Öx Redux

After nine trips to Iceland over 24 years I felt that I had begun reaching a point of diminishing returns.

No hard feelings, Iceland, but I had spent a third of my life obsessing over that rock in the North Atlantic. It was time for a change, and it worked. I’ve mostly stopped ruminatiing on things Icelandic with one notable exception: Dinner at Öx, a Michelin star restaurant located behind a bookcase in an underground speakeasy at 55 Laugavegur. I've been pretty consistent in my resolution to refrain from posting about Iceland this year and although this restaurant is located in Reykjavík, it really exists in its own little world of seventeen patrons and eight staff all around a U-shaped bar in a room with modest decor reminiscent of a country kitchen.

On a foodie level, it's impossible to fault any of the 20+ items I enjoyed over the four hour experience. I’ve had a few other small plates that were more intense (at Dill, another Michelin Star restaurant in Reykjavík), but never have I been wowed with such a long string of dishes. The wine pairings were also excellent (although the cocktails were a bit much for my delicate constitution.)

The thing that put it over the top was the interaction with the four main chefs, their two helpers, the sommelier, and the bartender. More than just dinner, it was a fully-realized stage-play. Obviously, at 66000ISK (about $460 USD) the patrons really wanted to be there; they too became part of the production. I was the oldest person there (by at least twenty years) but felt welcome and not the least bit invisible (as is common when I go out in public.) After the meal was over I had to leave (to catch a concert) forgoing yet another round of drinks. One of the chefs (at the left in the above picture) saw me out and was interested in my reaction.

I wrote about this at length last year, but the memory of that night persists in my reveries.