Zara Indian Cuisine in Maldon

I ordered Rogan Josh which was very Oily and greasy. Wife ordered Biryani mild spice. Biryani turned out to be very very hot despite that we ordered mild. The meal was 60% left. Raised this with the staff. Was ignored. When it was bill time, this got questioned. Nothing was offered in the way of reducing or voiding that dish. It had 2no pints of Orange and Lemonade….£7 Each!!!!!!!! We will not be going back there again. Beware people you’re food will be oily and disgusting and you will get ripped to shreds on the drinks. £66 for the two of us…. Never again

Been to Zara a few times (eat in and takeaway). Always good. Today, my car broke down (flat tyre). I was in the Zara car park. The employees came out and helped and gave my two kids some sweets from the restaurant. What lovely people!

Fantastic meal and service really enjoyed the taste and the waiters knowledge on what dish my family should try something different .

Great service and delicious fresh food would definitely recommend. With a nice atmosphere. Very friendly staff and very reasonable price

Visited on a Saturday night as a family of 8, we have never been here before and did not prebook. We was attending an event in the area and drove past and decided to stop for dinner. The service was excellent with drinks and popadoms quickly offered. The main meal was definitely the best curry we had all eaten and we are all massive curry lovers so to find a restaurant that we all agreed was better then any we had been to before speaks volumes on the food. We will 100% be back. Well done Zara!

Three of us decided to have a curry here having never visited this restaurant before there was no problem getting a table as it was quiet for a Friday evening ordered some drinks well given the menus on looking through the menu I thought there’s not a lot of choice here and my friend also thought the same when the waiter appeared with our drinks we asked why it was such a small menu He had a look and three pages were missing out of the menus these were replaced with the full menu . The food was okay my friend had the battered prawns to start but the better was more of the style you had on fish and was far too thick the main dishes were fine It didn’t come up to where we usually go.

A little fearful at first as the restaurant was empty, nothing to worry about, great food and service, popadoms on the table almost before we asked for them, staff were attentive without being overbearing, will definitely be back

So pleased we went straight for a main course after our poppadums - just delicious bursting with distinct flavours and beautifully presented. No room for dessert so had to settle for a kulfi

6x adults, 1x 1 year old descended here 01.02.20 to celebrate a birthday and we had a fabulous time. Saturday night and the place was buzzing - always a good sign when visiting somewhere you’d not been before. Staff were great, service was a little slow in places but everything we ordered was correct and delivered with a smile and always checked if all was well. Spot on, great food, nice place overall and would not hesitate to travel past many other restaurants just to get here. Well done to the owners and staff - food great, drinks reasonably priced, and we all came away feeling like our custom was appreciated 👍.

Chose two different curry’s and sides Opened within 10 minutes Sides cold Both curry’s marked as different but obviously the same

First visit, impressed with interior and table presentation. Good value buffet at £10.95 from the A La Carte Sunday Menu, service was excellent, food was good without being outstanding. Look forward to a return visit.

Was a very enjoyable evening was made to feel very welcome on our arrival and the same when leaving the restaurant too. It’s somewhere I hadn’t been for quite some time but would have no problem with going again!!

I was very disappointed with the service I received last night. I picked up my Indian for a take away last night as I got home and opened my bag to feed my family it was apparent that the chicken tikka masala dish was in fact another dish a spicy dish. I phoned up to let them no there was a mistake and very bluntly told that I didn’t order a masala an that I ordered a dish I’d never heard of before. Instead of being offered a refund Or offered an apology I was told I’d have to come back and swap it and make the 30 min round trip again which wasn’t an option again at that time of night. The situation should of been dealt with aLot more professionally seeing as I’d just spent £53 Of my hard earned money on a take away which one member of the family couldn’t eat. Needles to say I won’t be returning my custom

Love this place and never have a bad word to say about it. Food is absolutely delicious, the staff are great fun and the service is fantastic.

Overall the food was very good and reasonably priced, but unfortunately the overall experience was let down by the poor (i.e. slow)service. We arrived a couple of minutes after 19:00 and were quickly seated. We were handed menus and ordered some drinks and poppadoms. Poppadoms arrived, were consumed and cleared away. We still had not ordered our food. We asked one of the waiters whether we could order and was told someone would be over shortly. At a second attempt with another waiter we were told they hadn’t taken our order as the kitchen was busy and would not be able to prepare the food just yet. I asked how long would it be and was informed a little while. I asked how long as depended on whether we would stat or not. We were told 20/25 minutes. We decided to stay and order selection of starters and mains. The starters arrived after about 20 minutes (we had been here an hour at this point). Mains arrived after another 20 minutes. Had to ask for the bill twice and took 15 minutes. The food was very good, staff polite and friendly, just a shame the service was so slow.

