Kian Samyani built Berenjak in London's Soho in 2018 as a tribute to Tehran's kababi grill houses, and won a Michelin Bib Gourmand for it the next year. The Sharjah room, opened with JKS Restaurants and Belhasa Hospitality, sits on East Boulevard in Aljada, the district built around a Zaha Hadid–designed central plaza. The kitchen turns out koobideh of minced lamb, saffron jujeh chicken, and a kabab made only here, the tikkeh masti. Most tables run AED150 to AED250 a head. It is a grill house with a serious pedigree, not a hotel buffet.
The Kitchen
Berenjak follows the template Kian Samyani set in London: an Iranian kababi, the open-grill neighbourhood houses of Tehran, rebuilt as a full restaurant. The menu opens with mazeh, the small plates, led by black chickpea hummus and panir sabzi, the herb-and-cheese plate that anchors a Persian table. The grill is the centre. Koobideh, minced lamb pressed onto flat skewers, and jujeh, chicken marinated in saffron and lime, are the benchmarks, and the Sharjah kitchen added one kabab found at no other branch: the tikkeh masti, beef fillet marinated in saffron water, chilli, yoghurt and onion, then skewered with red pepper.
Beyond the grill, the khoresht stews carry the home-cooking side of the menu, among them ghormeh sabzi, the slow lamb-and-herb stew that is close to a national dish in Iran. Cooking is generous and built for sharing rather than plated for one. A meal lands around AED150 to AED250 per person. The pedigree is real and worth stating plainly: the London original has held a Michelin Bib Gourmand since 2019, and JKS Restaurants is the group behind several of London's most decorated Indian and regional kitchens. Sharjah is Berenjak's second UAE address, on East Boulevard in Aljada, and the Persian grilling tradition travels intact.
The Room
The Aljada room takes its cues from Berenjak's Borough Market site, itself modelled on the Iranian townhouses of the Alborz foothills outside Tehran: Qajari-style artworks, heavy velvet curtains, high ceilings and vintage chandeliers. It seats around 74 indoors, with a 52-seat terrace facing the Aljada plaza. Lighting is low and amber, the kind that flatters a long table. The sound level is a lively hum rather than a roar, with the grill audible from the room. Dress is smart-casual. The big banquettes and the terrace make it as suited to a group of ten as to a couple.
Best for a Team Dinner
Book Berenjak for a team dinner because Persian grill food is built for exactly this: platters of koobideh, jujeh and the tikkeh masti kabab land in the middle of the table and everyone reaches in, which breaks the formality faster than a plated menu ever will. The long banquettes seat a real group, the bill stays sane at AED150 to AED250 a head, and the mazeh spread gives latecomers something to graze while the grill catches up. Ask for the big banquette or a terrace stretch on the Aljada plaza when you book for six or more, and order family-style across the grill and the khoresht stews.
Not for
Not for a hushed, formal client dinner. The room runs lively, the food is shared off communal platters, and it is unlicensed, so there is no wine list to work through.