Matur og Drykkur offers traditional Icelandic cuisine with a modern twist and is located in an old Salt Fish factory by the harbor area, called Grandi. Built in 1924 and used as a salt fish factory until the end of the 60’s, now the building has a small museum open during the day and this restaurant.
We were greeted with the traditional Icelandic spirit -
Brennivan aka the Black Death - a clear, unsweetened schnapps that is made from fermented grain or potato mash and flavored with caraway.
We decided to go with their 8-course tasting menu - regular Icelandic for Keith and Vegetarian for me. To start, Keith was served a trio of:
dried fish, whey butter
and pickled dulse;
trout smoked with
sheep’s dung, served with horseradish on toasted flatbread; and
double-smoked lamb
with buttermilk and nutmeg.
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| A closeup of the beets with Icelandic goat cheese - yum! |
My vegetarian version featured seaweed chips with dill skyr; Icelandic goat cheese, honey pickled and smoked beets, oat and beer chips; and malt pickled carrots with horseradish on burnt flatbread.
Next was the soup course -
Halibut Soup with mussels,
apples and raisins for Keith and
Rutabaga Soup with red beet caviar and sunflower seeds for me. My soup was more creamy and thick, while Keith's had a light briny broth. Both were excellent.
For his main dish, Keith chose the
Lamb with grated lamb heart,
red cabbage, and rhubarb. It was cooked perfectly, though he wished for a bit more of the grated lamb.
I enjoyed the simple dish of
Baked Cabbage with rutabaga and kale puree, goat cheese and roasted walnuts. It was surprisingly satisfying and filling. The pickled onions provided that extra pucker to each bite.
Our first dessert was a beautiful bowl of
Vanilla Skyr with Blueberry Granita,
blueberries and oats. This thick Icelandic yogurt was so silky with just the right amount of sweetness. I loved it.
Lastly, we ate
Icelandic Twisted Doughnuts
with caramelized whey. These were okay; it was fun to try but I think I was just too full to really appreciate them.
Overall, we had a lovely meal at this quaint restaurant, and am happy that Keith got to try a true Icelandic experience. Beer or wine pairing are also available with the tasting menu, and are a great deal as opposed to ordering drinks a la carte.
Total Rating:
4.03
Food: 4.5, Price: 3, Service: 4, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 5