Nothing wrong with the food but the service was seriously lacking. I was part of a party of eight visiting on a Saturday evening at 7:15 pm. We were plied with popadoms and drinks almost immediately and from there it all went down hill. A long wait to order and the starters arrived by 8pm. No sign of the main course by 8:45 when we were given poor excuses about it being Saturday. Food finally arrived at just before 9pm and was quite good. When we were presented with the bill, we thought it was a bit high at £45 a head (a previous visit had been about £25 a head) as most of us had only had one drink. An indignant Manager insisted that they recorded everything that we had but once we started querying every item, the bill was taken away and added up again only to come back £160 lighter and about £27 per head. Didn't leave a tip and certainly won't be back.

What a lovely restaurant! Must very d to the area so visited here with friends and family with kids. Delicious food, can't complain. Looks after us very well and to our need. Even tried to make a. Dish not in thheor menu.Thanks you for the delicious lamb balti, prawn korma, lamb shank, biryani, saag chicken and many more..We will be back very soon.

Saturday night Third visit Chilled atmosphere No yobs Excellent food Excellent service Loads of parking My only gripe Top up the onion salad That’s my only moan!!! Keep up the good work We travel 30 miles for this. Not been disappointed.

Have been here once before when we were passing and we thought the food was pretty good so thought we would give it a try with friends.

I’ve used the takeaway here several times and it’s always been fresh and tasty - highly recommended. Oh and you can get a beer whilst you wait in the seated area for your food so make sure you get there 10 mins early!!!

Booked for Friday evening before Christmas table for 7. A bit crowded around the entrance / bar when we arrived, people drinking / waiting for takeaway orders. Otherwise restaurant not too full. Good choices on menu, quite a few special dishes. Quite busy. Good service. Friendly staff. Nice surroundings. Good quality food, decent portions. The vegetable curry was a bit disappointing, I've tasted better, otherwise everything else was fine. Would go again.

We recently visited this Restaurant and although the food was very good and waiters very friendly/attentive we were left with a sour taste when discovering that staff are unable to keep tips received as they go direct to Management. We have spoken to a few friends that also go there and some already knew however others didn't and they were quite shocked. The waiters do a great job and I really feel they should be rewarded accordingly - particularly disappointing as the food is very good.

We went with friends on sat night. As my husband is gluten free, i take a gluten free beer in my bag,

We booked a table for 5 on what turned out to be a miserable, wet day! We were served with excellent hot starters,an ample choice of main courses and almost too many side dishes,all of which were delicious!

We've been several times and have always found it to be perfect. The staff are very welcoming and friendly. The menu is great and the food delicious. This is without doubt the best Indian restaurant in the surrounding area.

Been to Zara a few times now and feel like part of the family, from the time you arive you are made to feel welcome, The food never fails to impress

Visited for a birthday me in a group of 10. We were well catered for a the food served was very good. Everyone really enjoyed there dishes and the cost £30 ahead with service was reasonable considering we had plenty of alcohol.

This is the best Indian restaurant by far in the Chelmsford area. The quality of the food (takeaway and sit down) is always excellent; staff are friendly and very helpful.

We visited here as a family group of 5 on a Sunday evening. The staff couldn’t have been kinder or more efficient. We had poppadums that came with 4 sauces. The lime pickle was the favourite. We followed this with a different dish each - prawn, 2 chicken and 2 lamb. We also had garlic and plain naan and 3 different flavours of rice. We couldn’t fault anything but I must mention the chicken balti because the flavour was sublime. When my sister mentioned pakora (doesn’t appear on the menu) they brought us some (complimentary) that they had prepared for themselves! We drank small glasses of Cobra and passed on dessert. We received a complimentary plate of chocolate mints and mint imperials at the end of the meal. Will definitely revisit.

