Hlemmur Square presents actor Þröstur Leó Gunnarsson as guest chef and a new series of cultural events
Accomplished actor Þröstur Leó shows another side to himself when he takes over the kitchen at Hlemmur Square. Mbl.is/ Eggert Jóhannesson
Famous Icelandic stage and film actor Þröstur Leó Gunnarsson will take over the role of chef at the restaurant at Hlemmur Square hotel for the next four weeks of September. He will present home-style cooking using seasonal Icelandic ingredients. Hlemmur Square also announces a series of cultural events taking place in the evenings this September. These include book readings by famous Icelandic authors on Wednesday nights and surprise performances by renowned stage artists.
Þröstur Leó Gunnarsson is one of Iceland’s most respected actors. He is particularly memorable for his roles as Hamlet and as Franco in Trainspotting. His main film roles include 101 Reykjavik directed by Baltasar Kormákur and in the award winning film Nói Albinói which won him an Edda Award for best supporting actor. He won another award for best supporting actor for The Bridegroom in 2008. He has also starred in many TV shows.
An experienced sailor, Þröstur Leó was voted Man of the year in 2015 by the Vísir and Bylgjan media companies for his heroic rescue of his two shipmates when his boat was capsized in a tragic incident where his third shipmate drowned.
Þröstur Leó is also an amateur chef that has been passionate about cooking for years, catching most of his fare and preferring to use fresh Icelandic natural ingredients straight from the sea or land. Þröstur Leó is no novice in the kitchen and has cooked at sea for his crew and also at restaurant Skrímslasetrið in Bíldudalur in the West Fjords. He will be offering a menu that includes raw whale meat in Teriyaki sauce, Gravad lax (pickled salmon), traditional rack of lamb and butter-fried plaice straight from the ocean.
Owner of Hlemmur Square is German hotelier Klaus Ortlieb. Ortlieb has an extensive background in the hotel business spanning from everything from the elegance of the famous Claridge’s in London to the hip Cooper Square, Hotel on Rivington, The Mercer and Gotham Hotel in New York to the glamorous Hotel Modern in New Orleans. Hlemmur Square is his first upscale hostel and luxury hotel in Reykjavik and opened in 2014 in the former Natural History museum building next to Hlemmur square bus station, which has now been transformed into a food hall. „It is a great pleasure that my friend Þröstur Leo is once again our guest chef at Hlemmur Square,“ says Ortlieb. „Þröstur is not only an extraordinary actor but a fabulous cook and he loves food probably as much as his acting. I am thrilled that he is returning to take the reigns in the kitchen and it is a pleasure that his writer wife Helga Helgadóttir will be doing the desserts as well as her extraordinary lasagne which is to die for. It will be wonderful for the people of Reykjavik to come to experience Þröstur‘s home cuisine and be surprised by special performances by his talented friends.“
Hlemmur Square is a hotel and hostel that aims to provide something for a variety of clientele and ages. It offers both luxurious suites and hostel accommodation and a lively bar and restaurant.
Food stories on Wednesday nights: Famous Icelandic authors read food-related passages from their work
For the next three Wednesday nights Hlemmur Square presents Food Stories, an event where Icelandic authors read from their work while guests can enjoy a special offer of three mini-courses and a glass of wine or beer for 1790 ISK.
September 12th: Einar Kárason and Einar Már Guðmundsson
September 19th: Gerður Kristný and Auður Jónsdóttir
September 26th: Elísabet Jökulsdóttir and Steinunn Helgadóttir.
