B5

If you’re walking down Laugavegur, it’s hard to miss B5 – the restaurant with the life-sized horse statue in the window accompanied by a DJ turntable and, depending on the time of day, lots of well-dressed people dancing and drinking.    The place is as stylish on the inside as it is on the outside. While there are few tables, it’s as much a high-end restaurant as it is a bar. The dress code requires that you put some thought into your outfit; dress in black if you really want to blend in.    As far as the food goes, it was a mixed bag. For the starter, my companion and I were promised smoked duck with arugula salad. When the salad arrived, it was thin slices of tenderly cooked duck on romaine, not arugula. To my mind, this is like being promised a BMW and getting a Volkswagen. Arugula would have added a nice flavour complimenting the duck. Instead, the romaine was too bland and was something to trudge through rather than to enjoy. The main dish, a seafood stir-fry served in a mango tequila sauce, saved the day.Pieces of succulent lobster, scallops, and prawns were marinated in the light sauce, which was neither too sweet nor too spicy. The fresh combination of the seafood and the still-crisp sweet peas made me wonder if there wasn’t a farmers’ market nearby. The dish was served with buttery rice, which was masterfully cooked and tasted wonderful even on its own. My companion commented that it was the best meal he has ever had in Reykjavík, and while I can’t commit to that, it certainly made my mouth happy. Unfortunately, the dessert wasn’t as big of a hit. It’s hard to say anything that bad about a chocolate torte filled with oozing hot chocolate sauce, especially when it is accompanied by coconut ice cream, but this desert did not deliver. Its flavour was too mild to indulge in and it probably wasn’t worth the calories.

How much: 1400-4000 ISK

What we think: The lowpoints cancel out the considerable highlights

Where: Bankastræti 5, 101 Reykjavik. Tel: +3545524000