Bird’s eye view

Secret Lagoon, Iceland, 64° N, +38° C, 27/2, 13:46

Head chef of Dill Restaurant, Ragnar Eiriksson

Shining in simple beauty

Known for its inventive use of traditional Icelandic ingredients to inspire new flavours and combinations, Dill Restaurant recently became the first in Iceland to receive a Michelin star.

TEXT: Rachel Mercer PHOTOS: Mikael Axelsson (Dill interior) and Karl Petersson (portrait and dishes)

“We’re always dancing on the line of having interesting flavours without them becoming overwhelming”, says Ragnar Eiriksson, head chef at Dill Restaurant. This balancing act is achieved, for example, in a savoury dish of barley and malt, topped with shavings of a dried ocean bird called guillemot – just enough to add taste without being overpowering – or in a deconstructed Danish sandwich with smoked Arctic char, dill powder and rye bread crumbs. Dinner at Dill is a journey through five to seven set courses, with optional wine pairing, and takes two to three hours. The dishes are designed to showcase certain ingredients, letting them shine in their simple beauty. “Three is the magic number of ingredients when you’re creating a dish”, says Ragnar. “The wine is the fourth.”

Ragnar’s inspiration starts with the ingredients. “We follow what’s in season,” he says. “I’m looking forward to the summer so we can start picking herbs. That’s the fun part!” Angelica, chervil, yarrow, and lovage are herbs that grow in the wild in summer in Iceland and aren’t typically used in everyday cooking. Additionally, the summer menu will feature other unusual items like rose petals, birch, rhubarb, and pine shoots. “It’s different than grabbing a burger or a pizza”, says Ragnar, laughing. “People are surprised when they come to Dill. They get to see a different approach to everything.”

While the menu is what draws people to book tables up to four months in advance, the overall experience of dining at Dill is multi-sensory and includes the atmosphere, which is defined by soft lighting, minimalist electro-dub music, and an aesthetic of dark concrete, brick, and metal fixtures. “Coming to Dill is not just about sitting down and eating some food. Anybody can cook food”, Ragnar asserts. “It’s about the experience of sitting for two or three hours, and everything flowing together.”