On this day we managed to consume what were considered the 'world's best hotdog' and the 'world's best lobster soup'. The second was a little more obscure, but definitely more delicious.
Standing outside our favourite Reykjavik eatery The Laundromat Bar. It actually does have a laundromat downstairs. We ended up eating here everyday once we discovered it as the food was always exceptional.
Inside.
We all decide on fish of the day...salmon. I had fish of the day three times on this trip, every time salmon. Every time delicious and worthy of craving as i still do.
The sauce was amazing and the little potatoes. Mmmm. So good!
The bar is made out of bookshelves filled with colour coordinated books.
Cow hide covered booths and beer on tap.
Typical of Iceland architecture. The whole place looks like a multi coloured seaside shanty town... Only civilised.
The view from the back door of Michaels' place where we were staying for the final leg of our Iceland adventure. Snow covered mountains and boats. Welcome to Reykjavik.
Michael's dog Rosa. We often came home to find her sitting by the window, looking out. On a few occasions local kids who were walking by stopped to talk to her. It was quite cute. Rosa loved it.
She is adorable, though I have never met a creature who malts quite like it, though she was the first and only Icelandic sheepdog I've ever met.
Sea Baron! Home of the lobster soup. What a tasty treat.
It is situated on the bay in a tiny little aqua-green fisherman's hut with no more than three tables and a hand full of seats.
It serves soup, a selection of beers and drinks and a vast selection of skewers (as you can see in the right hand fridge) with things ranging from vegetables to salmon to scallops to whale (!). Being a retired fisherman's restaurant there were all sorts of aquatic beasts to try. No one was game enough to try the endangered minke chunks though. We just didn't feel right about that.
There was a taxidermied seal on the wall as is perhaps to be expected in a fish shop/restaurant owned by a retired fisherman. The walls were also decorated in photos of Kjartan Halldórsson and his staff and family and various photos and paintings of the sea and ships. All in all it is a truly charming place and worth a stop for a pot of soup on a frosty day.
We stuck to potatoes and vege and a serving of soup each. It also came with enough bread for a small army. The soup was tasty with chunks of lobster floating about a sea of spiced coconut broth. Adam found himself craving this regularly.
Not quite a fisherman, though pretty happy after the soup.
This is a painting of a photo that hangs on the opposite wall and shows the owner Kjartan Halldórsson holding his famous smoked eel, wearing his Icelandic jumper. The story of how the place got started is a lovely one and you can read it here on the Sea Baron's website.
Esja mountain in the distance.
Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur are said to make the world's best hot dog, the name translates to Town's best, but I don't know about world's. I don't know what differentiates one hot dog from another. I don't recall ever eating one, but Adam and Lloyd reckoned they were good, but were also confused as to what made it the best. It was a sausage made of beef, pork and lamb rumoured to be braised in beer. Maybe that's what makes it good? A mash up of meats in beer? It also has a garnish of cooked onion and crunchy shallots, tomato sauce, remoulade or mayo with capers and gherkins and a tasty hot dog mustard that you can buy in the local 7/11. I bought this sauce, it was the best thing about that dog. Though it was the only bit I ate.
Adam isn't so sure about this...
If this is the world's best, then it is an unsuspecting dog sold from an unsuspecting little hut by the harbour. Give it a go. HOT DAWWWG! Also yes, Bill Clinton did eat a hot dog here.
All in all the hot dogs were deemed tasty, though it left us wondering what the definition of a hot dog was, because everyone was certain they'd had better. I myself didn't try it, but I have had some pretty tasty vegetarian hot dogs at any given backyard Brookman BBQ.
...and on we walk through Reykjavik.
We stopped off here at an Irish/Viking bar to take advantage of the 2 Tuborgs for 800ISK ($6)
Don't order spirits when you can get 2 Tuborgs for 800. I spent roughly $11 on a Captain Morgan's and coke. Duh.
We decided to continue our drinking streak at home with a duty free vodka, lime, soda. Sophie's favourite.
A preservation of our happiness.
We ended up at a burger place around the corner from our house called Burger Joint or Hamborgara Bullan.
The ceiling was netted in fairy lights making this place quite atmospheric.
The walls were covered in all sorts of pop culture
and tributes to the place from satisfied customers as we too became that night.
The only dessert on offer was gum balls.
E.T.
My vege burger was so tasty. What is it with Iceland making things look crap but taste great?
All very satisfied with our orders. They looked so fake and taste so great.
We all know now that Sophie still craves the salmon from Laundromat, Adam still craves lobster soup and this is what Lloyd misses most about iceland's culinary offerings...the mystery salt from Bullan. It was so perfect on our copious amounts of fries. Not sure what was in it but it was tasty.
This is it from the outside. The place is great, the staff are so chill and happy and the atmosphere of the place is awesome. A perfect environment for enjoying a tasty and cheap burger. Hamborgarabullan's website.
It's not that we weren't satisfied by our burgers and huge amounts of chips, there was just so much at The Sea Baron that we wanted to try... so we came and had supper at old faithful.
A few skewers later. We had the salmon, the scallops and the vege.
And would you believe it, the man from the painting. The infamous Kjartan Halldórsson, owner and chef of The Sea Baron offering out a round of vodka shots to the patrons before closing. Priceless.
He was such a gentleman. Walking to each of the two occupied tables with his polystyrene tray with shots lined up on it and offering everyone a shot or two. In my case two. The burn.
Isn't he great?! I've never heard of anyone, let alone witnessed anyone pouring out shots for the customers, especially a character of his age. Obviously a bit of party spirit left.
It was the perfect end to a wonderful and food filled day.
The Sea Baron can be found here:
The Sea Baron can be found here:
Hamborgara Bullan can be found right next to The Sea Baron:
Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur isn't far either:
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