Zest in Edinburgh, City of

I would like to meet the people leaving these 4.5 star reviews as they are probably family and friends. My family of four ended up with chicken out of a packet and nans out of a packet all cold whilst being watched over by a group of men. We only ate part of it as we was really hungry! If I am being honest I can’t understand why environmental health hasn’t shut this place down

Ok place. Food is ok. Service is nice. Its a small place - so if you are a biggish group, may appear cramped.

Totally pathetic. It is not at all an Indian restaurant, but a bangladeshi one. Food is pathetic. The hotel staff told me to spend a minimum of GBP 12 which is written in the table menu, but not at the entrance. I wonder why some non-Indians use the INDIA name for business while fooling the visitors. As an Indian, I found it insulting.

Lovely dinner and service thank you to mr. Bahar

Great restaurant right in the heart of Edinburgh! Both the food and service were great!!

Such good food, the best Indian food I had in Edinburgh!

Dined here as part of a party. Service was ok but we were the only table in. Food was tasty but plates and serving dishes were cold. This meant that the food wasn’t as hot as it should have been. Naan breads were a bit of a let down and a lot of this was left. Prices were average. It’s unlikely with the great choice in Edinburgh I would return.

Great samosas. Biryani could have been spicier. It was not very hot, temperature wise but was tasty enough and a good portion. Would have liked a mint tea afterwards but they only have breakfast tea. Good service.

Authentic Indian cuisine. Great service that also offers recommendations and help. We were even allowed to visit the kitchen with the tandoori oven

Top notch from reserving to arrival to departure. Staff were attentive and helpful. The food and drink were value for money. Staff dealt with gluten free options with no issues. Chocolate mints at the end rounded off a great visit.

Very tasty and wholesome Indian food. The restaurant is very pleasant and the staff most welcoming. We enjoyed a lovely curry dinner with some excellent Cobra beer. We will be back again.

1. They have a minimum order of £12 per person, that means 2 people £24 ig 🤣??, if u are a person like me on a budget don't visit at all. 2. They have a huge difference on their Price listed originally on-site menu card and in their website menu card and the pictures on Google maps. For eg. : Special Fired rice Price on the website £4.95, Google maps menu card £5.95, original price on site £6.95. They are not up to date about prices and when I mentioned this to them they didn't even care 😂. You can check the pictures i attached for proof.

Nothing to stop the press. But charming and good food. And I will say, the most flavoursome tikka masala I’ve ever had

Just rang up on the off chance to book a table and there was room for us instantly the staff couldn’t of been more helpful the food was spot on definitely will be going back there when back in Edinburgh, keep up the good work everyone

Overpriced for the very average food and the place is a very average experience

Wonderful food, very fresh snd delicious, accompanied by friendly and efficient service.

Great Indian restaurant in the heart of St Andrews Square. The staff were great and very accommodating. The food was excellent and extremely tasty. Our overall experience was very good and we would certainly return.

During our Scottish vacation, we ate here twice because the Indian food here is really excellent. The restaurant is somewhat inconspicuous in St. Andrew Square. It's small and familiar. The food is really unbeatably good. I have never had such a beautifully balanced taste from any Indian in Germany. The Zest special lamb shank is particularly recommended. The gravy has an intense, spicy taste that I've never had before.

I loved the tasty food in this place. Speedy and friendly service.

Delicious curries and very good service!

Very good food and the people are so kind!

Zest creates dishes that are complex and flavourful with high quality plentiful ingredients. Our lamb was so tender and delicious. This is a classic curry house experience with heated dish warmers chutneys and sharing mains. It bucks the trend of Indian street food which has been so popular and it works. Lovely meal with conscientious service. Highly recommend

Loved the food and service and a perfect ambience to enjoy them both! Must try ...!

Just renewed tastecard and went for post birthday meal. Travelling livingston to Edinburgh. Been a couple Yr since been The food was outstanding

Could not fault anything, food was good and so was the service.

