Weekend In Reykjavik

   My wife wants to visit Reykjavik, Iceland - here is New York The Times 36 hours series visiting there -

September 19, 2013

36 Hours in Reykjavik

By INGRID K. WILLIAMS

The major news out of Iceland in recent years has not been good. First a banking collapse crippled the economy in 2008, and then a year and a half later, the volcanic eruption at Eyjafjallajokull halted air travel across the Atlantic and in Europe, frustrating millions. But signs of an upswing — economic and otherwise — can be spotted in Reykjavik, where this year the capital’s impressive new concert hall won the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Award, the European Union’s top prize for contemporary architecture. In other parts of town, new restaurants are embracing fresh local fare, and the bacchanalian night life is thumping with a crop of new bars and clubs. This winter has been predicted to be a particularly favorable time to observe the aurora borealis dancing across the night sky, but already Reykjavik is shining.

FRIDAY

3:30 p.m.
1. Hallowed Halls

To get your bearings, take the elevator to the top of the austere Hallgrimskirkja, an imposing pale gray church whose distinctive stepped-slope facade frames a tower (admission, 700 kronur, or about $6 at 118 kronur to the dollar) from which a bird’s-eye view of the city’s colorful rooftops and compact downtown awaits. Then return to sea level to marvel at the city’s newest architectural landmark: the Harpa concert hall, unveiled in May 2011, is a dazzling geometric structure that sits like a jewel on the waterfront. Home to Iceland’s symphony orchestra and opera, Harpa is well worth a visit even if only to gaze through the honeycomb-like glass facade, designed in collaboration with the Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson.

5:30 p.m.
2. Records and Reels

A modest two-story house fronted with corrugated metal is where you’ll find 12 Tonar, a small record store, listening room and gathering place for local musicians. The pocket-size shop often hosts live performances on Friday afternoons, with bands squeezed between bins and shelves in a setup reminiscent of NPR’s Tiny Desk concerts. After the show, head downstairs to listen to any album from the ever-changing selection, which is as varied as the influences that fuel Iceland’s experimental music scene. Prefer reels to records? Then stroll over to the cozy Bio Paradis, an independent four-screen cinema that opened in 2010 showing new movies, art-house flicks and Icelandic films (often with English subtitles), like the moving Sigur Ros documentary “Heima” about the band’s 2006 series of free, unannounced concerts around Iceland.

8 p.m.
3. Icelandic Tapas

Dine on a parade of creative small plates at Forrettabarinn, a new restaurant near the harbor that hums with convivial chatter. Glowing pendant lamps and eclectic artworks brighten the industrial interior, where groups of friends gather around long wooden tables to graze on locally sourced hot smoked salmon and plump blue mussels. A highlight of a recent meal was a plate of buttery cod with crispy pork belly, chunks of chorizo and creamed parsnips (1,890 kronur), which was bested only by dessert: a parfait of skyr — an Icelandic yogurt-like dairy product — layered with cream and blueberries (1,390 kronur).

10 p.m.
4. Civilized Sips

Until 1989, most beers were banned in Iceland under an old prohibition law, so when it comes to beer drinking (and brewing), the country has a lot of catching up to do. Even today, craft brewing is just starting to catch on, which means it’s feasible to sample beers from most of the domestic craft breweries in a single night. Start at the year-old Kaldi Bar, where there are several cozy nooks in which to sip a pint of caramel-tinged Kaldi dark. Then pull up a stool at MicroBar, an unassuming new pub hidden behind the lobby of the City Center Hotel, which has eight taps dedicated to Icelandic craft brews like Gaedingur Brugghus’s hoppy IPA; a flight to taste all eight costs 3,500 kronur.

SATURDAY

8 a.m.
5. Waterfront Walk

Wake up with a walk along the waterfront path that winds northwest out of the city into the residential Seltjarnarnes area and toward the lighthouse on Grotta Island. With uninterrupted views of the majestic Esja mountain range across the water, it’s an enjoyable two-mile trek to the tip of the peninsula. If you can’t continue onto Grotta — it’s reachable by foot only during low tide when a rocky, seaweed-strewn isthmus emerges — consider dipping your toes in the geothermal footbath (actually a sculpture by Olof Nordal called “Kvika”) nestled among the rocks nearby.

11:30 a.m.
6. Waffles and Art

Take a step back in time at Mokka-Kaffi, a quiet coffee shop where the midcentury décor appears unchanged since the shop opened in 1958. Settle into a booth and warm up from the cold with coffee and the house specialty: sweet homemade waffles served with jam and fresh whipped cream (850 kronur). The space doubles as an art gallery with exhibitions rotating every few weeks, so afterward scope out the current works from Icelandic artists lining the sepia-hued walls.

1 p.m.
7. Domestic Designs

Nestled amid the touristy shops downtown are several small boutiques worth browsing for authentic local designs. Kiosk is a co-op shop stocked with the wares of eight young designers who also take turns running the store. There, shop for silk pillowcases adorned with fantastical exotica by the illustrator Kristjana S. Williams, or snap up Milla Snorrason blouses with patterns inspired by nature and the city skyline. A broader range of Icelandic designs, from graphic art prints to hand-knit woolens, is packed into the nearby gallery-cum-shop Spark Design Space. But if you didn’t pack warmly enough, make Geysir your first stop; the clothing store is packed with stylish cold-weather basics: fur-lined scarves, over-the-knee stockings and adult-size woolen onesies.

