SOE Kitchen : The Marshall House, Reykjavik, Iceland
On 11 August, chef Victoria Eliasdóttir and her brother, artist Olafur Eliasson, will open a culinary space in Reykjavik, hosted by the Marshall Restaurant + Bar. Running for almost three months, the temporary restaurant will serve lunch and dinner, inspired by the atmosphere of the Studio Olafur Eliasson (SOE) Kitchen in Berlin.
The project will bring the SOE Kitchen from Berlin to Reykjavik, creating a space for eating and thinking, for food experimentation and impromptu encounters – in direct response to the Icelandic context. To create a unique atmosphere, artworks by Eliasson will be installed in the restaurant, which lies adjacent to his satellite studio at the Marshall House.
Victoria Eliasdóttir and the SOE Kitchen team will invite guests to take a seat at a long table to share healthy food and conversation – much in the spirit of the daily lunches that are served family-style to Eliasson’s 100-person studio team in Berlin.
Eliasdóttir is taking on this new project after having completed a successful period as head chef at the acclaimed Berlin restaurant Dóttir. With the SOE Kitchen team, she will prepare a special menu that combines locally sourced ingredients and recipes popular with the Berlin studio team. While the SOE Kitchen prepares organic, vegetarian meals in Berlin, the temporary restaurant at the Marshall House will take advantage of its location at the harbour to offer a special selection of fresh seafood and fish. The restaurant will serve a set meal-of-the-day for lunch and a dinner menu in the evenings.
On selected evenings, guests will be invited to stay after dinner for a series of events –
conceived by Studio Olafur Eliasson with the participation of the Iceland University of Arts, i8 Gallery, Mengi, and other local collaborators – that range from micro-concerts to poetry readings and include experimental jazz, electronic, and vocal arrangements. Furthermore, the program includes performances and talks with artists, composers, philosophers, social scientists, and cooks, as well as activities for children.
