Zest

Just happened to run across this gem which is two blocks aways from Andrew Square. Took one of the two table overlooking the street. Really prompt service especially since we were very hungry after a walking tour of the town. Entrees came super quick so as to not let us starving. The curry base in every dish was great. Loved the food so much we ended up eating every meal for 2 days we stayed in Edinburgh

First day at Edinburgh, reached at around 7:00 PM. Was hungry and went to Zest and it was the biggest mistake of my life. The worst Indian food I have ever tasted. Ordered palak paneer, naan and rotis. Palak paneer was almost boiled without any salt and spices. Rotis were undercooked and had to ask them to cook properly. The staff was paying more attention to the locals. Pathetic people, pathetic food, highly overpriced and tasteless. Total waste of money and time.

Fantastic curry and the staff were super friendly! We were starving in Edinburgh and suddenly Zest caught our sight, so we went in. The staff greeted us with warm welcome and let us sit in the window area, which surprised us, but it was perfect. The curry was absolutely a delicacy.

A very outgoing and great restaurant. Staffs are very friendly and polite. Food are very good especially the dessert. Really nice place to go. Like it so much

BEST. CURRY. EVER. I Love the food here, it’s all prepared wonderfully, and delicious. The staff is kind and quick too, always with a smile on there face! Definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a nice and affordable place to eat with great food! Try the Tikka Masala with Nan bread!

While visiting St. Andrews Cathedral and Castle, hubby and I wanted a simple quick hot lunch (50s in June is still cold for Americans). Zest served that exact purpose. We ordered at the counter and was informed when the food was ready. Our lunch consisted of lentil soup and sandwiches. My curry sandwich was especially yummy without the overpowering taste of the curry spice. The big windows brought a lot of light into the restaurant which is somehow the perfect setting for a light lunch.
I noticed the sign said Zest juicing & coffee bar, sadly I didn’t have room left for any juice, but if you are visiting Zest, at least you know that option is available for you.

The people working there were so nice, I feel badly giving it only 3 stars — but the wine was undrinkable (gewurztraminer) and our vegetarian dishes were not the best I’ve had. We ordered the aubergines, which were differently prepared than I’ve eaten before but pretty good, and the lentils that had the consistency of split pea soup & lacked flavor.
I almost fell out of my chair at how expensive our meal was, but I’m not from around here & am not accustomed to UK prices yet.
I appreciated that they were open late, otherwise we would have gone hungry!

If you’re looking for a lunchtime curry, Zest may fit your requirements quite nicely. Their lunchtime deal is pretty good value, and their food quite tasty. I didn’t find it particularly «zesty» though, so one for the long list, rather than a must-​visit essential.
Overall, we said: «I enjoyed the food in Zest very much. For £7.95, this was a well-​executed and filling lunch. Even the filter coffee to round things off was pretty decent. The whole place could use a big squeeze of the zesty goodness that the name of the place implies, though, as it’s slightly in the „solid and reliable“ mould, at the moment, rather than offering something bold and fresh.»

For a christmas meal out with friends I booked Zest due to location really rather than any form of recommendation. I am glad to say it was a great choice — the interior had been recently freshened up with the slight smell of paint still lingering. It was pleasant atmosphere and the food was even better. We had a selection of dishes and mixed them between us. Great flavours, service and price really respectable at about £25 pp for 2 courses and couple of drinks each. Would easily recommend and will be returning again.

After a beautifull sunday in the town we dropped in at Zest. The service was good, the food from mild to really hot: great. We had a starter, two main courses and only one desert because then we were full. The bill was not as high as we feared after all the high prices we saw in the city.

I came here in mid February, shortly after the restuarant had had its makeover under new ownership. The interior feels light, spacious and the creamy décor helps to give a nice, relaxed atmosphere. It tries to give a fine dining impression, but the spindly metal chairs and tables kind of let this look down. The waiters are pleasant, and the service is about what you would expect in any restaurant.
The food is by far this place’s key feature. The menu has a good range of authentic Indian dishes with plenty of meat and vegetarian starters and main courses to choose from. Further, it tries to incorporate local history with its Indian cuisine. For example, I had the Sir Walter Scott curry which was lamb in a really rich, tasty mustard sauce. I’m not sure what the link between this dish and the author is precisely, but you can see what they’re trying to do.
Zest is also reasonably priced, making it a great option for lunch of dinner if you’re in the area.

I love the idea of Zest, take some of the East’s finest flavours and combine them with old Scottish Favourites.
The restaurant itself is a decent size, you only really feel cramped when it fills up (which seems to be alot).
Last time I was here I had the Salmon Tikka, which was made with freshly caught fish from that day. To say I was blown away is an understatement, the flavours explode in your mouth.
Staff made sure I had what I needed and prices overall were ok. Don’t eat breakfast and go at lunchtime and get the group special. You’ll be there for hours.

Amazed this has no reviews on here already as it’s been open for business for as long as I’ve been aware that Indian food exists I reckon. That said, for such a centrally located restaurant, my visit here a couple of months ago was the first time I’ve ever been in, although I did make a point of sending colleagues there earlier in the year and they liked it.
There’s nothing major about the place to set it aside from much of the competition — prices are what you’d expect (reasonable and not astronomical), service was efficient and good natured and the waiting time between ordering and the food making it onto the table was negligible. The staff were though more than happy to make us «the hottest thing going» when asked and so we ended up all giving our tastebuds a roasting with a very hot, though not unpleasant, dish which we may have christened «Satan’s Ashes» although my memory’s hazy on that point. The rest of the normally spiced dishes were very tasty and the wine list was of a decent size and price, considering most folk probably opt for lager anyway.