The Lava Restaurant at the Blue Lagoon, Iceland
The Lava Restaurant at the Blue Lagoon, Iceland
If you’re planning a vacation to Iceland, odds are that you have already heard of world famous Blue Lagoon and it’s spectacular geo-thermal hot springs. But what you may not have heard of is the equally impressive fine-dining restaurant located inside the Blue Lagoon — Lava Restaurant.
Built into the side of a towering lava cliff overlooking the lagoon, Lava provide a dramatic setting for having lunch or dinner while at the Blue Lagoon. As soon as you enter the restaurant you immediately know your somewhere special, lava rock lines the walls of the restaurant, and floor to ceiling windows provide you with wonderful views of the Blue Lagoons steamy waters.
But this restaurant is not just about great views — it also has some really impressive food. When we ate there the kitchen was headed up by Viktor Örn Andrésson, who had just won the 2014 ‘Nordic Chef of the Year’ competition. The menu at Lava features high quality Icelandic ingredients at the heart of each dish. Everything from the fish and lamb, to the skyr is locally sourced, and amazingly fresh.
Because we had such a hard time deciding on which dishes we wanted to try, we opted for their four course tasting menu with wine pairing. We didn’t know what food we were going to be served, but we had a feeling it would be really good.
We started with a plate of sous-vide arctic charr with dill, green apples and fennel, which was absolutely wonderful and the perfect introduction to the chefs talents. It was followed by a second course of pan roasted cod with goat cheese, cauliflower, and langoustine all tossed in a creamy langoustine sauce. Although the cod was great, the langoustine and sauce stole the show.
Our main course was beef tenderloin with pickled onions, wild mushrooms and Icelandic organic carrots. What surprised me most about this dish was that every inch of the beef was cooked to a perfect rare. There was no charred crust or outer area that was well done. Every bite was tender and so flavorful! Yum!
To end the meal, the chefs brought out one of the most delicious deserts we’ve every tried — Icelandic skyr mousse with licorice-chocolate toffee, chervil swamp cake and licorice ice cream. And it looked every bit as fascinating as it sounds!
In all, diner at Lava was a perfect way to end our day at the Blue Lagoon. The food, wine, and service was really, really good. The passion brewing in the kitchen was clearly evident in each dish and everything was fantastic. And at just 9,200 ISK per person, the tasting menu is easily worth the price. I only wish I kept on my bathrobe to dine for a truly indulgent experience!