What a wonderful restaurant! Everything was absolutely delicious, the service was warm and friendly, and the atmosphere was low key and intimate. We had a quiet, semi-private table by the front window that was just perfect after a long travel day. We’ll be returning when we’re back in Edinburgh in a few weeks… highly recommend!

This is a fantastic place to eat if you like curries, fantastic food, great service, sensible prices and very friendly staff

Really fresh tasting food and friendly, attentive staff. Would definitely recommend.

Fantastic place with Fantastic service. Really enjoyed the curries and starters we chose. There wasn't a mediocre dish in the bunch. Very reasonably price and a great find!

Service was perfect, and was provided a jug of water after ordering drinks. Food flavour and presentation was excellent, and we were checked on for drinks and to ensure food was satisfactory. Unfortunately a tad quiet, but not a fault of the restaurant. Overall a great dining experience, would definitely reccomend.

Highly recommended. Superb food. Great service.

Stumbled upon this place while walking to comedy show at the Stand. Came back to give it a try—wow!!! What exceptional Indian food. Everything we had was excellent spiced just right! Loved the white table clothes and coziness of restaurant. Service was top notch. We will be back again before we leave Edinburgh! Priced right!

Zest was a delicious Indian restaurant! The staff was very welcoming, and our sever Ahmad had great food suggestions for us. Cozy, warm and quiet. I highly recommend!

Such a lovely experience…we came here from a trip advisor review and we not dissatisfied. Incredible food with such attentive staff xx

Fantastic food, extremely tasty!

Gorgeous food in a lovely setting, within walking distance of the train station. Excellent service and good value. Highly recommend.

Lovely restaurant, gorgeous tasting food. Excellent value and service. Highly recommend.

10/10!! Had a busy day sight seeing and this was the perfect way to end the night. The food was sooo good and the people were so friendly and welcoming.

La Direction et le Personnel sont très professionnels et très avenants. La cuisine est parfaite - c’est excellent. Je recommande.

The food was delicious and the portions generous. The staff were friendly and attentive. Good ambience. Nothing to dislike.

Long established Indian restaurant, food very good, service good. Would recommend a visit

I had a business meeting here and found it to be a wonderful place to go to eat, right at the heart of the city! The food was absolutely heavenly and the tea had a wonderful texture, and was at a reasonable price. The staff were extremely friendly and it was a very comfortable and convenient place for me to have my meeting at.

Greet ambiance and great service, special thanks to Ahmed who went above and beyond and made us feel very special 😊 Food was exceptional we had the most delicious prawn and lamb biryanis not forgetting the amazing Indian desserts that kids loved. We had a wonderful evening and we highly recommend this restaurant.

We visited for my eldest birthday as we have been a few times before and always loved this place. Great food and very friendly service....we are always well looked after. Highly recommended

My wife and I dined in Zest last weekend for my birthday. It was my choice having been before several times and whilst she was happy to go it would not have been her first choice as I like Indian food more than she does. She was absolutely bowled over as was I (though I knew I would be!). From the moment we arrived we were made to feel very welcome by Labas and his colleague and the experience continued from there. My wife, Ann likes her curry to be mild but the one she really liked the sound of said medium. No problem we were told, they would ask the chef to make that dish mild. And they did!! Ann reckoned that was by far the best Indian meal she’s had in Edinburgh in 24 years here. My meal was outstanding too and served up exactly as I had asked with a little more spice. It isn’t just the quality of the food though, it’s the whole experience with brilliant friendly service, lovely people. I wasn’t aware they do deliveries and whilst we’ll certainly make use of that service we will be sure to attend at the restaurant whenever we can for the whole experience and not just the food. Try it, you won’t be disappointed. Roddy

I really like starter prawn puri！the special food is also good. The staff is very nice and friendly！Really a good experience！The nans are big. Good price，good quality and good service!

