Zest in North Devon - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

We always look forward to great coffee here when we concerto South Mokton today, and often struggle to get a table as it's usually bustling. What has happened here? It was oddly quiet, only a third occupied and new staff who were totally disinterested. Chatted amongst themselves behind the counter, our coffees took 20 minutes to come by which time our toast was long gone and the two tables who ordered after us had been served with their drinks. One young lady was still able to enjoy her own drink behind the counter though. Oblivious. Such a shame.

Think they are having a bad day today sadly

Always very friendly service, laid back atmosphere and tasty food. Good vegan options!

Coffee was good but cheese omelette awful. Swimming in oil , overcooked on one side. Only eat a couple of mouthfuls.Certainly didn't look or taste like an omelette. I told the waitress and said she'd advise the chef ! Shame as eaten there many times

Popped in randomly with my 10 year old son as we was waiting for a mot to be completed and was met by a nice lady behind the counter ordered our drinks one coffee and one hot chocolate my son absolutely loved his hot chocolate and my coffee was perfect. I would leave a review for food but unfortunately we didn't get the time to order any but will next time. Many thanks

Absolutely fantastic. Lovely people, proper food, great service too. Thank you.👍🏻👍🏻

Very good quality food, we had the bacon sandwich and Welsh rarebit, outstanding quality ingredients and cooked to perfection. The staff are friendly and attentive. Excellent value for money, so glad we are local to return again very soon. A big thanks for a lovely experience.

Friendly staff and well cooked food.

Always fabulous huge warm toasted teacakes in Zest and tasty hot chocolate. 😋

Fabulous place, food great , nice place and friendly

We popped in for some late lunch. My husband had wanted to see what it was like and it sounded like it might be interesting with fresh Mediterranean food. Admittedly on a Sunday afternoon so not the most social of times but the staff were clearly desperate to close and talked amongst themselves about what to do if someone else came in incase it interfered with their leaving. I understand the sentiment but it doesn't exactly create welcoming atmosphere to customers already in the cafe. We ordered paninis which took quite a while and arrived burnt, very hard and really salty, as if they'd been fried in salted butter. I couldn't eat more than a few bites of mine. They came with, what looked like the broken bits from bag of crisps, unceremoniously spread out on the plate next to them. A small handful of salad or garnish would have made it more appealing and perhaps have been a hint at the Mediterranean style. Overall, very disappointed. Money is tight for everyone and eating out is a treat. This almost certainly did not feel like it. Sadly, I wouldn't go again.

The staff were lovely and kind but the food was expensive, quite a small amount for the price, took about 40 minutes to receive it and the quality of the food was pretty bad and tasteless, will not be going back unfortunately.

The service was so slow we didn't get our food. Having waited 20mins we were told it would be a 30min wait.

Previous visits to South Molton seeking food and drink have been disappointing. Today was the exception. I came across Zest where the friendly and efficient staff served me very well in a cafe with a pleasant ambience. The coffee tasted good and was beautifully presented. The scrambled eggs on toast with salmon flakes was excellent and flakes is an understatement: it was a generous portion. If I am passing through South Molton again this will definitely be the place I visit.

Updated 20230720. Still lovely and still had a great range of coffee. The Sumatran cafetiere is amazing. New place, fab coffee, fab scrambled eggs. Exactly what was needed for a second breakfast having driven for two hours

2nd day in a row. Fabulous food and coffee. Attentive service. Good gf choices. Highly recommend.

I saw this on some Facebook reviews and was excited to visit while doing some business in the area. Sadly my enthusiasm declined once I entered. A very flat environment, lacking character. I ordered the Spanish Stew at £18.75 which took a while to come and when it did it was baking hot, I presume after being in a microwave and was anything but a Spanish Stew. It tasted awful and sickly. I cherry picked the prawns and hale and left the rest. The place next door seems to have much more atmosphere. This is a venue that has a concept but can’t deliver, There’s nothing Mediterranean about it ! Plus one of the waitresses found it interesting to constantly stare at me while eating. No thanks a waste of money and time.

A great little South Molton cafe

Always good food, sandwiches and coffee are really good.

Always lovely, shame it's not dog friendly as would definitely go more often.

Food was really nice but the service was far from ideal. We weren’t made to feel particularly welcome as the staff seemed a bit grumpy. Everything was plonked on the table with no interaction whasover. It was very quiet and would have benefitted from background music rather than listening to the staff saying ‘I’m ready to go home now’. Shame as the food and the variety was nice.

