Zest Cafe Gallery

Zest is a great place for breakfast & brunch! Generally I’ve had fantastic service with friendly staff. Their coffees are delicious and if you’re not in the mood for coffee I recommend their chai latte. The place is super busy on Sunday’s and you can’t get a booking so make sure you arrive early! All in all great food, great prices and child friendly (I take my daughter on coffee dates their often now, but not ideal for prams) I don’t recommend large groups unless you are planning that for during the week and book in. Usually good for groups of 2 – 4 (have had a group of 6 there on a Sunday morning and were lucky to get in!)

Loved our Brunch today after a long bike ride, super friendly staff, quick service and great coffee. Well priced and good value tasty food. Just what we were looking for today and I will definitely visit again

There seems to be some disorganisation between staff. They are super friendly, and love to offer ideas but my biggest problem is what came from the conversation.
They said on the phone that many coeliacs come here and true, there are many gluten free options. But they seem fully unprepared when a coeliac comes in. They didn’t think of the coco powder in mochas which turned out to have gluten, they recommended ice coffee which, when prompted to check the ice cream, also had gluten. This scenario made me nervous about taking coeliacs here, as the gluten free cakes were sitting next to gluten cakes inside the fridges and although they say they make their own gluten free bread, the experience has made me nervous that their food is equally disorganised and prepped on gluten contaminated areas.
Look, I don’t know this for sure — this is just what went on in my mind after all the confusion. Had I not been with a coeliac, I would have had a lovely meal, but the unsure vibe we got from the staff made it really hard to relax and order something without fear of making my friend ill.

I’ve been a regular at Zest for more years than I’d like to remember! Have always loved brunch at this café; from the service and the small biscuit that comes with a coffee to the varied and fresh food/​menu selection. As a huge porridge fan, on my most recent visit I opted for the porridge off the specials board — amazing! I say make it a permanent fixture on the menu! Always look forward to my next Zest meal.

If you are a hipster you will probably like this place, however as a normal person I was very unimpressed.
Tiny, cramped entrance feels unwelcoming, a feeling confirmed by the disinterested staff. Below average, over priced coffee and the one menu item I liked the look of was unavailable.

Stopped in to zest for a Sunday Breakfast. We were greeted by very friendly staff and although no table was immediately available, we were offered one quite quickly. This café is very small. Absolutely no room for a pram but we were shown where we could stash it semi securely.
This place is loud! I am showing my age but I generally dine out to enjoy a conversation and this was almost impossible. The place was absolutely packed and of course that will add to the noise factor.
Service was really fantastic. Our coffee orders were taken and drinks received in an extremely timely fashion considering how busy the place was. The coffee was delicious (and much needed at this point). Our meal orders were taken shortly after and again received quite fast.
Now. I must admit I was not super impressed by my meal. I ordered poached eggs and bacon. The eggs and bacon themselves were ok, but the toast was rock hard and quite measly.
The positives are that the meals were quite well priced. The staff were amazing. Super friendly and obliging despite how run off their feet they all were. The staff alone however don’t make up for my average meal and the noise factor.

Zest is a fixture in Glenelg. They do amazing food and always have interesting artworks on display (for sale) in the café/​gallery. Zest is our go-​to spot for a delicious breakfast or lazy lunch. Hells Eggs is a favourite amongst my family. The POWA juice is a must have. I tried their breakfast special today (Bircher muesli with baked rhubarb, Greek yoghurt and sweet dukkah) it was fantastic. Staff are always friendly and the service is great. If you’re in Glenelg definitely stop in at Zest!

Came here for a hungover breakfast, and was greeted by a female staff member really not happy to be there. All I could think of was that she must be hungover too, otherwise there was no excuse for her attitude and you could clearly see how she felt with her facial expressions. This tarred an otherwise good experience.
The café has a lovely ambience otherwise, with the small tables under the rambling vines creating a relaxed vibe. Our first coffee order didn’t come out until the staff were reminded, we were told lost docket as the reason. I appreciated the honesty and the helpful attitude of the young man who then brought them out promptly. The breakfast was simple yet nice, poached eggs and bacon with fresh avocado. My friend had the big breakfast and it looked delightful, apparently it was delicious also. Soy latte was strong and smooth, with only a hint of bitterness. All in all not amazing and I wouldn’t go out of my way to come back, but fine for what we were there for.

Love the coffee and the little cheeky bicci.
We had it made in the shade on a sunny Glenelg day. Perfect place to power up with yum easy food and the bestest caffeine.

Zest Café Gallery is neatly tucked away off of Jetty road on Sussex Street in Glenelg. A trendy little place that I’ve been yearning to try for a few months now.
I ordered a coffee and a a slice of lemon poppy seed cake and was impressed when it finally came out. The slice of cake was enormous but tasted as if it were a day or two old, such a disappointment, but it was still delicious none the less. My cappuccino was almost perfect, flavour and texture were close to spot on, but it was far too hot, you could taste a tinge of burnt milk, which is not good at all.
At Zest Café Gallery they have waiter service, which is a big tick for me and although a bit slow, who doesn’t like it when someone else is running around for you?! Along with this feature, the staff I came in to contact with were generally well mannered and friendly.
Need a new spot to meet some friends in Glenelg? Want to try something new? Why not try Zest Café Gallery, here’s hoping that they sort out the burnt coffee and stale cake issue though. Apart from that, cheap and unique, why not see for yourself?!

