I can say without hesitation that Argentína is the best place in the world for a red meat-loving person to have a special celebration. Reykjavík has some great chefs and all sorts of nifty sauces, but with all the discussion of fish…

The atmosphere and the service are vital accompaniments to what is surely the star of any evening – the food. Skólabrú emphasises French-influenced Icelandic cuisine, so you can expect the usual lamb, salt cod and skyr offerings, as well as slightly more…

You end up with mixed feelings about that famous international corporation, Shell. Here in Iceland, Shell has been tied to one of the greater shames of the last few years, a price fixing scandal that cost local consumers millions. On the other…

You are what you eat. Capitalizing on this cliché is Maður Lifandi, a one-year-old addition to the small collection of health food / vegetarian restaurants that dot Reykjavík. Maður Lifandi’s point of differentiation is that it is not only a restaurant, but…

It took a while to get the attention of the staff at Hótel Borg when we first arrived. A gaggle of Norwegian visitors were mingling in the bar and monopolizing the resources of the only two waiters in the restaurant. Since the…

While Iceland boasts the most profitable Dominos and the largest Kentucky Fried Chicken in Europe, the local versions of fast food sometimes outdo the more uniform imports. For a very tasty case in point, take Chester Fried Chicken, available at the deli…

The world’s richest country is imitated and emulated a lot. At American Style, it’s burgers that face the test. With diner-style seating and huge black and white prints of rock stars new and old, the place feels like it could be in…

Before Banthai, “world cuisine” used to mean ordering a pizza. It’s been serving authentic Thai food to curious Icelanders for 14 years. Hopefully it is no longer the curiosity to try something “exotic” that brings people here, but simply the desire to…

It was snowing when we arrived at Skólabrú. Once we climbed up the stairs and were nestled snugly inside this old schoolhouse from 1906, it was cosy and comforting to gaze out of the windows to the winter wonderland below. Rose petals…

Bezt í Heimi: The Truck at Prikið You can use the Icelandic “vörubíll” if you want, but everyone will look at you funny. No, when you enter Prikið at the hour of the grimace, 2 pm on a Saturday, you should wander…

If you’re an immigrant living in this country, you have probably been to Cultura. It’s inside the Alþjóðahúsið (Intercultural Centre) and is usually one of the first stops for any new arrival to Iceland. If you’re a student or under 25, you…

It’s hard to be objective about a place when you’ve been so many times before and have already formed some conclusions. When eating rather than clubbing here, it’s still the Thorvaldsen atmosphere you are used to. There are lots of inoffensive beige…

Never heard of it? I hadn’t either. Although it’s been around over ten years, attached to the Foss Hotel on Rauðarárstígur, the place hasn’t generated enough chatter for it to appear on people’s dinner radars. That’s quite understandable. Several slick eateries have…

Let’s first get one thing straight – Indian food in Iceland is not like in the UK; it is less spicy, more difficult to find, and inevitably more expensive. Of course there is good Indian cuisine here, but price and quality are…

I approached with trepidation, the usual clichés at the ready: “trendy and upscale bar-bistro with modern and chic Scandinavian design”. Does Reykjavík really need another one of these places and can they ever be distinguished from each other? I was very pleasantly…

If you splurge on one meal out this year, make it at the Seafood Cellar. This dining experience is so enjoyable that everyone should know about it. That’s actually how this place became so popular. Although it has only been open for…

A Chinese friend of mine once told me that the quality of a Chinese restaurant is directly proportionate to the number of Chinese people dining there on any given evening. She called it “the origin of menu principle” and used it as…

It’s the kind of place your parents could have been going to religiously every Monday for the last 20 years. Lauga Ás proudly proclaims itself the oldest restaurant in Reykjavík, which speaks for its popularity in a land of fads and trends.…

There seem to be three things that are crucial to the successful running of the bistro-bars that are ubiquitous in Reykjavík: 1. Good food, preferably served with artistically drizzled balsamic glaze 2. Surroundings that are comfortable for anyone from laptop users or…

Next to the menu on display outside Siggi Hall is a selection of quotes from various illustrious sources: “The food is amazing” (CNN); “Might be worth a trip to Iceland all by itself” (Forbes). It would seem from what is written here…

How do you take a quaint restaurant with the kind of consistently good Italian that always goes with the Chianti that comes in a wicker basket? Well, you make it affordable. Hornið, which has been in the same location for 20 years,…

Then there was that splendid vegetarian restaurant. Á næstu grösum, it’s called. Probably this place is everything that world weary pop stars would seek in Reykjavík … it’s a very pleasant little place where you will be served the best of wholesome…