Travel through on way home but actually stopped for some lunch and this was our first visit and we really liked. Had a lovely halloumi salad and husband had a pizza and staff friendly. We will be returning.

100% the best place for a toasted teacake in South Molton. Love love this place, highly recommend, I'm in here at least twice a week!

Fantastic coffee shop. Try the breakfast!

Stop off for a coffee on our way to Great Torrington

Zest is a great little place in the centre of South Molton. We usually eat here when we come to South Molton as there is a good range of food choices, and the food is freshly cooked to order and very tasty to eat. The tables and floor are always clean and the toilets are always clean and tidy and accommodate disabled and baby changing. This review is based on the Daytime Menu. There were 3 of us, and we had 2 Zest Brunch's and a child's sausage, chips and beans, 2 lattes' and a chocolate milk followed by cake for the teen. We always book a table as Zest is very popular and we been turned away on a previous occasion, so always book now to be sure of getting in. You sit down and the staff come over to take your order. The staff are very friendly and welcoming. Our drinks were served first and the food took maybe 20-25 minutes at most, which you would expect if they are cooking meals from scratch, including some of the best scrambled eggs that I have ever tasted. I asked to have toast instead of mushrooms, this was fine. The food was steaming hot when it arrived. We ate at 1pm and I like the fact that you can have a breakfast at that time of day and that there isn't a cut off time. In the past I have had poached eggs, cheese and ham omelette, soup and all these things were served hot and tasted great. I highly recommend Zest for lunch if you are in South Molton. The prices are good for the food served, there is a good range of food to choose from, including breakfasts and breakfast items on toast, burgers, cream teas, cakes, omelettes, panini's, sandwiches, pizza and a good gluten free offering too.

Lovely cake. Unfortunately milk for tea had turned. Young lady changed cup and milk but its a first impression isn't it

Very friendly staff and great service. A busy place on a Sunday morning. Delicious breakfast all ingredients locally sourced. We will be back. The breakfast really was spectacular

Tasty snack on a wet day. Staff helpfull and friendly. Very clean.

Popped in on spec and I had a lasagne, my partner the burger and drinks. Freshly cooked and prepared, great quality, amazing flavour, very generous portions and very reasonably priced. Staff very friendly and helpful. What more do you need.

Staff go over and above to serve you. Very clean too 👌👍🏻 ham egg and chips is my weekly favourite 😋

Excellent service, food and ambience.

We both had an English breakfast which was greasy and with items missing, we also had to wait about an hour and there was no communication about how long it will be. I think it’s up there with the worst fry ups I’ve ever had. Also unfriendly staff who just stare at you when you walk in with no welcome or where to sit / order etc. Would definitely not recommend!

Great find. Nice ladies serving. Will go back

Over priced for what you get, becon was burnt sausages to small & bread or toast is extra, £9,x is to much,, sorry, won't be going back,,

Bad breakfast. I can only assume that the chef was to blame as the food took a very long time to arrive and was inedible when it did.

Food was good, the girls out front were working really hard however I can't help but feel they were let down by the kitchen staff. Now I do appreciate the food was cooked fresh and as I said the food was good but to wait 40 minutes for a cooked breakfast is a bit long, in the mean time I ordered a second cup of tea and had to wait nearly 10 minutes as there was no clean cups.

Just got a few takeaway coffees

Good overall tasty menu, good service and cleanliness. Will definitely call again. Walked passed many times always looks popular.

Light, bright and a good cup of coffee. Saw some of the Cake on display. Wish I wasn't on a diet. Staff friendly and helpful. Good menu choices.

Nice little place on the corner that we found purely out of chance. We were staying nearby and before going round the shops we wanted an early lunch somewhere. Very busy around the lunch time and clearly a locals favourite. Staff were friendly and the food was really nice. I ordered a pizza and my partner ordered a panini. My only criticism is that I had to go to the tills to order anything (and request the bill) as the staff didn't really come to the tables at all, and I'm not a 'wave your hand around until someone notices' kind of person. The food was quite slow coming out (think we waited about 30 minutes) . All in all its definitely worth a visit as the food is very nice and reasonably priced, I will go back there if I'm in the area again.

Only stopped for light snack but was very good.

Lovely place Great food Smashing people A year later and the food is still amazing & packed with flavour Can't be beaten💯

Personale gentile, brunch e torte molto buone.. Consigliato!

Me and my family had a great time eating at this place, Alice our waitress was 10/10. Good and drinks was on time and lovely, what a fantastic place. Will recommend

Ram out of pizza ingredients, tough as boots chicken, slow as a British rail replacement bus. Every table around me right now is complaining…appalling.

