Articles by: Ragnar Egilsson
Steve Holt!
Don’t be fooled by the ’70s vibe it outwardly projects: Hótel Holt can be surprisingly charming and its restaurant, Gallery,…
Pho Sizzle
Globalisation works in mysterious ways. Iceland is not host to any great Italian, French or Mexican restaurants, but we have…
No Quarter To The Seal-Eating Mussels!
On a windy Reykjavík afternoon I entered the romantic harbour haunt Höfnin (The Harbour). Little did I know that 90…
Màs Organica. Màs Sensual. Màs Salad Bar.
Kryddlegin hjörtu is perfectly located with a sweet view of Esja in all her mountainly glory (914 metres, but who’s…
Beach Nourishment
Nauthóll is a rare type of restaurant where the majority of year-round customers are Icelandic. And small wonder, since it’s…
Nosh, Nosh, Nosh
Forréttabarinn specialises in starters—but think tapas meets bistro rather than 2-for-1 hot wings. In fact, Forréttabarinn (The Starter Bar) is…
DELAY THE HUNGER STRIKE
When I heard about Gandhi I immediately welcomed the idea even before looking at the menu. Reykjavík only has one…
OM NOM NAM
Nam is a curiosity. Nam offers a Pan-Asian fusion menu designed by a chef coming straight from top shelf Michelin…
Truly Sated
It’s worth mentioning that all reviews are done in context. A place like Nam will be measured against other ambitious…
Painted Ship Upon A Painted Ocean
Back in the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre. Back in The Borg starship (see Kolabrautin review). Except the place…
Bomb Scare Behind Government Offices
At 9 o’clock this morning an object thought to be a bomb was discovered at Hverfisgata 4 behind the government…
Five Food Things I Want To See More Of In 2012
COMPETITION IN THE DAIRY MARKET AND MORE CHEESE They may be tracing links between milk products and prostate cancer but…
Five Food Things That Made Me Happy In 2011
A BIGGER SELECTION OF ASIAN FOOD In one fell swoop NAM (Nútíma Asísk Matargerð) have started offering bento boxes, proper…
Under The Paving Stones, The Fish
“It is well understood that fish is less nourishing than meat, because it contains no osmazome, because it is lighter…
The Grapevine Christmas Beer-Off
by David Paul, Peter Nickel and Ragnar Egilsson
JÓLA BOCK 6.2% Víking Ölgerð/Vífilfell From the distributors of Coca-Cola. Those are the people that brought you SantaTM, you’d expect…
Rudolph the Medium Rare Reindeer
Fjalakötturinn is Hotel Centrum’s corrugated conjoined twin. Despite the faux-antique exterior, the buildings are riddled with cultural heritage within and…
Off To See The Wizard
Harry’s has been the topic of much discussion in the Icelandic media lately. At the time of writing, Harry’s is…
Dining In The Borg Starship
Harpa looks a lot better on the inside, doesn’t it? From the outside it’s a sooty ice-cube blocking my view…
THE NEW KID ON THE BUTCHER’S BLOCK
Grillmarkaðurinn is the new contender in the Icelandic steakhouse circuit. It is tucked behind the restaurant Happ, and shares one…
NUTHIN’ BUT A DOWNLOAD THANG!
Robert Levine recently released the book ‘Free Ride: How the Internet Is Destroying the Culture Business and How the Culture…
Shiny HaPPy People
Happ is full of new ideas and fresh talent, but seems to stretch out in all directions, embracing every ideology…
El Bulli: Cooking In Progress
It starts with a fella chomping on a fluorescent fish in the dark, light pouring out of his mouth. Unfazed,…
FUNKY CHICKEN
“You know I don’t eat pork, not because I’m a Muslim—I just don’t really like it. But I really will…
Fight The Pink Pig: On Sourcing Locally
You are probably going to be hearing a lot of griping about Icelandic food trends in this mini-column, so I…
LET’S SPLIT A SAUSAGE TART
Litli bóndabærinn (like St. Paul’s) is very much a one-person show. David, owner and sole employee (for the time being)…