Restaurant Review: Kopar – Reykjavík, Iceland

by joeheg

On our first day in Reykjavík, we walked from our hotel to the harbor. It was cold and windy, with just a bit of rain, so we didn’t feel like walking any distance to find food. There were several restaurants in the area so we stopped to look at the menus.

One place that stood out was Kopar. The menu looked good and it was pretty busy, which we took as a good sign. It also gets 4 1/2 stars on TripAdvisor and is ranked #29 out of 325 restaurants in town.

a menu board with a picture of food and a jar on it

Kopar
Geirsgata 3, Reykjavik 101 Iceland

We walked in and asked if they were taking walk-ins. After a few taps on the computer, the greeter showed us our table on the ground floor.

a group of people sitting at tables in a restaurant

We started with drinks. I was boring and ordered a gin and tonic but Sharon ordered a Black Mirror, one of the specialty drinks (named after the TV show.)

a blue drink with a straw and a cinnamon stick

Caramel vodka, violettes, cranberries, lime, ginger.

We ordered our entrees which had an excellent presentation. Sharon got the Crab and Langoustine Risotto.

a bowl of food on a table

Creamy risotto packed full with the biggest treats of the Ocean: Langoustine, crab and shrimp. Shellfish sauce and fennel salad

I went for the Grilled Red Fish. I’m always drawn to try a fish that I’ve not seen on a menu very often. I got a little too close to the food for this picture. It did look better in person.

a plate of food on a table

Rosemary marinated red fish out of the charcoal oven with barley, grilled broccoli, cauliflower purée, pumpkin seeds and a citrus dashi glaze

It was at this time that we saw a huge group head upstairs. Not long thereafter, the entire serving staff started bringing a parade of Lamb entrees up to the guests. They were obviously a tour group that was brought here for a meal. That would usually be a red flag because restaurants that serve large groups usually don’t put much effort into the meals because they have guaranteed business. However I was happy to see that Kopar didn’t fall into that trap.

The drinks and food were both creative and well prepared. The only downside was the meal was a bit pricey for the amount of food, even compared to other meals we ate in Reykjavík. We didn’t complain, as that’s to be expected for a restaurant in the tourist area of town.

We wouldn’t be running back to eat here again but I can’t say that we were disappointed with any part of the meal.

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary

2 comments

JJ August 24, 2021 - 10:42 pm

The Black Mirror cocktail looks phenomenal. I must say I’m a sucker for pop culture food and drink tributes and love this one.

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CJH August 24, 2021 - 11:05 pm

3 Frakkar excellent traditional Icelandic restaurant, Kaffivagniin for fish and chips, Saeta Svinid Gastropub are all excellent choices.

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