Visited Zest today. Placed our order at ten past one, drinks came about 5 mins later, unfortunately food didn't arrive till about 40 minutes later. No mention there was a long wait for food when we served. When went to pay tbe end of the meal, the lady sorry the waiter should have told you when he served. No offer of any good will gesture. Just a surly sorry. In my opinion food adequate and over priced

Very good, friendly staff, and nice quality food

Have been before and enjoyed it. Today the soup tasted burnt, I didn’t complain because the waitress was definitely unapproachable. My pie was ok but not worth the price for a pie, a few frozen chips and peas. Drinks were lovely and cold!! But no matter how hard I tried and I did try, our waitress simply would not engage or smile. We left in a good mood, because we went in in a good mood. But it’s a shame as I doubt we’ll ever go back.

Having attended local surgery for serious eye examination & having to fast for test, I was in need of sustenance!! Entered Zest, found a table, which apparently was reserved!! So moved, ordered Zest brunch & coffee, the only thing NOT burnt on my plate, was the baked beans. It would appear in the morning sessions, you have to be a local, & you are treated better, funny really, as I have thru marriage been associated with South Molton for 30 years. 1st and last time at Zest.

Ordered the lemon chicken. Was so dry. Didn't eat it and told the waiter but no response still had to pay full amount.

We found this place totally by accident. The satnav tried to divert us around some tràffic and took is into South Molton. The town looked interesting so we decided to get some breakfast. We found Zest and we are so happy we did. Reasonable prices and great service. Also, it's full of regulars who just made the experience even more enjoyable with their conversation. Service was outstanding. Food was great. Thank you guys and if we ever find ourselves in your area again on holiday we will stop-by.

Ok cafe . Busy but service good and excellent soup

Great service and amazing food.

The staff are miserable and not very friendly unless you're a regular I guess. Although based on first impressions I wouldn't progress to becoming a regular. Very frosty and not very zesty. The food was ok, large portion but not a lot of taste. Reasonably priced I suppose. Maybe try it and see if they like you 🤷

Loved it... Great for South Molton Cappuccino with ground cinnamon 😘

The staff were excellent, very friendly, helpful yet still professional. The cake and drinks were nice, service was speedy but you didn’t feel rushed . Also toilets were immaculate.

I’ve been here before and had a lovely time. Few years ago now. Went in today and the staff were so unfriendly. Really grim attitude. Was quite shocked. Couldn’t raise a smile out of either of them - despite asking them how they were. Such a shame as have enjoyed this place in the past. Will be giving it a miss as prefer to visit a place where it feels like my custom is welcome. Hopefully the management can have a word: they ought to be aware their front line staff are letting them down.

Absolutely love Zest, never had a bad experience, food is excellent as is the service. We go at least every month for lunch with our kids or just as a couple. The atmosphere is lovely too.

Really great fried breakfast, most places mushrooms are an afterthought but here they were beautifully cooked. Staff were really friendly and were cleary trying to take care of all guests, even learning individual preferences of locals. Lovely to see.

Amazing fresh selection of food 😋... with lovely service

We dined here based on recommendation from hotel we were staying in and it was excellent. Intimate setting, pleasant staff and comfortable surroundings. It seemed to be popular with the locals too - we tried to get in the next day for morning coffee but...

Lovely food and service. Great menu with a variety of unusual options as well as familiar favourites. This place is popular and it's easy to see why! We passed on a Monday morning and it was packed, glad I booked for that eve as even on Monday Eve it was full.

Good choice and very clean. Staff very attentive and efficient. Centre of town location with carpark/bus stop close by,

Staying in South Molton wanted a quick easy meal, was recommended to visit zest, food was cooked beautifully, freshly prepared, nice central village location. Easy access

Stopped here for cake and coffee on the way to Exeter today. Lovely place, friendly staff, clean and the cake (coffee and walnut and carrot) were home made and delicious. Would thoroughly recommend.

Lovely breakfast sandwich and coffee, friendly staff in comfortable surroundings

Food is lovely, but the portions are far too small compared to what you pay. The waiting times are terrible. We waited an hour for our food and were just left to wonder where it was. We won't be back.

clean and tidy . staff polite . got us in without a booking ( lucky ) .... staff very helpful. food was nice and burger was nice and tasty. and good prices . 👍 will definitely use again when I come back to South molton .

Dropped into Zest for an evening meal having booked a table from the car whilst on the way back home from a work trip. Great decision. Billed as a mediteranean restaurant Zest does not disappoint with a compact but varied menu and great choice of...

