Lamb Street Food

Iceland has world-class lamb. This is not a debatable point — the sheep roam free across mountain pastures, eat wild herbs and grasses, and produce meat with a depth of flavour that commercial lamb simply cannot match. Lamb Street Food takes this exceptional ingredient and does something clever with it: pairs it with Middle Eastern flavours and serves it as street food.

The Concept

The idea is straightforward. Take Icelandic lamb — slow-cooked, properly seasoned, falling apart in the way that only patient preparation achieves — and serve it in wraps, bowls, and plates with hummus, pickled vegetables, fresh herbs, and flatbread. It is a marriage of Icelandic ingredient quality and Middle Eastern culinary tradition that makes more sense than it has any right to.

The Food

The lamb itself is the star, and it should be. Slow-cooked until tender, well-seasoned, and generous in portion. The accompanying elements are thoughtfully prepared — the hummus is smooth, the pickles sharp, the herbs fresh. The overall effect is a meal that is satisfying, flavourful, and not at all what you expected to find in a harbour district that used to be purely industrial.

The wraps are the most popular option and the easiest to eat on the move, but the plates offer a more complete experience if you have time to sit. Everything tastes fresh, and the quality of the lamb elevates what could otherwise be a fairly standard Middle Eastern wrap into something genuinely special.

The Setting

Grandi is Reykjavik's former fishing industrial district, now reinvented as a hub for food, art, and culture. Lamb Street Food sits among this transformation, in a space that is functional rather than fancy. You are here for the food, not the decor, and the casual atmosphere reflects that. Order at the counter, find a seat, and eat.

Practical Tips

The Grandi area is about a 15-minute walk from the main tourist strip on Laugavegur, heading west along the harbour. It is worth combining a visit here with the nearby Grandi Mathöll food hall, the Marshall House art gallery, or a whale-watching trip that departs from the same area.

No reservations are needed or taken. The food comes out quickly, and the casual format means there is no pressure to linger. Bring an appetite — the portions are honest.