Zaika of Kensington

Broke my holiday rule of not going to the same place twice for Zaika!
First — the food was amazing and consistently good. Love the extra touches like the petite fours at the end of the meal. The Manager recognized us and took extra special care. Lovely décor and plenty of servers. Great for families if you are early in the evening or nice for a date night or girls night out. You won’t get boring over done dishes here. Everything was very creative!

We had a brilliant experience. We were a group of three (me, my husband and our 11yo son). The host kindly made space for us on a Thursday night at 6.
Prior to the appetizers, they brought out papadums with three great sauces: beetroot, tamarind and chili-​garlic.
We had the zaika salad, the vegetarian trio, the fish trio, the nihari gosht and the laal maas and the dal makhni. Every bite was spectacular.
The service was impeccable; they took princely care of us. We were only sorry we couldn’t get there more often.
Yes, it’s more expensive but well worth it.

Excellent authentic Indian food with amazing taste. Very good service and everything was very well done.

Simply the Best Indian Restaurant. Despite only having a few days in London, and there being so many excellent restaurants there, we just had to go a second time. We’re big fans of Indian food (even making it at home), but this was hands down the best Indian restaurant we’ve ever experienced!
Their Zaika Salad had a delicate dressing, the lamb in the laal maas was lean and tender, the black lentils were full of flavor, the spinach sauce of the saag paneer was impossibly creamy, and the flavors of the other 4 vegetarian dishes we tried were amazing. The garlic naan was warm and fluffy. The mango lassi was thick yet smooth. The ginger panna cotta alone was worth the visit. Our only sadness is that we can only give it a 5.

An absolute surprise and delight. My wife booked a surprise pre theater dinner and the restaurant blew us away. The staff was beyond attentive — they proactively approached my wife about her dietary restrictions which she listed on the reservation. The food was top notch but the desert was the highlight of the whole night! And the prices — very reasonable.

Absolutely sublime experience! The best Indian in a while. All food was fresh, tasty and with the right spice. Service was exemplary! The tasty sweets at the end were a even sweeter surprise. Highly recommended.

Top notch food. Elegant dining room. Great atmosphere. But we arrived at 8.25 for our 8.30 table and were asked to wait at the bar because the table wasn’t quite ready yet. We waited until 8.50 without a drink, a menu or any update on the state of out table (maybe they were still whittling the legs) until I politely and very English-​ly apologised to front of house for the inconvenience but could we 1) get a drink, 2) get a menu and 3) get an update on when our table would be ready.
The lady at the front of house hadn’t forgotten us which was a shame because if she had I could have understood the radio silence. «Yes we know you’re waiting. A couple of minutes more» she said.
10 minutes later a waiter came over and asked us whether we would prefer to eat where we were seated. By this time I envisaged us eating our After Eights at After Midnight so we went for it although the table wasn’t a dining table at all. Hunger won. Two minutes later the front of house woman came over and told us our table would be ready in two minutes. I guessed that was a different two minutes than the one we had been proffered ten minutes earlier and explained that we had chosen to camp out in the bar area in the hope of eating supper rather than breakfast.
No, apparently this was a real two minutes, not a made up one and so we waited and eventually sat at our table at 9.05.
I’m not one for moaning or kicking up a fuss and a thing like this isn’t usually likely to dampen my enthusiasm for a place if the food is great. We weren’t in a rush and it’s no punishment whiling away time with the missus in a buzzy dining room with a grand but bustling feel to it like this one.
But we waited 40 minutes for a table booked in advance with no communication from the front of house woman whatsoever until I plucked up the courage to ask if we were still in their thoughts. We were only watered (or alcohol-​ed as the case was) 25 mins into that wait.
The front of house woman’s way of dealing with the situation was not to keep us informed and apologise and offer us a drink while we waited, but to become our best friend once we were finally seated at our table. She simpered over three times to ask us how our food was and whether we were having a nice time and to apologise for the wait. I dubbed her Miss Topsy Turvy because she’s definitely got her job the wrong way round.
If things have gone wrong, just let people know. I’m guessing most people are like us — essentially nice sorts looking forward to a good meal and not bothered about a wait as long as we’re informed. Shit happens. Once we’re at the table we will happily gorge ourselves on wonderful food until we roll out of there drunk and happy. Job done.
But Miss Topsy Turvy spent the whole of our arrival avoiding us in the hope that things would just fix themselves and then became our best mate when we had absolutely no desire for her services any more and just wanted to get on with the happy task of eating, drinking and arguing about brexit.
Talking of eating. the lamb chops were simply sumptuously sensational. The three types of scallop were precisely done and deliciously different. Black Dal was tasty (although not quite the unctious joy of the Cinnamon Club’s version it has to be said), the lamb biryani was decent (although flavour-​wise not a patch on the Dock Kitchen’s heavenly effort), The chana dal had great texture and dlavour and the prawns in Fenugreek was divine. I can still taste it now. They should ditch the prawn cracker-​esque poppadums and replace with more of the delicious, light crispy-​edged naan bread which mopped up every last globule of moisture from plate, serving dish and table.
So it is with a heavy heart that an evening I would have given the full five stars to gets a terrible two.
Our bar drinks gratis would have solved everything. Or even better, a simple quick heads up. Alas we got neither and Cinnamon Club remains the standard by which I set a posh curry evening. If wrong-​way-​round-​woman takes an HND in front of house management maybe this place could be up there too.