The restaurant is close to St Andrews Square. I wanted an Indian and I wanted something local. I came Upon Zest by chance so I gave it a try and I was not disappointed. A good selection of traditional Indian dishes. I plumpst dir the assorted Kebab and a Chicken Korma with a Garlic Nan and of course some popadoms and pickles. The assorted Kebab was delicious. Full of flavour and a good texture. The Chicken Korma was also delicious. A fine flavour and texture, one of best I have had. The service at Zest was perfect, they took good care from arriving to leaving. They went above and beyond and this made the evening more memorable. I did not make a reservation, I just rocked up on a cold Thursday in February in the evening. Next time I am in Edinburgh I will make a return trip.

A very enjoyable evening. Food was great, no problems at all. Friendly staff. Highly recommend.

Lovely little restaurant food was great, service really good and overall very welcoming. Fully recommend the staff were chatty fun and so polite

Great food and quality of service. Definitely recommend!

Really can't see how Zest gets so many 5 star reviews. My experience was distinctly average, agree with other comments about the standard of cleanliness, the place felt a bit shabby, packs of drinks stored on the stairs, toilets not great etc. Food was very average, and very expensive for what was served up. Agree with previous comments about naan bread being hard. Really disappointed having expected so much better based on other reviews. Won't be back next time I'm in Edinburgh unfortunately.

Great restaurant with high quality food. We had chicken tikka masala and chicken korma with basmati pilau rice and chapatis. We also tried the vegetable pakoras. Would recommend!

Need more improvement in quality.

Cuisine excellente et copieuse. Mon mari et moi y sommes retournés le lendemain tellement c’était bon. Un service irréprochable. Merci à eux.

Très bonne cuisine indienne typique avec service excellent et personnel très sympathique. Jolie ambiance et durant ce mois de décembre froid, chaleur du local agréable.

Great service & wonderful food. This is a very central restaurant without the Edinburgh city central prices. We visit a lot🤩

Can honestly say this was the best Madras and Masala we have ever had and we eat A LOT of curry. Great service by lovely people, nothing was too much trouble x

Lovely flavoursome meal. Salmon with stir-fry veg and biryani. Cannot recommend highly enough. Impeccable service.

My decision to eat here was based on the good reviews on here. I have to say I was disappointed. There was nothing wrong (except the restaurant was cold in temperature inside on a cold damp November night out) but neither was there anything remarkable. The chicken pakora was average, if good portion for a starter. The saag gosht was tasty but only average spice for a medium hot dish, the lamb was tender but big chunks. The Peshawari naan was soggy and the coconut a bizarre artificial orange colour and not very tasty, I left half of it. I will not be returning.

Lovely food, excellent customer service (speedy response to our booking enquiry, then helpfully called on the day to double check numbers attending and excellent service during the meal), very friendly staff. Restaurant is a hidden gem.

We hadn't booked on a Friday night but a friendly member of staff found us a table. I don't like to sound negative about small businesses but I feel this needs to be shared. First there was a large party of customers that were loud and brash, one particular woman liked to hear her voice shrieking and shouting, talking on top note. I understand this person may not have had alcohol before or an entitled type but why in a restaurant ruin other people's enjoyment? Also the staff may have been able to say something to the group? We were sat at the top of the stairs to the kitchen and the toilets, there was a membervif staff behind us nextbto the bar coughing and making phlegm noises as he coughed with no hand over his mouth or handkerchief. He would then continue to put glasses away. The food was mediocre, the madras was watery and not like a madras, very mild. The garlic naan was hard, it felt as though it was frozen beforehand. Very dry, bland and hard. Not sure about a future Michelin star but this naan could have been used as a Michelin, 25000 miles at least. Also the seating area to the top of the stairs appeared to have friends coming and eating, people coming and going. It didn't seen professional at all. The coughing phlegm man engaged with them but not us. Price.....we had two poppadoms, chicken tikka main ( was tough), garlic naan, one pilau rice, veg madras. One glass of wine, a lemonade and bottle of beer. The price came to £78. Mmm.... The windows at the front are filthy, the dust on the skirting boards at the top of the stairs next to the two drinks fridges are inexcusable.

