Egill Helgason is a well-known journalist and TV personality in Iceland.

Where do you live and why?

Downtown Reykjavik, not because it’s fashionable, but mainly because most of the life is here. Reykjavik is a city spread over a strangely large area with big suburbs. With its strange mixture of architectural styles, ranging from corrugated iron and timber houses to crude modernism, it is simply the most interesting place to be in this rather new city.

What advice would you give a tourist? Any must-dos?

The swimming pools are a must, with their hot pots and steam baths. For a nightlife person, Reykjavik at the weekend is something to be explored. The party goes on until the early hours— but beware: some of the locals can get rather wild during the night.

What advice would you give a visiting business person?

Taxis are expensive, so get a hotel downtown. From there you can explore the restaurants, shops and museums on foot. Try to take a trip out of town, even if it’s only for a few hours. Iceland is basically a place for nature lovers and you don’t need to go far to catch a glimpse of exceptional landscapes.

What and where have been your most memorable meals?

Mostly I prefer fish at Icelandic restaurants, simply because of its exceptional freshness. Just look at how white it is. Fish also tends to be relatively inexpensive here, at least compared to the price of meat dishes in restaurants. So I would recommend all kinds of fish—lobster, cod, sushi even.

Fresh trout from very unpolluted lakes is also a great delicacy.

Where would you take a client to wow them?

Grillid at Hotel Saga has an exceptional view as well as fine dining. The view in Perlan is also wonderful, the restaurant even revolves 360 degrees at a slow speed. For fish, definitely Humarhusid, a place specialising in lobster, or Vid Tjörnina, a fish restaurant with a bit of a hippy feel to it.

What do you miss most about Reykjavík when you’re away?

Well, not the weather. The freshness of the air, the proximity to the sea—I often jog by the shore. The fish, which I tend to eat at least twice a week. The safety of living in a peaceful society which has no military and knows little aggression.

In the past decades the standard of living in Iceland has been so high that one feels privileged. You know, we were one of the poorest nations in Europe for centuries.