Eat Cook Explore

Insatiably Curious

  • Reviews
    • Restaurants
    • Products
    • Sunday Selection
  • Travel
    • Hotels
    • Travel Gear
  • Recipes
  • Lifestyle
    • Giveaways
  • Store
  • About
    • Contact
    • PR and Disclosure
You are here: Home / Reviews / Review – Zayna A Great Find in Marble Arch

August 14, 2010 By May EatCookExplore 1 Comment

Review – Zayna A Great Find in Marble Arch

Sharing is caring!

In search of a good Indian meal around Marble Arch, I was about to go to Les Port Des Indes, which has somewhat past its sell by date. By chance, we came across Zayna on New Quebec Street.

I used to live one street away from here and there never used to be anywhere to eat nearby except for the old Malaysia Hall in Bryanston square. Now the street has several choices from Indian, Chinese to a pub.

Zayna is a great find in this part of Marylebone where there aren’t that many good eateries. It is hidden away on one of the backstreets of Marble Arch and behind the Churchill Hotel where the amazing Locanda Locatelli is.  Zayna is run by chef/ owner Riz Dar from Punjab but the cooking is described as Northern Indian or Pakistani.

As you walk in, you realise that it is not going to be the usual Indian fare. No sign of flock wallpaper, Cobra beer sponsored ornaments and the like. Here, you get a sleek modern design, wood carvings and low slung sofas for seating, very civilised. On the evening we were there, it was busy with some regular diners.

Zayna Restaurant Marble Arch

Onto the menu which is organised by how the food is cooked, the grill, the pan, the tawa, the oven, dum pukht, vegetarian and on the side. It is emphasised that they only use free range eggs and meat and it’s all halal too.

We didn’t have much time so we didn’t have starters and just had some mains. While waiting we had the usual papadums with some chutneys which came in cute little shot glass things which only held like 2 teaspoons of chutney. (We were charged £4 for the chutneys, shocking). We also ordered the mango lassi which was perfectly thick with good mango flavour. No cutting corners here.

There were some interesting things on the menu and we ordered the Ishtu (£16.50) , which is slow cooked lamb in a yoghurt, onion, garlic, ginger and mixed herb. This was delightfully tender, the meat was very well spiced, creamy and we would have ordered more if we had the time. This takes about 20 minutes to cook but was well worth the wait.

Zayna Ishtu Slow Cooked Lamb

With this we had a couple of vegetable dishes. The first was the Bhindi Karahi (£12.00) which is fresh okra mixed with sliced onions and dried pomegranate seeds. This was gorgeous as the okra was lightly cooked and there were flavours from all the fresh ingredients that you can see in the dish. Unlike the overcooked gluey mess that you normally find in flock wallpaper Indian places.

Bhindi Karahi Okra

The other dish was Shahi Palak (£9.50), spinach with sautéed paneer cooked in ground spices. Again, great depth and very distinct flavours of the spinach and contrasted nicely with the paneer.  We had a couple of order of nicely flavoured pilau rice and naan to go with the dishes.

Shahi Palak

We didn’t have that much to eat as it was a quick meal but here are the dishes that caught my eye and will be back to try : Biryani Shah Jahani, Kapora Taka Tak (lamb sweet breads cooked with yogurt, ginger, onions and tomatoes) and Gurda Qeema (Pubjabi street food of mince and lamb kidneys).

This was a delightful find, not your average “cook everything in the same nondescript sauce” kind of place but a truly above average North Indian cooking. The dishes we tried were all good, cooked fresh to order and this is reflected in the price. Service was very friendly and not rushed or pushy.  One big mistake here is the way they serve Masala Chai, made with a teabag! This was shockingly bad but seeing as this was the only issue, it is forgiveable.

The meal came to £70 which included a couple of drinks. If you would like a really good Indian meal, you need to try this place.

Zayna Restaurant Marble Arch

Zayna Restaurant Marble Arch

Zayna
25 New Quebec Street
London, W1H 7SF
Phone 020 7723 2229
www.zaynarestaurant.co.uk

Zayna on Urbanspoon

Sharing is caring!

