--- title: Reykjavík's Best Cellar description: When the Vikings arrived in Iceland, their culinary concerns revolved around food preservation, not flavor. That led to distinct specialities — still enjoyed by Icelanders... canonical: https://time.com/archive/6937893/reykjaviks-best-cellar/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2009-03-11T04:00:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-23T05:52:16.844Z og:title: Reykjavík's Best Cellar og:description: When the Vikings arrived in Iceland, their culinary concerns revolved around food preservation, not flavor. That led to distinct specialities — still enjoyed by Icelanders... og:url: https://time.com/archive/6937893/reykjaviks-best-cellar/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltccd98334d2a771f9/698a4f389d83e876deb99608/360_iceland_0323.jpg?branch=production&width=360&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 360 og:image:height: 203 og:image:alt: 360_iceland_0323.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Reykjavík's Best Cellar twitter:description: When the Vikings arrived in Iceland, their culinary concerns revolved around food preservation, not flavor. That led to distinct specialities — still enjoyed by Icelanders... twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltccd98334d2a771f9/698a4f389d83e876deb99608/360_iceland_0323.jpg?branch=production&width=360&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Reykjavík's Best Cellar > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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Its journalism is reported and edited by a professional newsroom led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with named correspondents on politics, climate, health, technology and culture. It reaches 1 million US print subscribers and 1.15 million globally, plus more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. #### How do I subscribe to TIME magazine? Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. Choose digital only at $20 a year, or print and digital from $29 a year or $49 for two years. TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at time.com/newsletters, which do not require a subscription. #### Can I cancel a TIME subscription? Yes. TIME states that subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. #### Does TIME have free newsletters? Yes. TIME publishes seven free email newsletters reaching more than 1.1 million readers, covering daily news, Washington politics, health, AI, climate and energy, culture, and the newsroom itself. They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=1edc240f-b2e4-49fe-9192-0bdcaab32cb0&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) * TIME Subscriptions: [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=1edc240f-b2e4-49fe-9192-0bdcaab32cb0&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) by [William Lee Adams](https://time.com/author/william-lee-adams/) Mar 11, 2009 4:00 AM UTC  CHILL OUT: Sjávarkjallarinn brings a cool international dimension to Iceland's maritime fare CHILL OUT: Sjávarkjallarinn brings a cool international dimension to Iceland's maritime fare HALLDOR KOLBEINS / K.R.O.N. IMAGE by [William Lee Adams](https://time.com/author/william-lee-adams/) Mar 11, 2009 4:00 AM UTC When the Vikings arrived in Iceland, their culinary concerns revolved around food preservation, not flavor. That led to distinct specialities — still enjoyed by Icelanders today — such as _hrútspungar_ (ram’s testicles pickled in whey) and _hákarl_ (rotted shark meat that reeks of ammonia). Thankfully, the advent of refrigerators, along with abundant natural fisheries, has decreased dependence on such idiosyncratic fare, and visitors today will be able to peruse an Icelandic menu without too much trepidation. ([Watch TIME’s video “In Iceland, Frozen Accounts, Boiling Assets.”](https://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,5986711001%5F1868976,00.html)) At the center of the country’s restaurant scene is Sjávarkjallarinn (Seafood Cellar). Housed in the capital Reykjavík’s oldest underground storeroom, which served as a stable in the late 18th century, the restaurant is known for its fusion of Asian flavors (think kaffir lime, star anise and _yuzu_) with fresh Icelandic fish, served within hours of being caught. The menu changes twice a month and recently included enticing entrées like a blue lingcod seasoned with red ginger, wasabi and _shiso_ (a minty herb), and crispy salmon with soybeans, saffron and parsley. Other dishes, like a succulent barbecued lamb chop garnished with pecans and cèpes, benefit from Icelandic husbandry: the island’s sheep spend their summers grazing freely in pristine mountain pastures. ([See pictures of Rome](https://www.time.com/time/travel/cityguide/article/0,31489,1850368%5F1874478,00.html).) Substance, however, doesn’t detract from style. Sjávarkjallarinn has a reputation for its chichi clientele who come to indulge in one of Reykjavík’s priciest menus and the restaurant’s delightfully over-the-top presentation. Sashimi arrives on billowing beds of mist, courtesy of dry ice. Prawns and langoustine must be fished out of glass jars. Almond-and-lime _skyr_, a strained Icelandic cheese, is served on a banana leaf, wrapped like a present with bows and cellophane paper. The elaborate packaging is charming, but ultimately unnecessary: flavor and freshness make a meal at the Seafood Cellar a gift in itself. For details, see [www.sjavarkjallarinn.is](https://www.sjavarkjallarinn.is). [See 50 authentic American travel experiences.](https://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1840345%5F1839927,00.html) _Got an awful travel gripe? 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