Ísbuð Vesturbæjar is quite a walk out of the city centre. And when you are finally getting near, with an ever-growing cavernous hole in your stomach begging to be filled with soft-serve, you have to squint to see the neon “Ísbuð” in the window of the storefront nestled between two other shops in the same miniature strip-mall with much more visible signage. Of course, you’ll most likely know you’ve arrived when you lay eyes on the line of customers out the door with a shared goal of filling equally cavernous holes in their respective stomachs. Don’t be discouraged. It’s worth the wait.
For those non-Icelanders accustomed to having to painstakingly choose from thirty-one flavours with each visit to their local ice cream shop, a visit to Ísbuð Vesturbæjar is blissfully uncomplicated. New or old. It seems that most people in the know go for the old, a water-based but still luxuriously thick vanilla soft-serve. While the flavours are essentially two variations on the same thing, the means at your disposal for jazzing up the ís are plenty. Dip it in chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, or a scandalously sweet combination of the two. Make a sundae topped with your favourite candies and chocolates. Blend it up with those same candies and chocolates to disperse their flavour throughout the ice cream and you’ve got bragðarefur (taste-fox? trickster? delicious?). Blend it even more and you’ve got an awesome shake. Whatever option you choose, you know it’s going to be incredible and satisfying and you’re going to love it.
Word to the wise: the medium bragðarefur is massive so take care that your eyes aren’t bigger than your stomach. Or bring a friend to pull you ashore.
There’s a reason people have been going out to Vesturbær for the goods since they were kids. This is seriously the best ice cream in town.
- Ísbuð Vesturbæjar Hagamel 67, 107 Reykjavík
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