ROK — Restaurant in Reykjavik

Hands down the best dining experience of my life. Twice over! When we came into the restaurant it was full of people, warm and toasty inside. The hostess told us that dinner was reservation only - Really Full Inside! When we indicated we wanted to sit outside though, they were more than happy to give us the entire balcony all to ourselves!!! As we ate, we made friends with everyone that joined us in the friendly atmosphere, wrapped up in warm blankets against the cool air. It was cold outside and took a long time to eat, so my food often got cold too. But even then, each bite was still a wonderful taste experience. I dined on the small tasting menu with my friend over several hours of conversation and laughs: Lemon Cured Salmon, Wild Mushroom Risotto, Icelandic Char, Steak Chimi Churi, Sourdough Bread with Butter, and a Brownie to finish it off. I meant to take pictures of everything, but forgot in all the fun. More than anything else though, even the AMAZING food, our waitress, Emese, brought the whole dining experience together! With her warm smile and fantastic attitude she fostered a dining experience that turned our visit to ROK into a memory for a lifetime!

I enjoyed the experience so much that, even though I only had 2 dinners to experience Iceland restaurants - - I just had to go back!!! My friend was too tired (Iceland hours are odd) so he stayed at the hotel and I came back alone. Again I was told the inside was full, reservation only. And again the hostess was more than happy to give me the whole balcony to myself. This time was a completely different experience, but still amazing. Enjoyed the cool air in near silence and just relaxed, really enjoying the flavor of each dish. This time I even remembered to take pics of each (ROK "Plokkfiskur", Beef in a Pancake, Cured Reindeer, and Deep Fried Camebert). Again I was fortunate enough to have Emese serving for me and, once again, she fostered the right experience for the moment. The food and staff get 5...

Well, picture this: you have a company dinner party, you arrive at the "trendy" joint in town, excited for a culinary adventure. But behold, the adventure begins with a time warp—50 minutes to get the food rolling, I would add - preordered tasting menu. Hey, who needs immediate sustenance anyway? We were chilling with our drinks, watching the time stretch like elastic. And here comes the pièce de résistance! Tasting menus served on plates meant for pairs—a perfect chance for awkwardly bonding over a fork fight. No cutlery for sharing? Brilliant! Because nothing says team-building like passing around food with your pre-used utensils. Romance was in the air between coworkers, alright! I mean, who needs fresh cutlery during a 4-hour dining escapade? Oh, the forgotten courses! But fear not, for a savior server appeared, promising to salvage the situation, I will quote: 'I will make sure you will get at least something'. Surprise meals arrived, unplanned but warmly welcomed. Cheers to spontaneity! Though, let's not forget the missing drinks, because hydration is overrated, right? And the cherry on top - the ambience was not improved when a group of ten showed up and patiently waited on seating for five, patiently drilling holes into the backs of our heads with their eyes for an hour due to the timeliness of the kitchen. All in all, a delightful experience for those who adore surprises, communal cutlery bonding, and the thrill of uncertainty. If you're aiming to create office gossip or leave colleagues hungry, this place deserves a standing ovation! But alas, my review deducts stars because, shockingly, my boyfriend wasn’t keen on post-dinner smooches after learning about the communal fork festival. Zero stars for romance.

Lesson learned: if you enjoy gambling with your dining experience, this place is a jackpot. As for me, I'll be off to leave glowing reviews for spots that actually serve meals, drinks, and fresh cutlery. Cheers to...

If you want to wait 45 minutes for your food, this is the place for you.

And no, I'm not exaggerating.

25 minutes after we placed our modestly sized order of 2 tapa plates each, I felt something wasn't right. The waitress informed me that it can often "take up to 45 minutes" to receive food. I was shocked because even high-end places always ensure to have food out within a window of 15-20 minutes.

But then the food arrived after 52 minutes, and it made everything worse:

The cod with mash was so incredibly bland. Like really, really bland! No seasoning. Watery, lumpy mash. Everything was lukewarm.

The shrimps were stone cold. The waitress apologised and had to bring the food back to the kitchen.

The duck confit was also lukewarm, and parts of it were very dry. Flavour was so-so in the parts that weren't dry.

The reindeer -- like other dishes -- was bland and had no seasoning. It, too, was lukewarm.

This is an incompetent team of chefs unable to take on the number of covers the restaurant needs to cater to. 45-55 minutes to receive food is totally unacceptable. The restaurant wasn't even fully booked.

The front of house staff were really great though, and really made an effort and were very polite, knowledgeable, and professional. I feel sorry for them having to deal with the consequences of what the kitchen leaves them to do on their behalf.

But sort out your kitchen and sort out the inconsistent, poorly seasoned and poorly flavoured food. This experience was a total disgrace and the worst dining experience we had in Reykjavik by far.

What a shame. What a waste of money and time, more...