Zest without the zest!
I agree service is excellent and attentive, meals are priced well and coffee is very good but I am totally underwhelmed by the food. The first time I had lunch here I just thought I had made the wrong choice. Really there was nothing wrong with the bruschetta I ordered it was just very uninteresting. Deceptively simple — bruschetta could be the stuff of Masterchef hopefuls nightmares — how can you get toast and a bit of chopped veg wrong? Well you probably can’t unless you burn the toast but it also can be flavourless, dry and hard with no fresh tomatoey, garlicky, olive oily aromas and tastes coming through. This is how my first lunch was precented edible but definitely ho hum and lacking in zest!
As Zest has had a few raves and it is popular setting for local lunches I came back again for a second go with another group of friends. We all had the special of the day — poached eggs with baba ganoush and sour dough toast. I know there are evidently some people who can only eat white food or can’t mix colours on a plate — well this lunch special would have suited them perfectly. I was totally underwhelmed by the presentation — not appetising or stimulating in anyway — white egg, white toast and a cream coloured baba ganoush. The dish was very well priced but it was again very boring. Tasty to a point but it desperately needed additional pizzazz. Perhaps some lemon zest would have helped and a dollop of salsa verde!
I would recommend the coffee and the staff are extremely well trained and receptive but the kitchen needs a bit of tweaking.

Very good coffee. Lovely food

Fatty bacon what’s up with that. Nice coffee though.

I can’t actually refute the lovely things others have to say about Zest. Yep good food, yep arty ambience. But it’s so darn busy and loud ALL the time (the various occasions I’ve been here anyway). I’m not a big morning person and I don’t have screaming banchees (aka kids), so the combination of harried, clanging, shouting does not equate to good vibes for me. In a nutshell — if you like a side of noise aplenty with your weekend brunch it’s all yours!

I do quite like this café. I’ve often grabbed a takeaway coffee and had it down the beach. I’m not opposed to dining in, but everytime I come it’s packed out, which is a good sign I guess!
I’ve never eaten here, but I’ve watched as a few dishes have come out whilst waiting for my coffee, and everything looks great.
Service is great, and fast (for a coffee anyway!).

Zest Café and Gallery is a really great breakfast option and one of those typically cute and a little quirky but enormously popular. The first thing we learnt is they don’t take bookings on a Sunday so you just have to rock up and hope there is a table free or if not, they will send you away and reserve you one when someone leaves.
The breakfast options are extensive and all sound really good. My friend’s orange juice was freshly squeezed and my chai latte was made with syrup not powder which I love because I hate how the powder doesn’t dissolve sometimes and it goes all lumpy. I ordered the muesli with a side of greek yoghurt and the fresh fruit. I was really impressed that the fresh fruit included mango, which is a reasonably expensive summer fruit but an addition I really appreciated.
They also offer lunch options, and have a daily specials board with new options in case you become a regular and go through the whole menu!

I fell in love with this place. I like everything about it (except mothers with atrociously loud and rowdy children — but they were at least sat outside). The staff are great, really friendly and competent, and very patient with children stealing dozens of straws for sword fighting.
As I rocked up on a Saturday, they were fully booked. I didn’t realise I’d need to book, but the girl told me to go shopping then come back in 20 minutes. I did so and soon got a table out the front, right where the kids were squealing like stuck pigs. One of the girls noticed my expression (whoops) and offered to move me inside. Thank you!
Now much quieter in the covered, courtyard area, I enjoyed my coffee on ice and my fritatta with chorizo and tomato+capsicum salsa with toast. Yum! What a meal, and for $ 13.90, I was very satisfied. I got to read the Adelaide Review and watch the older woman nearest the footpath pull faces and shake her head at the children.
I love how relaxed the place is, even though they’re completely full and have people showing up every few minutes trying to bag a table. The staff have fun with their job while still being really efficient, and I think we have them to thank for the atmosphere.
The coffee was strong and good, and I could tell it was a fresh blend — it’s most flavoursome then.
For such a popular place, the prices are fantastic. They do all day breakfasts then a range of salads, wraps, and a few hot dishes. They’re licensed, so they have a small range of changing wines at very reasonable prices, as well as juices, smoothies and all kinds of coffee.
I plan on returning here on a weekday when it’s a little quieter, not that I felt rushed, but I hope to avoid the kids and their studiously oblivious parents.

This is just a fantastic café in the Glenelg area. This place has a very earthy vibe but has a knack for being busy (at least the times I’ve been there).
Had the rare beef and avocado salad. Yes, I was feeling venturesome that day. I’d never had raw beef, or something that proclaimed itself as raw instead of your dad at a barbeque insisting that the blackened steaks were «well done inside».
It went down a treat, and the smooth avocado complimented the juicy slices of beef.
The coffee is always fresh here, and the staff are relaxed and helpful.

One of my favourite cafes especially for the ambience and food. The coffee is good as well and the bonus is that it comes with a tasty little house baked pastry, which is a nice touch. The café is amazing when it comes to the surrounds. I often sit chatting to friends under the trailing grapevine in the dappled sunlight. It evokes memories of mediterranean holidays. You feel like you could be anywhere.
There is a changing canvas of artwork on the walls and Cameron, one of the owners, painted the amazing mural on the outside of the café. The food is modern and gourmet. I especially love their wild rice and lentil soup in winter. Cloth napkins and chilled water are also a pleasant addition to café dining. David runs front of café and is on hand to make sure everything is to your liking. The staff are amazing and very friendly.
Zest manages to be chilled and casual but with excellent service; a hard thing to pull off.