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: bhindi karahi, halal restaurant, Indian, Ishtu, lamb sweetbreads, punjab cuisine, Riz Dar, shahi palak, zayna

« Review – Tayyabs, something’s changed
In Search of Grass Fed Beef »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Google
Custom Search
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Follow me on Twitter

Tweets by eatcookexplore_

Latest Posts

Fireheart Artisan Coffee at Korto Muswell Hill

Temper Soho Live Fires and Rare Breeds

Celebrating Fastelavn Danish Lent at Ole and Steen

Singaporean feast at Bugis Street Baileys Hotel

Gunma Wagyu Beef with Stir Fried Glutinous Rice

Restaurants By Cuisine

American
Argentinian
British
Chinese
French
Indian
Italian
Japanese
Malaysian
Mexican
Street Food
Afternoon Tea
BBQ
Michelin

Twitter Updates

Tweets by @eatcookexplore_

eatcookexplore

💉💉 💉💯
🍣 Eater, Cook & Travel Writer Insatiably Curious
Skier, Hiker, Diver, Golfer, Adventurer
🧘🏻‍♀️🚵🏻‍♀️🏌🏻‍♀️Keeping Active #ecxtravel #ecxfood

May EatCookExplore 🏔🏖🏰


AD A celebration meal with luscious gunma #wagyube
AD A celebration meal with luscious gunma #wagyubeef strips served with stir-fried glutinous rice or "Loh Mai Fan". The wagyu beef is A5, the highest quality and is cut into 8mm thickness that is usually used for yakiniku. Here, it is just seared on a very hot griddle and glazed with some eel sauce. 
The rice is not your typical fried rice but made with glutinous rice, shitake mushrooms, dried shrimps and wind-dried Chinese sausages. The combination of ingredients gives it a rich umami flavour. 
Recipes here: https://www.eatcookexplore.com/gunma-wagyu-beef-with-stir-fried-glutinous-rice/
.
.
.
#chinesefood '#chinesenewyear #homecooking #celebrationmeal #a5wagyu #chinesecooking #cookfromscratch #ecxfood #yearofthetiger #recipedevelopment #recipeoftheday #chineserecipe #chinesecuisine

Today is the 15th day of Chinese New Year, also kn
Today is the 15th day of Chinese New Year, also known The lantern festival. It is the end of the new year celebrations and for observing the taboos. For Hokkien people, it is called Chap Goh Meh, more important than the 1st day of the new Year. 
It’s also important day for singles. Historically, this was the only day that unmarried girls were allowed out. The tradition is to throw mandarins into the sea to ensure that you marry well. And all the young men gather on the streets for their only chance to see their potential girlfriends. 
#chinesenewyear #LondonChinatownSpace #CNYLondon #LoveLondon #London #LondonCity #GuardianCities #NGTUK #PrettyLittleLondon #ECSTravel

✨🎄🍾🥂Wishing everyone a very Merry Chris
✨🎄🍾🥂Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas from London. 
✨Let’s hope 2022 brings more fun adventures and better sunrises. 
.
.
.
#ecxtravel #prettylittlelondon #prettylittlecities @regentstreetw1 #explorelondon #letsdolondon #morelondon #christmaslights #regentstlights #angellights #lovelondon❤️ #merrychristmas🎄

Autumn leaves 🍂

Early morning in London, walki
Autumn leaves 🍂  Early morning in London, walking in the sunlight outside resetting my circadian rhythm. I’m learning to hack my sleep without supplements as did chemicals and how to manage your nervous system and biological responses. A fascinating journey. 
.  .
.
.
#autumninlondon#autumnleaves#lovelondon#streetsoflondon#visitlondon#voyaged#suitcasetravels#shotoniphone#tlpicks#cnyraveler#mytinyatlas#lonelyplanet#theprettycities#facadelovers#ongooglemaps#straightfacade#halloweendecoration #byfolk#autumnvibes#allthefall#postitfortheaesthetic#passionpassport#its_so_london #accidentallywesanderson #hackingsleep #biohacking


