Food, glorious food. Eric did a lot of restaurant research prior to arrival. A few places he made a reservation before leaving the states. One evening original tour plans fell through so it was time to check his restaurant list. One that kept coming up during conversation was Lola.
It was easily walkable and near the harbor. First impression was solid.
While the bar was empty, most of the tables had individuals seated at them. While looking at the menu, we both got this deja vu feeling. We had been in this building before! It has a distinctive look and curved walls – yep we’ve been here during our first trip in 2019. It was casual dining at that time, while this was the total opposite.
We started with this appetizer: Parmigiano Fritto with fire roasted bell pepper dip. Nice.
I ordered two small plates and was happy with both of them.
Eric’s choice was Bacalao: cod with romesco, almonds, lime and caper leaf.
It left enough space for dessert. O.M.G. My dessert was one of the best I’ve eaten in years. I seriously wanted to lick the plate. The photo below gives you a hint of what to expect, but it was unbelievably awesome. It was called Lola’s Banana Business: banana semifreddo, sticky toffee pudding and Dolcey butterscotch. When it arrived, I thought it had a banana on top of the toffee pudding. Nope, the texture was all wrong. I had to research what exactly was ‘semifreddo’? It’s a class of frozen desserts prepared mainly with egg whites, sugar and cream. It differs from ice cream in that it is frozen in molds, not churned and lighter in texture.
Eric went with his typical selection of gelato or ice cream. Flavors were raspberry, lychee and rose topped with Greek yogurt.
Our waiter encouraged us to explore an adjoining room. We found a small movie theater with three options available for viewing!
For an unexpected free night, it was a delightful meal. Bundled up for heading back to our place that night.
Another day we had a lunch reservation at Seafood Grill.
It’s described as a unique dining experience in a cozy environment. Their chefs focus on using the freshest ingredients available and combining them with amazing spice blends.
This was one of the few places where bread (warmed) and butter was brought to the table. We devoured this. The butter was topped with various Icelandic salts – yum
One of their starters was ranked a top item in the city: Deep Fried Langoustine Tacos. The parmigiano ribbons on top of the tacos and red onions was a perfect pairing.
Eric ordered their fish of the day which was Ling, sitting on a bed of bok choy and roasted bell peppers.
My selection was Shellfish Pasta with langoustines, scallops and tiger prawns. Quite frankly there was so much seafood on top of the pasta, you can’t see the pasta. It was a well-constructed dish but ultimately, I sought out the seafood and left the remaining pasta.
One of my favorite things on their menu……………..coca cola! The vast majority of restaurants served pepsi.
A restaurant recommended by some of Eric’s new beer buddies was this spot:
A bread basket arrived with Icelandic butter and a bowl of granola mix. Hmmmm, interesting. It definitely worked.
It was followed by this tuna dish.
My choice was lobster soup. Man! it was delicious, hot, smooth and velvety. Probably not your typical food descriptors but it was definitely comforting.
Eric’s selection was reindeer carpaccio with puree cepes, blueberry compote, hazelnut and foie gras.
Their raw fish was so good we had to have some sushi. One of their selections was available for two to share. Got it.
It was a filling meal – no dessert needed.
This was such a relaxing trip, a few times we stopped in for a drink. One afternoon, we went into an Irish pub. An Irish coffee for me, thank you. Eric stayed with his Guiness.
Eric also found a few cocktail bars – it’s getting to be a thing. Yes, this place is called Tipsy.
This stop turned into a favorite with us visiting seceral nights: Gilligogg.
My selection was one of their specialties: Garpur! It was composed of banana rum, strawberries, whey, balsamico and lime. Described as ‘short, fresh, fruity’. It was delicious. I could have easily ordered a second one.
One more post and this Iceland trip will be finished.
Darden Travels 