I had two goals for this trip; to see the Northern Lights and to ride an Icelandic horse. (Check and check!) Despite the trip falling on Thanksgiving week, this was not a food-focused adventure. Icelandâs food culture is simple and reflects the harsh climate and isolation. Limited sunlight and a lack of farmable land donât necessarily create a great set-up for culinary creations. That being said, I had several decent meals while in ReykjavĂk! Here are a few of my highlights:
Braud&Co - I knew the winter days would be shorter, but I wasnât expecting the sun to rise at 10 am. It was so strange waking up to pitch black every morning, but at least Braud&Co was within walking distance. I had read that this place had the âbest cinnamon rollsâ and honestlyâŠitâs true.
BĂŠjarins Beztu Pylsur - Anyone who knows me knows I love a hot dog. So naturally, I had to stop by BĂŠjarins Beztu Pylsur, a hot dog stand that has been around since 1937. I got it with âeverything on itâ and I have no idea what that consists of but it was great.
SkĂĄl - Since my trip was so short, I couldnât go to every restaurant on my list but I had to squeeze SkĂĄl in. So I went from a hot dog to Michelin. (Typical me!) I ordered the hand-dived scallops with red currant granita, horseradish cream and hazelnut oil with a grilled orange lemonade. Insanely fresh and delicious, of course.
I found Icelandic currency to be so confusing, so most of the time I just put my card down and suffered the consequences of looking at my bank account later. After paying the bill, I tried to convert it myself and my heart sank when I thought I spent $250 on six little scallops in a seashell. (Good news, it was only $25. Iâm just really bad at math.)
Grazie Trattoria - After a long day of exploring in the cold, I really just wanted something warm and pasta always hits the spot. Alcohol is very expensive in Iceland so I hadnât been getting my usual cocktail with every meal. But I couldnât help myself when I saw a negroniâŠspagliatoâŠwith prosecco in itâŠon the menu.
ROK - On my last night, I went to ROK for some modern Icelandic classics. I ordered the arctic char with roasted potatoes and cured reindeer. Not my favorite, but to be honest, I really just wanted to say I tried reindeer. I also had a gingerbread crÚme brûlée to get in the holiday spirit.
Cafe Loki - While ROK was modern Icelandic food, Cafe Loki was traditional. Rye bread, dried fish with butter, fermented shark with a shot of BrennivinâŠletâs just say it wasnât my most looked-forward-to meal of the trip. (As if anyone was making me eat it.) The morning before my flight, I knew it was now or never. The rye bread was good, the dried fish was okay but a little hard to chew, and the fermented shark was not as bad as I was expecting. Itâs really the aftertaste that got me. Luckily, the rye bread ice cream was a good palette cleanser.
Thanks for reading, sweeties! đ
You are definitely braver than I am with trying bizarre food! I told my students about the curried reindeer and they wanted to know WHICH reindeer you ate. I said it was Donner.