Last year, Mandi was close to storming in and grabbing Best Kebab in its first year, but barely missed out in favour of kebab mainstays Habibi. This year, the numbers came out in favour of Mandi, and deservingly so. While their lamb kebabs are delicious and their falafels have our vegetarian stamp-of-approval, the real star of the show is the rolled kebab. Offered in chicken, lamb, or mixed, with the help of cheese, corn, green olives, rainbow rice, and dripping with your choice of yoghurt sauce or spicy sauce, the rolled kebab is one of the absolute best one-hand-required meals in town. Tightly enclosed in a warm, pressed-to-golden-perfection wrap, at 1250 ISK, it never fails to hit the spot. Though Mandi is awkwardly situated (a bit reminiscent of a corner store), the service is friendly and caters to a diverse crowd—“from anarchists and biker clubs to families passing through and late-nighters,” says one of our writers—and better yet, it’s open until 6 am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Photo by Matthew Eisman

2012: Kebab Grill
2011: Habibi

Photo by Matthew Eisman