Summer of Midnight Sun - Chapter Ten: Reykjavík Restaurant Tour

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 While in Iceland, I was lucky enough to have friendly coworkers, who consistently invited me out to lunch. While this often was just a run down to Bonús, the local supermarket, for sandwiches and the sort, we found ourselves out at restaurants semi-frequently. I was surprised by the variety of food in the city and beyond. While we often found ourselves at classier places for birthdays and celebrations, it wasn't uncommon to be at a Thai or hot dog spot.


EIRIKSSON Brassire - Laugavegur 77, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland

Located directly under the office, we ended up here quite a bit for happy hour and a birthday lunch or two. Reinvented from an old bank, the restaurant takes on a large, stoic feel.  They offer a modern European menu with Italian influences, my favorites being the deep-fried Camembert with red currant jam on sourdough bread and the tagliatelle and veal in truffle sauce. To top this all off, the head chef previously led a Michelin-starred restaurant in Lyon, and they offer a private room for booking IN the vault!


Monkeys - Klapparstígur 28, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland

A place we frequented for lunch, Monkeys offered a Peruvian-Japanese fusion menu, with a refreshing menu and a swanky feel. In the evenings, the operation shifts from the restaurant to the bar, serving the nightlife of the city. My favorite item here was always the Lunch Box, a portion of four different dishes highlighting flavors from both cultures.

Logn - Silfurtorg 2, 400 Ísafjörður, Iceland

This was a truly unique spot, that I only had the opportunity to visit while I was in the small town overnight for work. They offer an Icelandic menu alongside classic bar and Italian food. I went for the lamb tenderloin with mashed potatoes, washed down by a basil gimlet. Great restaurant with an even better view of the fjörd.

Sandholt - Laugavegur 36, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland

While certainly not a restaurant like the other stops on this list, Sandholt offers a top end bakery experience to the city. In the morning there are more pastries than I could ever hope to name and breakfast sandwiches offered. In the afternoon, they transition to light sandwiches for lunch while offering sweets from the morning. Definitely worth a visit on your way out into the city for the day.

Matthöll - Iceland

Not necessarily a single restaurant experience, matthölls offer a number of micro resturants in a small indoor area with communal seating. This is an easy way to find cheap meals satisfying anyone with lamb, asian, hispanic, pizza and more. This type of stand alone area is unique to Nordic areas, and we often took advantage of it at work.

Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur

No list of Icelandic restaurants would be complete without mentioning Bæjarins. Starting with the post World War II hot dog craze, rooted in American influence on the island, the brand offers just hot dogs. I prefer mine with everything; mustard, ketchup, raw onion, dehydrated onion, and a special hot dog sauce. Simply a must try if you're in the country.

Comments

  1. Roman CascianiNovember 1, 2023 at 5:17 PM

    Gabe, it's very neat to hear about all of these cool restaurants you visited. Peruvian-Japanese is a fusion I have never heard of. It sounds pretty interesting! I also found it intriguing that there was a hot dog craze influenced by the Americans there after WWII and that it is being carried on by that restaurant.

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