Who would have guessed that Reykjavik would be a culinary delight? I mean, seriously; they have minimal farmland, they have to use greenhouses to grow vegetables, and they live in fear of volcanoes and earthquakes every day. But I guess all that hardship and fear has given them a lust for life that can be found in some of their food. But not in the hot dogs. I’ll get to that in a bit. Just for reference, the conversion rate when I was there was about 1,000 kroners = $8. Unsurprisingly, a lot of drinks cost 1,000 kroners. I guess they don’t like making change for drunk tourists who can’t figure out the local Monopoly money.
Meze Restaurant- Surprisingly moist chicken kebabs and well spiced shish kebabs. The meal was filling but not large. Throw in a beer to wash it down with, and you’ve got yourself a tasty and satisfying meal. This was my first restaurant meal in Iceland, and a good start to the trip.
Lebowski Bar- Named after The Dude himself, this little bar offers 2-for-1 beers during happy hour. Never mind that the one beer is $11, you still feel like you’re getting a great deal. The interior is styled with 50’s kitch, which is apparently a decorating style in Reykjavik. We’d run into that theme again.
Grillmarkadurinn- The guys and I splurged one evening and went to a phenomenal grill called Grillmarkadurinn. It looks like a cross between a fancy steakhouse and a rustic cabin, with all of the charm and class of both. This place doesn’t miss a beat. The drink service was a little slow, but every cocktail that we ordered was delicious, including the bartender’s choice, which could have been anything. Clearly their mixologist takes pride in his or her work. For an appetizer, I got three sliders, one lobster, one minke whale, and one puffin. The lobster was ok, nothing too impressive. The minke whale was chunks of whale with a drizzle of a creamy sauce. I have no idea how the whale was prepared, but it was quite tasty, albeit a little greasy. The puffin was the best of the three. Again, I have no idea how it was prepared, but it was a little fatty but still quite light. For an entree, I stuck with the theme of having food that I wouldn’t normally find in the US and I had a horse tenderloin. They didn’t ask how I wanted it cooked, but it was brought out between rare and medium rare. It was surprisingly tender and very tasty. Based on that one experience alone, I’d definitely eat horse again. For dessert, we got all 5 desserts on the menu and tried them all. None of them were all that impressive, but it was nice to finish with something sweet. This is not a restaurant where you’d dine every day, but if you’re in Iceland, I highly recommend it.
Dillon whisky bar- Located in the top floor of a building that looks like a house, Dillon is a nice little whiskey dive bar with a good selection of booze. I’d estimate that they have well over 100 bottles on the shelf, and that was what I counted with slightly drunken vision. I would recommend staying away from the Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie whiskey. Since it comes in a light blue bottle, you’d have to be a moron to try it. I tried it, and it wasn’t good at all. I followed it with a Macallan 16, which was tasty. I had a few more drinks, all of which were decent and enjoyable. The bar is fairly quiet, so don’t try to be too rowdy here, but it’s a good place to enjoy a dram with your friends.
Shooters- This pseudo-strip club is located among many bars on Austurstræti in Reykjavik. Apparently full nudity is illegal in Iceland, but that’s of no importance, because we just popped in for a quick happy hour pint to get out of the cold while we planned our next move. It’s a quiet bar, given it’s intent. The ladies on staff (still fully clothed) chatted with us briefly and then moved on when they realized that our money was earmarked for beer and not for rented human interaction. Fortunately, we made friends with some other tourists (surprisingly enough, they were from the DC area), so we had a good time, drinking and toasting and chatting. That being said, I’d suggest that you avoid Shooters. This place offers no value to anyone and reeks of Russian mafia.
The English Pub- Located right next to Shooters, The English Pub is a rowdy party scene on a late Saturday night. Packed shoulder to shoulder at the bar, the pints will run you $8. However, if you consider yourself a gambler, there’s a roulette wheel above the bar. 1 spin will cost you $16. There are 16 wedges to the wheel, 4 of which get you nothing. The rest get you a beer or two, a shot, a free spin, or, ideally, 8 beers. When we got to the bar, there was a happy looking Brit seated there with a pint in his hand and 6 more on the bar in front of him from his recent win. I don’t know if he ever finished them (or how warm the last one was when he got to it), but he was quite pleased with life at the time. We went back to The English Pub on a Monday evening, and it was more like a quiet pub that you would expect. Depending on the night you go, you can have very different experiences.
