Berber & Q, Haggerston

A new grill house is opening up under the railway arches in Haggerston, channeling global influences to turn out Middle Eastern and North African cuisine by focusing on the grilling and marinading techniques of the 'mangal', the traditional social barbeques of Turkey and Persia.

Berber & Q is the brainchild of Josh Katz, drawing upon a passion kindled in his early years spent snacking at the falafel shops and Shawarma houses of North London. Stoked further by time spent travelling, from the old markets of Marrakesh to the kebab houses of Istanbul (via the shipudim stalls of Tel Aviv), Josh's life-long love for the region's cuisine now comes backed by experience, as well as impeccable training – both Josh and co-founder Mattia Bianchi are graduates of Ottolenghi.

Berber & Q, menu
Bringing this breadth of experience and passion to the duo's first venture, Josh has split his menu into 'meat', 'pickles', 'mezzes', 'sandwiches' and 'sweets', offering up a broad and flexible range of communal, informal dining options. Signature meats will include fennel seed & paprika smoked pork belly and maple-glazed smoked Merguez, which both come in under £9.

A rotating mezze selection, all at around £5, includes blackened aubergine with walnut and tahini and glazed beetroot with date syrup and whipped feta, as well as cauliflower Shawarma. Griddled Israeli ciapita and home-made sauces like Josh's Zhug, harissa and garlic yoghurt accompany every dish, while authentic sweets such as rose malabi and saffron rice pudding with pistachio will round off the menu.

Away from the kitchen, Mattia is overseeing a bar collaboration with Crate Brewery to offer Berber's very own draught Golden ale, made with thyme, Za'atra, Sumac and orange zest.

They'll also be serving up Morocco's classic Casablanca lager, as well as Palestine's Golden Taybeh, along with a short, well-priced wine list featuring bottles from Turkey and Morocco, as well as Spain and Southern Italy. As if that wasn't enough, the cocktail menu will be built around Arak, a popular Lebanese anise spirit, as well as homemade bitters and infused spirits, complimenting the food service with a similarly-inspired line-up.