Sümac Grill + Drinks — Restaurant in Reykjavik

It is amazing when one has the opportunity to experience a restaurant that is as close to perfect as imaginable. Sumac in Reykjavik Iceland is one of those restaurants. We arrived without a reservation on October 16th, 2019 and were fortunate to not only be accommodated, but to be shown seats at the bar right in front of the open kitchen. Although the bar is considered overflow from the dining room(s), it affords a perfect vantage point to watch and interact with both front and back of the house team members.

We decided that ordering multiple items from the "snack" sized dishes section of the menu would allow us to experience a greater number of dishes and this proved to be the best choice for us. Every item offered an incredible balance of flavours, textures and presentation. Our server as well as the kitchen team, who were right in front of us, ensured each dish was thoroughly explained when it was presented. Roasted Cauliflower, Falafels, Grilled Brussel Sprouts, Baba Ganoush, Grilled Oyster Mushrooms and the hands down must try star of the evening, the Grilled Halloumi with honey and hazelnuts were all feast for the eyes and the palate. For dessert we opted for a warm date cake with sesame seeds and caramel drizzle and pistachio ice cream which is served with a super chilled apple consomme. Although we opted for vegetarian selections on this visit, Sumac offers an extensive menu featuring local meats and other options. The restaurant also has an extensive wine and cocktail selection that has something for everyone.

For me, one of the measures of success in hospitality is when you arrive to an establishment as a first timer and leave feeling like its been one of your favourite haunts forever. Reykjavik's Sumac has achieved this success in all aspects. We cannot wait to...

I really looked forward to eating at Sumac after finding it on the Michelin guide and getting multiple other recommendations for it. However, our dinner was largely disappointing.

It took several minutes to get menus and 10+ to just place drink orders. There seemed to be no one person assigned to us sitting at the bar, so random servers would check on us without frequency. We had to call on people to order another course and ultimately for our bill.

I ordered a red wine from the menu. The server said it was out and suggested a replacement that was off menu. I asked if it was the same price. He said yes, “it’s the house wine.” When the bill came I saw that it was several hundred ISK more than the one I wanted. At least it was tasty wine.

The only person who paid us any real attention was the woman with blonde hair who was prepping desserts in front of where we sat. I don’t think it was even her job to interact with us, but she enthusiastically told us about the dishes we were served and was helpful.

Food was fine. Not quite to the standard I expected, but not bad by any means. Not memorable in the scope of this visit.

We felt like inconveniences to the staff while dining here. At first I wondered if this was par for service in Iceland since it was our first dine-in meal, but then we had fantastic service at restaurants of varying price points later on our trip. This dinner was a wildly disappointing experience for such a well-reviewed place, especially at that...

We unfortunately weren't impressed with any of the meals. I had had high hopes when I saw that Gordon Ramsay had recommended it and the head chef from DC's Albi had helped its creation, but despite superbly high prices, the food fell flat. I'll keep it short: Fried halloumi: it was breaded before being fried and the bread wasn't crisped. Halloumi is already a spongy cheese, so there was a total lack of texture. Ling crudo: Lacking in intensity of flavor. The grapefruit on top watered down an already delicate ling and it wasn't made up for with any salt. Moroccan Cigars: These were fine and enjoyable, but felt like any dish you can get anywhere. Straightforward. The labneh was too watered down, so it tasted like flat yogurt. Crispy Falafel: These felt very plain. Not really crispy, nothing creative in it, but also not packed with diverse seasoning like they would be in the Middle East either. They were served with sweet (rather than savory) pickles which clashed with the oily taste of falafel; a weird choice. Drinks were fine, though again, just not very refined. Peaches: looked like raki so that was fun, but too much intensity on the fruit note The other drink's name escapes me but my partner thought it was it tasted like an Long Island Iced Tea with too much...