Friendly, comfortable and excellent food. I'd be there every day if I lived in South Molton

Food was good, staff try to accommodate but cafe has outgrown it's space and people were being turned away. A real down side for me was the fact that out of the whole cafe we were the only table (2 of us) asked to pay for our food upfront!! And for that we will not be returning again, very disappointed.

Great little find, people were being turned away constantly. The food was fabulous, but it took an hour for it to be served. Will definitely go back

This was a great experience. From booking table, arriving and being met with a pleasant smile. The food was perfect.

Nice and very friendly staff , food was very tasty and definitely worth a visit

Please ignore previous review this cafe really went out of there way to help and rectify the problems from before due to a miss communication and busy staff. We will return this weekend and enjoy the beautiful breakfast we was looking firsts too. Went the weekend had a lovely zest breakfast well worth the return Nikki

What a lovely happy place the staff where so friendly. Drinks came quickly, coffee was lovely the Alice the waitress was very polite and helpful and couldn’t have done more for us. The food here was out of this world so delicious and would 100%...

Very nice place to eat and the staff are brilliant. Maybe I'm a bit picky, but would like larger portions for the price. Either way I'll be going back for cake and Chai latte

Great food - you need to book on a Saturday. It is markers as not fast and that’s true as it is being freshly cooked to order but good portions and well priced. There is tea or coffee included with some of the items and...

Popped in for lunch. Very nice. Good food. Try the Welsh rarebit. Yum

What a waste of time, after 45 minutes waiting for our food I went up to the counter only to be told there was no order even though the lady wrote it down as soon as we got there. Instead of an apology which never came the 3 ladies each took it in turn to say are you sure that we ordered them one even had the Audacity to say have we paid for food we hadn’t even had. An utter joke. Avoid! Avoid! Avoid!

We arrived at 1250 pm today Sunday 15th August and ordered tea coffee and two breakfasts after waiting for over 45 mins with no acknowledgement we then had to ask if everything was ok as people around us were getting their and drinks the waitresses...

Lovely food and excellent friendly service. You have to wait a little while for your meal because it is freshly cooked to order, but it is well worth it! Tracey, Vicki and the girls do a brilliant job and are very friendly. Best café in South Molton 😀

Nice dinner and a good breakfast as well. Good atmosphere and nice staff

Had a really nice evening meal here. The staff were very friendly. Welcoming atmosphere and the place seemed really clean. Both our meals were really tasty and the wife’s tiramisu she said was lovely. Would definitely go again if coming to the area.

Pleasant café with Covid safety procedures in place. Just ordered 2 hot chocolates which were enjoyable, as a quick refreshment while touring the area. Toilets were open and clean and tidy.

Deceptive outside as wasn't too inviting but one inside very pleasant with friendly staff and good food.

Went today for breakfast lovely restaurant/ cafe in the middle of south Molton lovely bunch of girls serving us . hubby had the zest breakfast one of the best breakfast he’s ever had sausages were so tasty it was a 10 out 10 I had...

Lovely coffee, lovely tasty food, friendly staff. Great place for lunch, of quick drink.

Whilst visiting South molton we popped into Zest to have coffee and cake, we were very impressed by the variety of cakes and food avaliable and drinks options too. The staff were friendly and overall we had a nice coffee stop here. Some group members...

Lovely staff and great food!! I was cycling through when it's absolutely chucked it down with rain. Zest cafe was exactly what I needed. And thanks to the staff for not minding a soaking wet cyclist sitting in their cafe. Would highly recommend and I hope to come back sometime.

A quality breakfast, friendly service and a sweet atmosphere. Can't ask for more from a cafe!

Impressive cafe restaurant, spotlessly clean, very friendly serving really good wholesome food for all the family. Visited twice, full both times turning people away so book ahead.

Good food, good service and good value for money.

Just had a quick bite here but meatballs super tasty and nice friendly staff. What's not to like !

Have been here twice lately while staying locally, once for lunch and once for a coffee. Not overly fancy inside but comfortable and good service and menu. Had an excellent cheese and ham sandwich made all the better by really good quality bread. On 2nd...

Good food. Staff welcoming but not attentive. I had a tomato omelette and chips and my husband enjoyed a delicious fish stew, with lots of fish!

Fantastic little cafe with lovely staff and lovely food. Would definitely recommend!

Lovely food. Decent prices. I recommend the Welsh Ratebit

Fantastic pizzas and very good wine. Good children’s menu. Staff were really friendly and helpful. Would recommend.