Zomato gets a major refresh; brings social to restaurant recommendations

By Abhishek Baxi
last updated

Zomato is a popular restaurant finder Windows Phone app that gives you recommendations for restaurants in your area and lets you look at menus, pictures, contact info, and directions. The app allows you to check ratings and reviews of restaurants which you can search for by location, cuisine, or name.

Zomato is currently available in 41 cities across the United Kingdom, India, Brazil, the UAE, New Zealand, South Africa, Indonesia, Turkey, Portugal, the Philippines, Qatar, and Sri Lanka.

Zomato was recently updated to version 5 and has a completely refreshed design which, as the change log suggests, is the ‘most delicious Zomato experience yet’. Apart from the new neat and fluid user experience and significant performance improvements, the app redesign is part of an overall change as Zomato is rebuilt from scratch across the board.

The company claims that the restaurant search is now faster-than-ever. You can add your favorite restaurants to Speed Dial for an easy-reference list, build a Wish List of places you want to visit, and keep track of where you've been using the 'Been There' list. The latest update makes searching for a place to eat easier than before. The erstwhile search bar now packs a lot of intelligence behind the scenes. As you start typing what you want – whether it’s a restaurant, a cuisine, or a particular dish – you’ll find the suggestions rolling in.

The latest refresh makes Zomoto a more social platform, and introduces the all-new Food Feed, a social timeline of sorts for foodies. You can see reviews, pictures, and recommendations from folks you choose to follow. You can also show your gastronomic activity by uploading pictures on the move and add reviews for places you’ve been to.

Also, Zomato broadly, and not just with the app, is now a login-only product. Zomato claims that this helps them to know the user better and save their preferences to make sure they serve them what the user would like to see.

The app can be downloaded for free on Windows Phone 7.x and Windows Phone 8 devices from the Windows Phone Store. You can also download the app for your Windows 8 devices from the Windows Store (opens in new tab). If you eat out or order in often, download the app, and pin it to your Start screen. I’m in the ‘live to eat’ side of the fence, and would highly recommend the app.

