Wining, Dining, Nightlife
The taster’s choice

THE ICELAND TOURIST BOARD recently conducted a survey among American travelers to Iceland, in which they were asked what they thought of the country’s culinary offerings. Happily, the vast majority found that the quality of dining in Iceland was simply exceptional, and an excellent value for the money.

Top Icelandic chefs are in a league of their own. Trained abroad, they have learned to combine the best that Icelandic nature has to offer with the world’s top culinary traditions. Many have collected international awards for their unique and innovative use of Iceland’s exquisite raw ingredients - with Icelandic seafood drawn fresh from the ocean daily surely topping the list. In addition to the more common types of fish such as cod and halibut, usually prepared in unique ways, more exotic types of fish such as starry ray, monkfish, and plaice grace the menus of a number of restaurants.

But let us turn now to Icelandic lamb, which roams wild and feeds on heather, herbs and grasses throughout the summer. It is exquisite - unfailingly delicious with a flavor reminiscent of game - all natural and free of hormones, as are virtually all of Iceland’s meat products.

Charm, style, and fantastic cuisine may be found at Vid Tjornina, Apotek, The Pearl, La Primavera, Italia, Sommelier, Hotel Holt, Siggi Hall at Odinsve, A Borginni at Hotel Borg and Laekjarbrekka. Yet this list, it should be noted, is by no means exhaustive.
Please note that prices on the menu always include all taxes and gratuities. It is strongly suggested that you make dinner reservations.

Also, in Reykjavik, many American fast-food chains are represented. And while on the subject of fast food, Icelanders have their own special favorite: the “Baejarins bestu” hot dog stand, located at the corner of the streets Posthusstraeti and Tryggvagata. People have been lining up there for delectable, secret-recipe hot dogs every day for decades!

Generally, lunch is served at most restaurants between 12 and 2 p.m., while dinner is served between 7 and 10:30 p.m. Cafés and coffee shops usually offer light meals throughout the day, served in a relaxed and often cultured atmosphere, with art exhibitions gracing the walls. Now on to food that is uniquely and exquisitely Icelandic and can be purchased in just about any supermarket. Various seafood products are sold vacuum-packed: delicacies such as smoked salmon, smoked trout, or gravlax (dill-cured salmon). These are, of course, particularly convenient for you to take back home. Icelandic lobster and shrimp are exquisite, herring is prepared and sold in countless ways, and lumpfish caviar tweaks the taste buds as it melts on the tongue.

For those daring enough to try such exotic foods as cured shark or soured ram’s testicles (when in season!), the food section of the Kolaportid Market would be the place to check out. Tourists should definitely not let the experience of hardfiskur - dried haddock, cod or ocean catfish - pass them by. Most people agree that it tastes delicious, especially when eaten with butter.

Speaking of dairy products - Iceland has a diverse selection of cheeses, all renowned for their Radisson SAS Saga Hotel Haukur Snorrasonquality and taste. And no sampling of dairy products would be complete without skyr, a traditional dish the Icelandic nation has enjoyed for centuries. In flavor and consistency it is somewhat of a cross between yogurt and cream cheese, and it can be purchased plain or flavored, traditional or with cream. Many Icelandic agricultural products are farmed organically and in fact the use of various additives and agents has traditionally been avoided.

Coolville, Planet Earth
Some visitors, especially those with money to spend, often fly over to Reykjavik for the weekend - just to embrace the night. Fashionable international publications send their writers and photographers over to document the action, and get back elaborate stories about the bizarre, the colorful, and the profound. In the evening, the downtown area teems with activity, reaching its peak on Friday and Saturday. The number of pubs, cafés, discos, and other night-spots in the downtown area is astonishing - as though just about every other door led into a hopping, throbbing, pulsating hub of activity.

There is a rich variety of places to go: Europeanstyle cafes, chic bars for dancing and peoplewatching, nightclubs with live entertainment, discos, dance halls for seniors, alternative-lifestyle clubs, sports-theme pubs with big TV screens, romantic piano lounges, Irish pubs, French wine bars... yes, the list could go on. New places, it seems, open every week - each trying to outdo the other in terms of innovation and chic. Just to name a few: NASA, Prikid, Thorvaldsensbar, ORO, Astro, Gaukur a
Stong, Sirkus, and Kaffibarinn.

Now, you may just venture after dinner, primed and eager to experience some of the fun and excitement we’ve been describing - and find none! Well, do not despair. Here’s the scoop: It is an informal tradition for Icelanders to gather at intimate
‘house parties’ before hitting the city nightlife. Between midnight and 1 a.m., things are usually starting to hop - after which lines are quick to form outside the most popular places.

As for opening hours, most places close around 1 a.m. on weekdays, 6 a.m. on weekends, though some stay open longer. Late night, particularly in the summer, the downtown area takes on a carnival-like atmosphere. For the Icelanders, especially in the perpetual daylight of summer, the night is always young.