Amazing dining experience! The food was delicious. We had the monkfish kebabs, saag paneer and dal makhni. WOW! Flavors on point and leaving my husband and I wanting to come back a second time before departing London. Best Indian food on London!

If it isn’t the best Northern Indian restaurant in London it is in the top two. A wonderfully flavorful meal in a lively but unpretentious setting. Everything was well prepared and served. They could probably pace the meal better as the food came quickly once the starter was served.

This meal ranks in my top 5 meal experiences and I’ve eaten at some amazing restaurants. The food was superb! It was the right mix of spice that hit my pallet and the wine I had with it brought it to the next level. I had a few cocktails to start and I must say the bartenders are also spot on. Every dish we ordered was perfect and all 4 of us licked our plates clean. If I lived here, I’d be at this place at least once a week.

Everything in this restaurant was amazing: first impression: nice ambient with tall ceiling and classic decoration… not classic Indian but more of western classic. The service was friendly and prompt. Food was magical and tasty. They served us in their special pots which I bought one during our visit. The restaurant manager was very friendly and made sure we walked out happy. highly recommended

Superb! Best Indian meal I have ever had. Did the tasting menu and it was a complete delight. A variety of dishes subtlety flavored, each complementing the other. This is the way Indian should be done… the wide variety of spices each deployed to bring out the flavors of the food, not to overpower you with the spice. Can’t wait till next time!

Insanely good. I ordered the Paneer Tikka Masala not knowing it was tofu (yuck) but it was sooooo amazing. Definitely go!

Fabulous Indian cuisine! Best of its kind we’ve had in England. Close to the Royal Albert Hall and Kensington shopping. Food is fresh and delicious and service was friendly and prompt. Beautiful décor and ambiance. We had a rich and flavorful chicken masala and thick tasty saag paneer. Full bar. Sweet!

Very refined food and service. We had the tasting menu for a party of 4. Two of the 4 were vegetarians and one of whom gluten free. The restaurant modified the courses for them so seamlessly that the rest of us didn’t even notice the difference. The special cocktails were creative and delicious, and the food was excellent. A nice touch at the end was that they didn’t leave any space for additional tip on the bill as it is done so often at many places these days, putting people at an awkward quandary. Bravo to Zaika!