A mixed review on this one. Firstly arrived just before 8pm was seated straight away. Orders was taken for Drinks and Popperdoms . We asked it they had any bitter rather than lager which they did as we are mostly real ale drinkers. The Bitter on offer was Spec Hen and Theastons old peculiar asked for spec Hen but waiter got us Theastons not a major issue as it was still real ale. Popperdoms were quite cold when they arrived. We did not have starters. Ordered main meals which was very nice I had a mild in strength Goan Lamb shank very nice indeed. The rest of the guys was happy with the quality of the food. Deserts was very sparse only about 4 or 5 ice creams available. Plus the ice Cream was £4.50 each for a tiny little pot. We normally pay approx. £20 to £22 for this kind of meal but here it was pushing £30 each seems a lot of money for a curry dish without starters or Deserts. Plus most of the Curry houses we go to we get offered a free drink at the end of the meal at this place we was not offered anything. Shame I would have marked it higher for this fact plus the extra cost seems over the top for this kind of restaurant. This eatery is not local and if you want to visit you will need a Car.

My partner and I tried their Sunday A la Carte Menu. Which states 'All you can eat'.

The food is ok but not as good as my regular Indian in the Bentalls (Heybridge). Zara is on my doorstep so as I was home alone I couldn’t be bothered to do a 10 round trip just for me so I thought I’d give my local a try. I commented on how expensive the menu was and the staff member said “we are not a charity and if you don’t like it go elsewhere. Needless to say I’ve never been back. Having been in retail for years i’d never be rude like that. I would say my rent and rates are high etc. If that’s their attitude they don’t deserve to be in business

This was an impulse dinner after along day. Service was ok and food came quickly which was great as we wanted to be in and out. All food was well presented and everybody enjoyed there meal. Nothing was outstanding but everything was as expected.

Four of us decided on Indian cuisine at the last minute and we are so glad that we did! Light & airy pappadums & bahjees, and beautifully spiced veg samosa started us off. Our meals were hot, well -spiced and plentiful, and I would highly recommend this restaurant for people new to Indian food or for dining connoisseurs in a well-appointed restaurant.

We have visited 3 times now and have always been impressed. The onion bhajis are deliciously crispy and there are some unusual dishes on the menu as well as all the classics so plenty to try. Meat is tender and succulent. Staff don't fuss over you which I like, just do what is needed.

My family love this place, great service and amazing food. I was shocked by some of the negative reviews, It is our favourite Indian by far and I simply don’t recognise the experiences mentioned in the negative reviews. Most of the dinners are regulars so they must be doing right :-). It is a bit on the pricey side but you get what you pay for and we will visit again soon. Keep up the great work Zara! We will be back in January for your amazing baltis!

We visited this restaurant with friends & thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The staff were very friendly, they had a good & varied menu

Food was very good. Exvellent portion sizes and opportunity to try things new. Made a ice change from ordering what we always get.

Usually go to cheap indian in maldon but been to Zara a few times now and been pleasantly surprised at how nice it was. Food has been lovely apart from overcooked onion bajhs once. Nice atmosphere and usually we get a cosy table for 2 tucked round a corner.

It had been a long time since we had visited Zara so we returned after hearing some good reports from friends.

Like other comments, its a hit and miss place. Havent had a takeaway as they dont deliver, but eaten as a meal during week and had first buffet yesterday hence this review. Its not a large option buffet, 3 mains only, although you do get 3 starters and sides included. Mains you pick just 1 and all you can eat. Be aware though you pay through the nose for poppadoms and even pay for the salad/lime pickle etc it comes with! It also says on menu choice of nann but its not. Plain nann in a basket! Staff again hit and miss. Poilte when you first arrive then goes down hill.. food tasted nice though just a pitty rest didnt live up to it!

We got a take away tonight, first time trying takeaway wish we hadn't. Chicken tikka balti the chicken was dry and not marinaded enough. Ordered pilau rice got boiled rice ordered mint sauce got none, nan bread was cold, no't cheapest Indian either. Overall very disappointed

My 19 year old son and four friends visited this restaurant last night after previously enjoying take always. They were treated quite rudely by their server and when they asked if they could have a table for five the answer was 'if you behave yourselves' and when one of their party asked for a glass of wine they were told no alcohol was served on the premises and their wine menu snatched away! The waiter should have simply asked for proof of I.d if he doubted their ages. I'm extremely disappointed that they were treated rudely and with no politeness or respect when they themselves are polite, well behaved teenagers simply wishing to enjoy a nice meal in their local restaurant. If I were them I would have walked out but they stayed and spent their hard earned money anyway, as a parent I feel very cross that they were treated this way and will certainly take my custom elsewhere in the future.

