Berber + Q Schwarma Bar

Verdict

Berber + Q Shawarma Bar is one of the more convincing arguments for eating well in East London without spending much. The Middle Eastern grill format, the Hackney address, the Opinionated About Dining recognition across three consecutive years point to a restaurant that has earned its following on quality rather than hype. If you want serious Middle Eastern cooking at casual-restaurant prices, this is where to go in London right now. If you want fine-dining ceremony, look elsewhere.

What You're Getting

Chef Josh Katz runs a tight, focused operation at 338 Acton Mews in Hackney. The format is Middle Eastern with a shawarma-bar sensibility: fast in pace, confident in flavour, priced for repeat visits rather than special occasions. The cooking sits in a category that London does inconsistently; Middle Eastern food that takes technique seriously without tipping into tasting-menu territory. For diners who know venues like Bubala, Imad's Syrian Kitchen, or Yalla Yalla, Berber + Q occupies the more technically ambitious end of that spectrum.

The Opinionated About Dining rankings tell the most useful story here. Ranked 67th in Cheap Eats in Europe for 2024 and improving to 91st in the same category for 2025 (with a parallel Casual in Europe listing), this is a venue that serious food-focused travellers already have on their radar. OAD rankings are sourced from frequent diners and industry professionals, so consistent appearance across three years signals genuine quality rather than a one-year spike. For a reference point, very few London addresses appear in OAD Cheap Eats Europe rankings at all; this one does, repeatedly.

That combination, OAD-recognized and broadly well-reviewed, is more reliable than either signal alone.

Who Should Book

Book here if you are a food-focused visitor to London who wants to eat something genuinely considered at a price point that won't require budgeting around it. It is also the right choice for anyone who has already covered the obvious East London hits and wants a neighbourhood restaurant with credentials. If you are exploring Middle Eastern food more broadly, Berber + Q pairs well on a London trip with Bubala or Imad's Syrian Kitchen for a clear sense of how different operators handle the same region's cooking. For a wider view of where Middle Eastern cooking is heading internationally, Bait Maryam in Dubai and Baron in Doha offer useful regional context.

This is not the booking for a formal celebration dinner, a long wine-focused evening, or anyone who needs a quiet, low-energy room. The format is casual by design, that is the point.

More London Dining and Travel

If Berber + Q is on your list, you may also want to browse our full London restaurants guide, our London hotels guide, our London bars guide, our London wineries guide, and our London experiences guide. For high-end dining elsewhere in the UK, The Fat Duck in Bray, L'Enclume in Cartmel, Moor Hall in Aughton, Gidleigh Park in Chagford, Hand and Flowers in Marlow, and hide and fox in Saltwood are worth considering for longer trips.