Author: - The Reykjavik Grapevine

‘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….

Wasabi Wizardry: Nordic Wasabi Is Slaying Imposter Wasabi

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Iceland is known for terrifyingly beautiful nature, moody weather, the northern lights and—from now on—for growing fresh wasabi. Ragnar Atli…

New in Town: Flatey Pizza

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Few things get a Reykvíkingar’s heart racing like pizza, but for a pizza loving nation, we’ve long had an unspeakable…

Greatest Hits And Near Misses At Fine Dining Eatery Matur Og Drykkur

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Matur og Drykkur is one of the small handful of Icelandic restaurants to be awarded a Michelin Bib, and deservedly…

Gourmet Fast Food: Guts And Gumption At Le Kock

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At the risk of generalisation, I’ll just say it: criticism is generally frowned upon in Iceland, and avoiding confrontation is…

Spice It Up: A Sichuan Stroll At Fönix Veitingahús

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While America and most parts of the world are seeing regional Chinese cuisine grow and thrive, in Iceland the stereotypical…

Hlemmur Mathöll: Iceland’s New Food Hall Opens Its Doors

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The highly anticipated Hlemmur Mathöll opened its doors this summer, promising to be a food hall that showcases “all kinds…

Last Words: Calling Out the Copy Cats—A Food Rant

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Dear Food Purveyors, Stop taking Icelandic diners for a ride! On one hand it is hard enough to have to…

Heeeeere’s Jamie: A Visit To Jamie’s Italian

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When ‘The Naked Chef’ first aired on the telly, the intention was that it’d encourage ‘blokes’ to step up in…

Artisanal Italian Cheese, Now A Reykjavík Reality

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If you have had the pleasure of tearing into the mozzarella with pickled tomatoes at Mat Bar, or the egg…

Transcending Pylsu Sushi in Seyðisfjörður

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For a self-confessed sushi aficionado, sushi in Reykjavik leaves me underwhelmed and, on occasion, angry. The only thing worse than…

The Waiting Room: Good And Bad Surprises At Von Mathús

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It is hard to decry the ills of tourism when one can today find great cafés and restaurants even in…

Rebel Baker: Brauð & Co.’s Danish-Inspired Goodies

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There’s something utterly domestic and charming about popping into one’s neighbourhood bakery. While downtown hipsters are only too glad to…

The New Café Paris: A New Breakfast Spot In An Old Haunt

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Café Paris: a name that immediately conjures up images of days spent outside on Austurvöllur, people-watching and swigging cold beers…

Marshall Restaurant + Bar: Simple and Effortless

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Few would disagree that the Marshall Plan money that Iceland received in the aftermath of World War II radically altered…

Sjavargrillið: A Date With The Dated

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One could almost mistake Iceland for a lost piece of the Australian continent, given how seriously grilling is taken here….

Nordic Italian: Buenissimo Italsk “Mat” at Mat Bar

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One of the highlights of a small food market in Reykjavík last Christmas was a pop-up Italian bar. It flabbergasted…

Get Outta Town: A Guide To Dining Outside Of Reykjavík

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It used to be the case that good restaurants, after leaving the confines of Reykjavík, were pretty slim pickings. These…

Restaurant Review: At Íslenski Barinn, Retro Confusion

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Íslenski Barinn was established shortly that famous economic collapse of 2008, the founders citing it—along with the subsequent wave of…

Food Review: West Side Story

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One of the dangers of living in Reykjavík is that you quickly adapt to the local concept of time and…

Gandhi: A Keralan Kiss Amiss

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The popularity of Indian food is a wonderful contradiction. Everyone seems to love it, however, few seem to really know…

Dill: An Icelandic Epicurean Epiphany

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Just when I was convinced that the traditional food culture in Iceland was at risk of dying out, an establishment…

Nauthóll: Skyr-Smjör And Summer Sorbet

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Nauthóll Bistro is considered one of Reykjavík’s best-kept secrets. I have been living in Iceland for a while now and…

Restaurant Review: Teni – An African Affair to Remember

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I was an Ethiopian food virgin until Teni. Reykjavík may boast of many restaurants serving authentic regional cuisine but true…

Review: ‘Scarcity In Excess: The Built Environment And The Economic Crisis In Iceland’

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Ever since the year 2008, the word “kreppa” (crisis) has been among the most-used by Icelanders, a part of daily…