All dressed up for Halloween. From pretty botanica
All dressed up for Halloween. From pretty botanicals to this scary clown 🤡 @annabelsmayfair  Love it or not? 
.
.
.
.  #Halloween2021 #HalloweenInLondon #VisitLondon #Pennywise #Itssolondon #EscapetheEveryday #lovethiscity #LetsDoLondon #Annabels #HalloweenCostume #MayfairLondon #prettycitylondon #autumnedit

#BritishApplesAndPears season started on 4 October
#BritishApplesAndPears season started on 4 October. All the growers are in the midst of harvest and they are busy. Here’s @raymondblanc @greatbritishapples ambassador picking some ripe gala apples.  Spent a day @boxford_farm @peakefruit learning about all the different varieties of apples and pears that are locally grown. Very surprised to find out that locally grown apples make up just 40% of the market.  How many have you tasted: Spartan, sunburst, red Prince, jumani, jazz, cox, Braeburn, gala or Bramley? My favs were the beautifully blush pink sunburst ( the cut one in the pics), red Prince and Spartan. You usually find these varieties in the mixed bags in supermarkets. BUT watch out for Magic Star, a new variety which is going to be one that everyone will go nuts for. 
So buy some British apples and pears. No wastage here, all the wonky fruit gets made into juice @copellajuice or animal feed. Sustainably grown, with little chemical sprays, low food miles and delicious. 
.
.
#britishapples #apples #pears #britishfarming #seasonal #eatlocal #sustainable #invite #boxfordfarms #foodstagram #foodpic #foodpicture #ecxfood #foodgawker #f52grams  #foodspotting #igfood #foodblog #buzzfeat #yahoofood #foodism #thefeedfeed

Chef @rafacagali of 2 star @daterrarestaurant is a
Chef @rafacagali of 2 star @daterrarestaurant is a genius with flavours. Teaming up with @parmigianoreggianouk and @jre_uk_ireland , we had a stunning menu using 40 months aged cheese. 
.
🧀 Panzanella Salad 24 Month Datterini/Basil/Stracciatella
🧀 Dumpling 18 Month Parmesan Dumpling/ Chicken & Sunflower Seed Broth
🧀 Raviolo 30 Month Duck / Parmesan Whey Sauce/Watercress
🧀 Wild Halibut 48 Month Carabineros / Ivioqueca Sauce + kamari chillies
🧀 Strawberries 24 Month Jersey Milk/ Parmesan Sable / Balsamic
.
.
.
.
.  #foodstagram #foodpic #foodpicture #instafood #foodgasm #ecxfood #igfood #foodgawker #f52grams #food52  #foodspotting #igfood #igfoodie #instaeat #luxfood #foodblog #buzzfeat #yahoofood #foodism #thefeedfeed #eaterlondon #michelin #invite

Such an inspirational day out #chelseaflowershow .
Such an inspirational day out #chelseaflowershow . Beautiful show gardens, stunning flowers, sustainable practices to help climate change. 
.
Highlights: 
🌸 The 1st organic garden by @yeovalley -gold medal
🌸 sauna in the @ourfinland ‘s soil garden
🌸 The gorgeous sculptural installation in the Florence Nightingale garden
🌸 @saatchi_gallery ‘s sculpture made with an old emergency vehicle
🌸 the new indoor plants section
...and so much more.
.
.
.
.
 @the_rhs #ecxtravel #earthwanderer #exploremore #girlswhotravel #flowershow #RHSchelseaflowershow #flowershow #lovelondon #mylondon  #guardiantravelsnaps #natgeography #guardiancities #prettylittlecities

We cooked up a Malaysian feast with @pingcoombes f
We cooked up a Malaysian feast with @pingcoombes for @thecookaway . Made street food favourites, char kway teow, chicken wings and siu mai dumplings (mine were really wonky).  Learnt some great tips and so much deliciousness. Recipes on the blog. Do you have a favourite #streetfood dish?  #Homecooking #mycookaway #malaysianfood #ecxfood #masterchef #cookinglesson f52grams #food52  #foodspotting #igfood #igfoodie #instaeat #foodblog #buzzfeat #yahoofood #foodism #thefeedfeed #eaterlondon #invite

