Gísli Matt

Gísli Matt - bio

My full name is Gísli Matthías Auðunsson and I was born in 1989 in Vestmannaeyjar, a small island town in Iceland, to a family of hardworking fishermen and cooks. 

Although we moved to Reykjavík when I was six, I always stayed close to my relatives on the island and spent summers with them.

I trained as a cook apprentice from 2007 to 2011 and then had an idea with my family to open a restaurant in Vestmannaeyjar. 

From the ground up, we constructed SLIPPURINN in 2012 with the aim of crafting an enchanting, sustainable, and seasonal establishment with a remarkable ambiance that would operate exclusively in the summer. Influenced by the surrounding natural environment, our objective was to establish a high-end restaurant that pays homage to tradition while simultaneously incorporating modern techniques. This approach allows our patrons to fully immerse themselves in the essence of our island through their dining experience.

Now 10 years later SLIPPURINN, my flagship restaurant, is still going strong and has gained significant global reputation. Our first cookbook, SLIPPURINN: Recipes and Stories from Iceland, co-written by Nicholas Gill and published worldwide by Phaidon, was released in 2021.

During winters I gained experience working abroad and staging at different places, which helped me develop my own style of cooking. I mostly spent my time working in NYC and France.

In 2015, I opened Matur og Drykkur, a project that was dear to my heart as it aimed to showcase and elevate Icelandic food culture, while strengthening relationships with small-scale producers and farmers.
Although I parted ways with Matur og Drykkur in the end of 2016 due to differences in vision with my co-owners, I continued to promote Icelandic cuisine and its unique preservation methods through pop-up events worldwide.

In 2017, my friends and I opened SKÁL!, a food hall that offered high-quality food and drinks in a casual setting. We received a Michelin Guide "BIB-gourmand" award in 2019 and was voted Reykjavík's best places by Reykjavík Grapevine two years in a row.

Over the years, I have participated in numerous pop-up events and cooked in various locations around the world. These experiences have allowed me to showcase my cooking style and promote Icelandic ingredients. 

In 2020, we launched a fast-food restaurant named ÉTA, which means "EAT" in Vestmannaeyjar. However, in 2022, we transitioned to a new concept and opened a casual dining spot called NÆS, which means "NICE." At NÆS, we create unique dishes using both local island produce and high-quality ingredients from around there world.