Reykjavik: where to eat, drink and stay in the capital of Iceland

Mary Lussiana on how to spend a weekend in Iceland's largest city
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Mary Lussiana4 July 2016

With tourism now well surpassing fishing as Iceland’s biggest industry, the small capital of Reykjavik is opening hotels and restaurants as fast as it can, capitalising on the influx of visitors. Perhaps more will follow now that the country’s football team has been thrust into the spotlight during the Euros, their first major tournament. The ground has already been broken for the city’s first five-star hotel, an Edition, from the design-led Schrager-Marriott team. It’s taking shape next door to the striking Harpa Concert Hall, which kick-started the revitalisation of the harbour area in 2011.

Now it is the turn of Grandi, a neighbouring district further west along the waterfront. It was once the domain of fishermen but today the old sheds used for drying and storing fish are being turned into contemporary boutiques, colourful ice-cream parlours and cutting-edge restaurants, with new museums adding to the vibrancy.

The acclaimed Ion Adventure Hotel, set among the lava fields some 40 minutes’ drive east, is rolling out an urban version in the centre of the capital. Eighteen rooms and a design that draws inspiration from the country’s landscapes will be topped by a penthouse suite with a sauna on the balcony, from which to gaze at the snow-capped mountains across the water. When it opens in autumn, there will be even more reason to use Reykjavik as a stopover for transatlantic flights, a trend that is growing in popularity.

Bed down: med beds

The latest kid on the block is the Apotek Hotel (00 354 512 9000; keahotels.is; doubles from £193), built in 1917 by the state architect, Guðjón Samúelsson and one of the city’s oldest buildings. Originally the Reykjavik Apothecary, its recent conversion to a boutique hotel brims with a sense of place, enhanced by the Guðmundur Einarsson sculptures that line the spiral staircase. Rooms overlook the Parliament House, hewn from Icelandic stone.

Close to the Harpa Concert Hall is the 101 Hotel (00 354 580 0101; 101hotel.is; doubles from £200) — long a benchmark of luxury in the city. Its design-driven rooms are sleek and simple and its fireside bar comes complete with skilled mixologist.

Fed & watered: keep it local

Hot dogs are a popular snack in Iceland, and when Bill Clinton ate one at the Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur stand, on Tryggvagata, in 2004, it became a tourist attraction, although it still remains a favourite with locals. So too does high-end fare such as the gourmet tasting menu (ISK 7,990/£48) woven from local ingredients (puffin, Icelandic lamb) at the Apotek Restaurant (00 354 551 0011; apotekrestaurant.is).

A hot dog from Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur
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Dill (00 354 552 1522; dillrestaurant.is; evenings only) has a handful of tables surrounded by rough plastered walls, mismatched old doorways and wooden rafters, making a striking contrast to the delicate dishes delivered by chef Ragnar Eriksson, such as tusk fish, kale and black garlic or beetroot, cherries and dried guillemot. There are five- and seven-course tasting menus from ISK 11,900 (£72).

For lunch, head to Grandi and the new Matur og Drykkur (00 354 571 8877; maturogdrykkur.is), where the menu is inspired by an old Icelandic cookbook that the chef, Steinar Sveinsson’s grandmother used to cook from, resulting in dishes such as trout smoked in sheep’s dung, horseradish and burnt flatbread or double-smoked lamb with buttermilk and nutmeg. It’s a cosy, rough-and-ready restaurant with an open kitchen and a delicious house drink of einstok white ale with a syrup of honey, thyme and meadowsweet. The three-course menu of the day is ISK 5,990 (£36).

For sweet temptations, pop across the road to the Valdis (00 354 586 8088; valdis.is), an old fish-drying shed that’s now an ice-cream parlour. Flavours include liquorice, which comes in both salt and pepper versions.

The Whales of Iceland Museum

While Brennivín, a clear, unsweetened schnapps, is still Iceland’s go-to drink, Kaldi, an additive-free microbrew is garnering a loyal following. Try it, along with a variety of other beers, at Kaldi Bar (00 354 581 2200; kaldibar.com).

In the bag: superior souvenirs

Icelandic wool jumpers proliferate but make time to dip into lifestyle and accessory shops such as Aurum (00 354 551 2770; aurum.is), where interesting jewellery designed by Guðbjörg Kristín Ingvarsdóttir can be found. Her delicate, nature-inspired, silver pieces have won commissions from Everest film director Baltazar Komákur and his wife. Home décor pieces include original Notknot pillows and striking graphic designs of Icelandic proverbs.

Soley organics, a delicious-smelling range of face creams (and a rhubarb- scented candle that is alone worth travelling here for), are available at Inspired by Iceland (Bankastræti 11), a new shop that gathers under one roof the country’s best, from liquorice salt and “beard and body soap fit for a Viking”.

Hallgrímskirkja is a Reykjavik landmark
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Cultural agenda: abstract art and walking tours

The contemporary i8 Art Gallery (00 354 551 3666; i8.is) is currently exhibiting work by Edinburgh-born abstract artist Calum Innes, while close by, the new Whales of Iceland Museum (00 354 571 0077; whalesoficeland.is) hosts the largest whale exhibition in Europe.

The free Walking Tour (citywalk.is) is a two-hour guided trail past some of Reykjavik’s most interesting sights, starting at the Parliament Building. Not to be missed is the Lutheran Church of Hallgrímskirkja (hallgrimskirkja.is), a landmark of the city that soars upwards above the skyline and is said to resemble the basalt lava flows of Iceland’s landscape.

DETAILS: REYKJAVIK​

Wow Air (0118 321 8384; wowair.co.uk) flies from Gatwick to Reykjavik.

The Reykjavik City Card, available from the Tourist Information Centre, gives free entry to many museums, galleries and thermal pools as well as unlimited travel by bus (visitreykjavik.is): 24 hours costs ISK 3,500 (£21).

The Flybus (Reykjavik Excursions; re.is/flybus) operates between Keflavik Airport and the main bus terminal. Returns ISK 4,000 (£24).

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