Annabel’s newly clad facade of tropical birds an
Annabel’s newly clad facade of tropical birds and the door men’s matching suits are inspired by the natural beauty of the Brazilian Rainforest.  Annabel’s are collaborating with @patron to launch a new tequila.  All this is for the “Annabel’s for The Amazon” event, a huge drive to help save the Amazon rainforest, hosted by The Caring Family Foundation in partnership with One Tree Planted..
.
.
.  #Londonisopen #lovelondon  #mayfairlondon #ecxtravel #travelogue #traveldiaries #travelawesome #wanderful #writetotravel #ngtuk #passionpassport  #destinationearth #exploringtheworld #TTOT #tripnatics #wearetravelgirls #girlswhotravel #guardiantravelsnaps #prettylittlelondon #prettylittlecities #culturetrip

#AD Fabulous ingredients equals really delicious d
#AD Fabulous ingredients equals really delicious dishes with minimal effort. We made these dishes using high quality #Italian ingredients which are designated DOP/IGP and all super delicious. 
Stunning antipasti of culatello di Zibello DOP, Prosciutto di @parmahamuk DOP, @parmigianoreggianouk , including a 10 year old one! 😱
⭐️Cold soup with Mantuan melon IGP, basil and Mazara red prawns DOP tartare
⭐️ Paccheri Gragnano IGP pasta, San Marzano tomatoes and stracciatella cheese
⭐️Sicilian Lemon cake with limoncello  #trueitaliantaste #iffoodcouldtalk #extraordinaryitaliantaste
@trueitaliantaste @italianchamuk @eatalylondon 
.
.
.
.
.
#foodstagram #foodpic #foodpicture #instafood #foodgasm #ecxfood #foodgawker #f52gram #food52  #foodspotting #foodblog #buzzfeat #yahoofood #foodism #thefeedfeed

#AD #SpanishChorizo is one of my favourites, love
#AD #SpanishChorizo is one of my favourites, love that bright red, paprika stained oil that oozes out when you cook it. 
It’s so versatile, you can use it in so many ways. Since it’s the summer, get your #chorizobbq on. 
Besides grilling these sausages on the bbq, you can cook some in a pan on the coals too. 
I made 3 recipes with these chorizo:
* Chorizo sandwich on Ciabatta 
* Chorizo hash with a double yolk fried egg 😱 (cooked in a pan) 
* Chorizo and tomato salad.  Recipes on my blog. If you’re have any other ideas on how to use chorizo, comment below. 
.
.  .
#ecxfood #spanishfood #homecooking #summerbbq #igfood #foodgawker #f52grams #food52  #foodspotting #igfood #igfoodie #instaeat #luxfood #buzzfeat #yahoofood #foodism #thefeedfeed @spanish_chorizo

This took me back to when I lived in Athens. Souvl
This took me back to when I lived in Athens. Souvlaki for lunch was the regular order. @smashingplatesuk has brought this #Greek favourite to London. A fast food menu of grills, dips and other Innovations. Their gyros is well sourced from British farms and wrapped in a pillowy flat bread.  They use sustainable packaging too. Their new outlet in London Bridge is really handy for a quick bite before to catch the Uckfield train from platform 11.  #streetfood #foodpic #foodpicture #instafood #foodgasm #ecxfood #igfood #foodgawker #f52gram #food52  #foodspotting #igfood #igfoodie #instaeat #luxfood #foodblog #buzzfeat #yahoofood #foodism #thefeedfeed #eaterlondon #greekfood #invite

#Gifted Raw vegan chocolate anyone? Once, much lov
#Gifted Raw vegan chocolate anyone? Once, much loved by those who were following strange diets. Lovely to see that it is now more widely available and mainstream.  @loveraw is a #vegan chocolate brand that makes these cream filled chocolate wafer bars. They come in 3 flavours: Cre&m Wafer Bars, Butter Cups and M:lk Choc Bars. (#DairyFree)  Taste test: In my time judging chocolate, I’ve not found many raw chocolate bars that were well made as mostly were not demented well. The difference here is that there is a consistency in the  chocolate shell, without a hint of the fermentation.  These indulgent bars have a good crunch, a nice chocolate to filling ratio and I could eat the whole box. It might be vegan but you would not know from tasting it that they are #DairyFree.