QR: Zomato

Abhishek Baxi
Abhishek Baxi
51 Comments
  • Great! I have been used this around here.
  • Looking forward to giving this a spin!
  • The changes have spurred me to be more active on zomato!
  • Aww an app I cant use because Im in the US.
  • Take note Foursquare.
  • Fuck Zomato, this update was just meant to block normal access and require login to even start the app, even the website has gone to login only platform. Really hate this change, guys any other option for Indian users? 
  • uninstall app. delete account. we don't need the hate.
  • I have the right to rant and right to hate the app and there is nothing you can do about that, atleast i contributed positively to the discussion by informing everyone about the new drastic change in the service and revealed the real reason behind this update. I even asked suggestions for alternatives but your reply to my comment and also your initial comment on this article makes you look like Zomato employee or someone related to Zomato as you attacked me personally instead of having a discussion on the point.
  • I honestly don't think there is any service better than Zomato in India. You can try searching and let people know here. And regarding your fruitful comment, bugger off. If you really feel that the service is useful, then accept the changes and move on. Many services on the web are login only service, and I am pretty sure that you must have signed up for them, as they were login only from the start, but you did had to rant if somebody tries to give you a better experience. Grow up. :P
  • Zomato was never a Login only service you fool, both the app and the website were accessible without login till last week and this is a recent change with no real benefit or better experience only good data mining for Zomato, this shows how much you know about this app/service, so getting advise from you regarding alternatives is a foolhardy proposition :)
  • Either you have really poor understanding of English or you are just plain dumb to not even read the whole comment. I said "many services on the web are login only" and not Zomato being login only from the start. And i know its a recent change, thats why i said "Accept the changes and move on". And I am in no position to give you any advice. You seem to have made up your mind. 
  • LOL as if you gave any advise in your previous post, from the start your only intention was personal insult and you followed up in your second post too and no "Accept the changes and move on" is not an advise, instead it is a plain stupid reply for someone who is no longer intrested in the app/service and is clearly asking for alternatives, so Mr. Dumbo first learn to read before asking others to improve their English/Any language skills.
  • Haha, i am now pretty sure you need to grow up. And for someone who is asking for alternatives, should atleast try to read. My very first comment said "I honestly don't think there is any service better than Zomato in India. You can try searching and let people know here". I actually told you my opinion. See, like you have the right to rant, i have the right for opinion. Nobody is insulting you, but you yourself. And Mr. Dumbo.. really.. you sound like an 8 year old girl.. :P
  • Huh!! Really? that is your best comeback?? 8 year old girl? Learn to respect women you sexist pig, it is because of MCP's like you that our society is in such a horrid state.
  • Lol.. that escalated quickly. I should have used the word immature but then you dont take insults very well, but then, you never know what might insult someone. Also, I am not into comebacks, really. I like healthy discussions with people who have some common sense at least. And regarding the society, i think dumb person is more scarier to society who is foolish enought to not even understand simplicites in conversation. 
  • I actually sent across a tip to the wpcentral team when this app updated. I hardly do that. Know why I did that? It's because the app had a really huge change. They've rebuilt it from scratch and made it even more convenient. yes they have made login compulsory, but you know it's not so bad because now you have more people participating rather than just browsing. Also, the besides the login bit, the rest of the app is amazing in the way it's polished. I can rate it one of the better apps on wp8 now. I'm able to find, add to wishlist and review restaurants even better now. I'm sorry i managed to agitate you so early in the morning, but maybe you could look at the entire app and give an opinion that goes beyond the login screen. I never really attacked you by the way. Plus, just because i happened to like something so much, doesn't mean I'm a zomato employee or someone related to the same.
  • ^^ Ditto. The app has really changed a lot. I now actually want to help the community and not just open - search - and close the app. Also, Windows phone 8 has the same features as any other platform (iOS for sure). 
  • Thorough review Abhishek. Really glad you cover all the apps that might be useful for users. :)
  • ...
  • Dude calm down. You're actually ranting now.
  • He edited the post, so my post looked totally out of context, have edited my comment now.
  • Yeah.. He needs to. :P
  • Abe yr kyu laad rahe ho??
  • Ab kisi se change bardasht nahi hota to usko apna opinion dene ki soch raha tha.. Apne pair par kulhadi maar li yr.. :P
  • are yaar, maine apni opinion rakhi  only on the app and not on any person but this guy started going personal from his first reply, anyways it was worth it just to reveal his "sexist pig" side out in the open :)
  • ROFL.. dude.. tumse na ho payega.. :P
  • Jab baat khatam ho rahi thi..tab usse "sexist pig" bulane ki kya zarurat thi??
  • koi na Aman.. bhains ke aagey been nahi bajani chahiye.. :P
  • Jo sexist hai to hai, agar society may hum nahi bolenge to inke jaise logon ka hausla aur bulannd hoga aur aage ja kar kuch bhi karenge.
  • Etios, sexist ka meaning padh kar aao. Aadhi adhuri english padh li aur har jagah bas istemal kar lo.. grow your vocab dude.. Saying that women like pink is not sexist, as most women do. Thats a fact. Similarily my comment about you using Mr. Dumbo. Hindi mein baat samajh mein aati hai ki koi aur bhasha mein baat karun? Bass kar ab.. Faltu ki footage kha raha hai.. 
  • Everybody knows what you meant by that comment, no need of changing the topic to pink colour now.
  • Haan..Gadi ki ad he ho rahi hai
  • Gadhe jab bata deten hain ki vo khan ke hai..Tab unse maat lada kar bhai..Hindustan ka he naam kharab hota hai..Angrez padhten hai..Aurr Etios tu bhi bass kar..
  • Haha. Bezzati ho gayi yaar desh ki.
  • ab ki baar.. :P
  • Etios ki sarkar!!
  • LOL
  • Kisi aur ki sarkaar :P
  • Kiski??
  • Yeah Mr Aman, you are really worried about your country's image and advising me while simultaneously calling me a donkey in the first line. Congrats on your achievement!! 
  • Dimag ki batti ab jali.. ;)
  • An I also said stop it(read before u start ranting again)..Mr. .?
    What should I call u Toyota Etios :-P??
  • yup, Etios will be much better than some abuse. And there is no reason for me to listen to someone who is abusing me. 
  • Yeah ur right..Ain't it tanayprasad?? :-P
  • ^^Haha.. 
  • The app has been crashing and hanging after the update on my lumia 620...it was smooth earlier :(
  • I don't like the non metro interface it brings with it. Doesn't change tabs on swipe left or right. Unintuitive..
  • Did anyone notice that the app has actually become slow and I agree with the above comment...absolutely unintuitive at the same time! There was no need for such a drastic change from what was working so well. A change for the sake of change really.
  • Nope..this app is a 'No Go' for me. Too cumbersome, slow and buggy. Uninstalled and Zomato's place is now taken by 'Burrp'! Zomato was way better earlier...Alas!
  • Completely agree. The previous version was much more in line with modern design concept of WP and that app was a LOT better ! This one is actually lagging heavily, seriously heats up my phone (no jokes) and consumes much more battery 
  • Lagging while opening searches and very slow in opening. Also taking too much of battery juice as per WP8.1 preview battery sense. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8dCc03ennpjNW15cm10ZG9ZTUo1aG1EZVh3emF...