Hereford Steakhouse

Since 2003, Hereford has occupied a prime spot on Laugavegur with a single-minded focus: steak. In a city dominated by seafood restaurants and New Nordic tasting menus, this straightforward steakhouse offers something refreshingly direct -- quality beef, properly grilled, served without unnecessary fuss.

The Steaks

The menu reads as a steakhouse menu should: ribeye, tenderloin, sirloin, T-bone, and a few specialty cuts. Each is grilled to order with the kind of confidence that comes from a kitchen that has been doing this for over two decades. The sear is right. The resting is right. The seasoning lets the meat speak for itself.

Accompaniments are classic: bearnaise, pepper sauce, garlic butter, roasted vegetables, and potatoes in various preparations. There are no experimental foam sauces or molecular garnishes. Hereford understands that a good steak needs competent support, not competition.

The lamb is also worth ordering for anyone who has not yet tried Icelandic lamb. The quality is exceptional, and the grill brings out the best in it.

The Setting

The dining room is intimate and warmly lit, with the kind of dark-wood-and-leather atmosphere that steakhouses worldwide aspire to. It is not a large space, which contributes to a sense of occasion without tipping into stuffiness. The bar area stays open until midnight and is a comfortable spot for a post-dinner drink.

The Laugavegur location means you are in the heart of things, with the restaurant sitting at street level amid the shops, bars, and galleries that line Reykjavik's main thoroughfare.

Practical Tips

Book ahead. The dining room fills up, especially at weekends. If you prefer your steak at a specific doneness, be clear when ordering -- Icelandic restaurants sometimes default to medium-well unless instructed otherwise. The wine list is solid, with options selected to pair with red meat.

If you have spent your trip eating fish and lamb stew and want one evening of unapologetic steak-and-wine indulgence, Hereford is the place. It has been doing this well for over twenty years, and the consistency shows.