Food was very good, staff was good, ambiance was terrible.

Edinburgh was super busy and we didn’t book anywhere, they found us a table thankfully - and the meal was amazing! It was fast and the all the staff were lovely, especially our waiter Ahmed. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a small cute restaurant with great food and a lovely vibe, thanks Ahmed - from your Essex customers!

This place is my go to when I come to Edinburgh!! It’s has amazing food, staff is brilliant especially Ahmad is the best waiter ever! And best of all it’s so reasonably priced!

Fantastic food! I had lamb shanks. The seasoning was great. Noise level was very acceptable, so that it was easy to maintain a good conversation.

Popped into Zest after a business meeting. Staff were very friendly and showed us to our table straight away. We ordered straight away. I ordered a chicken Mr Naga, and my colleagues ordered chicken dishes one looked like a dryish main dish with vegetables and cauliflower. We had side orders of Naan bread and 2 Pilau rice. There was a long wait for the food, which was slightly odd as the restaurant wasn't that busy when we were there early evening. Food was good, when it arrived and the portions were generous. The Naga wasn't as fierce as some I've tasted, this could have something to do with the fact that this particular version had quite a lot of ginger in it.

Fantastic find. We were staying in Edinburgh and booked after reading the reviews. Such a lovely friendly welcome. Cosy restaurant. Great menu choices. Excellent service with the food being served very quickly. Lovely friendly staff who took the time to speak and engage. Food was delicious. Would have no hesitation in recommending this restaurant.

Visiting Edinburgh and we booked a table after seeing the reviews online. Fantastic friendly welcome. Great choices on the menu. Super quick service. The food was delicious. Lovely cosy restaurant and the staff took the time to talk to you. Would have no hesitation in recommending this restaurant if you’re visiting Edinburgh and looking for a great Indian restaurant.

A tiny but perfect little restaurant, the food was delicious and the service was great! I recommend the Jaipur chicken!

The food was really tasty and fresh. Chicken was tender, and staff were very attentive and provided great service. Would recommend this restaurant for a good curry if you're in town.

Zest continues to be the best Indian restaurant in Edinburgh and the surrounding area. Faultless. The food is excellent with a great presentation at immaculate tables all with fresh white linnen......no paper!!! An extensive menu offers something for everyone, with strengths from mild right up...

Zest is a great Indian restaurant in the centre of town. Delicious food, very friendly staff and best of all, quiet enough to be able to hold a conversation without shouting. I came here with a friend one night and it was so good I...

This place never disappoints, my had the lamb karahi and my husband had the green herb chicken. Garlic naan was delicious which we washed down with mango lassi!

Tandoori chicken: dry, no rice served. Nan like pizza….

Poor Tandoori, not spicy, no rice. Butter nan and garlic nan felt as a hardened pizza. Could be also have a good cleaning.

I searched on google for an Indian restaurant to visit whilst staying in Edinburgh and was delighted with this one. The food was delicious and the staff were friendly and courteous.

Very fresh and delicious food. The chutney and naan were so good. The spinach and cheese in the palak paneer was great.

OUTSTANDING FOOD! No joking this is an INCREDIBLE place for a good night out. Very underrated and if you don’t go because it looks crappy (I thought that at first sight) YOU ARE WRONG. This is BY FAR my favourite restaurant. Food is amazing quality...

This is a wonderful Bangladeshi restaurant very central and close to Waverley station. The food is beautiful and served in a decorous setting.

Excellent meal. Delicious vegetarian options ad home made pickles. Charming service. Highly recommend. Our choice when in this part of town!