Really enjoyed my meal in Zara! Didn't wait to long for the food and the service was excellent! The staff made us feel really welcome and looked after us well! The food was lovely and all hot and looked fresh! The food wasn't to expensive and was worth the money we paid! Definitely will be going back.

Seeing that they were awarded Curry House of the year or similar esteemed title we paid a visit late Sunday bank holiday afternoon. The buffet was off, no doubt due to the aforementioned bank holiday so we settled for the menu, which was good and covered most aspects of Indian cuisine. We had onion bahji for starters which came as trio, well cooked and delicious. For mains we chose chicken dhansak (slightly hotter than the 1 chilli heat rating, more like 2) and lamb parathi, both extremely delicious along with rice and naan, again perfect. However the chaan masala was hardly cooked and flavourless and the aubergine bhaji the worst that I have ever tasted, undercooked and loaded with turmeric, in fact unpleasant. Drinks are the usual ramped up price of £4.95 for a bottle of beer. Overall cost slightly higher than most Indian restaurants. Shame the sides let the meal down, I expected a whole lot better especially considering the (self promoted ?) hype.

My husband and I booked a meal with our three sons and their girlfriends to celebrate two birthdays. Always a most friendly greeting on arrival and very polite and prompt service. Excellent food in very comfortable surroundings.

Have eaten here many times with family and also with my girlfriend and we have never had a bad meal, we have eaten both on the buffet (which is fresh cooked anyway) and the normal menu without disappointment. The menu covers everything you would expect from an Indian Restaurant and all dishes that I have tried have been excellent and of high quality. Would recommend to anyone and will be returning on a regular basis (already am!)

Our first visit to Zara, chosen by a family member to celebrate a 17th birthday. We enjoyed the atmosphere and decor and were pleased that the tables were not too close together. The menu provided a good variety of dishes and the dishes we selected we enjoyed very much and were nicely presented. All in all a very pleasant meal in a very pleasant Indian restaurant.

I place an order for onion bhaji, chicken biryani and peshwari nan. The onion bhaji were greasy, the biryani had no flavour and was like plain rice with the veg curry having a layer or grease/oil and peshwari nan was soggy. Overall a massive disappointment and I will not use again, a shame as I love the one in Mayland

Hi It's very rare for me to take the time to write a negative review,but I feel compelled to share what for us and our friends, was an over priced ,under delivered, dining experience. The table was small ,cramped and pushed tightly against a pillar, so we had minimal elbow room,the dining area was so poorly lit that we couldn't see the menus, when asked ,we were told that a child had been given an electric shock by the fittings ????The meal was rushed through ,felt very much as though we were on a conveyor belt and the waiters were very invasive and our conversations were constantly interrupted, which was beyond irritating. The food (which we couldn't see) was very much below average quality with all meals having virtually the same taste.When it was time to pay ,the bill was a lot higher than expected so we queried it ,the waiter returned and told us that it was correct. We had been charged £50.00 for our drinks .of the 4 of us there was 1 drinker !!She had 3 glasses of wine (house)The killer for me was the Lime and Soda at £4.50 a pint !!! And a bottle of water at 5.50If we were in the west end I'd expect expensive .But an ex pub in a country village !!!!We won't be going back .

Our favourite restaurant as we always prefer to get our takeaways from here and love the service when we go in.

I think this is one of the better Indians in the area. The service is good and the food is freshly cooked. Some of the house specialities are a bit far flung, so be weary of that. If you're into the more run of the mill curries I would stick to what you know.

Wonderful service, a warm welcome and delicious authentic Indian cuisine. This restaurant is also excellent for takeaways.

My boyfriend and I use Zara whenever we fancya curry. They don't deliver but they are so quick when ordering that we can get there in 20 mins and the food is done.Really reasonably priced, excellent tasting and quality food. Will keep going back!

Thought it was overpriced having visited chillis in South Woodham last week. Nice good, good service but definitely more expensive!!! Nice keema.Needs a child menu or early bird deal for families...

