There’s something about cooking over fire that just feels right. No bells, no buttons — just smoke, heat, and instinct. It’s the oldest way to cook, and somehow still the best.

The story of Haz started over 22 years ago, when Haci, Zafer, and Ahmed opened their first restaurant on Cutler Street. Just three friends with a love for real Mediterranean food, good service, and that kind of hospitality that makes people want to stay a while.

No buzzwords. No gimmicks. Just proper food, done properly.

And it caught on fast. People filled the place — day and night — because they could smell it before they saw it. The lamb sizzling over charcoal. The garlic in the yoghurt. The flatbread, still warm from the oven. You’d walk past and your stomach would make the decision for you.

Now, 22 years later, with five Haz branches across the City, we still do it the same way — over real fire, with real ingredients, and no shortcuts.

The kebab goes way back — centuries, really — to dusty plains and soldiers skewering meat over open flames. It wasn’t fancy. But it was honest. And that honesty is what we still chase.

At Haz, we don’t rush things. The lamb loin is grilled until it just barely resists the knife — juicy, smoky, full of flavour. Kofte? Spiced, shaped, and grilled till the outside crisps up, but the inside stays soft and generous. Even the chicken gets its moment: marinated slow, grilled fast, with caramelised edges that almost crunch when you bite.

You don’t fake that kind of cooking.

And in a place like the City, where everything’s about speed and screens, that plate of fire-cooked meat hits different. Suddenly, it’s not just lunch. It’s a break. A reset. A little reminder of slower, better things.

We didn’t invent the kebab — far from it. But we honour it. With fire, with time, and with the kind of care that got us started in the first place.
Want to taste the story for yourself? Book a table at Haz and let the grill do the talking.