Snapshots
The hospitality industry in India is ever evolving, and every year, there are new standout debuts as well as prestigious institutions that shine just a bit brighter. Come December, and at Zee Zest, it is time to celebrate them. Each year, we invite trailblazers from across India’s food, travel, and lifestyle landscape to step into the spotlight at Zee Zest Unlimit Awards. The 4th edition is here, and has us all excited to discover, celebrate, and be inspired by the biggest and the best of Indian hospitality.
What are the Zee Zest Unlimit Awards?
For the uninitiated, the Zee Zest Unlimit Awards is an annual event that recognises excellence, innovation, and forward-thinking achievements in India's food, travel, and lifestyle space. The awards honour individuals, brands, establishments, and creators who embody the ‘Unlimit' mindset - those who are pushing boundaries and setting new benchmarks through creativity, community empowerment, and inspiring stories. This year’s edition continues the award’s legacy, and if you’re shaping new culinary conversations, redefining travel experiences, or inspiring communities through lifestyle innovation, Unlimit Awards is ready for your story!
Registering for Zee Zest Unlimit Awards
Registrations for 25 categories across food, travel, and lifestyle are now open, and it’s always a good idea to avail the early bird discount that runs till the 14th of December 2025. That said, the registrations are open till the end of December 2025, giving you ample time to go through the process and apply accordingly.
What happens at Zee Zest Unlimit Awards?
Call for entries & nominations
As stated above, the registrations for the Zee Zest Unlimit Awards 2026 are officially open. Once the submissions roll in, the Zee Zest team carefully reviews every contender to identify standout disruptors and trailblazers. From there, the Top 10 entries in each category are shortlisted and shared with the jury of the Zee Zest Unlimit Awards for further evaluation. This stage ensures that only the most exciting, innovative, and impactful players move forward in the journey toward the coveted Unlimit recognition.
Jury round & public voting
Once the Top 10 contenders reach the Jury Round, a panel of respected experts evaluates the Top 10 entries in each category based on creativity, influence, and alignment with the ‘Unlimit’ ethos.
Their rankings determine the Top 5 finalists, who then step into the public arena for the title. The voting stage opens exclusively on zeezest.com, allowing audiences across India to support the establishments they believe are transforming the country’s food, travel, and lifestyle landscape. At the Zee Zest Unlimit Awards, consumer love meets expert opinion, ensuring the finalists truly deserve their place in the spotlight.
Winner selection & the award night
After public voting concludes, the Jury will reconvene virtually to combine scores and finalise the ultimate winners of the Zee Zest Unlimit Awards 2026. The journey culminates in a spectacular award ceremony in Mumbai, where winners are celebrated and honoured for their contribution across food, travel, and lifestyle spaces in India.
From empowering communities to inspiring new trends and breaking boundaries, the awardees embody what it means to live and create without limits. It’s an unforgettable night that recognises excellence, setting the tone for the future of India’s most exciting industries.
Jury at Zee Zest Unlimit Awards
The esteemed jury at the Zee Zest Unlimit Awards features some of the biggest names in the food, travel, and lifestyle space in India. The list includes famous restaurateur AD Singh, best known for being the force behind Olive Bar & Kitchen, New Delhi and a pioneer of many hospitality trends in the country; sommelier Kevin Rodrigues, who is currently the Head of Wines at Indian Accent, Comorin, HOSA, Fireback and has been awarded the Best Sommelier India 2024. If you keep a close eye on food and lifestyle spaces on social media, chefs Sneha Singhi Upadhyay, Saloni Kukreja, and mixologist Nitin Tiwari need no introduction. While Chef Upadhyay is the founder of popular restaurants Cobo and OG By The Lake, Chef Kukreja is the entrepreneur behind Indu Icecreams, and Mr Bartender Nitin Tiwari is also the founder of BarTrender & Bar Kala Academy, in addition to being a consultant for the biggest hospitality institutions in the country.
Chef Natasha Gandhi, founder of The House of Millets, popular for her content on social media and having been a contestant on MasterChef S6, is also one of the jury members for Zee Zest Unlimit Awards 2026. So is Le Cordon Bleu graduate Chef Guntas Sethi, who, in addition to being a recipe developer and star content creator, happens to be the EU Food Ambassador in India. From the other side of the table, the Unlimit Awards Jury includes F&B consultant and celebrated food writer Rukshana A Kapadia, food & travel writers and anchors Anurag Mallick and Priya Ganapathy, and well-known journalist and founder editor at Gurgl.in, Priyanko Sarkar.
Bridging the two sides are chef and food historian Rakesh Raghunathan, who is also a MasterChef India judge (Tamil); TV show host and author Rashmi Uday Singh who is also a World Gourmand Award winner; MasterChef India 4 Finalist and food consultant-stylist, chef Karishma Sakhrani; patisserie chef, founder of Dzurt Patisserie & Cafe, and co-founder of All Things Chocolate, chef Tejasvi Chandela; and celebrated Tibetan chef and restaurateur in Kolkata, often lovingly known as the Momo Queen of India, Doma Wang.