Wisteria Hysteria. It’s that time of year again
Wisteria Hysteria. It’s that time of year again  #ecxtravels #mylifeincolour #bloomsoftheday #prettycitylondon #thisislondon #cntraveler #guardiancities #travelerinlondon #visitlondon #passionpassport #girlswhotravel #suitcasetravels #bbctravel #ngtuk #passionpassport #darlingescapes #mytinyatlas #thatsdarling #lppathfinders

#Competition When I lived in Athens, we used to ge
#Competition When I lived in Athens, we used to get a regular souvlaki lunch delivery, since our office was not near any good tavernas. I miss my souvlaki.  Back in London, I found @theathenianuk does souvlaki deliveries. I ordered “The Beast” which includes pork gyros, halloumi fries, chips and a garlicky tzatziki sauce and a Greek Salad. The flavours transported me right back to those days in Greece. In lieu of flying off to the Greek Islands, I’ll settle for some familiar flavours, for now. 
You can #win a £30 voucher for a taste of Greece too. Just:
🔺Follow @eatcookexplore and @theathenianuk 
🔺Like this post
🔺Tag some friends in the comments ( each one is an extra entry)
🟡 Ends midnight on Sunday, 23 May 2021. One winner will be randomly picked. The voucher can be spent in their shops or via deliveroo. 
#AD #greekfood #streetfood #eatlondon #ecxfood

What a beautiful way to celebrate spring. The Mila
What a beautiful way to celebrate spring. The Milan lifestyle company La Double J has teamed up with @ladureeuk to design a limited edition set of home ware using laduree macaron colours. It’s a limited edition, so won’t be around for long. @ladoublej [Gifted] 
.
.
.
#laduree #ladoublej #macarons #pastels #patisserie #spring #springfeels #frenchpatisserie #doublej

Spring has sprung! 🌸 London is coming alive wit
Spring has sprung! 🌸 London is coming alive with colours. Blossoms on trees and longer days. Can’t wait for lockdown to be over. Not long now.  #ecxtravel #prettylittlecities #lovelondon❤️ #ngtuk #guardiancities #passionpassport  #prettylittlelondon #destinationearth #exploringtheworld #TTOT #tripnatics #wearetravelgirls #girlswhotravel #guardiantravelsnaps #womenwhoexplore #mytinyatlas #natgeography #darlingescapes #girlmeetsglobe


Load More…



Follow on Instagram


Navigation

  • Restaurant Reviews
  • Product Reviews
  • Recipes
  • Sunday Selection
  • Food Producers
  • Travel
  • Hotel Reviews
  • Giveaways
  • Contact

Images and content unless otherwise indicated Copyright © Eat Cook Explore 2009-2021

Foodies100 Index of UK Food Blogs
Foodies100

You might also like

Harissa chicken at Korto Muswell Hill

Fireheart Artisan Coffee at Korto Muswell Hill

Rare breed beef at Temper Soho

Temper Soho Live Fires and Rare Breeds

Fastlevnboller

Celebrating Fastelavn Danish Lent at Ole and Steen

Char Kway Teow Stir Fried Rice Noodles

Singaporean feast at Bugis Street Baileys Hotel

Gunma Joshu Wagyu Beef and Stir Fried Glutinous Rice Loh Mai Fan

Gunma Wagyu Beef with Stir Fried Glutinous Rice

Affiliate Disclosure

Eat Cook Explore participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn commissions by linking to Amazon. In more human terms, this means that whenever you buy a product on Amazon from a link on here, I get a small percentage of its price and it doesn't cost you anything more. That helps support the site by offsetting a fraction of what it takes to maintain the site, and is very much appreciated.

Copyright © 2022

Copyright © 2022

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT