I had heard quite a bit about Reykjavik’s Gallery Restaurant before I dined there. Eager to explore the best restaurants in Reykjavik…..the ones where the foodies hung out, I was curious to know what locals thought was amazing….and why. Gallery Restaurant came up regularly on the must do list and since I was staying at the Hotel Holt, which is home to the restaurant, it made it that much easier. (See our Hotel Holt write-up/top hotels in Reykjavik).
The restaurant has always been a leader among Icelandic fine dining operators since it opened in 1965 and in those days, a couple of the lounge areas on the ground floor were used to smoke cigars and drink cognac. Head chef, Friðgeir Ingi Eiríksson revamped the restaurant over the past few years, winning it the Nordic Prize on behalf of Iceland last year.
Friðgeir Ingi Eiríksson also holds cooking classes from 5 pm to 8 pm, which includes 90 minutes of personal training on how to cook things the way they are prepared on the menu. He brings in his expertise from working and cooking in France at the Michelin starred restaurant Domaine de Clairfontaine near Lyon. The cost for the class is 15.900 kronas per person (120 exchange rate for the US $ at the time of writing this).
After you’ve gone through the course, you’ll be even more eager to dine at the restaurant. You can choose from the Chef’s Menu or order ala carte – we decided to go for a little of both. On the chef’s menu includes Salted Cod (an Icelandic specialty), served with dried tomatoes, apricots, tomato, emlusion and basil sorbet, followed by Slow Steamed Plaice with apples, celery and vodka sauce. Then, they serve a fillet of lamb with lamb belly, which is served with crispy parma ham, capers and tomatoes. They started us off with a raw salmon sashimi and lobster soup with white chocolate foam and marinated cod “taster,” followed by the Salted Cod. The basil sorbet was a curiously surprising add-on and was a delicious blend to a dish that is normally prepared a little more traditionally.
Now for my favorite! The Kangaroo Steak and you are correct, Iceland is a far away from Australia and yet…..the steak was served with beet root dumplings and fried bok choy and paired with a 2009 Futures Shiraz. I was still thinking about this dish two days later.
Milk fed veal and pan fried foie gras with celery root and sauce “Jura”.
They also offered the choice of a T-Bone or Ribeye steak, served with crispy Belgian fries and Béarnaise sauce.
Herb poached starry ray “Grenobles” with potatoes and citrus fruits. Exquisite!
Beef tenderloin and beef ravioli with spinach “puree”and port wine sauce.
If you are still up for more, then go ahead and dive into one of their desserts, which includes an apple “tarte au tain“ sable and extragon ice cream, chocolate dream with figs and seasoned ice cream, lemon tart, orange cake and sour ice cream, a traditional French crème brûlée or a warm plum “crumble” served with vanilla ice cream.
We give Gallery Restaurant a serious nod of approval, 2 thumbs up and our strongest recommendation. Like everything else done in Holt style, the service was impeccable as was the surrounding decor and ambiance. While the restaurant is small, it is its very size that gives the place its warm, character and intimacy. Like the rest of the hotel, there is traditional art adorning its walls. Hotel Holt has the largest independent art collection in Iceland and the restaurant shares that wall space. See our write up on the “art” in the hotel which includes some fabulous photos of the collection.
Note: I was hosted by the Gallery Restaurant, but all opinions expressed here are my own. See our write up on Hotel Holt, which houses the Gallery Restaurant. Go here for more on Iceland food and Iceland restaurants. And, here for more in general Traveling to Iceland.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