Went to this restaurant,which is conveniently just down the road from where I've just moved to, on a Thursday evening with my daughter. It was pleasantly busy but there were plenty of tables, the menu had a great range and food and drinks were reasonably priced. Restaurant is tastefully decorated and has welcoming ambience. Our meal was delicious. All in all a good experience which I hope to repeat very soon!

This was an early Sunday evening experience. Three of us rocked up with no booking, no-problem! This is an exceptional restaurant, bright and clean decor, linen table clothes and napkins, quality cutlery. After popadoms and drinks we ordered the Zara biriani, tandoori mixed grill, and lamb Rogan Josht with additional pilau rice, veg curry and dahl.All dishes were excellently presented and flavoursome. The best Indian I've had for a long time. Being Sunday, it was relatively quiet but I imagine it could get really busy at other times. Staff were excellent, welcoming and friendly. Not too expensive either. Will be going again.

We have eaten here a couple of times now. Did not pre-book a table but was accommodated on both occasions, not sure if this would always be the case as they said that they do get very busy. Food and service very good, drinks a little expensive. Will use again if in the area.

Have been visiting Zara since we moved to Danbury last year. The food is definitely one of the best around and I have never had a bad meal there. All of their food is fresh, tasty and the meat is always great quality which makes a huge difference as many Indian Cuisines I have been to in the past have been really let down as a result of poor quality meat.Zara is a tiny bit more expensive than others around however I will happily pay for quality!All of their staff are helpful and friendly and I would recommended to anyone!

Lovely friendly & efficient service. Excellent food & good atmosphere. Always well looked after at Zara's restaurant.

Located in a rural setting just out of town with easy ample parking. Very pleasant building with a stylish interior and well laid out dining area giving plenty of room between tables. Attentive and pleasant welcome as soon as we entered. Speed of service was relaxed and well timed. Good draught beer with quality wine selection and a great choice on the menu all fairly priced. Food came up hot, fresh and well presented and in a league of it's own for flavour. If you smoke there is a nice covered easily accessible outside area. I really couldn't fault this experience and would recommend without hesitation. I will certainly return.

All the usual dishes are there with a few specials and the quality is good. It's popular locally and my experience tends to make me book in advance. It also does take aways and the only downside is the food can take longer than desired to be served however this is only because its usually very busy and I wouldn't put you off a visit

We went recently on a Saturday night and could not understand why it was so quiet. The food is excellent, as always and the staff are so friendly and helpful. Its also very nicely decorated, so there is nothing not to like. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!

Food here is consistently excellent. Fresh ingredients cooked to a high standard. Recommend the Karhis particularly,also onion bhajjis are first class. Decent wine list and friendly service too.

we are regulars here, mainly for takeaways (which are always excellent) but we eat in too and you cant beat it, the food is great, the service is 2nd to none and yes its a tad pricier than Indian meals in town (Chelmsford) but you get a much better experience. Would highly recommend

Average Indian restaurant Food ok nothing specialNot the best in the area Nice friendly waiting staff Best to have a take away

Lovely guys in here who always go out of their way to accommodate us. The food is gorgeous and as my boyfriend has a slight issue now with spicy food, they will always tell him whats best to order & why or change another dish for him to suit. Lovely setting and they don't ever rush us. We have been in here till closing times chatting away without ever feeling like we are being pushed out the door. I have something different every time I come in here and am never disappointed!

One of the best Indian restaurants in the area. I dine here often and the quality is always good. The duck dishes are particularly good.

Ticks all the right boxes for a Saturday takeaway.we have also been on a Sunday for the buffet and again great value for money.Good menu variety and all the dishes served in the surrounding of the old pubs. Staff are eager to offer you up options from the menu if you ask and are extremely courteous. Eaten from there numerous times.

We went with friends recently for dinner and we all thought the food was lovely. The staff were all friendly and helpful, but it was a bit quiet for a Saturday night. We have also used Zara's for takeaways from time to time and have never been disappointed. Well worth a visit.

Booked a table for 6 4 adults 2 children aged 8&2 When we arrived we were not made at all welcome the staff had no enthusiasm nor did they have a family friendly attitude ! Put us as far into the corner as possible and treated us terrible although it's all new to the 2 year old they were not happy that she was un settled for 5 minutes .... I fact this has to be the most rudest staff I have come across in the food trade ! Whilst eating our popodums the waiter was leaning over removing cutlery no conversation The only person who had a smile and a chat was the young lady serving , the staff spoke to her like muck I even made a comment to her about the staffs attitude ! Food was very good reasonably priced , but sadly I wouldn't eat there again if it was free !

