Zest Restaurant — Restaurant in Mbombela

The atmosphere was lovely, and the staff who served us were warm and attentive, which we truly appreciated. The presentation of the dishes was also very good. However, we were somewhat disappointed with the food.

The bone-in steak was requested medium rare but was served medium, and unfortunately, the meat was quite tough. Most notably, the chips served with the steak appeared to be frozen rather than freshly hand-cut, which was quite disappointing and detracted from the overall dining experience.

We were also surprised that the paella was not prepared in a traditional style. It was made with orzo pasta rather than paella rice and did not include typical ingredients such as prawns, chorizo, or calamari—there were only two small mussels. It would have been helpful if it had been clearly described as a fusion-style dish on the menu.

The pork neck from the Pork Duo was overcooked and lacked the expected tenderness.

Lastly, the cream sauce in the seafood tagliatelle became very thick as the dish cooled, and the pasta absorbed much of it, resulting in a dense texture that was less enjoyable.

That said, the price was very reasonable, and perhaps our expectations were too high—especially given all the positive reviews we had read beforehand. We genuinely appreciated the service, ambience, and presentation, but unfortunately, the food did not quite meet our expectations on...

We were there for dinner on Friday Sep 27, with a reservation at 19:30. We were seated right away, with Dominique was our server. While still busy enjoying the starter we were rushed and asked to place the main course order. When asked why, it was because the kitchen was closing soon. Really? At 8 pm on a Friday night? The mains (both) were well below par. My ribeye was very tough and the veg curry had no flavour, not even the star ingredient, coconut. After eating we asked to speak to the chef, probably around 8:45 pm, but to our astonishment we were informed that the chef had gone home. Really? Before service is over? we then asked for the bill, which Dominique presents to us. The next, we notice him escorting some ladies to their car. Really? A server abandoning his client! The manager did come to see us, but no discount was offered, just a measly piece of cheesecake. DISGUSTED, given...

My waiter was Mpilo for the day the guy was helpful he was friendly and managed to serve me to his best ability 🤣🤣🤣😂😂🤣🤣one thing I know about myself I’m not a hard customer to please but today I had special requests cause I’m celebrating my birthday this whole week he managed to deliver I know he might think I’m a diva but most definitely I’m not the place is nice clean and very beautiful and charming for private dining it is one of the most upscale places to be If you prefer a nice atmosphere and private place it’s a nice place to check out the food is lovely and the prices are Ohk doesn’t cost a leg and arm it is situated in the heart of the town 😜 easy to find remember to make your booking they do take walk ins though but to avoid disappointed especially Thursdays...