Words by

Sveinn Birkir Björnsson

Victor is one of the many places in Reykjavík that try to maintain balance on the fine line between being a restaurant and a bar. Understandably, this can be a difficult line to tread since the bar format does not necessarily make for a classy restaurant. In Victor’s case, this situation is greatly improved by the fabulous location. Situated right by Ingólfstorg Square, the large windows offer a good view of the surroundings. There is something inherently good about sitting inside Victor and watching the skaters perform tricks on the square. In the summertime, the tables on the sidewalk also offer a perfect place to enjoy the sun with a cold beer, or another beverage of your choosing.
But lets try to focus on the food for a moment and forget about the fabulous location. Victor offers a pretty good selection of the more or less standard lunch menu, rich in pasta dishes, various sandwiches (the Club FM sandwich is a mini-legend in this town), hamburgers and other small dishes. Starters are typically priced around 1000 ISK, while the sandwiches and burgers top out around 1500 ISK, freedom fries included.
Victor also offers a more elaborate ‘meat and fish’ menu, with prices ranging from 2-3000 typically, which is a little high in my opinion, compared to other similar places in the near vicinity, although some of the selection sounded positively exciting. My companion opted for the Wiener schnitzel, which I understand is a popular dish with the over 70 crowd. The dish was served without the obligatory slice of lemon, a crime punishable by death in some countries, in particular Austria. After this mistake had been corrected, my companion readily admitted that the dish was good.
Myself, I opted for the BBQ spare-ribs. I think I made a wise choice; the ribs were good, although if I had to do it again, I would probably order something a little less messy. The soup of the day was included with both dishes, but I think the less is said about that, the better.
It is worth pointing out that Victor offers what they call ‘the tourist menu,’ which a reasonably priced three course meal inspired by Icelandic cuisine, featuring the all-Icelandic fish stew among other dishes. That is a pretty sweet deal for 3,200 ISK.