Change is afoot as Reykjavik’s beloved casual eatery moves out of Hlemmur Mathöll
It is no secret now that Skál is moving. A Reykjavik pioneer, Skál set the tone for ambitious dining in an approachable, affordable, casual setting with dishes that bridge fine dining flair and familiar comfort. After seven-plus years at Hlemmur Mathöll, Skál is making a move to brand new digs at Njálsgata 1.
At a time when gastropubs meant an assembly line of imported frozen goods masquerading as a full menu, Skál was dishing out the city’s first goat meat shepherd pie and smoked carrots that led to copy cats all across town, and introducing natural wines before anyone else, while crafting an envious cocktail flight. Unsurprisingly, international food guides took notice and in 2019, Skál was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
When Hlemmur Mathöll opened to much fanfare as Iceland’s first food hall in 2017, it was evident to those in attendance that Skál was the anchor amidst other establishments. Keen to see what we can expect from Skál 2.0, I sat down for a chat with the team.
New owners
It isn’t just the location that is changing, the ownership at Skál has changed too. Joining the OG founders Björn Steinar and Gísli Grímsson are head chef Thomas Lorentzen and manager Jonathan Sadler. Chef Gísli Matthías Auðunsson returns to the fold, as well, after his brief departure from the team.
It is also clear that Thomas Lorentzen will play a key role in the food, as he has been at the helm of operations now for a little over three years. Keli Ingi, celebrated bartender will continue to bring us inventive cocktails. Jon helpfully adds that, “there will be no 8,000 ISK steak” — a comfort in these times.
Skál will continue to be operational at Hlemmur while its Njálsgatalocation is readied. An early summer opening is on the cards for the 40-seater restaurant.
New location
“It’s not a change in concept,” clarifies Thomas, “it’s a matter of having your own front door, being more in control of all aspects of the experience we want to give our guests. It will definitely allow us to focus more on our product. What we have done the last three years is to improve on what we have been doing.”
Karl Petersson/Supplied Photo
Jonathan chimes in, “we will have table service, a lot more of a personal touch with our diners. But we are going to maintain the rock and roll,” he smiles, “it’s part of who we are. We want to expand on the Skál experience. A little more detail, a little more love. We are excited to see how we are going to make that happen.
The Njálsgata location is seeing a massive overhaul as the team has roped in professionals to change it from what used to be an ice-cream store to a chic eatery. “Everything has been gutted,” chuckles Thomas. There are plans to have street seating on good weather days, highlighting the curb appeal of its proximity to Oðinstorg.
What remains the same
Part of the appeal of Skál at Hlemmur was the immediacy of the dining experience. There is an energy around the kitchen that the team manages to infect its diners with, that has pretty much been a constant at the restaurant.
Who can forget the rowdy rambunctious pop-up a few years ago, when Les Enfant Du Marche took over the restaurant? What was meant to be a dine and dash experience ended up being an all out, all night memorable extravaganza with extra dishes, endless wines and excellent conversations across the bar and kitchen.
Jon and Thomas both laugh as they shake their heads recalling, “it was a crazy night. But that is the Skál way. Bringing in the Hlemmur bar vibe is essential to us. It was a big part of the experience — to be able to interact with guests, to be immediate and intimate. We will definitely retain bar seats at the new location and not separate the kitchen and guests so much.”
“We know what we want to bring. There is an atmosphere we want to create. Will there be a price increase, I don’t know yet. If there is, it won’t be noticeable,” Thomas says about the changes. “We want to maintain our status as the best value for money in the city.”
On changes, if any, regarding the food and wine, he shares, “I want to maintain what I am doing right now. I want to focus on Icelandic products, not just products produced in Iceland, but explore what is in the water, what is in the air.” He pauses before adding, “I think there is a lot here that has not been utilized. I’m going to regret saying this,” he laughs, “but there has to be something more interesting than just cod as fish-of-the-day lunch specials.”
Karl Petersson/Supplied Photo
“People have this confidence in what we do, the way we do, it allows us to try new things that other places couldn’t get away with. And actually people are expecting us to do this. They come and try the menu, and then, we have to do something new for people to come back. For me it is an amazing privilege, that we can do something new and people expect us to do something new and they’ll like it.”
Jon adds, “The mainstay of Skál is experimentation and making it fun. Like the Skál lemonade, it is never just a lemonade. It’s seasonal, accessible and fun. For me particularly, to lower the price of wine is important.” Bringing in high levels of wine at extremely affordable prices is vital, he believes. “Why not try a Sicilian orange today? We want dining to not be intimidating. And I want to make it even more accessible than it is.”
Thomas shares his vision for the brick and mortar location: “People drop in after work, not necessarily with big plans… you might come in for a drink but end up spending two and a half hours getting a few dishes, a cocktail, another bottle of wine. We don’t want it to be a sit down experience, where you sit and wait for dishes course after course. We find it boring ourselves. I cook the food I want to eat, Keli makes the cocktails he wants to drink and Jon brings in wines he likes to drink.”
When I ask them what is the secret formula to their continued success, Thomas is quick, “Don’t sell products you don’t enjoy yourself!” he exclaims. “We want our guests to leave happy, curious, challenged maybe.” I can’t help but ask if this stand-alone location is a conscious effort to attract attention from Michelin. Thomas is clear.“If Michelin wants to drop by, they are more than welcome, but we cook for our guests.”
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