Berber & Q opened in the railway arches near Haggerston overground station last year and is the creation of Josh Katz (ex-Ottolenghi) and Mattia Bianch, specialising in grilled and smoked meats cooked over charcoal.  Vegetarians shouldn’t be wary of this place, as while meat plays a big part in the menu, the restaurant is also very well known for having a wide variety of outstanding vegetarian side dishes (although beware, due to the large amount of meat being cooked there there is sometimes a bit of meaty smell in the air).  

While Berber & Q is very well known as a place to head to for dinner, the fact that it does brunch seems to be less wide spread. When we heard about the brunch menu we had to get there immediately! We turned up just before opening at 11am, and while there were a couple of other groups loitering outside, we were swiftly shown in and seated.  

Before we looked at the food options, we got started on some beverages.  The menu contains a large selection of fresh juices, sodas and hot Turkish drinks and we ended up with a carrot, pineapple, apple, turmeric & ginger juice (apparently their most popular juice), a rosemary lemonade and a Turkish coffee.  While all delicious, the rosemary lemonade was shockingly tart so be prepared to water it down! 

Then we turned to the food and were immediately drawn to “The Full Israeli” which is basically a smorgasbord of Turkish goodness, coming complete with soft cooked eggs, hummus, chilli, avocado, olives, marinated mushrooms and onion, pita bread, pomegranate salad, slow cooked pumpkin mash and even yogurt with tahini and date syrup for those with a sweet tooth.  The waitress thought that would be enough for the three of us but we couldn’t resist the lure of the Turkish eggs so ordered those too. 

All the food we had was vegetarian, however, there is also the option to order Harissa hot wings, Ma’ahani sausage or smoked sumac and allspice brisket for those that need some meat in their brekky.  

Now while I wasn’t fussed on the service, the food more than made up for it.  It took us more than an hour to graze our way through our selection of delights and we still weren’t able to finish it all.  Also the vibe of the place is great, with a large open kitchen at the back and a bar down the left hand side of the room, making it the perfect place to graze. 

Once you’re done with Berber & Q Grill House, next on the list should be Berber & Q Shawarma Bar which opened in Exmouth Market in July, focusing more on shawarma kebabs (think high quality kebabs cooked on a spit – similar to Le Bab) and is a bit smaller, seating just 40.  

Go here for: a Middle Eastern feast – both for brunch and dinner!

Menu highlights: “The Full Israeli” (it says it feeds 2 people but is more than enough for 3 people, especially if you are going to add one of the meat options!); the Turkish eggs, cooked to perfection and served with yogurt, paprika butter, spring onion, pul biber, greens and pita; the carrot, pineapple, apple, turmeric & ginger juice

Top tips: you can’t book, but if you turn up at at 11am (when they open) you shouldn’t have any problems getting a table; if you’re keen for a meat feast, head here in the evening – again no bookings (and there can be a bit of a wait) but you can leave your number and head off for a drink at one of the local bars/pubs (Map Maison, Dukes, The Fox, Proud East are all within 5 minutes walk) and they will call you when your table is ready; if you’re after a coffee, they only serve Turkish coffee, but there’s great coffee to be had just around the corner at Curio Cabal or HER if you’re still in need of a coffee fix after brunch

Price: brunch for 3 people, including non-alcoholic drinks, came in at a total of £48

#october2016