Visited Zara for some time now, the food just gets better each time, staff new or old are very friendly and helpful explaining the menu and often suggest additions that you probably wouldn't have thought of. highly recommend this restaurant

Popped in for a spot of lunch, they accommodated us even though technically closed. Staff in prepping for sat evening. Think a Saturday lunchtime deal could prove popular with families. Will be returning to try the buffet Sunday lunch. Good service & food!

We've Been here a few times now for takeaway only. The food is excellent. The restaurant looks good and always really busy. Highly recommend

Been here a few times now for takeaway and to visit the restaurant. The staff are always very welcoming when you arrive and the food has always been great. I've eaten from a few Indian restaurants around the area and this is up there with those. Food is always nice and hot and service is always good. One of the better Indians in there area. I would recommend.

We order in from this restaurant frequently and they've never let us down. Fantastic food.Dining in is always a pleasure, great atmosphere and we are treated as friends.We recently had a family meal here for a birthday and everyone thoroughly enjoyed!

After moving to the area a couple months ago we came upon Zara's, the first visit was ok apart from the staff didn't seem to communicate , we had asked if we could order our starters first then our mains after as we like to take our time but was told this wasn't possible all meals had to be ordered at once . We found this very strange but when the food arrived it was nice so we let this go as well as the feeling of being rushed . We revisited last night and all I can say is disaster !!! We asked the waiter for no fresh coriander as we don't like the taste, our starters arrived covered in coriander. When we told the waiter he gave us a smug grin ! I asked him to ensure the mains didn't have any and he said that he had written it down . When our mains arrived they were smothered in coriander, we are not complainers so we left the meal apart from the rice which was the only thing with no coriander. My husbands prawns had not been cleaned properly either. When the same waiter came over to ask about the food we explained it was still full of coriander, expecting at least an apology but no , nothing . He continued to just clear the plates that were all full of food. I asked for the bill and he came back with a desert menu, in the end my husband actually went up to the counter to pay just to get out of there ! I have never experienced such rude behaviour from a waiter to not even apologise is disgusting . We will never return and I suggest unless you want to be served by cocky arrogant waiters you avoid this restaurant at all costs .

Do not use this restaurant,we clearly stated for NO CORRIANDER but starters and maincourse were absolutely smothered.King prawns not cleaned properly so I had to remove the nasty stringy bit.The waiter could not care less about this but thought a smug smile might compensate for the awful food that we were unfortunate enough to sample.I would strongly recommend driving past this restaurant,the only positive taken from tonight was that you are rushed in and rushed out really quickly.

Shocking service. Asked for no coriander but the starters and main was covered.Never again!!!!!! No apology! Bad form

Having a Trip Advisor app on my phone doesn't mean I post comments.I don't (this is the 2nd time ever).However, I happened on the recent comment from a visitor to this restaurant who rated it terrible and simply can't accept their review as credible.My wife and I (along with family and friends) over the years have dined at Zara's extensively (basically every week) and love it!We were in the restaurant on the Saturday evening when the person who had such a terrible time was there. We on the other hand enjoyed a great meal (obviously unaware of this specific issue).Our experience is (conversely) "we love it"Food is fresh and always tasty and well presented.Staff.......they are so friendly. Take time to speak with them and Si and Raj are so hospitable. Having gone for years and with my children now teenagers, when they go to Zara's with their girlfriends we know they will have a great time and be looked after.I like to think we only go to places where you get quality food and Zara's is up there with the best of them in our area.The Friday night before the weekend in question we were were at Alec's in Navestock (fantastic) we eat all the time at Le Bouchon in Maldon, Blue Strawberry Hatfield Peverel, Olios and Chop Bloc in Chelmsford Zara's in our opinion (and based on our regular visits) is a great place to go. For me is in the same neighbourhood as the other restaurants previously mentioned.Social media is great, but you do only get one side of the story. Not sure why experience of others is so negative, but as the famous saying goes "always two sides"For anyone not visited give it a go!!

