Reykjavik

It felt a little surreal pulling into the parking spots outside FossHotel Reykjavik. In realizing we just completed driving the entire Ring Road, we high-fived and sat there for a minute. Huge moment. Big feelings. A lot of love for this country.

We had a blast in Reykjavik. It is expensive and colorful and welcoming and full of good European meets Viking energy. I was enamored with: the colorful street and sidewalk art, Hallgrímskirkja and the beautiful city views it affords, Langoustine soup, Lebowski Bar, and Harpa.

Here's a look at all my recommendations. 

Happy Hour Crawl / Drinks on Laugavegur: 

On and around the main strip of Laugavegur Street there's a ton of cool places to hang out. I highly recommend taking advantage of the various happy hours since drinks are $$$. The best happy hour was at Bravo, a chill space with comfy nooks and window seats, plus they had our favorite Einstock beers on draft! The divey cellar space at Koffin was also fun, it felt like a true local haunt. Kaffi Brennslan is where we had the grilled ham + cheese and waffle pictured, they also have a good selection of bottled beer and wine by the glass. Lebowski Bar at night is a must. Funky décor, good energy, a fantastic DJ, dancing, AND they have an entire menu dedicated to White Russians. I had the Pink Russian (2100 ISK) which adds strawberry liqueur and strawberry syrup to the classic vodka, Kahlua and cream. That plus a beer cost $30. Drink prices are no joke. Bar 11 had solid live music in the basement, and we noticed the entire space was dedicated to the only beer on draft: Tuborg. The owners must really love that beer! Finally, the Bjorgardurinn (Beer Garden) is a sleek industrial space located on the bottom floor of FossHotel Reykjavik (our lovely accommodations) and worth a trip off Laugavegur for the unique and worldly beer selection.

Lunch: I think lunch or afternoon snacking is best enjoyed at any of the following: Kaffi Brennslan, Cafe Babalu and others - the aforementioned cute and cozy coffee houses that serve soups, sandwiches, waffles, cakes, beer and wine. / Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur - the famous hot dog stand!! / Vöffluvagninn - the liege waffle food truck.

Dinner: The best meal of our entire trip was at Messinn. We strolled in early on a Friday evening with no reservation and they were fully booked. Luckily we were able to make one for late Saturday night. We had Cream of Lobster Soup (1.850 ISK) with cognac, and really fresh, beautiful pan-fried fish entrees: Ling (3.600 ISK) with chili, ginger, carrots, fennel, shrimp, brandy, arugula, lemon + butter and Fish Cheeks (3.400 ISK) with cherry tomatoes, lettuce, lemon + garlic butter. 

We had a light lunch at Rok on our last day. I wish we'd discovered this gem earlier! One of the more dynamic bar programs I came across in Reykjavik, I had the Hrutur (2.290 ISK) with Brennivin (Icelandic Schnapps), bjork liquor, pomme verde liquor, basil syrup and fresh basil. The cured salmon + avocado on brown bread and the sliced beef, caramelized onion + melted brie crostini were artfully composed and very, very good! Rok is open every day from 11:30 am - 11 pm. Whether brunch, lunch or dinner, it should be a definite on your list for a full meal.

Another favorite dinner was Lava at The Blue Lagoon. A few friends also recommended both Fiskmarkaðurinn and Grillmarkaðurinn - we didn't make it to either, they were expensive but looked like they might be worth a visit.

Lansdowne Pub | Brunch

Sunday morning on Lansdowne is an impeccably quiet scene. As I made my way down the deserted street which borders Fenway Park to the latest Boston Brunchers outing, signs of the previous nights debauchery lingered in the snow. The Lansdowne Pub banner twinkled in solidarity set against a blue bird sky with the Prudential Building towering in the distance. I was decidedly more content to settle into the spacious yet cozy Irish Pub at 10:30 am on a Sunday morning as opposed 10:30 pm on a Saturday night. Time of day aside, drinks were most certainly in order. (Pre-gaming for the Patriots playoff game sounds about right!) Many of us started off with one of three signature brunch cocktails. The Liquid Caramel Coffee combining Baileys, Kahlua, Butterscotch Snaps and milk was equally strong and sweet. There is no coffee in the drink (just coffee liqueur) so don't let the name mislead you.It is reminiscent of a white Russian minus the punch of vodka, swap in some creamy Baileys and sticky butterscotch. Liquid Caramel Russian, anyone?
Heavy and ornate chandeliers hang from exposed ceilings that meet brick walls adorned with Guinness paraphernalia and Irish Heritage décor. Pretty stained glass windows give way to snug booths and inviting rooms with iron fireplaces. I've been to The Lansdowne once before, last January as a matter of fact, for a Seasonal Beer Dinner which impressed far more than I expected from a Fenway Park bar. The weekend brunch was similarly impressive, though somehow I still did not expect the kitchen to turn out dishes as delicious as they did. The true test lies in the Traditional Irish Breakfast ($13) which is a well received plate of Irish bacon, white & black pudding, breakfast bangers, a grilled tomato, Batchelor's bean's and fried eggs. The homefries ($3 for a side portion) are excellent - golden brown and pleasantly crispy, void of excess grease and nicely laced with thin strands of onion. A monstrous slice of Lansdowne Pie ($10) where Irish ham, eggs, potatoes, spinach, onions and cheddar cheese are layered for days and surrounded by a toasty, flaky crust. Sometime around the new year I resolved to branch out at brunch. This means straying from my typical fare of Eggs Benedict (or anything with eggs, really) and Bloody Marys - if only just for a few meals in January. If there was ever a time to order Buttermilk Pancakes ($9), it would be the time they come topped with Baileys infused whipped cream and strawberries. The silky whipped cream melted into ultra light pancakes; these didn't sit heavy in your stomach like some pancakes tend to do. A golden buttery lacquer forms the exterior while the interior yields supreme fluffiness. I washed the pancakes down with a juicy mimosa.Since this meal was complimentary all I had to pay for was the waitresses tip. (You know I have to tell you that right? There is a blogger law somewhere that says so.) I try very hard not to let that influence my feelings about the food. Brunch here was great and I would have happily paid $9 for that beautiful plate of pancakes!

The Lansdowne Pub

9 Lansdowne St

Boston, MA 02215