“Icelandic Tapas” was a small restaurant in downtown Reykjavik that served their offerings in jars. You could buy a “single” jar or there was a 4 jar or a 6 jar price or a “chef 6 jar” offering. I selected the 6 jar offering but chose them myself.
My dinner was comprised of the following:
- Deep fried cod
- A small fancy version of “fish and chips” it was delicious.
- Wind dried salt fish with Icelandic butter
- A staple that can be bought in bags and eaten like chips. I did not find it be salty and the butter provided some “moisture” which made it easier to chew
- Harlark – Rotten Shark
- A small cube that smelled like a very stinky cheese and tasted like a chewy blubbery chunk of something. It was not horrible to taste but I think it is the smell that gets to people the most.
- Smoked salmon with red chili sauce
- An absolute staple on the island and it is simple to taste the freshness in the fish – it could not have been out of the water very long
- Lamb liver
- Small pieces that were delicious to taste but I would personally argue that the chef over cooked them as they were not “pink.”
- Potato fries with aioli dressing
The jars were 400 ISK each and so with my coke, dinner was 2800 ISK (or about $28 cdn). LOVED IT!!
In addition to “Icelandic Tapas”, “Tapas” is another upscale restaurant very close to the harbour. Would be a great place to go with a group as the portion sizes were very large. There was also a “chef selection” of 6 items that cost 7500 ISK (about $75 CDN). Various groups that I spoke to found the food, and the prices, to be exceptional.
- Saltfish with chorizo in a tomato and date sauce.
- The highlight was the tomato and date sauce which absolutely shined and provided an exceptional level of taste to the saltfish. Pairing a fish with a sausage was also very interesting and it was the chorizo that was in fact “saltier” than the saltfish which given their respective names would not have been expected.
- Rack of lamb in a samfaira and mint sauce.
- Done medium rare the lamb was exceptional. I would have preferred if the mint sauce was a little “more minty” as it seemed to lack that bite that comes from using enough mint in a sauce.
I had only 2 of some 60 possible tapas selections and it would have been a true pleasure to have dined there every night. It is “underground” and you have the feeling that you are going into a cavern or a cellar. The manager was exceptional as I was the only single diner and he seemed to spend a fair amount of time talking to me about the food.
I will definitely be dining there again as well on my next trip.