Before I expound on the bounty of the food this restaurant offers, let me just say that this place is absolutely gorgeous. It is set in the heart of the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa, that despite its very tourist-y vibe, remains one of the most breathtaking man-made places I’ve been to. The restaurant is called Lava, because it is surrounded by, well…lava. It has huge picture windows and in the second floor, you can sit (and freeze) by the balcony and enjoy this view.
On the main floor, the picture windows allow you to get a closer look of how amazing the milky, white water is against the dark lava rocks.
As mentioned, we got here before the crack of dawn. The experience we had is well chronicled in my Facebook page. The Premium package we got offered a reservation to this wonderful restaurant so I booked one for lunch. I have read in many blogs that going to the lagoon after a long flight rejuvenates you. Nobody said anything about how it deals with hunger. After flying from H-town, watching movies and drinking the entire flight, then soaking up in the lagoon, we were famished!
Arctic char is a cold-water fish in the Salmon family, more tender and flaky, found only in arctic and sub-arctic waters.
Langoustine is a Norwegian lobster – a lot smaller than the Maine lobsterbut flavor is very delicate. It is now dubbed as the new foie gras (per Bon Appetit—I have no idea why. All i know is that it is delicious).
Artichokes, carrots, dates, thyme
Iceland boasts having the best lamb in the world. I would have to agree. This lamb was cooked medium-medium well and was absolutely tender without being chewy.
Beef is where Iceland, and in general, European beef, would lose out against American beef. It’s a matter of taste of course, but there is always that “stringy-ness” in this beef that one would never get from any USDA meat. Although if I’m really to rank beef, the real-deal Kobe beef would outrank (and out-price) any of these meats by a mile. But..that’s another post for another time…
Caramel chocolate mousse, vanilla ice cream, salted caramel
This is the best meal I had in this country. I had the pleasure of dining on other restaurants (which I shall be writing about soon), but this is special because it is soooo pretty. Haha. But it really is. If you happen to book a tour in Blue Lagoon, spring for this too.
LAVA Restaurant, Nordurljosavegur 9, 240 Grindavik, Iceland