From Iceland — Café Loki

Words by

Just opened, Café Loki is a needed addition to Reykjavík’s restaurant scene. Since I got to Reykjavík, I have long been looking to sample traditional Icelandic cuisine, with no success in finding something both affordable and tasty. Café Loki does all that and more. With a neat, airy décor and a splendid view of Hallgrímskirkja, Café Loki is the perfect place to take a load off your feet and enjoy some solid homemade Icelandic food.
   We began our meal with a spelt bagel with smoked trout, spinach and cottage cheese, and a sheep’s head jelly with carrots and peas in a cream sauce. My bagel with trout was tasty and basic, and surprisingly light for what I expected to be a pretty dense starter. The flatbread with sheep’s head jelly that my comrade ordered was even better. The jelly (something neither of us had tried before) was savoury and salty, the fatty stickiness balanced by the thin and creamy sauce with the peas and carrots.
   Content with our starters, we looked forward to our next dish, something on the menu called “Icelandic Plate II.” The Icelandic plate II covered all sorts of Icelandic staples. We had more smoked trout with cottage cheese along with a delicious fish stew with chives, this time on slices of rye bread. In little bowls, we had a sampling of fermented shark, cut into little cubes, and some dried fish with Icelandic butter. Our first time trying either of these things, we were delighted with the dried fish and butter, and vaguely repulsed by the fermented shark, certainly an acquired taste, but actually not as bad as either of us had anticipated. At last, we were served thin pancakes with jam and cream – a sweet end to a wonderful meal.
   Stepping outside into the bright summer day, patting our full and satiated bellies, we agreed that this had been a really excellent meal. With a menu of light and tasty things in a great setting for an unbeatable price, this fresh-faced new restaurant can really deliver. Whether you’re a foreigner looking to sample the national cuisine or a local just looking for an old favourite from your childhood, Café Loki is a great little spot just to sit back and enjoy yourself. We wish them the best of luck.