Author: - The Reykjavik Grapevine

Straight Outta Suðureyri: Fisherman Brings The Westfjords To Reykjavík

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Suðureyri is a small fishing village in the Westfjords with a population of roughly 300 people. Once isolated, it is…

Make Lamb Great Again: Reinventing Icelandic Lamb The Middle Eastern Way

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Icelanders have been eating lamb for a while now. If you’re going to a typical Sunday family dinner, the chances…

The Street Food Olympics: A Grapevine Guide To Grandi Mathöll

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Reykjavík food halls are, as it turns out, just like London buses: you wait around for one, and then two…

Let’s Say Cheers For Skál! A Gourmet Feast At Hlemmur Mathöll

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There are some privileges in writing about food. One of them is getting assignments that you cannot wait to complete,…

All Aboard! Grandi Mathöll Is Setting Sail This Summer

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The Reykjavík restaurant scene is going through a paradigm shift. Until recently, most of the restaurants in the Greater Reykjavík…

All Good: Family Food In The Heart Of Reykjavík At Gott

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Gott Restaurant is a delightful recent addition to the restaurant scene in downtown Reykjavík, with a long history. The first…

A New Hope: The Inspiring World Of Natural Wines At Port 9

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Natural wines are taking the world by storm. At least, the hyper-consuming yet woke nations of Scandinavia, the British Isles,…

Pizza Party In The Financial Zone: Black Box Enters Reykjavík’s Hunger Games

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The great metropolis of Reykjavík has a financial district, not that far from downtown Reykjavík. This “district” is actually limited…

‘Tis The Season: Ten Christmas Menus Worth Writing Home About

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As Christmas approaches, it seems like every restaurant in Reykjavík is posting appetising Instagram pictures of their special seasonal menus….

All Things Nice: Borðið’s Christmas Menu Is Flavourful & Festive

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‘Tis the season. The darkness is overwhelming and the northern winds bite to the bone. In the darkness every piece…

We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat: Fish Restaurant Messinn Opens Second Location

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Most informal communication between Icelandic locals and visitors of this volcanic island have for decades revolved around the question “How…

Livin’ On A Prayer At Sæta Svínið

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It’s difficult to pinpoint when, or how, the emergence of the gastropub happened in Iceland. If memory serves, it was…

Pizza Will Never Betray You: Eldofninn Reviewed

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It’s a cold night. The mind races. You think about pizza, the only friend who hasn’t betrayed you. If that…

Mai Thai Bistro: The Rookie of the “Thai Triangle”

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The Hlemmur area in downtown Reykjavík has for recent years been the supreme destination of Thai food lovers. It has…

Sumac Grill: Paris of the East, in the North

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There has historically been a real lack of culinary institutions in Iceland representing the northern parts of Africa and the…

Andri Snær Magnason Says Poets Are Like Rats

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Andri Snær Magnason says poets are like rats; even when they aren’t visible, they are ever present. His second poetry…

‘Tis The (Tourist) Season: 101 Harbor Restaurant Cashes In

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It would have been very difficult to foresee the Reykjavík harbour area growing into a thriving melting pot of restaurants,…

Last Words: To Fit the Needs of the Present

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In my late teens, when I was still playing football somewhat seriously, I had a teammate hailing from Nigeria. A…

Go To The Bar And Give It A Smakk

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I remember vividly the revelation of reading Anthony Bourdain’s ‘Kitchen Confidential’, and how those “Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly” are…

The Vegan Safe Haven: Kaffi Vínyl Brings The Revolution

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Kaffi Vínyl is a hip and stylish café/bar/restaurant located in the gritty upper part of Hverfisgata. Although fairly new to…

The Classless Society Of The First Icelandic Diner: Lunch On The Harbour At Kaffivagnin

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Reykjavík’s old harbour area Grandi has gone through a rapid transformation in recent years, with new restaurants and bars popping…

Last Words: Once In A Lifetime

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Two news stories caught my attention during the first weeks of the short and bittersweet Icelandic summer. They made me…

Last Words: Urban Love Song

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It is well documented. How good it actually feels. That first rush. That first time everything is just right. You…

Restaurant Review: Gló Is A Hippie Chipotle (That’s A Compliment)

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Throughout most of Iceland’s history, food has been considered but a means of sustenance, “fuel,” if you will. Therefore, the…

Food Review: Bergsson Is A Place To Enjoy, Slowly

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While not the first of its kind in Reykjavík, the appearance of Bergsson Mathús clearly signalled the arrival of something…