Wandering Publicist

After our long first day exploring Iceland, my mom and I headed into town for our dinner reservation at the swanky Grillmarkadurinn. We rolled up in our leggings, gym shoes and red raincoats and as a New Yorker, I instantly wondered if they would let us in or not. Now, I cant imagine anyone ever being rejected from an establishment in Iceland. The culture is chilled out and the country’s weather has made sport attire normal for any sort of activity.

We sat down at our table and let out a sigh of relief to finally be having a real meal. Of course, glasses of wine were ordered immediately 😉 We ordered the grilled rack of lamb topped with crispy kale featuring a delectable assortment of sauces, along with the fish gourmet dish including salmon, red fish and cod.  We almost ordered dessert. But let me tell you, food is NOT cheap here. Dessert cost about 24 DOLLARS. Yeah, no, I’m good bro.

Second night in town, we headed to Fish & More where we indulged in fresh fish. I had the incredible traditional “Plokkfiskur,” which resembles a casserole concoction and mom had the catch of the day. We were enticed into ordering beers because of the awesomely huge Viking glasses. Gotta do it for the ‘gram, right?!

On the one day we weren’t rushing out of the house at 8am to begin our adventures, we indulged in brunch at the famed Cafe Loki. This authentic cafe boasts a menu filled with traditional Icelandic dishes and its signature Rye ice-cream. I highly recommend the spelt bagel with smoked trout, which you can see in the photo below.

Our third evening meal was by far the star. We randomly stumbled into Kol Restaurant, located around the corner from Cafe Loki. We didn’t have a reservation but were seated in under 10 minutes. It was smaller than Grillmarkadurinn, but this made it feel more authentic.  It was here that we experienced the first of what would become an unexpected bread and butter culinary experience in both Iceland and Norway, (which is where we headed after Iceland).  The bread at Kol was black and served with a luxurious butter infused with lemongrass and basil. We were shocked by how delicious and natural it all tasted. We could tell there were no preservatives in this heavenly, fluffy butter.

After a few moments of hesitation, I finally ordered the charred salmon with a side of home-fries, because fries make me happy. For dessert, we decided on the cheese cake which comes with pieces of black licorice on top. Our waitress let us know that everyone is Iceland is OBSESSED with licorice and will put it on ANYTHING. Everything was simply delicious. Highly recommend this place if you want to splurge on one meal.

We spent our last evening in Iceland releaxing in the famous Blue Lagoon. Afterwards, we decided to check out the onsite restaurant Lava. As usual, the bread didn’t dissapoint. The butter was scrumptous and we devoured four rolls in under 5 minutes. We ordered more delicous lamb and indulged in a delictable cheese plate.

At this time of year, Iceland experiences the phenomenon of midnight sun, so it looks like its 7pm at midnight.  It is a really cool to experience. People are out and about at all hours. After dinner one night, we heard loud music and naturally followed it. It lead us to a bar called Bankastraeti 5. This bar has retro purple lighting and a very spacious dancing area with tables and booths off to the side. We lingered for about 30 minutes enjoying the fun energy and lively music.

We also checked out a micro brewery called Kaldi Bar, where we had a few beers and chatted with locals. It was packed on a Saturday night which is to be expected and had an authentic vibe.

Finding an “Icelandic” wool sweater is easy; finding an authentic one is a bit harder. If you can splurge a bit, there are stores that have the weavers name and the number sweater written down. The Hand-knitting Associate of Iceland is a good choice.

My mom picked up some ceramics for her home in a chic, artsy gallery. Kaolin Ceramic Gallery is run by nine local artists. We saw a lot of beautiful cups and bowls, and some neat jewelry too!

I was drawn to a pair of adorable red and black Lemon Jelly brand rain boots in the window of a boutique called 16a, which was my only splurge in Iceland (and I desperately needed boots since mine got ruined when I blindly stepped into calf length mud at Skogafoss). The space was chic and it was just us and the owner that day. She was so kind and helpful. It was a very pleasant shopping experience.

My time spent in Reykjavik was blissful. Nothing felt rushed and I was able to enjoy leisurely strolling the streets without hearing a car horn blast or any of the usual NYC street behavior. Soak up every moment of this relaxing and beautiful city.

XO,

Sarah