Booked for 6.45 Saturday night. Unfortunately the service was extremely slow with no updates on when food would arrive. We did not get our main course until two hours after we arrived. Our plates from the popadoms where not cleared away when the waiter was handing out our starters, he was put out that we said you will have to clear these plates first before you put the starters down. Drink orders where also forgotten. We had to complain half way through because of the service and attitude of one staff member. There are plenty of much better Indian restaurants in both Maldon and Chelmsford so I have to say this was my first and only trip to Zara. Very disappointing

Booked Zara to celebrate Dad's birthday. Having read some of the varied reviews I became a little worried, especially about the service we might receive. I can honestly say the service was amazing. Our waiter, as requested, made sure there was no delay as we had a train to catch, and made sure throughout the meal that we were happy and on track. Polite and attentive. The food as always was great, we shall be returning.

Starters were amazing, we had a king prawn starter and Indian assortment.Mains were pretty good although the chicken in the chicken in the bhuna was a bit dry. Had saag alloo and onion rice which was very yummy. My boyfriend had the lamb shank main and was very impressed.We were the only 2 in the restaurant so got good service.Desserts were usual British Indian pre frozen

This is a fantastic little Indian restaurant, the food is always fresh and deliciously well presented and always piping hot, the owner and all of his staff are very attentive and friendly, if you are not from the surrounding local area of Danbury, Bicknacre, Boreham etc then it is still well worth a visit. A well converted old pub with a very clean and tidy interior. The menu is varied with some interesting chefs specials. A great spot good for take says too. The whole family loves it and friends and family who have joined us have also enjoyed it and returned themselves too. Give it a go!

Four of us went on Saturday evening - it was my first time there.It is a converted pub and it has been converted well.The place is clean and quite modern with excellent cutlery, glasses and table linen.The service was good - not too pushy but attentive.However the food did not in my opinion live up to the surroundings - it was a fairly typical Bangladeshi cooking - for what they belive is the local taste / requirement.It is not worth a journey but if you live locally it is an acceptable local "Indian"

We have tried most Indian restaurants in the Maldon area, and decided to give this one a go. Surroundings are pleasant and the service is fine. But badly let down by the food. All the meals seem to come with the same generic flavourless sauce, vegetable side dish undercooked. Very disappointing, by far the worst Indian food in the area. Only given it three stars for the surroundings and service, food is two star at best.

We went for Sunday buffet and had to chose from their all you can eat menu. The waiter was very rude and we were the only guests in the restaurant. The food was not bad but nothing special really. There are many other way better Indian restaurants in Mid-Essex so we are not going back.

We have been to loads of so called authentic Indian restaurants and only found must of them offering dishes full of colourings and they all taste the same, What can say about Zara ! The dishes are authentic good food at the right price , I have eaten here loads of times and to be honest i keep saying i must write a review .Now its the right time , i love just walking in and being welcomed with great friendly staff and lets be honest its about the food and boy is it good , I had chicken Tikka for starters which is not the same colour that you would expect from a indian restaurant i believe this is because of the NOT so many colourings that most places put in to there dishes Zara's chicken is soft and the taste is second to none ,If i had to complain “More chicken Please” The mains are to die for love the Lamb Rogan Josh i alway ask soft lamb please but thats me . I had the special fried rice and that was good and tasty , Bread seems to come after i was told when the mains are being severed then thats when we put in the bread in to the tandoor so when it hits the table pipping hot and its fab, please try the puri bread flakey and lighter . Would i change anything at Zara’s emmm maybe a specials board and some better sweets but the rest is 100%

Recently move to the area thoughtI'd give the local Indian Restaurant a try outWas pleasantly surprised Food and service was really good Prices are reasonable Will dpi barely go back

We've dined at Zara's before so knew that the level of service and food would be good. We were seated close to the toilets with an opaque glass panel beside us to hide behind. The restaurant area was so dark I had to use the torch on my phone to see the menu. Fortunately, the waitress turned the dimmer switch up on the lights so we could see. So, if you want to hide in the dark corner, request to be seated close to the loos!!Otherwise, we enjoyed the conversation of our fellow guests who were quite animated. Not somewhere for a romantic liaison. The food is good though which made up for a busy BH Saturday

Visited Zara yesterday evening for a lovely catch up with 3 friends. Food was delicious and staff attentive. Very enjoyable evening.

