Zaika of Kensington is an elegant Indian restaurant at 1 Kensington High Street, opposite Hyde Park and close to Kensington Palace Gardens. The Grade II listed building was designed in 1884 for London City Bank, and its restored Gothic details provide a dramatic setting for contemporary interpretations of India’s royal feasting traditions.
The menu can begin with beetroot chops, baked vegetable samosas and tandoori broccoli, followed by grills such as Afghani chicken tikka, lamb seekh kebab, saffron marinated artichoke and paneer finished with delicate spices. Seafood from the tandoor adds prawns and sea bass seasoned with herbs, chilli and pickling spices.
Methi butter chicken, Patiala lamb chops, Bohri chicken biryani and Bengali lamb bhuna explore regional recipes through carefully layered sauces and aromatic rice. Prawn curry with black tamarind and coconut sits alongside aubergine curry, vegetable kofta, lentils, okra, spinach, breads and rice for a broad shared table.
Rasmalai, baked kala jamun and pistachio milk cake provide rich Indian flavours at dessert. Wine and cocktails are chosen to complement the spices, while tasting menus offer a guided experience and a private dining room gives groups an intimate space for celebrations or business meals in Kensington.
Address: 1 Kensington High Street, Kensington, London W8 5NP, United Kingdom
Zaika Kensington Menu
Weekday Lunch Menu – Starters
Indian national soup reminiscent of lentils and curry favours
Char-grilled Chicken Salad
Pulled chicken breast, rainbow crunchy salad with smoked sesame oil and lemon-chilli dressing
Baked Vegetable Samosa
Handmade pastry filled with spicy and tangy potatoes, onion and green peas
Beetroot Chop
Crumbed beetroot kebab, mango mustard chutney
Crab Cake
Lime, chilli and mixed peppers with Indian cocktail sauce
Raj Kachori
King of street food, wheat poori filled with goodies and chutneys
Raj Kachori
King of street food, wheat poori filled with goodies and chutneys (£6 Supplement)
Grilled Scottish Scallop Moilee
Hand-dived seared scallops, coconut sauce, mango relish and spicy coral tuile (£9 Supplement)
Weekday Lunch Menu – Zaika’s Favourite
Mains served in a silver crescent platter in 4 bowls Minimum order 2 guests, maximum 8 guests
NON-VEGETARIAN
methi butter chicken, kashmiri rogan josh, lasooni palak & yellow dal
VEGETARIAN
coromandel kofta curry, lazeez paneer lababdar, lasooni palak & yellow dal Indian pickling spices
Weekday Lunch Menu – Tandoor
Afghani Chicken Tikka
Fennel, black cardamom-spiced chicken, marinated in yoghurt and cheese
Gilafi Lamb Seekh Kebab
Marinated mince, seasoned with aromatic spices and rolled in diced peppers and onion, tandoor-cooked
Sweetcorn & Vegetable Seekh Kebab
Sweetcorn, cauliflower, carrot and sweetheart cabbage, garam masala, stuffed with sundried tomatoes, beetroot chutney
Tandoori Green Prawns
Wild Madagascan Tiger prawns marinated with coriander, mint and chilli (£10 Supplement)
Weekday Lunch Menu – Mains
Served with Dal Miloni & Naan / Roti / Rice
Coromandel Kofta Curry
Soft vegetable dumplings filled with sweetly spiced apricots, simmered in roasted coconut sauce
Karwar Fish Curry
Subtly spiced, grilled seabass simmered in fresh turmeric, ginger and ground coconut sauce
Weekday Lunch Menu – Additional Sides
Dal Amritsari
Pineapple Sansav
Chettinad Roast Potatoes
Kachumber Salad
Bhindi Do Piyaza
Cucumber Raita
Lasooni Palak
Naan / Roti
Weekday Lunch Menu – Desserts
Nolen Gur Kulfi
Date palm Jaggery rippled with slow-cooked milk
Fig Brûlée
Traditional vanilla cream baked with fresh figs
Selection of Ice Creams and Sorbets
Weekday Lunch Menu – Extras
COFFEE
Espresso
Double Espresso
Cappuccino
Group Menu A
£65 per person
Amuse-bouche
Tandoori Seabass Fish
Cloaked in yoghurt, seasoned with carom seeds, cracked black peppercorns and Indian pickling spices
Chicken Seekh Kebab
Spiced Minced chicken skewer cooked with spices
Methi Butter Chicken
Caramelised tomatoes and fresh fenugreek, spicy and intense flavour
Prawn Curry
Kodampuli (black tamarind), coconut, shallots & Malabar spices
Bombay Roast Potatoes
Sautéed baby potatoes tossed In a flavourful Bombay spice mix
Dal Baghari
A rich & hearty lentil dish, slow-cooked with the vibrant flavors of cumin, tomatoes & spices garlic
Lemon Rice
Curry leaves and mustard seeds tempered lemon-infused rice
Naan
Baked Kala Jamun
Large black gulab jamun baked with rabri, vanilla bean ice cream
Group Menu B
£75 per person
Raj Puri
King of street food, wheat poori filled with goodies & chutneys
Tandoori Seabass Fish
Cloaked in yoghurt, seasoned with carom seeds, cracked black peppercorns and Indian pickling spices
Angar Chicken Tikka
Robust chicken thigh slow-cooked in tandoor
Prawn Curry
Kodampuli (Black Tamarind), coconut, shallots & Malabar spices
Chicken Pistachio Korma
Chicken breast in a delicate sauce with pistachio and cardamom
Lasooni Palak
With the tempering of cumin, ginger & garlic
Dal Baghari
A rich & hearty lentil dish, slow-cooked with the vibrant flavor of cumin, tomatoes & spice garlic
Lemon Rice
Curry leaves and mustard seeds tempered lemon-infused rice
Naan
Mango Kulfi
Group Menu C
£85 per person
Raj Kachori
King of street food, wheat poori filled with goodies & chutneys
Tandoori Green Prawns
Wild Madagascan Tiger prawns marinated with coriander, mint and chilli
Afghani Chicken Tikka
Fennel, black cardamom-spiced chicken, marinated in yoghurt and cheese
Kosha Mangsho
Spicy Bengali style lamb bhuna, warm spices & mustard oil
Pineapple Curry
Unusual west coastal dish- Honeyglow pineapple curry cooked with mustard, coconut, turmeric, ginger and curry leaves
Lemon Rice
Curry leaves and mustard seeds tempered lemon-infused rice
Vegetarian Group Menu
£65 per person
Amuse-bouche
Chandani Paneer Tikka
Homemade organic paneer, white spices & silver leaf
Beetroot Chop
Crumbed beetroot kebab, mango mustard chutney
Coromandel Kofta Curry
Soft vegetable dumplings filled with sweetly spiced apricot and simmered in roasted coconut sauce
Khade Masala ka Paneer
Homemade cottage cheese & a trio of bell peppers cooked in a rich, spicy tomato-cashew gravy, finished with whole crushed spices
Bombay Roast Potatoes
Sautéed baby potatoes tossed In a flavourful Bombay spice mix
Dal Baghari
A rich & hearty lentil dish, slow-cooked with the vibrant flavors of cumin, tomatoes & spices garlic
Lemon Rice
Curry leaves and mustard seeds tempered lemon-infused rice
Roti
Baked Kala Jamun
Large black gulab jamun baked with rabri, vanilla bean ice cream