Watching the World go by 9. júní 2006 16:06 B5, nýr veitingastaður b5 I approached with trepidation, the usual clichés at the ready: "trendy and upscale bar-bistro with modern and chic Scandinavian design". Does Reykjavík really need another one of these places and can they ever be distinguished from each other? I was very pleasantly surprised. Far from being arrogant and pretentious, as so many similar establishments are, b5, the self-proclaimed bistro-lounge on Laugavegur which opened only last month, manages to be both refreshingly laid back and very stylish. Owner Þorvaldur Skúlason says he is aiming for a big "living room" feeling and he achieves this very successfully. One wall is dominated by a huge leather sofa and the lighting is primarily provided by giant (and I mean giant) lampshade lights rather than colder halogen. For daytime patrons, there is a wall of books (and even pencils and sketchpads). For night-time visitors, a long table / bar extends along a good length of the restaurant: "Perfect for flirting," asserted my companion. "It's set up well for playing footsie." The menu is written in a slightly cheeky fashion ¿ starters are defined as "In the beginning" and there is a large "Not too hungry ¿ but still ¿" section ¿ and has a range of modern Icelandic offerings. (A note to the writers, however ¿ please, please spell-check the English part of the menu!) There are only four www.b5.is main dishes to choose from (fish, lamb, chicken, or a hamburger, 1190 ¿ 2900 ISK) but the smaller meals area (590 ¿ 1200 ISK) is quite comprehensive. The wine glass servings were wonderfully generous. The portions were a good size, although if I were an 85 kg man I might be hungry again within a few hours (asking for more of the free bread will compensate for this). The staff looked to be barely old enough to legally order a beer, but were savvy, friendly, and completely professional, being attentive yet not hovering. b5 has achieved a very difficult balance. It is cosy, but not stuffy. It is modern, but not cold. It is trendy, but not snobby. In short, it's just a great place to spend a few hours. - Eliza Reid. b5, Bankastræti 5, Tel. 552 9600 Eating out News in English Mest lesið Flugslysið sem skók þjóðina og aldrei munu fást svör við Innlent Vaktin: Forsetakosningar í Bandaríkjunum Erlent Sakfelldur fyrir þátt í banaslysi en annar ökumaður aldrei fundist Innlent Kosningavaktin: Íslendingar ganga að kjörborðinu Innlent „Ég var barnið sem vildi ekki taka í höndina á kennaranum sínum“ Innlent Hagnast um hálfan milljarð og reiknar með þrefalt meira á næsta ári Innlent Segja verkfall kennara skapa ójafnræði og óréttlæti Innlent Sigurvegarar í keppni Musks ekki valdir af handahófi Erlent Perlan þurfi að seljast fyrir áramót svo dæmið gangi upp Innlent Ekki lægri meðalhiti frá árinu 1997 Veður
I approached with trepidation, the usual clichés at the ready: "trendy and upscale bar-bistro with modern and chic Scandinavian design". Does Reykjavík really need another one of these places and can they ever be distinguished from each other? I was very pleasantly surprised. Far from being arrogant and pretentious, as so many similar establishments are, b5, the self-proclaimed bistro-lounge on Laugavegur which opened only last month, manages to be both refreshingly laid back and very stylish. Owner Þorvaldur Skúlason says he is aiming for a big "living room" feeling and he achieves this very successfully. One wall is dominated by a huge leather sofa and the lighting is primarily provided by giant (and I mean giant) lampshade lights rather than colder halogen. For daytime patrons, there is a wall of books (and even pencils and sketchpads). For night-time visitors, a long table / bar extends along a good length of the restaurant: "Perfect for flirting," asserted my companion. "It's set up well for playing footsie." The menu is written in a slightly cheeky fashion ¿ starters are defined as "In the beginning" and there is a large "Not too hungry ¿ but still ¿" section ¿ and has a range of modern Icelandic offerings. (A note to the writers, however ¿ please, please spell-check the English part of the menu!) There are only four www.b5.is main dishes to choose from (fish, lamb, chicken, or a hamburger, 1190 ¿ 2900 ISK) but the smaller meals area (590 ¿ 1200 ISK) is quite comprehensive. The wine glass servings were wonderfully generous. The portions were a good size, although if I were an 85 kg man I might be hungry again within a few hours (asking for more of the free bread will compensate for this). The staff looked to be barely old enough to legally order a beer, but were savvy, friendly, and completely professional, being attentive yet not hovering. b5 has achieved a very difficult balance. It is cosy, but not stuffy. It is modern, but not cold. It is trendy, but not snobby. In short, it's just a great place to spend a few hours. - Eliza Reid. b5, Bankastræti 5, Tel. 552 9600
Eating out News in English Mest lesið Flugslysið sem skók þjóðina og aldrei munu fást svör við Innlent Vaktin: Forsetakosningar í Bandaríkjunum Erlent Sakfelldur fyrir þátt í banaslysi en annar ökumaður aldrei fundist Innlent Kosningavaktin: Íslendingar ganga að kjörborðinu Innlent „Ég var barnið sem vildi ekki taka í höndina á kennaranum sínum“ Innlent Hagnast um hálfan milljarð og reiknar með þrefalt meira á næsta ári Innlent Segja verkfall kennara skapa ójafnræði og óréttlæti Innlent Sigurvegarar í keppni Musks ekki valdir af handahófi Erlent Perlan þurfi að seljast fyrir áramót svo dæmið gangi upp Innlent Ekki lægri meðalhiti frá árinu 1997 Veður