Þrír Frakkar hjá Úlfari

"3 Coats at Úlfar" 

May contain traces of advertisement.*

On the first evening of our gourmand weekend in Reykjavík we had an invitation for Þrír Frakkar. This restaurant is located in Baldursgata, less than 500 m from Hallgrímskirkja church. "Þrír Frakkar" means "3 Coats" - I have no idea, why it is named like this. I should have asked...

The restaurant is managed since nearly 30 years by chef Úlfar Eysteinsson and his family.

I had noticed it for the first time in German TV, where reported about the restaurant and its good and typical Icelandic food. Few weeks later, we spend some time in an apartment nearby, and when we were walking past the restaurant, I recognized it full of joy.

When we now arrived at 7 p.m., the dining area was still rather empty. But it filled up quickly. Later, when no tables were left anymore, new guest had to be put off, though the service was still very helpful and friendly even amid hustle and bustle. Guests were partly tourists, but also locals.

Regarding our meal we asked our very friendly and cheerful waitress for a recommendation. She liked nearly everything from the menu, but in the end she recommended two fish meals.

As appetizer fresh bread and butter was served, like it is often done in Iceland.

My husband chose "grillsteikt þorskflök á mildri sinnepssósu", i.e. grilles cod filet in a mild mustard sauce. The waitress recommended this meal especially because of the mustard sauce, which is basedon three different kinds of mustard, whit, brown and black mustard. And she was right. We never before had tasted such a fabulous mustard sauce. The cod was very fine, too - but the sauce was really brilliant.

I decided for "pönnusteikt fersk skata með rjómalagaðri sítrónu dill sósu", fresh skate, pan-fried with creamy lemon-dill sauce.

Usually skate is served in Iceland before christmas as "kæst skata". That's fermented stingray served with rendered fat, which had also been rotten outside. A quite strange adventure of flavor and taste.

Here at Þrír Frakkar, it was for me the first time, I ever had seen fresh scate on a menu. Hence it was clear, that I had to taste it. And I can tell you: Fresh skate is incredibly delicious. The sauce was good, but the fish was a dream and definitely recommendable.

Actually we felt full after the main course. But we couldn't resist the dessert menu. So we decided to order one Skyr Brulée for sharing. Especially the fruit sauces tasted very fine

Afterwards we really felt completely full, but in a pleasant way.

Overview:

The menu is really typically Icelandic and contains the famous Icelandic specialties: As appetizers you can order hákarls (fermented arctic shark), roasted whale meat and smoked puffin. As main courses The main courses are predominates by fish and seafood. You can find arctic char, cod, halibut and cat fish. But they also serve horsemeat, guillemot, whale and lamb.

During our visit, you could get starters for about the 2.350 ISK (19 €, 22 $) and main courses for about 5.100 ISK (41 €, 48 $). Desserts were about 1.380 ISK (11 €, 13 $).

Þrír Frakkar is open at week from 11.30 to 14.20 for lunch and from 18.00 to 22.00 for dinner. At weekend it is open only in the evening from 18.00 to 23.00.

* Legal note:

Formally this article can be graded as advertisement, since we had been invited for the meal. Anyhow, we have chosen only restaurants, which we had heard good things about and which we estimated as interesting. Accordingly we're really delighted, and if we fall into words of praise, these are meant honestly.