Words by

Jóhanna Pétursdóttir

Photo by

Art Bicnick

A new Italian joint opened its doors at the end of August. Essensia serves Mediterranean cuisine: pizzas, pasta, cheese platters and more. The concept is to serve shared plates, as if you were eating with a real Italian family. The master chef behind it all is Hákon Már Örvarsson, who’s known for the award-winning dishes of his other restaurant Kitchen & Wine, located right next to Essensia. In both eateries, he places particular emphasis on the freshness of the ingredients. Essensia is open for dinner daily from 5pm until 11pm (or 1am during the weekend). Soon, they’ll offer a lunch menu as well, available from 11:30–14:00.