Apótek Kitchen + Bar

Apótek Kitchen + Bar occupies a prominent corner building on Austurstræti, one of the main streets of the old town, and its name, the pharmacy, runs through the whole concept. The restaurant describes itself as casual and smart at the same time, with a menu that blends Icelandic and European cooking and makes good use of a fiery Argentinian charcoal grill. The kitchen is led by head chef Mónika Sif Gunnarsdóttir.

The menu offers plenty of choice. For the full experience there is a seven-course seasonal tasting menu, and set menus of three and four courses are also available. A more unusual option is the food and cocktail pairing, five dishes each matched with a cocktail. At lunchtime there are two- and three-course menus, and at weekends brunch is served from 11:30 to 14:30. Desserts are a speciality, with signature creations and a vegan option, and they can be taken away in gift boxes along with macarons.

The bar is just as important as the kitchen. Its bartenders are styled as apótekarar, or pharmacists, and the cocktail list is themed around drinks that are stimulating, calming or even pain-relieving, with signatures such as Stranger Tides, Ay Papi! and Hekla, plus non-alcoholic options. The Lounge opens at 11:30 for drinks and desserts throughout the day. The interior was designed by Leifur Welding and Brynhildur Guðlaugsdóttir, with most of the furniture built in Iceland, and the design sets out to honour the building and its history.

Apótek is open daily from 11:30, until 22:00 from Sunday to Thursday and until 23:00 on Friday and Saturday. Reservations can be made through Dineout, by phone or by email. Groups of eight or more choose a set menu, which everyone at the table orders.

Because it is open from late morning through the evening, Apótek is flexible: a weekend brunch, a long lunch between museums, a set dinner or just dessert and a cocktail after a show at Harpa all work well.

It suits couples, groups of friends and anyone who wants a lively, central place that works equally well for lunch, a long dinner or just cocktails and dessert. Austurstræti runs between Lækjartorg and Austurvöllur, so it is within a few minutes' walk of most central hotels, Harpa and the Old Harbour.