Words by

Steinunn Jakobsdóttir

The newest addition to the Reykjavík restaurant scene is a cosy little place located right next to the old harbour. The name, Icelandic Fish Chips, gives a hint what kind of menu to expect, but actually, the food has nothing in common with the traditional British dish, except for the fish. It’s a healthy organic restaurant using only organic vegetables, quality fish products and no wheat or white sugar in its kitchen.
One of the owners, Erna Kaaber, welcomed my two dining partners and me as we arrived during lunch hours and informed us what a healthy treat was awaiting us. After serving us white wine as well as freshly made lemonade and orange juice we were offered a selection of all they have. As starters, we got spelt bread with hummus and a creamy broccoli soup. Then crunchy potato chips and onion rings. Instead of fattening sauces like mayo we were served “Skyronnes” on the side to dip the chips into. Made out of Skyr (a popular fat-free Icelandic milk product) and flavoured with all sorts of spices it was much tastier, not to mention healthier, than the classic calorie-rich dressing.
Three fillets of deep-fried plaice, cod and haddock came as our main dish, served with two types of potatoes and the aforementioned Skyronnes. The fish, wrapped in a dough made out of spelt instead of white wheat and deep-fried in vegetable oil, was delicious; as were the organic potatoes oven-baked in olive oil, flavoured with Maldon salt and parsley. As we had been told this restaurant was especially child-friendly, my companion brought along her six-month-old daughter, who wasn’t left out of the feast. Served homemade liquidy paste made out of organic carrots and coconut oil, she was quite happy with the dinner as well as the toys that kept her occupied for most of our time there.
As the restaurant is quite small, every table was filled, but to meet the growing popularity, the restaurant also offers takeaway, a good and not so pricy choice if you need to grab a meal when heading home after work. For 1,450 ISK you can pick the fish of your choice and combine it with side dishes like potatoes and various sauces, and the portions are large enough to satisfy.