Reykjavik, Iceland: Saegreifinn

New York Times

By MARK BITTMAN
Published: November 12, 2006

 

 

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Reykjavik, Iceland: Saegreifinn

 

The archetypical lobster soup is in Reykjavik, exactly where you’d expect to find it: near the water, at a place called Saegreifinn, a sort of fish shack owned by a retired fisherman named Kjartan Halldorsson.

 

Saegreifinn, or Sea Baron, is generally known as the best informal place in town to find this particular local specialty (some of the other offerings, like hakarl, cubes of putrefied shark, are far less appealing), and no wonder: Mr. Halldorsson’s version is a bold, rich stew, featuring the local lobster — which is, in form, somewhere between a very large shrimp and a very small lobster, with most of the meat in the tail.

 

The concoction, called humarsupa, is straightforward, traditional, glaringly honest, delicious and the first thing you should eat when you arrive in town. Although the lobster is as local as it gets (it’s fished and cooked throughout Iceland, and featured in many if not most restaurants), other ingredients are hard to come by here, so the vegetable content is pretty much fixed at celery, red pepper and tomato. But the distinctive Northern European flavor profile — the soup is slightly sweet, with a bit of cream and hints of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and maybe coriander — doesn’t change, and neither does the generous amount of high-quality lobster.

 

It’s unlikely that Reykjavik will ever be a culinary destination, but that doesn’t mean you can’t eat well here. The adventuresome diner will find a couple of other unusual temptations at Saegreifinn. First, there’s the not quite politically incorrect minke whale meat (a species that is not endangered, and perfectly legal in Iceland), served two ways: heavily smoked, on slices of bread, or skewered, flavored with soy sauce (how long has that been available in Iceland?) and grilled with vegetables. Either way, the meat is just about indistinguishable from tenderloin of beef.

 

Even more exotic is the grilled cormorant, a sea bird that belies expectations by being not at all fishy but resembling squab in taste, color and texture. Shark is another option and, in season, the famous local puffin. Side dishes include good roasted potatoes and a standard potato salad.

 

As you’ve probably guessed, Saegreifinn is not a sleek place. Rather it follows the near-universal North Atlantic pattern for seafood shacks — crude stools made from fish-packing containers, tables of barely finished wooden planks, plastic foam bowls and plastic spoons, and the ubiquitous nautical décor. There is no pretense, and at 750 kronur, about $11 at 70 kronur to the dollar, for its lobster soup, you cannot do better.

 

 

 

Rates for 2007 - Private Tour Groups

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Reykjavik Sightseeing Tours - Adult Groups

 

The Original Haunted Walk of Reykjavik

ISK. 1.500,- per person (minimum 10 participants, ), for larger groups please contact us for a quote. 1/10 free of charge.

 

Reykjavik Sightseeing Tours - Student Groups (elementary or high school)

ISK. 1.000,- per person (minimum 10 participants, ), for larger groups please contact us for a quote. 1/10 free of charge.

 

Other tours like Elves and Hidden people of Reykjavik and Evening Capfire tour upon request.

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