New App Finds Your Next Favorite Restaurant From Real Visits

Finding your next great meal just got smarter, thanks to an app that skips the social media posturing and focuses on where you really spend your money.

Zest launched this month with a fresh approach to restaurant recommendations. Instead of relying on curated lists or reviews alone, the app connects to your credit card through the trusted service Plaid and imports your actual dining history. Every coffee shop, taco spot, and neighborhood haunt you visit gets added to your personal dining map.

The app was founded in November 2024 by Mario Gomez-Hall and Alex Moller, who brought experience from Saturn (which was acquired by Snap) and Apple respectively. They raised $1.8 million from investors including Alexis Ohanian at 776 and Steve Jang at Kindred Ventures.

Here's what makes Zest different. The app learns from frequency and spending patterns, so it discovers your true favorites instead of just the fancy places you might share on Instagram. That hole-in-the-wall burrito spot you visit every week? Zest surfaces those gems because the data shows you keep going back.

Users can follow friends or creator profiles to discover restaurants in their own city or when traveling. The app combines transaction data with over 80 million reviews from sources ranging from Michelin guides to Reddit recommendations, creating a comprehensive view of each spot.

Why This Inspires

Zest proves that the best recommendations come from real behavior, not social performance. The app celebrates the everyday places we genuinely love, giving neighborhood spots the same attention as celebrity chef restaurants.

This month, Zest added a feature letting users write freeform notes about places, like reservation tips or must-order dishes. A "Fresh Picks" feature launching soon will work like Spotify's Discovery Weekly, but for new restaurants to try around your city.

The founders chose the name Zest as a nod to both food and exploring life's possibilities. They plan to expand beyond restaurants eventually, potentially adding shopping and other city experiences.

The app's early success shows people are ready for authentic recommendations based on where others actually spend their time and money, not just where they check in for likes.