Zee Zest Unlimit Awards 2026 celebrates ‘Redefining Excellence’ across Food and Lifestyle

An unforgettable evening in Mumbai honours the visionaries transforming India’s culinary and lifestyle landscape Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 24: The fourth edition of the Zee Zest Unlimit Awards 2026 concluded on a spectacular note, bringing together some of the country’s most influential voices from the food and lifestyle ecosystem. Held at Taj Santacruz, Mumbai, the evening celebrated innovation, creativity and excellence across a range of dynamic categories, further reinforcing the platform’s position as one of India’s most credible industry recognitions.Centred around this year’s theme, ‘Redefining Excellence,’ the awards recognised avant-garde restaurants, bars, cafés, spirit brands, hospitality concepts, experiential dining formats and content creators who are redefining the contours of India’s cultural and culinary landscape.The evening witnessed a distinguished gathering of industry stalwarts, creative leaders and cultural icons. Leading names from the entertainment world, Shalini Pandey, Madhurima Tuli, Karan Tacker, Avneet Kaur, Harleen Sethi and Armaan Jain graced the red carpet, adding glamour and excitement to the celebrations. The ceremony also honoured the finest talents from the culinary world, presenting awards across categories and applauding winners for their craft, consistency, and spirit of innovation.The Zee Zest Unlimit Awards 2026 drew strength from an exceptional jury, a powerhouse lineup featuring veteran food critic Rashmi Uday Singh, restaurateur AD Singh, chefs Doma Wang, Rahul Akerkar, Ajay Chopra, and Karishma Sakhrani, food historian Sadaf Hussain, food writers Priya Ganapathy and Rukshana Kapadia, and mixologist Nitin Tewari, among others. With their diverse expertise and uncompromising standards, the panel ensured each winner was chosen with a thoughtful balance of quality, originality, and cultural context.Talking about the event, Kartik Mahadev, Chief Marketing Officer – ZEEL & Zee5, said, “At ZEE, we believe excellence deserves a platform as expansive as its impact. With Zee Zest Unlimit Awards – Redefining Excellence, we are leveraging our omni-channel network across TV, OTT, web & social to spotlight culinary trailblazers and honour these visionaries whose passion, innovation and dedication are evolving the gastronomic culture of India.”Alenkar Pathare – Business Head, Zee Zest & Youth, said, “India’s food and lifestyle landscape is experiencing a dynamic shift, led by a new wave of entrepreneurs, creators and hospitality leaders who are redefining the contours of consumer experience. The Zee Zest Unlimit Awards celebrates this spirit of innovation and enterprise, recognising individuals and brands that are shaping fresh narratives and encouraging the industry to push the boundaries of creativity and possibility.”Talking about the event, Kartik Mahadev, Chief Marketing Officer – ZEEL & Zee5, said, “At ZEE, we believe excellence deserves a platform as expansive as its impact. With Zee Zest Unlimit Awards – Redefining Excellence, we are leveraging our omni-channel network across TV, OTT, web & social to spotlight culinary trailblazers and honour these visionaries whose passion, innovation and dedication are evolving the gastronomic culture of India.”Alenkar Pathare – Business Head, Zee Zest & Youth, said, “India’s food and lifestyle landscape is experiencing a dynamic shift, led by a new wave of entrepreneurs, creators and hospitality leaders who are redefining the contours of consumer experience. The Zee Zest Unlimit Awards celebrates this spirit of innovation and enterprise, recognising individuals and brands that are shaping fresh narratives and encouraging the industry to push the boundaries of creativity and possibility.”A standout highlight of the evening was a high-energy performance by the celebrated Indian rock band Agnee, which infused the celebration with vibrant energy and had the audience on their feet. This was complimented by a relentless laughter riot presented by popular standup comedian Prashasti Singh.Building on the momentum of its previous editions, the Zee Zest Unlimit Awards 2026 once again reaffirmed Zee Zest’s commitment to spotlighting excellence and innovation that continue to shape India’s evolving food, travel and lifestyle narrative.Co presented by L’Oréal Paris, co powered by SR Queens, with special partner Rajesh Masala, fragrance partner Wild Stone, energy drink partner Hell Energy Drink and associate sponsor Dhananjay Foods, the evening stood as a vibrant celebration of creativity, enterprise and cultural influence.Tune in to catch the Zee Zest Unlimit Awards 2026 telecast on 29 March on Zee Zest SD and HD, and streaming on Zee5.The distinguished winners of the Zee Zest Unlimit Awards 2026 are:

Sr. No.	Category	Winner
Cuisine
1	BEST JAPANESE RESTAURANT	Naru Noodle Bar, Bengaluru
2	BEST LUXURY DINING RESTAURANT	The Table, Mumbai
3	BEST REGIONAL INDIAN RESTAURANT	Amar Khamar, Kolkata
4	BEST VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT	Avatara, Mumbai
5	BEST CAFÉ	Cafe Lento, Goa
6	BEST NEW RESTAURANT	SoBo 20, Mumbai
7	BEST EUROPEAN RESTAURANT	La Panthera, Mumbai
8	BEST IN DESSERT	Lick, Bengaluru
9	BEST SOUTH INDIAN RESTAURANT	Dakshin at ITC Grand Central, Mumbai
10	BEST DESIGNED RESTAURANT	The Sarvato, Jaipur
11	BEST ASIAN RESTAURANT	Wabi Sabi at The Oberoi, Bengaluru
12	BEST THAI RESTAURANT	Khao Man Gai by Seefah, Mumbai
Beverages
13	BEST COCKTAIL BAR	Bar Spirit Forward, Bengaluru
14	BEST INDIAN WHISKY	Amrut Expedition
15	BEST INDIAN CRAFT GIN	Cherrapunji
16	BEST DESIGNED COCKTAIL BAR	Boilermaker, Goa
17	BEST INDIGENOUS SPIRIT	Six Brothers Mahura
18	BEST INDIAN RUM	Pipa Rum
Individuals
19	CHEF OF THE YEAR (Male)	Gresham Fernandes, Bandra Born, Mumbai
20	CHEF OF THE YEAR (Female)	Koyel Roy Nandy – Rannaghor by Sienna Calcutta
21	PASTRY CHEF OF THE YEAR	Vinesh Johny – Lavonne, India
22	RISING CHEF OF THE YEAR	Juhi Punwani – Amar Khamar, Kolkata
23	RESTAURATEUR OF THE YEAR	Gauri Devidayal
24	MIXOLOGIST OF THE YEAR	Jeet Rana – Barbet & Pals, New Delhi
25	UNLIMIT ICON	Chef Manish Mehrotra
26	UNLIMIT ICONIC MUSIC BAND AWARD	AGNEE
27	BEST CLOUD KITCHEN	The Junglee Kitchen by Armaan Jain
28	ICONIC RESTAURANT	Crystal Restaurant, Mumbai
29	BEST NEW AGE BEVERAGE BRAND	HELL ENERGY DRINK
30	UNLIMIT OTT BREAKTHROUGH STAR AWARD	Harleen Sethi
31	UNLIMIT DYNAMIC PERFORMER AWARD	Madhurima Tuli
32	BEST FIRE-LED CULINARY CONCEPT	HOM, Mumbai
33	UNLIMIT IMPACTFUL SCREEN PRESENCE AWARD	Karan Tacker
34	UNLIMIT PROMISING ACTRESS OF THE YEAR	Avneet Kaur
35	UNLIMIT EMERGING TALENT AWARD	Shalini Pandey