I’ve been to two other Michelin-​star restaurants and I believe they pale in comparison with Zaika. Zaika simply excels in service, quality of food and comfort and are humble about it. I visited Zaika with a couple of Indian friends and they too agree that the restaurant is a cut above any other Indian restaurant they’ve been to.
The restaurant is easy to locate just about 7 minutes walk away from High Street Kensington station, the entrance is big and pristine and you are greeted with a warm genuine smile by the hostess. The high walls are decorated with chandeliers and old fashioned framed Indian paintings, all the staff are approachable, the fresh rose on the table is huge and smells good, and when we were waiting on a friend to return from the toilet before eating the dish in front of us, the manager had the courtesy and wisdom to take the dish away to keep it heated in the kitchen before re-​serving it to us once we were ready. The Mirage mocktail I had was a true a delight with the lychee flavour coming through loud and clear.
My friends and I opted for the set menu which really showcased a satisfying and impressive range of food. First comes the Pappad (Served with a duo of chutneys — Beetroot and fennel seed & Mango and mint). The poppadom was delicately thin and crispy whilst both dips were light and delicious enough for me to even eat them on their own. This amazed me to no end because I normally hate beetroot and I hate mint so the fact that they can make concoctions with both these ingredients and yet I love them is a real testament to how well they have been incorporated in a positive way. Next was an appetiser with a compound of chickpeas, chicken, watercress and mint sauce — once again I was dazzled by how much I loved this mint sauce despite hating mint, the chickpeas where noticeably fresh and tasty and the chicken was cooked tender. The third appetiser was just quality on a plate; simply a tiger prawn with a sheekh lamb kebab together with a strip of pepper sauce and a strip of mint sauce yet sublime in every aspect. The tiger prawn was quite possibly the most juicy and tasty prawn I have ever had, the lamb was succulent and beautifully seasoned and the sauces were a perfect complement to a perfect dish.
The appetisers are already enough to surpass expectations and fill you up and then come the mains: baby aubergine tossed with freshly ground spices, yellow lentils with ginger, tomato and fresh coriander, truffle naan, chicken curry, lamb curry and Pulao rice. Normally at this point in a review I would pick at the good and bad points of each offering but I simply cannot fault any of the dishes Zaika has put together. Every dish tasted of fresh ingredients emersed in a good balance of spices and herbs; stimulating the palate in a whole variety of ways but never overdoing it with any one flavour and not just hitting it with chilli. The aubergine dish was the best sample of aubergine that I’ve ever had and the truffle naan was a unique and welcome addition to the the normal forray of Indian food.
For dessert was a ‘Chocolate Bounty Bar — Gluten free coconut bounty bar with nougat, apricot and popcorns’. This bounty bar is rich with coconut infused dark chocolate; indulgent and irresistible. The ice cream it came with could have been a little softer but the flavour was good and the apricot sauce and popcorns a nice touch. Finally the meal is topped off with petit fours for each diner which are tiny bites of coffee and cream flavoured layers of sponge.
Well that was it for the most sublime, well prepared and well served Indian meal that I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. The meaning of Zaika translates to ‘sophisticated flavours’ — a befitting name for this exquisite restaurant.

Zaika has an impressive dining room with elegant décor but struggles to totally fill or own the space. Service is OK but not as slick and friendly as more down to earth local Indian restaurants. Food was a bit more refined than usual, but not that impressive. Good but certainly not great. And prices are at least 50% more than normal.

I am sorry to give a bad review, but food poisoning spoiled our nice evening. 2 out of 4 of us were very sick for 24+ hours. We left a message to let Zaika know, but the Manager did not even call back to follow up. It is a beautiful setting with nice people, but food poisoning trumps it all.

Love this place
Food is lovely, delicate and classy indian cousine, service is good and menu is full of stuff
The atmosphere is relaxed, not noisy despite the new set up has smaller and closer tables than before.
Amazing bar!

Meilleur restaurant indien de Londres
Rien à redire, cuisine très sophistiquée avec des plats un peu excessif car à partir de 13euros mais faites l’effort d’y aller car vous né mangerez pas deux fois la même chose c’est très original mais très, très bon. Optez pour le menu à 40 livres avec le vin car c’est un délice pour vos papilles. Si vous avez une folie à faire à Londres c’est celle ci.

Le seul restaurant indien etoilé du monde !
He oui Zaika est le seul restaurant indien à avoir recu sa première etoile du fameux guide français. Et bien sûr, elle est plus que meritée, le chef vous fera decouvrir toute la subtilité et la finesse d’une des cuisines les plus elaborées du monde, à des années lumieres des indo-​pakistanais qui fleurissent partout. Une cuisine fine et inventive, basée sur les traditions du sud de l’inde, un vrai voyage. Service rafiné, carte des vins complete, tarif exhorbitants (mais bon… l’experience vaut de casser sa tirelire).