Mimir (Radisson Blu Saga Hotel)

To say that Hotel Saga is a Reykjavik institution would be an understatement. Births, weddings and wakes continue to be celebrated with as much grace and gusto today, as they did when the Farmer’s Association of Iceland first started this hotel 57 years ago. Home to Grillið, the city’s fine-dining destination, it’s the recently renovated restaurant Mímir, named after the popular Mimisbar in the hotel lobby that has been the talk of the town with their attractively priced lunch and dinner menus.

The dining space is sumptuous, the color saturated Arne Jacobsen-esque furniture is likely bespoke. The soft corals, taupes and blues spell luxury and the gold speckled open kitchen is an ocean of calm, with the chefs quietly working behind their counters.

Endorsed by the farmers, the menu justly centers around the local bounty of land and sea, with Icelandic staples presented in a notably contemporary fashion. No dish embodies this spirit better than the hotdog. An icon of Icelandic cuisine, the humble ‘pylsu með öllu’, which is sausage with everything in Icelandic, is reimagined here to suit its finer environs. Eschewing damp buns for Icelandic waffles, the snappy lamb sausage is right at home on its bed of red potato salad; its creaminess a comforting contrast to the generously scattered pickles. No Icelandic dog is complete without onions, and here they are a trio of texture––fresh, pickled and fried to a crunch.

Each dish is cause for pause with its picturesque plating. The graflax is exquisite, shunning thin slivers of salmon for generously thick slices, the salmon’s velvety tenderness asserts itself amongst spheres of dill-oil soaked cucumber and pickled mustard. A Maison Chavy Chouet Aligote 2015 lifts the dish further with its bright acidity. Char-grilled plaice is thoughtfully offered in both half and full portions, allowing one to try multiple dishes. Young chefs Denis Grbic and Snædís Xyza Mae Jónsdóttir Ocampo are aided by the attentive yet discreet service.

Lamb saddle and rib-eye are competently cooked but the protein is often overshadowed by the kitchen’s love affair with vegetables, especially the potato. And this not at all a bad thing. Mashed potatoes served with the plaice, would make Jacque Pepin proud with their potato to butter ratio. The ‘smelki’ potatoes are lightly smashed baby potatoes with crunchy fried exteriors that give way to custardy softness. The roasted cauliflower head is crowned with crunchy red quinoa, and coral hued sea buckthorn berries. The latter’s citrusy tartness is a welcome foil for the buttery brassica. But one should exercise restraint, for the desserts beg for glee abandon as well. Brown whey cheese and yoghurt ice cream are brightened with basil, and the warm rhubarb cake is a perfect end to a memorable meal.

Published, October 2019