Sjavarkjallarinn -Seafood Cellar Restaurant

Three months in and there have been 2000 unique hits onto his blog.  Thanks everyone for reading and thank you for your support.  This past week, I spent a week in Iceland and enjoyed some of the best restaurants in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland.

We had a chance to visit a restaurant called Sjavarkjallarinn also known as the Seafood Cellar Restaurant.  It was my birthday so we decided to go all out.  We had done some research with this restaurant and in one magazine it was ranked as one of the top five restaurants in the world.  Although there are some a la carte to choose from, there are set menus in which people can choose anywhere from four to seven course menus.  The only unfortunate part is that people at the table all have to order the SAME set course menu.  The reason for this is because they have to explain the food they serve you and they only want to explain it once. 

We all ordered the 4 course meal.  In between each meal we were given small samples of some of their other delicacies that were not listed on the menu. All of them were different types of sorbets.

Orange Sorbet with Ginger

Pouring of the Seafood Cellar Soup

Seafood Cellar Soup

Fried Cod Fillet and Salted Cheeks

Now the first course to arrive was the Seafood Cellar Soup.  They served this by having a small piece of lobster, a shrimp and vegetables placed in a bowl.  Then they pour what appeared to be a creamy mushroom soup inside the bowl.  Absolutely delicious.  You can so taste the lobster in the bisque.  Very delightful and a definite must try for everyone who is a soup lover.The seafood was juicy and tender and was very fresh.

Next came the Fried Cod Fillet and Salted Cheeks.  The cod cheeks were so “slippery” and tasty and the mixture of it into the vegetables provided it with a beautiful contrast.  There is a slight smoky taste to it to really give it that extra bit of pizazz, however it is not so smoky that it made it dominating. The cod is slightly seared on the outside just to give it a slight crunchiness to it.

Arctic Char

Next came the main course which was the Arctic Char.  Now I have had arctic chars in many of restaurants before however this has to be the new standard for me.  So nicely done and so tasty.  The meat was very juicy and the fish literally melted in your mouth.  A mixture of spices and herbs brought this fish way out onto the forefront and made this dish a must have.  The fish was very fresh as I guess being from the Arctic and with the capital right on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean that it really helped them get the freshest Arctic Char out there.  There was also some roe within this cauliflower puree and this was surprisingly, unbelievably good. 

Pre-dessert

Last came the dessert.  It was the rhubarb cream and sorrel combo.  At first we didn’t know how to eat this simply it comes in 2 separate parts on your dish, but once you mix the two up, it was an instant wow factor.  It certainly was a dessert that started off slow and gained momentum as you continued on into it.  It was certainly a perfect way to end the night. 

Rhubarb Cream and Sorrel Dessert Combo

Overall, this certainly was a magnificent experience.  The waiters and waitresses were extremely professional and nice.  They explained each dish as it came out.  If there was ever a time I had to give a restaurant, any restaurant a 6 out of 5 this certainly was it.   It was about 65 dollars Canadian per person.  It really is too bad that this restaurant wasn’t in Toronto.  Highly recommended for anyone who will decide to head up to Iceland for a week or so. You certainly won’t be disappointed.  Guaranteed!!

Aðalstræti 2

101 Reykjavík

Iceland

Phone: 00 354 511 1212