Zest Cafe & Home Art

Very cute cafe with delicious and healthy salads. They have outdoor seating and curbside pickup.

Staff were wearing masks and are really nice. Great prices. A small shop to buy some home gifts is in there as well. We will go back there soon! Highly recommended.

Great spot for lunch, good prices. I went with my mom and sister recently. We all loved our food. The shop is cute and fun to look at before or after dining.

This is my favorite place for lunch. The food is always fresh and delicious, with wonderful seasonal specials. I often choose the quiche (ingredients are seasonal and always changing, but I've never had one that wasn't great!) My lunch partner usually gets one of the amazing salads. They choose perfect combinations for the salads and make the dressings in-house.

Couple pieces of advice:

Lunchtime can be VERY crowded, especially on Fridays. It's best to get there before 11:30!

Save room for desert! We always get cake - my favorite is the coconut cake, which is absolutely perfect, in my opinion. One of my friends is equally devoted to the carrot cake, but every desert we've ever tried had been well worth the calories 😉

Amazing staff, amazing food! If you like eating clean, freshly prepared meals, then give it a try. I eat here at least once a week!

This is a must do when we have friends and family visiting and want a yummy and relaxing lunch. Also, we always find a treasure or two in the shop!

I can't rave enough about this place. The food is delicious, service A + (Sam is so nice!), and the coconut cake is out of this world!!!!!

Stumbled upon this great place today. What a gem. Great food and then great shopping-all in one place! Definitely worth all 5 of these stars.

My family enjoyed a lovely dinner at Zest. The kale salad was delicious, especially with shrimp added. The gnocchi was also really good. When you first sit down, they bring you a large piece of yummy bread for each person, with some herby butter. I would recommend this place for a casual, but healthy and delicious meal. Definitely save room for dessert - the carrot cake is so good! It is also really fun to wander through the shop afterwards. They have a lot of nice gifts and decor items for sale.

Great food, great service, and such a cute shop! We had a delay with getting our food and the owner was wonderful - came out to speak to us and took care of everything. Highly recommend the Brie sandwich! And really everything on the menu

Love getting together with friends for lunch or dinner here! Food is always great and service is very friendly. Wandering through the store is a great way to wait for a table.

Wonderful food and gifts for my grandbaby . Samantha was such wonderful help . Lovely little store . 😍

Always such great food! Seating inside and out. Good atmosphere. Wish they had longer hours. Shop is super cute too!

Zest hands down my favorite place in Raleigh!! The food is fantastic - my favorite is any salad with salmon! They also have a gift shop that is unlike any gift shop you will ever walk into!! The items are unique and you will love it all - I have no doubt!!! Highly recommend for your next brunch, lunch, or dinner and your next shopping trip!!

I love Zest! It’s relaxed and the staff is great! Nice lunch and shopping place!

I love love love Zest! It's such a sweet shop with great owners, a wonderful atmosphere and beautiful home decor. The children's goods are particularly lovely so it's a perfect place for one-of-a-kind shower gifts. The cafe is fantastic as well - highly recommend the grilled chicken and brie sandwiches. This is a wonderful, locally-owned business and I give it a deserved 5 stars!

Food is awesome, service is amazing and the store is adorable! I had taken my elderly cat to Banfield (PetSmart) next door and was very nervous about his prognosis. I'm so glad I stumbled upon this place because it was not only welcoming but also calming. I sat on the covered patio reading my kindle, eating my DELICIOUS quiche and sipped on a beer. I'm so thankful I got to have such a peaceful escape during such a stressful day and I will absolutely be back!

Food was really good. Of course my friends and I had salads. They were very fresh, tasty and service was great. Huge salads for $9.
They were at 50% capacity. Wait help were wearing masks.
Will definitely come back soon and would recommend to my family and friends.

Such an awesome menu! There is literally something for everyone. I enjoyed the pizza with chicken, manchego and pesto -- delicious! The gift shop is a great place to find hostess gifts or something for the person who has everything. Beautiful linens, candles, and more. Look forward to coming back!

Such a cute place. Cute shop & cafe. Have not tried their food yet, but will do someday.
Nice place for lunch or coffee with a friend and to buy that last minute present 😄

Update... Shopped & had lunch there one afternoon. They have a small but cute selection of baby items... amongst other home goods.
The cafe was buzzing with a ladies-at-lunch crowd.
It’s a nice way to spend an afternoon with a friend... shop a bit, linger over lunch.
They do have a few vegan options.

I met a friend for lunch at Zest today. It had been a while since I've been there, but I hope it won't be long before I go back. I love a place where I feel like anything I choose on the menu is fresh and interesting. I had the turkey burger with a side of the daily soup which was lemon chicken. Both were delish. I don't eat a lot of bread and love that the turkey burger was topped with mushrooms, grilled onions, cheese, and chicken bacon to make it yummy even without the bun. Our waitress was helpful and prompt with drink refills. I haven't even mentioned the adorable boutique attached to zest. I didn't buy anything today, but it's somewhere I go to buy gifts for my stylish friends.