Best 5 New Restaurants In India Nominated For The Zee Zest Unlimit Awards 2025

From exploring complex Tibetan flavours to a full vegetarian Michelin-starred tasting menu, India’s witnessing a revolution in the culinary space. The newest restaurants nominated in this category are bringing new, traditional, and international flavours in a revamped and elevated concept.

Otra

With the assistance of chef Alex Leonard, chef Mallyeka Watsa, and chef Alex Sanchez, chef Mallyeka Watsa and chef Alex Sanchez have created a cuisine that showcases Sanchez's Puerto Rican roots while incorporating regional flavours. Tostadas take up a whole area; Sanchez claims he mistakenly believed they were nigiri when he first saw them—crisp corn tortillas piled high with ingredients like grilled carrots and hamachi tartare.

Those who want to experiment with spirits will be spoilt for choice by the cocktail menu! Instead of whisky or vodka, Mixologist Darren Crawford is aiming to expose drinkers to tequila, pisco, rum, and mezcal drinks. We suggest a few small appetisers to fill you up before you dive in, like these photogenic Swiss chard Empanadas stuffed with cheese. As if that weren't enough, chips, salsa, and guacamole make the ideal party food (as we all know)!

Popo’s by the Blue Poppy

Kolkata's newest culinary jewel is Popo's! It is the newest addition to the almost two-decade-old Blue Poppy Thakali, where you can get the greatest Himalayan cuisine in town, including dishes like substantial Nepali thalis and Tibetan thenthuk. In honour of Doma Wang's father, Popo, whose passion for cooking inspired her and her daughter to follow in his footsteps, this eatery serves delicious meals. In Popo's unique blend of Northeastern, Tibetan, Chinese, Bhutanese, Nepalese, and family cuisines, this nostalgia finds a home. 

Popo's Sesame Chilli Lepphing, bursting with flavour, spice, and umami, is a must-try, with most dishes made to order. The laphing, a street food staple in Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and parts of northeastern India, is an inspiration for their Slick Mung Bean roll. This chilled appetiser sets the tone for the entire dinner with its faux meat filling and bowl of soy, sesame, chilli, and vinegar broth; we guarantee you will be coming back to the broth between courses.

Terrāi

Terrāi traces its ties to the legendary Rajender Rao, the visionary behind the successful Hyderabad franchise Telangana Spice Kitchen. In 2018, his son Rohit Kasuganti assumed control of TSK. Subsequently, he co-founded TSK Food Works with his wife, Anisha Deevakonda! They serve traditional Andhra cuisine, which is known for its spicy and irresistible meals. 

Fruity chuskis on ice and pineapple pachadi with multigrain cutlets or a refreshing dill-yoghurt with the Spicy Mutton Shikampuri are some of the ways that chef Khader softens the heat for those who aren't used to it. An interesting thing about Terrai is its sourcing! The study Deevakonda conducted at the Deccan Development Society (DDS), a cooperative of farmers serving women in rural Telangana, is the foundation of her commitment to Terrāi’s sourcing philosophy. 

She has plans to broaden this endeavour by launching similar programs, like the weekend-held DDS X Terrāi Farmers Market. This restaurant is truly furthering the boundaries of Andhra cuisine while ensuring inclusive growth in the region—a noble, and may we add, delicious venture!

Avatara

The Avatara restaurant, headed by Rahul Rana, a native of Uttarakhand, arrived in the Emirates in early 2022 and quickly earned a Michelin star for his innovative iterations of vegetarian food. Rana is the first contemporary vegetarian Indian restaurant among Dubai's Michelin-starred heavyweights. 

Similar to the Dubai location, the 14-course dinner highlights a variety of modest foods. Avatara has eliminated paneer and mushrooms from the menu—the typical vegetarian ingredients that most restaurants use! Enjoy farm-fresh ingredients in ‘avatars’ you would never envision. There are Turnip Galouti Kebabs, Thinly Fried Okra filled with thecha masala, Tacos made of taro leaves and bursting with tangy, spicy taro roots, and a stunning Apple-Petal Rose Crowned with sol kadi. In this dish, the hot Kolhapur tambda rassa masala is tempered with a parsnip broth and used as a main course rice seasoning after minor adjustments. Enjoy Jackfruit momo, a dish typical of Ladakhi cuisine, is characterised by its richness from the use of imitation meat and its accompaniment of Sour Seabuckthorn Thukpa.

Kopitam Lah

Kopitam Lah is headed by pastry artist Kopitam Lah Tan, who has been working in Bengaluru for the last fifteen years, while head chef David D'Souza oversees the kitchen. Their parent company, Lavonne, is already adept at re-creating traditional Malay baked goods, so they depend on them for their bakery needs as well. 

The extensive menu offers everything from half-boiled eggs with soy sauce and white pepper for breakfast to kaya toast with chilled salted butter and coconut jam, and everything in between. Think Nasi Lemak, flavoured rice with lots of sides, and Sayur Lodeh, Curry, and Bread. Wonton soup, noodles, and other Chinese-inspired dishes are also available. Many of the foods sound and appear novel, yet they taste very familiar. 

The fish Custard Otak Otak, which is steamed in banana leaves, brings to mind patrani macchi. Their famous stew is served with Roti Canai is a delicious and comfortable meal that might come from any southern Indian kitchen. The wontons and soups are reminiscent of the Indian-Chinese cuisine that many of us grew up with.

These new restaurants are truly changing the landscape of the culinary scene in India, one dish at a time! Their innovation not just reflects in the taste but the way they execute their vision, preserving regional flavours and ensuring sustainability every step of the way.