RUB23 has as its goal to offer a diverse, simple and exciting option to a wide range of customers. The word UMI, in the restaurant’s name, means sea in Japanese. The restaurant replaces the former Karólína Restaurant next to Kaffi Karólína,  but the restaurant premises have been refurbished, creating a lighter and  more modern interior. In addition the restaurant is now open for longer hours and every day of the week from 17:30.

The design of RuB23, created by the owners themselves together with other experts in this field, guarantees a maximum usage of space without inconveniencing the customer. The number of seats has  been increased by 20, from 45 to 65. In addition we offer the use of a separate room where 8 -12 guests can easily be seated.  RUB23 can accommodate the most common group sizes of, for example, tourists and companies.

Two of the most able chefs in Iceland, Einar Geirsson and Kristján Þórir Kristjánsson, are owners and chefs of the restaurant, both of them with years of experience in the restaurant and catering industry. Einar is a former member of the Icelandic national culinary team and winner of the Icelandic Culinary Championship 2003. He has won a number of prizes with the national team both in world competitions  and the Culinary Olympics. Kristján has worked as a chef in many of the better restaurants of Iceland. He has extensive knowledge of the industry, having served large kitchens and restaurants for many years.

What makes the restaurant unique both in Iceland and internationally is the varied way in which the menu is put together, including ready-made spice mixtures  that customers can choose from, the so-called RUB. RUB has become a well known term for spice mixtures that are either put onto or rubbed into food, as the name indicates. Thus the customer can first choose a particular ingredient, for example a special type of fish and then choose from a list of spice mixtures  those  he  wishes to try. On the menu one can find favourite combinations of the chefs. There are also seafood dishes with a Japanese flavour such as the UMI sushi.