Kaffi Loki
Where? Kaffi Loki (Reykjavik, Iceland) Map Menu
When? Wednesday March 27, 2024
Who? Me
Food Style? Icelandic
I have been looking forward to this one. Loki, the famous Norse God of Tricks, has a cafe in Reykjavik named after him. It sits right opposite Hallgrimskirkja, the church at the top of the hill, and on this cold and windy Icelandic day, I’ve decided I need some excitement and mischief in my life. It smells of warmth and seafood in here, but what I’ll be ordering might spook the other patrons.
The national food of Iceland is fermented shark, hákarl. It’s the rotting meat of the Greenland shark, treated with urea to remove the toxins so that it becomes safe to eat. From Wikipedia: Chef Anthony Bourdain described fermented shark as "the single worst, most disgusting and terrible tasting thing" he had ever eaten. You’re supposed to follow up with a shot of Brennivin, the country's signature liquor, to clear the aftertaste. I've eaten durian before, how bad can it be?
Mains
Freyja: trout tarte with salad and Loki's unique rye bread ice cream
It’s fishy and creamy, the rye bread is very dense. The salad is okay, it’s well dressed and feels fresh. The rye bread ice cream is surprisingly good, and it tastes really well balanced because the bitterness in the bread matches the sweetness perfectly.
Speciality
Hakarl: Fermented shark and Brennivin shot
To be perfectly honest, it’s a lot milder than I thought it would be. It’s very similar aftertaste to century egg. The ammonia is definitely tastable after a few seconds but it’s really not as bad as the Internet was saying. I feel I’ve had worse. I had a good chat to the waiter about my experience and also told him about durian, and durian is definitely stronger in taste than that. Glad I've given it a go though, another checkmark for Iceland's list!
Posted by Jeremy at 6:22pm on Wednesday October 22, 2025 :: 0 comments :: 