We visited Sara Indian last Thursday and was truly disappointed from start to finish.We've been before and it was OK and we've been to their sister restaurant n Mayland. This visit here however consisted of overpriced under flavoured food with an arrogance from the manager that left us with a bad taste in our mouths. Our starters looked nice but were a bit bland, my partners meat samosa was non discript and more like a meat and potato pastie, I ordered the mixed starter and the onion bhaji was the saviour of the dish as the rest of it was again a bit bland.When we commented on the fact that the Lamb Tikka main my partner ordered was again bland and didn't taste or look like Lamb Tikka we are use to, he's explanation was top drawer!! Its because your from the North and we cook a little differently in the south and assured us that if we were to eat any where else in the south it would be the same. Now!! I know that our northern accents are still evident being from Yorkshire and Lancashire and I suppose Maldon where we live now is a little further north of Woodham Mortimer, but we now how samosas and tikka should taste .If you are looking for a nice Indian meal do yourselves a favour and go to the Curry Nights or Balti Bujon in Maldon. Its a little further north but well worth the travel and staff are less arrogant.It wasn't all doom and gloom mind , my Chicken Tikja Balti was OK :-)

We've heard locally by word of mouth how lovely the food is at Zara, so we had lunch there this weekend it was gorgeous.I had salmon, cooked in the tandoor oven, and it was one of the best dishes I've had, in any restaurant. The boiled rice was fresh and almost fragrant - I don't want to put anyone off, it wasn't fragrant but it's the best word to describe how fresh it tasted. My husband had chicken tikka korai (not sure how to spell it now!) and he raved about it.even the naan bread was especially good - usually naan can be thick and heavy but this was beautiful; thin and very light, just delicious.Our waiter was lovely, very smiley and helpful, all round it was a great experience and we will definitely be going back.I was surprised to read some of the comments on Trip Advisor as I've only heard good things about Zara from friends that have eaten there and I agree with my friends, it's lovely. All I can suggest is grand make your own mind up, but we love it!

Booked this restaurant on a Saturday evening. The food was good, the waiters attentive, sometimes over attentive, but should not complain about that.Shocked to see restaurant quite empty, which is quite unusual on a Saturday night.Did not read Trip Advisor comments before going, may have been put off if we had.We enjoyed our meal, and had no complaints, although lack of atmosphere due to lack of customers!! Would probably go again though - maybe.

Just returned from holiday with little food in the house, I thought it would be nice to have a take away. I have used this place a couple of times before soon after it first opened a couple of years ago and did not think much of it then, but decided to give it another try.Sadly, it is still not good and judging by the half empty, relatively small restaurant, at 8pm on a Saturday evening, I am not the only one who thinks so!The food I had, apart from the onion bhajis, had no taste, only moderate heat and my wife's lamb was tough and mostly uneaten.I will not tempted to try Zara again!

Having been recommended I took my two grandchildren. Food good but nothing special, service ok. Evening ruined by being charged £11.00 for two bottles of water. Waiter not interested when i commented. No offer to reduce bill. I did not tip and will not return and will advise family and friends to avoid.

J'étais en visite dans la famille et nous y avons acheté un take away.Cuisine délicieuse. Les plats étaient bons, copieux et épicés à souhait.J'ai mangé (surtout) un Sag Ghost piquant (pas à la carte, mais préparé spécialement) et il était savoureux et piquant comme demandé.Les pains étaient délicieux aussi, ainsi que le lassi nature (pas toujours facile à avoir)Le cadre du restaurant est très agréable et j'espère pouvoir manger sur place la prochaine fois que je serai dans la région.

We held a small works outing here - 8 people and I have previously visited with my family. They have some really lovely dishes and everyone enjoyed their food. My salmon tikka was excellent and the lentil dhal to die for. Being a works do we were a bit exuberant after a few drink but were hopefully out of the way enough to not effect others. Our waiters were attentive and jollied along with our good mood.I would definitely recommend this restaurant for quality and value as well as a great atmosphere.

The buffet should be avoided in a Sunday, shocking barely warm food, with rice that had hardened. The waiters were awful. I didn't eat anything except from poppadoms and a little bit of naan bread (as they was cooked to order, but we were told we couldn't order 3). Shocking service that's not even the start of what we endured here, my family is contacting trading standards and food hygiene. If you want a good Indian try Indian nights brilliant staff and lovely food.

This was our first visit to the restaurant after having a takeaway from here which was good. We dined early and the restaurant filled up by 19.30. The restaurant was clean and the welcome was warm. The food was good "traditional" Indian the choice is wide enough. The staff were very helpful. We will be coming back