The service at Zest went above and beyond, which really made the experience memorable. You can tell that the staff really care about their customers and the business. We ordered the chicken tikka massalam and the sag aloo with saffron rice and butter naan, which was just the right amount of food for two people. Our server informed us that the chef has over 30 years of experience, which really shows. The restaurant has limited seating so it’s best to make a reservation for dinner. We will be back soon for more.

Great food! Waiter was very helpful. We had a wonderful time!

Attentive service, great food& a good location. You will not go wrong with these 3 factors.

Met up with friends whilst visiting the city. Had a great meal and the staff were lovely and so attentive. Absolutely recommend.

갈릭 칠리 치킨이 있어서 행복했어요! 매콤해서 땀이 다 날 정도였지만 너무 맛있었구요. 그리고 간혹 알코올 팔지 않는 인도 음식점도 있지만 여기는 인도 맥주도 팔고 해서 같이 즐길 수 있었습니다 :) Loved the garlic chilli chicken!

Delicious food, the rice alone was worth it (more flavour than your average pulao). Prices reasonable for the central location.

Very pleasant and quick service. Tasty food. Nice bustling atmosphere. A bit on the expensive side, but hey, it is in the centre of a big tourist trap. Would definitely go again👍

Lovely food Smallish portions for the price 2 popadoms, 2 starters, 2 curries, 2 nanns, 1 rice and 2 drinks came to £78

Absolutely DELICIOUS food and such lovely people at Zest. We are visiting Edinburgh for a long weekend and chose Zest for dinner because it was near our hotel and had good reviews on here. I highly recommend it, a really great meal and we were...

Visited 31st August 2023 with the wife whilst on holiday in Edinburgh. Both meals were fantastic, staff were attentive and good value for money. Best Indian/Bangladeshi I’ve ever had, I can’t give it any greater compliment!!

A hidden gem. Excellent food, staff and location.

Food taste was good but I have never seen lady's finger and brinjal in Veg. Jalfrizi....bad experience was Indian customers are non wanted here....even we had to ask for to serve water and £12 minimum per person....Some Indians forget their roots when reside in foreign country

They don't want india customer all though they say it's Indian restaurant food is costly and they want minimum order 12 pound for per person so this I don't like

The food was wonderful, best Indian food ive had in a long time. The staff was friendly and the prices very reasonable. My family wanted to go back the next night as well. Great place for vacationers looking for a cost-effective, high-quality meal.

An interesting visit to Zest in Edinburgh. While the food was decent, the service left something to be desired. A bit odd to be the only Indian diners there and notice a difference in treatment. The staff seemed much more enthusiastic with other customers, leaving us feeling a bit out of place. Even though we were polite and enjoyed our meal, the experience was overshadowed by the strange vibes. Not receiving the chocolates at the end, given to others, was the icing on the cake. Disappointing to see such uneven treatment in an Indian restaurant.

Cute little spot by the bus station. Not real naan though, more like pizza bread/crust masquerading as naan! Its watered down spice so don’t expect authentic spice, its not. In the absence of something spicy it will do, only so many hamburgers one can eat!

La comida muy justita de calidad. Parece un negocio familiar venido a menos…Allí se reunen unos cuantos hombres que se sientan en unos sofás junto con los que te atienden y pegan unan charlas con voces entre ellos, que son incómodas para los comensales. Está a 10 min andando hay otro hindú, éste más moderno y con mejor pinta, pero con cola para entrar!! En fin.. creo que les convendría dar una vuelta a su modelo de negocio que es evidente que ya no les funciona actualmente (ya que el local sólo tenía 3 mesas ocupadas). No volvería

Fantastic service and food tonight at Zest. The quality was excellent as was the service. Thank you.

Best Indian in Edinburgh I've never tasted better.

We returned to this gem off a restaurant after a year , having first found it by accident on our previous trip to Edinburgh. The food was even better than we remembered, with excellent suggestions when we couldnt choose from so many things we wanted...