Josh Katz to open Berber & Q

Josh Katz will open his first restaurant, Berber & Q, a Middle Eastern and North African grill house, within the railway arches of Haggerston, in Spring 2015.

Josh has taken influence for Berber & Q from all over - London, Marrakesh, Istanbul, Tel Aviv and New York. He said:

“Cooking for me is all about simplicity, no fuss, no pomposity. I want Berber & Q to be fun and informal. They'll be a few dishes that you'll eat with your hands. The vibe is all about sharing good food, in a close setting with great friends.”

Josh has extensively explored Mangal restaurants in Turkey, the grill & kebab houses of Istanbul, the food stalls of Jmaa al Fna in Marrakesh and the Shipudim in Tel Aviv. Growing up in North London meant regular visits to the falafel shops, Middle Eastern grocery stores, bakeries, butchers, Shawarma houses and Israeli restaurants.

With the open mangal, charcoal grill and smoker at the centre of the offering, Josh has split his menu into ‘Meat’, ‘Vegetables’, ‘Sandwiches’ and ‘Sweets’. Signature ‘Meats’ will include lamb mechoui, pulled forequarter of lamb eaten by hand with cumin salt for dipping; quail with rose and plum yoghurt and beef kefta with walnut and apricot. The changing menu will include ‘Vegetables’ of blackened aubergine with walnut and tahini, cauliflower with turmeric and lime butter and glazed beetroot with date syrup and whipped feta.

Time to open a restaurant... @BERBERANDQ @ilgiannilondra pic.twitter.com/3eYugYNtNW

— Joshua Katz (@ChefJoshKatz) December 2, 2014

Co-founder, Mattia Bianchi, who previously worked at Ottolenghi and with Ben Spalding, will oversee the front of house and wine list. There will be wines from small producers in Italy, Spain, and France, along with lesser- known bottles from Morocco and Turkey. Mattia will choose one magnum every month which will take pride of place on the list. The list will begin at £3.50 for a glass, and £18.50 for a bottle. Mattia said:

“Our passion for Middle Eastern and North African food is enormous. We live in London but we love the 'lights down' buzzy dining culture of bars in New York. We want to bring the bits we love from all these cultures together at Berber & Q.”

The cocktail list will be Middle Eastern, using Lebanese Arak, homemade bitters, syrups, infused spirits and liquors. Guest lagers will be served on tap in growlers from local breweries such as London Fields, Crate and the Redchurch Brewery.

Berber & Q, designed by Judith Pearson, will sit under a weathered, brick railway arch. Its exterior will be clad with rusted and corrugated metal sheets and finely patterned lattice vinyl and a long, dark-wood bar will stretch the length of the room.  It is due to open in 2015.

By Tom Evans

@tevans43