
Saegreifinn - The Sea Baron
A great little place that’s full of character. To be found on the dock of the Old Harbour, Saegreifinn sells reasonably priced, fresh seafood. They’re best known for their Lobster Soup served with bread (around Kr1000 / £5.00) and their fish skewers (around Kr 1800 / £9.00) which you can select from the open fridges. Once you’ve ordered, take a seat on a barrel at one of the long communal tables, eavesdrop on the conversation and gaze around at the clutter of nautical decorations. Within a few minutes, your food will be brought to you. Saegreifinn is not only popular with tourists, but popular with locals who come in and buy large packs of dried fish fillets. This isn’t the best cuisine in town, but it’s fresh, tasty, reasonably priced and served in a very unique atmosphere. Its well worth a visit.
Eldsmidjan
This is a great little place for travellers on a budget or those that know a good pizza when they eat it. Eldsmidjan is just outside the city centre in a residential area. It’s a five minute walk away from Hotel Leifur Ericsson. The first thing you notice as you walk in is the heat and wonderful smell from the wood burning oven. The kitchen in front of you is a hive of activity. On the floor is a pile of logs waiting to be tossed into the fire. If you’re taking away, order at the counter at street level. Or, if you want to eat in, go straight upstairs and ask for a table. They make pizzas in three different sizes. A large 16” pizza will set you back around Kr1500-Kr2000 / £7.50-£10.00 , an amazing deal in this expensive city. As a part-Italian, I know an authentic, fresh pizza when I taste it. These were spot on! Don’t forget, as with a lot of Icelandic restaurants, once you’re done, go to the counter (downstairs) to settle the bill. It’s hard to have a bad culinary experience in Reykjavik and Eldsmidjan holds this statement true, but what it also proves is that not everything in Reykjavik is expensive.
Tapas Barinn
If you’re going to splurge on a meal while in Reykjavik (and why not, you only live once) make sure its at Tapas Barinn. Tucked away in the city centre, behind a small wooden door, you’ll find this dark, atmospherically lit, lively restaurant. Indecisive types might have trouble choosing from the menu here; there are over 60 different tapas dishes to try. Prices vary depending on the dish, but are typically around Kr1000 / £5.00. This isn’t particularly great value for what you get. It’s much better value to order one of the set menus although even here, you should expect to pay around Kr5800 / £30.00. Although expensive, I found this to be only slightly over what I’d typically want to pay for such a meal. Prices aside, the food is lovingly crafted, fresh, exciting and delicious. I ordered the Icelandic Feast; six tapas and a desert. This set menu included Whale meat, but I asked whether I could substitute it for something else and my attentive and friendly waitress said, “Of course,” so there’s no need to worry if you’re tempted by a set menu but one or two of the tapas don’t appeal. My favourite tapas was the Puffin with Blueberry sauce and the Saltfish with Sweet Potato Mash, which was the dish I choose in place of the Whale. The chocolate cake desert was a dense and delicious chunk of loveliness. In all, I had a great evening. The food was amazing, the service fast and friendly and the atmosphere fun. Go on, give it a go.
Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur
You can’t go to Reykjavík and not grab a hot dog from “Europe’s best hot dog stand”. I mean it! Even Bill Clinton sampled one of this delicious snacks when he was last in town. Their sausages are made from a combination of lamb, beef and pork and only the good bits of meat are used. A hot dog costs 280 ISK (about £1.50) and condiments include ketchup, sweet mustard, fried onion, raw onion and remolaði, a mayonnaise-based sauce with sweet relish. I ate four “with everything” in two days. They were that good! For the price, they can’t be beat. And that’s not even mentioning the taste. Perfect for a lunchtime snack, or order five at once for a delicious evening meal.
