Harden's survey result
Summary
It’s “difficult to have a bad time” at Josh Katz’s funky duo, which started as a “cool little place in a railway arch near the canal in Haggerston” and later added a shawarma bar spin-off in Exmouth Market. On the menu: “delicious small plates of Middle Eastern-inspired food” – “gutsy food and great staff too”. (It’s no criticism to say that ratings are not as white hot as when it first opened: it’s just that the competition has caught up with them a bit). Sample dishes – Miso-harissa BBQ butterflied poussin, salata mashwiya; Whole sea bream, moroccan chili honey, saffron aioli, lemon; or Smoked lamb mechoui, harissa, cumin salt, grilled flatbread.
Summary
“Sublimely executed feelgood nosh of the highest charcoal-grilled order” has attracted a “devoted fan base” for this Middle East/North Africa-inspired grill in a Haggerston railway arch, and its shawarma bar spinoff in Exmouth Market. Ten years on, its feedback – though consistently excellent – no longer scales the hyper-dizzying peaks it once did, perhaps because founder Josh Katz is increasingly focused on his newer, multi-site project, Carmel (see also).
Summary
“Never had a bad trip here!” – a common experience at these impressively consistent hipster grills where the “great and tasty mezze and flatbreads” are inspired by North Africa and the eastern Med: “delicious dishes with explosive flavours” that are “well-priced and extremely fresh tasting”. They “can get very noisy” (“it was as easy to talk as sitting in a rock concert!”) “but an excellent meal is your reward!”
Summary
“Smoky perfection!” – Josh Katz’s “yummy and very moreish” Middle East-inspired grills in a vibey Haggerston railway arch and on Exmouth Market have won a massive reputation since he launched his take on ‘live-fire cooking’ in 2015; and the “buzzy, intimate atmosphere” of both locations is also a big winner. Top Menu Tip – “the flatbreads, chicken and cauliflower shawarma are standouts”.
For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Berber & Q Shawarma Bar?
Restaurant details
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £29.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £2.20 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £1.50 |
| Service | 10.00% |
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑4 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
Best Middle Eastern restaurants nearby
Spanish restaurant in Clerkenwell
Middle Eastern restaurant in Bloomsbury
Mediterranean restaurant in King’s Cross
Best similarly priced restaurants nearby
British, Modern restaurant in Farringdon
Sandwiches, cakes, etc restaurant in Clerkenwell
British, Modern restaurant in Clerkenwell
