For Nick it was like being in Dubai, except the food actually has flavour

Community leaders, brand partners, friends, family and people who clearly knew where their next meal was coming from gathered to witness the latest chapter in the brand’s London expansion.

I am not any of those, but I couldn’t help noticing I was one of only a few people not sporting a beard or a wearing a headscarf. This is because Meet Bros is a Halal restaurant, which also means no alcohol. This was a bit of a problem in two ways. One, I cannot think of Halal slaughter without shuddering a bit, and secondly how do you eat steak without red wine?

It’s a modern place, in an international manner, very stylish and just sitting on the cusp of where the City meets (sic) civilisation Things kicked off at 6pm with a non-alcoholic reception of tasty mocktails and a steady parade of Asian-leaning canapés. There were miso tuna tartare croustades (dainty but serious), Korean chicken vol au vents with a flash of candied lemon zest, neat little brioche buns housing Meet Bros’ signature mini beef burgers, and pistachio tiramisu cones that disappeared at a rate suggesting they may need to be made compulsory.

Dinner was upstairs and seated — properly seated — with everyone sharing the same space and the same courses, a quietly confident move that reinforced the restaurant’s emphasis on togetherness rather than theatrical table-hopping. The menu was reassuringly ambitious: seared scallops with cappellini in Ikuta cream and Avugra caviar to start was excellent.

Tenderloin medallion with potato pavé, enoki tempura, Thai chilli sauce and miso for the main was a bit odd, I really didn’t think the Thai chilli sauce was a great idea, but the steak was good, possibly sous vided, and the enoki tempura was a very nice garnish. Star of the meal for me though was an apple tarte Tatin with vanilla ice cream to finish, because some things simply don’t need reinventing just done well and this really was very good.

A welcome speech followed from Yusri Othman, Operations Manager at PBR Gastronomy UK Ltd, who spoke about the brand’s journey, its commitment to premium halal dining and why Shoreditch, of all places, is where Meet Bros now intends to flex its culinary muscles.

For those people looking for a creative, upmarket, halal meal, and that’s obviously an increasing number in London, Meet Bros have got their number.

Meet Bros Shoreditch, 2 King John Ct, EC2A 3EZ

www.meetbros.co.uk/meet-bros-shoreditch/