3:30 p.m.
8. Art Three Ways

For such a small city, Reykjavik has a surprisingly rich art scene. For proof, head to the i8 gallery (free), where a simple white-walled space hosts exhibitions of major international and Icelandic artists, like a recent Olafur Eliasson show that included mirror-and-glass works that toy with perception. Down the block at Hafnarhus, the home of the Reykjavik Art Museum’s contemporary collections, don’t miss the galleries filled with eye-catching pieces by the controversial postmodern artist Erro (admission, 1,200 kronur). Back on the street, look for works by the Danish artist Theresa Himmer, like the glittering glacial snowcap that tops a building near the corner of Klapparstigur and Laugavegur.

8 p.m.
9. The Burger Menagerie

Adventurous eaters will thrill at the many unusual dishes served at Grillmarkadurinn, an elegant new restaurant with décor heavy on knotted wood and volcanic rock. On the menu, there’s charcoal-grilled steak of Icelandic horse (5,490 kronur) and a sampler of three mini “burgers” featuring lobster, puffin and whale (2,890 kronur). No hankering for horse? No palate for puffin? Visit Saemundur i Sparifotunum, a laid-back gastro pub inside the Kex Hostel popular among transient backpackers and locals alike. In addition to the waterfront views and Nordic craft beers on tap, there are scrumptious burgers of free-range Icelandic beef with melted Isbui cheese and caramelized-onion mayo (2,490 kronur).

Midnight
10. Up All Night

The ritual of the runtur, or pub crawl, during which locals let loose in the bars and clubs downtown, begins around midnight. Most places stay open until 4 a.m. (or later), so ease into the night at the subdued Slippbarinn, where jugs of murky liquor infusions are stacked atop the bar and inventive cocktails are mixed with local spirits like birch-flavored Birkir snaps and dill aquavit. Then hit the dance floor at Harlem, a new bar with trippy graphic art scrawled across the walls. From there, roll down the block to party with the hip kids at Dolly, a year-old club where electronica pumps from a glittering D.J. booth inside a cute, mustard-yellow house. Finally, end the night at Kaffibarinn, a rollicking bar in a rambling old house where the atmosphere is more house party than nightclub and — by this point in the runtur — the crowd is as energetic as it is inebriated.

SUNDAY

4 a.m. or 11 a.m.
11. Morning Cure

The success of your runtur will dictate the time for a stop at Baejarins Beztu Pylsur, a red-and-white hot-dog stand near the harbor. The stand (the name translates to “the best hot dog in town”) is a Reykjavik institution; expect a line regardless of whether it’s before sunrise or after. Whatever the hour, order one with everything: fried onions, raw onions, ketchup, rémoulade, sweet Icelandic mustard (380 kronur).

1 p.m.
12. Island Peace

Iceland’s interior is studded with otherworldly marvels — thundering waterfalls, belching geysers, the steaming waters of the Blue Lagoon — but if it’s unspoiled nature you’re after, there’s no need to trek deep into the countryside. Beautiful landscapes can be found mere minutes from the city by boarding the ferry that shuttles between Skarfabakki pier and the uninhabited island of Videy (1,100 kronur round trip). Explore the western part of the tranquil island by following the circuitous path through meadows, along rocky beaches and past a series of basalt columns — an installation by the American artist Richard Serra — that dots the perimeter. The city remains within sight across the bay, but the whipping wind will likely be the only sound.

THE DETAILS

1. Hallgrimskirkja, Skolavorduholti; hallgrimskirkja.is. Harpa, Austurbakki 2; harpa.is.

2. 12 Tonar, Skolavordustig 15; 12tonar.is. Bio Paradis, Hverfisgotu 54; bioparadis.is.

3. Forrettabarinn, Nylendugata 14; forrettabarinn.is.

4. Kaldi Bar, Laugavegur 20B; (354) 858-0104. MicroBar, Austurstraeti 6; (354) 847-9084.

5. Grotta Island.

6. Mokka-Kaffi, Skolavordustig 3A; mokka.is.

7. Kiosk, Laugavegur 65; (354) 445-3269. Spark Design Space, Klapparstigur 33; sparkdesignspace.com. Geysir, Skolavordustig 16; geysirshops.is.

8. i8, Tryggvagata 16; i8.is. Reykjavik Art Museum — Hafnarhus, Tryggvagata 17; artmuseum.is.

9. Grillmarkadurinn, Laekjargata 2A; grillmarkadurinn.is. Saemundur i Sparifotunum, Skulagata 28; kexhostel.is/saemundur.

10. Slippbarinn, Myrargata 2; slippbarinn.is. Harlem, Tryggvagata 22. Dolly, Hafnarstraeti 4. Kaffibarinn, Bergstadastraeti 1; kaffibarinn.is.

11. Baejarins Beztu Pylsur, Tryggvagata; bbp.is.

12. Videy island, videy.com.

Lodging

The centrally located 101 Hotel (Hverfisgata 10; 101hotel.is) has 38 rooms and suites featuring open-plan bathrooms and heated oak floors. A minimalist black-and-white color scheme extends to the hotel’s trendy restaurant and bar, which are adorned with contemporary Icelandic artworks. Doubles from about 36,000 kronur (about $300).

Hosteling is hip at Kex Hostel (Skulagata 28; kexhostel.is), which opened in 2011 in a former biscuit factory with 142 beds spread between dorms (from 3,000 kronur) and private rooms (three with en suite bathrooms; doubles, 21,500 kronur). The hostel also boasts cool, retro décor — salvaged, vintage and well-worn — and a lively in-house gastro pub.


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