Zaika

I think this venue is underrated, the food is superb, and service is very good.

Probably a bit too expensive.
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dirknbr - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Sunday, April 06, 2008

I am pretty used with various ranges of restaurants. As I read somewhere Zaika had one star in the Michelin red guide, I tied it with my wife and son, and a couple of friends who love food as much as me. We all had the 6 course dinner, with the wines that go together with that.

The result was good, sincerely, and the atmosphere was pleasant, with a nice decoration.

But the service was just pathetic : waiters taking ages to take the order, forgetting parts of it, not always understanding what you ask for (and not daring to ask you to repeat), and finally one dropped a bottle of wine on my wife back!!!

Thankfully, they were not rude, and the food was good, which makes it OK regarding the value for money. These two points saved what could have been one really bad experience (especially with a menu over £60 each)!
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Jean-Pierre
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Tuesday, March 18, 2008

A group of 6 of us booked two weeks in advance for saturday dinner at Zaika at 9pm. When we got there, they said table was not ready but would be shortly ,could we wait and have a drink at the bar... we had to ask at least four times about the table, only to be told each time that it was ready in 5 min... a complete lie and only when we were about to leave we were seated at 10pm, one hour later!!

Food was average, service was not great, almost rushing us, not interested in giving any suggestions, and overall it was a huge disappointement.... they did not even had the decency of taking off the bill the one drink we had at the bat while waiting for an hour.... certainly will not be coming back...
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ml
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 2
Sunday, March 16, 2008

We had high expectations on Zaika, as we had dinner with two friends who work for a major gourmet publications in Italy and had read positive reviews.

Unfortunately it really didnt meet our expectations. my soup was not at all indian, but pretty light considering it was Jerusalem artichoke and truffle. My husband's chicken tikka starter was very good but a very small size! Our italian friends opted for tasting menu, the 6 and the 9 courses, and while some dishes were good, others (the scallops for example) were pretty bland or absolutely too spicy (like the lobster tail dish). Our mains were nothing special - lamd roganjosh and lamb with coconut sauce were large portions but had no wow factor.

Naan bread were the worst things - we tried three types, and all of them were thin, crispy and very very oily.

Chocolate dessert was indeed, very good, at least.

Service was shocking - they forgot the wine, we had started eating already when we reminded them. it was clumsy, nearing on rude.

Definitely not a place to return to!
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Fried Egg Fred
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 3
Monday, March 10, 2008

We went to Zaika on Friday night and had a superb time. The staff looked after us wonderfully in the bar area while the rest of the party arrived. Our food was just the right size and spiced perfectly to meet all requirements. Highlights include the scallops, the lamb with saffron rice and the indulgent chocolate cake. I would recommend this place for dinner or even lunch during the week as the atmosphere is smooth without being stuffy or overfussy.
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Nick Frankfurt
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, January 30, 2008

I took a couple of New Yorkers to what I had previously thought was an excellent restuarant. I was do disappointed.

The food was fine but it was the service that surprised. me Firstly I asked that all my dishes be checked for gluten as I have coeliac disease and the waiter started going on about how it is really common these days and the supermarkets were full of products...he really didn't get my question!

We had only sat down for 5 minutes and ordered drinks and they waiter almost bullied us into ordering. The food didn't all come out at the same time and then halfway through the main course, the service all but disappeared! They seemd more intent on talking and running around like headless chickens than focusing on the customers
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George
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Monday, November 26, 2007

Had a wonderful dinner with my boyfriend yesterday. Everything was superb, the atmosphere, the elegance and the food was great even though I am not into Indian cuisine.

We had a Zaika Gourmand tasting menu, and it was just perfect except for foie gras, which I just do not like. The surprise for me was the 6 courses of wine in addition to food, I would say I had the best wine ever, Hungarian wine they serve is just something to die for... and the desert was just stunning

By the end we were engaged in a chat so much that forgot about the time and the restaurant was waiting for us and another couple to finish without even noting that they had to close over an hour ago and we are the last to be waited for!

We would go there again definitely, I were pleased that finally in London you can fing at least something so nice in quality and atmosphere=)
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Natali
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, September 13, 2007

A restaurant which has got every thing spot on.... one of my favourite meals of all times. I went for the 9 course gourmet menu and my partner opted out for the 6 course tasting menu. Every course was spectacular, it is like the chef has really has an under standing of the spices, top quality ingredients and I really appreciated the combinations he uses. .....Scallops with the coconut and lime foam / The masala foi gras with mango chutney... the best foi gras dish ever / the mushroom risotto with tomato ice cream... what a deadly match. I can go on, but I must insist that one should give this restaurant a try. I never write reviews, but Zaika does the food with such professionalism and panache, that I had to share out with every one. Zaika by all means has been the best Indian restaurant where i have dined as compared to Tamarind and Rasoi.
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james gibson
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, July 24, 2007

My family and I are Indians who've lived in London since '86, so we know a little bit about Indian food and the Indian restaurant scene in London. We visited Zaika yesterday, a Sunday-- when the head chef wasn't working, apparently. It was very disappointing. The location, interior, decor, etc, all very nice, bit dim. We ordered mixed lamb, tandoori chicken, indian cheese platter and soft shell crab starters-- these were excellent, beautifully flavoured, and very delicate in texture. Quite inventive and well executed. We ordered a selection of naans which were very good-- but they always should be in a decent Indian!

The main courses were an enormous let down. Zaika is supposed to be fine dining, michelin-starred Indian food, so I was surprised when the waiter recommended a boring-sounding Lamb Rogan Josh. I was even more surprised when the rice and curry-- it could have been turned out from a Marks and Spencer microwave pack. And it tasted worse-- no subtleties in the spicing, tough pieces of lamb shank, and pilau that didn't know what it was supposed to taste of-- for £17?! The biryani was too spicy despite being told it could come mildly spiced for a whitey. Butter chicken, and the watercress/spinach chicken were also left unfinished by my normally ravenous brothers. The food's simplicity crossed the line into laziness, yet I could still go down my local curryhouse and get food that tasted fresher and spiced better, without the salt overload that made me drink a bottle of mineral water after I got home.

Desserts were ok, service was a little all over the place-- wine not poured for 20 minutes after being brought to the table, only 2 menus between 6 of us. But they were trying. And it was a novelty to see French and Italian waiters in an Indian restaurants

I think this restaurant fails on 2 levels, as fine dining and as indian food. Firstly, is not fine dining-- only the prices are. If you want fine dining, go to Vineet Bhatia-- he won them their MIchelin star, which they lost when he left. His restaurant is the best "fine dining" Indian in the UK, followed by Amaya and Veeraswamy. Secondly, if you just want a good Indian meal, London has literally hundreds of Indian restaurants with no pretensions to fine dining, but where you can get a delicious meal for 1/3 to 1/4 of the price. Give this place a miss!
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Nigel D''Souza
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 2
Monday, May 28, 2007

My huband and i went there a couple of weeks ago and have not stopped raving and ranting about how great this place is!! We have now classified it as one of the best restaurants we have ever been to in london with amazing food, a brilliant atmosphere and fantastic service. The chocolate samosa's went down very well even though there wasn't any space left after the delicious meals. The combinations of french and asian was amazing...eccentric but highly enjoyable. WE loved it and will definately be back more often to experience it all over again.
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Meera Chhabra
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 7
Thursday, March 22, 2007