I discovered Mar Restaurant in Reykjavik Iceland through my pals Susanna and Eva (aka @icelandishot and @pinkiceland), who knew that the venue is relatively new and would be a great spot to test out for a review. On that note, it’s always a great idea to tap into locals for knowledge so you discover new places in addition to the ones which may be listed in your guidebook.
The team at Mar has stepped out of the box in their approach to serving seafood in Iceland. In other words, going for a Mediterranean seafood experience in a city that attracts tourists looking for an Icelandic seafood experience is bold. That said, Mar uses fish native to the area and supports all things local – they’re even part of the Elding group which among other things, does whale watching tours in the harbor. I love Reykjavik’s old harbor btw and there are a number of more informal places you can grab seafood on the fly as well as a fun burger joint on the corner intersection called “Burgerjoint.” Yes, really.
A mere few blocks away from this fabulous harbor energy lies Mar, which apparently has lamb on a spit most days in the summer immediately outside their restaurant doors. Their menu is inspired by South American and southern European cuisine – no typo there. Restaurant manager & co-founder and owner Jon Ingi was inspired by both South American and Mediterranean style cuisine so decided to combine them both. The original concept of Mar is designed by Hafsteinn Júlíusson and Karitas Sveinsdóttir who I unfortunately didn’t have a chance to meet.
The design is classic, simple and elegant. Even at lunch, you can get a simple Paidinia with parma ham, tomatoes, mozzarella and basil or the same with slightly salted cod and vegetables or with a fried lobster, zucchini, tomato jam and rucolo salad – all in the range of 1990 to 2400 krona. (120 krona to the dollar at the time of writing this).
They also do an amazing coconut and lime seafood soup, an incredible ceviche with oranges and popcorn, a rabbit rillet with dried parma ham, scallops with tiger prawn and butternut squash and our delicious starter: wild mushroom risotto with pan fried lobster. (Remember in Iceland, the lobsters are much smaller and a little sweeter, not the kind you’d get on a menu in NZ or New England in the United States). Other recommendations include the stuffed quail with sweet corn and orange sauce, the salmon with lime-star anise sauce and avocado salsa, the slow cooked rib with cabbage, mushroom and red pepper sauce, the fillet of lamb with vegetables and a thyme infused lamb jus and the monkfish wrapped in parma ham with a fennel salad, sweet corn and pepper sauce. Yum! Is your mouth watering yet?
Below is the wild mushroom risotto with pan fried lobster, a to die-for-dish! A must try if you are in Reykjavik.
During the day, there are simple choices such as their Piadinas as noted above. We sampled two of them: the Piadina with parma ham, tomatoes, mozzarella and basil and the Piadinia with lobster, zucchini, tomato jam and rucolo salad. To accompany, Jon paired them with a Trapiche Varietals Chardonnay. Sadly, our lunch wasn’t as “slow” and as “long” as I would have liked it to be due to a travel commitment so we didn’t have time to devour more of their chef’s deliciousness. Below is the lobster Piadina and as you move into a “foodie” orgasm, take a closer look at the extra fried (i rarely do deep fried, but I can assure you they are very very delicious) sweet potato fries, which are served with all Paidinas on the menu.
The aura and design of the restaurant itself? Clean and classic with a seafood “at-the-bay” harbor twist.
Below is Mar Restaurant’s Jon Ingi, who we had an opportunity to chat with over lunch.
We give it a two thumbs up. Our only wish is that we had more time and an opportunity to hang out with Jon and his crew for a little longer. Oh yeah…and an opportunity to try their fillet of lamb with thyme and their monkfish which is served with parma ham and fennel salad (love fennel), which is topped with a sweet corn and pepper sauce. GO Jon and team! We’re routing for your success!
Note: My lunch was hosted by the restaurant, but all opinions expressed here are entirely my own. Check out our Iceland food / Iceland Restaurant section for more.
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.