Baejarins Beztu Pylsur- For some unknown reason, Reykjavik is known for hot dogs. There are dozens of articles online telling you that you should get a hot dog when you’re in Reykjavik. We looked up the name of the best hot dogs in the city, and we were pointed to Baejarins Beztu Pylsur. It’s a red wooden hot dog shack, not much larger than a food truck, and all they serve is hot dogs for about $3. The only choice you have is what to get on it. We were advised to get everything, so we did. ‘Everything’ consists of two different sauces, one was a sweet brown sauce, the other seemed more like a mustard/mayo mix. Between the bun and the hot dog were both raw onions and deep fried onions, like the French’s onions on your grandma’s green bean casserole. Here’s the thing; we got this hot dog at about 3A, after we’d been drinking for at least 7 hours. And we weren’t impressed. We went back again later when we were sober and starving, and we still didn’t think it was all that good. I’ve had better hot dogs from the refrigerated section of the grocery store. I don’t know who these people are who are bragging about Reykjavik’s hot dogs, but they need to try a Ballpark dog on a potato bun. For $3, it’s worth checking out, just to say that you did it. After you’re disappointed, go find a slice of pizza. That’s what we did.
Roadhouse- This 50’s styled diner is about 4 or 5 blocks from the Hallgrimskirkja cathedral. I was hungry and hung over, so a burger seemed to be the right plan. I got a burger that ranks among the best burgers I’ve had. Remember, I was hungry and hung over, but I’m sure it’s still a good burger. They have a dozen or so different burgers to choose from, but I got their namesake Roadhouse burger, which was topped with smoked sliced pork, fried onions, maribo cheese, mustard glace & Roadhouse sauce. The bun was solid enough to provide texture, but soft enough to absorb the sauces. The pork was tender and fell apart in your mouth without having to chew too much. The cheese was just the right flavor to compliment the meat. The fries were mediocre at best. Actually, we never found any french fries that we liked the whole time that we were in Iceland. We think it’s just the local potatoes that suck. So don’t judge the meal by the fries.
Hótel Húsafell- Located on your way to the glaciers, Hótel Húsafell is next to nothing at all. Seriously, it’s at least a 45 minute drive to anything, so if you’re here, this is where you’re eating. The food was a little pricey, and the steak sandwich was ok. The meat was a little tough, and it was open faced on a very well-toasted piece of baguette. It was more of a fork-and-knife meal than a sandwich. Some people in our group got soup, which they weren’t thrilled with. All in all, if you’re going to be in this area, I’d suggest you pack a sandwich.
The Laundromat Cafe- One of Reykjavik’s better known cafes, The Laundromat Cafe sits above a working laundromat. The idea is that you can eat while you’re knocking out your laundry. Fun idea. The food is decent, but nothing to be impressed by. They, too, had the 50’s decor. I can only assume that, just like the Eastern block countries got our 80’s TV shows and music in the early 2000’s, Iceland is just now picking up the American 50’s trends. I wonder if I should warn them about the big collars of the 70’s and the big hair of the 80’s?
Lava at the Blue Lagoon- A beautiful spa located on top of a hot spring, the Blue Lagoon offers relaxation and enjoyment just minutes from the airport. In their Lava restaurant, I had one of the best steaks I’ve had in a while. Those of you who know me know I like my steak, and I’ve hit nearly every decent steakhouse in the Washington DC area. Lava was up there with the best of them. Listed on the menu as a beef tenderloin, it was a perfectly-sized cut, with sauces and reductions that didn’t overpower the steak. The meat was good by itself, but the sauces made the dish. One thing that I’ve noticed in DC is that, if you ask for a sauce for your steak, you feel like they’re judging you. I agree that a sauce can’t fix a bad cut of meat, but the steak doesn’t have to stand alone. As always, the fries were mediocre, but they provided a nice palate cleanser between bites of steak. I don’t know how much the meal was, but I’m sure it wasn’t cheap, probably comparable to some of the more expensive steakhouses in DC. But, like I said, it was a really impressive meal, and I think all of the entrees on the menu were similarly priced. If you’re at the Blue Lagoon, go to Lava and get the beef tenderloin. Thank me in the comments below.
Overall, the food in Reykjavik was a lot better than I had expected. I didn’t have the opportunity to try fermented shark, since I never saw it on a menu. I still got to try some local options that aren’t readily found elsewhere, and nearly everything was well above average, despite the fact that we just picked some of these places at random. Reykjavik is a growing tourist destination, so it appears that their cuisine is keeping up with demand. Good food stays, bad restaurants shut down. That’s good for us. Go and enjoy their food while the going is good. Don’t forget to wash your hot dog down with a slice of pizza.
