Zomato's MCP server and the future of Zero UI apps 🍜 🤖

EDITOR’S NOTE

Dear Future-Proof Humans,

Imagine this: You're knee deep in work, stomach growling. Instead of reaching for your phone and opening the Zomato app, you turn to your AI assistant and casually say, "Get me a grilled barbecue chicken rice bowl under 400 rupees from Indiranagar." Two minutes later, your rice bowl is added to the Zomato app with a pay-later option and food on the way. No tapping. No scrolling. No app.

Zomato isn't alone. Zerodha built one for stock portfolios. Razorpay for payments. GitHub, Slack, and Google Drive have their own versions. The infrastructure for app-free interaction is spreading fast.

It's the first sign of apps dissolving into the background of our lives. The question isn't whether this will happen. It's how fast, and what stays visible.

I did a lot of experiments with the MCP server in the last week. I could appreciate how this eliminates the friction from something we do multiple times a day: ordering food, and opens another interface for interaction with the brand.

In today’s edition of Nanobits, I will share everything about this new MCP server that you need to know.

ARE YOU NEW TO MODEL CONTEXT PROTOCOL?

For the uninitiated, MCP is Anthropic's open standard, launched in November 2024, that connects AI assistants (like ChatGPT, Claude, and Cursor) to real-world data sources and services.

Think of it as USB-C for AI applications: a universal adapter that lets language models do more than just answer questions; they take actions. Real actions. In real systems.

Catch up fast: Here’s an MCP explainer breaking down how it works, why it matters, and where it’s headed.

These are the past experiments we have conducted with various MCP servers:

• How I Made Claude Edit Files, Write Cover Letters, and Fetch Live IPL Updates

• I turned Claude Desktop App into WhatsApp Manager, Reddit Content Curator & Smart Study Planner

• Analyze patterns across dozens of emails to identify emerging trends and hot topics, without you reading a single message.

• We used Cursor and Figma to create an AI assistant that automates design workflows.

• We connected the Claude App to the Kite by Zerodha MCP server to create an AI-based investment assistant.

• We used the Claude app and the Meta Ads Library MCP server to create an AI-assistant for social media ad analysis.

• We connected the Claude app and the Eleven Labs MCP server to create a conversational voice agent.

You can reach out to us if you get stuck.

MCP IN ACTION: WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH YOUR ZOMATO APP?

As before, we will work with Claude Desktop as our MCP host for this newsletter.

What You Need First

Make sure you have these ready:

1. Claude Desktop App (download from Anthropic's website)

2. Node.js installed on your computer

3. Access to your Zomato account

Step 1: Install Node.js

Download and install Node.js from nodejs.org.

Once installed, open your Command Prompt or Terminal and type node --version to verify it's working.

Step 2: Configure Claude Desktop

Open your Claude Desktop application. Look for the settings option and click it. In the left sidebar, you'll see "Developer." Click on that, then click "Edit Config."

This opens your configuration file, claude_desktop_config.json. Add this exact code:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zomato-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp-server.zomato.com/mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Copy and paste this exactly as shown. The formatting matters.

If you already have other MCP servers configured, add the “zomato-mcp” object to your existing “mcpServers” section (you don’t have to replace the entire file).

Step 3: Save and Restart

Save the configuration file and completely close Claude Desktop. Reopen it fresh.

Step 4: Verify the Connection

In Claude Desktop, look for the tools/hammer icon in the chat interface. Click it to verify that Zomato MCP tools are available. Follow the authorization prompts to connect to your Zomato account.

Step 5: Test It Out

Start a new conversation and try: "What’s on the menu of The Filter Coffee restaurant in Indiranagar?" or "Show me the best-rated wood-fired sourdough pizzas in Indiranagar and MG Road." If Claude requests permission to connect to your Zomato account, you're connected.

If these things feel alien to you, you can refresh your memory with our previous newsletter or reply to this email to learn more. We are also available on LinkedIn.

TASKS WITH ZOMATO MCP SERVER

Now you're ready to start using Claude with your Zomato account!

Connecting Claude to your Zomato account opens up possibilities that go far beyond checking the menus of restaurants. We tested a few tasks that would otherwise take a lot of manual work and hours of wondering, “What to order for lunch/dinner?“

1. Quick reorder (Simplest)

"Order my usual chicken biryani from the same place as last time."

This tests the system's ability to remember preferences and repeat orders, the most basic use case where text beats apps.

2. Discovery with constraints (Medium)

"Find me something healthy under 400 rupees near Indiranagar that delivers in less than 30 minutes."

Shows how natural language handles multiple filters better than checkbox navigation. Tests location understanding, price filtering, cuisine type, and delivery time simultaneously.

Here are 2 experiments that you can try this weekend with the Claude + Zomato MCP server that you just learnt to set up:

3. Group order coordination (Complex)

"I need lunch for 5 people at work with these requirements: 2 vegetarians, 1 person wants Chinese, the budget is 2000 rupees total, and include dessert options."

Demonstrates complex multi-constraint ordering that would require multiple app screens and calculations. Perfect for office scenarios.

4. Contextual planning (Advanced)

"I'm hosting friends tomorrow evening. Suggest party food for 8 people, a mix of veg and non-veg starters, some main course items, and beverages. Keep it under 5000 rupees and from restaurants with 4+ ratings."

Tests the AI's ability to plan meals, not just execute orders. This showcases intelligence beyond simple command execution.

Pro tip for testing:

Start with prompt #1 to verify basic functionality, then escalate complexity. If the system struggles with location in prompt #2, try providing exact coordinates or landmark names. Prompt #3 and #4 really push the boundaries of what's possible versus clicking through an app.

The internet reacts with enthusiasm, skepticism, and pragmatism

The developer community lit up within hours of launch. LinkedIn and GitHub saw intense engagement as engineers raced to integrate Zomato's MCP server with Gemini CLI, Claude Desktop, and custom implementations.​

His team reported that what previously required 20 Slack messages and 15 minutes of coordination to order lunch now takes 2 minutes through a single Claude conversation.​

The open-source approach resonated. Within days, Zomato's GitHub repository collected 100+ stars and active forks as developers built integrations and extensions.​

But not everyone is convinced. Rohit Ghumare voiced the skeptical position succinctly on X: "I don't see a robust use case for having MCP Servers in the food chain startup space." His concern echoes a broader debate happening on Reddit and tech forums: Is this solving a real problem people have, or is it technology chasing novelty?​

Reddit's r/mcp community questions whether MCP will reach production scale beyond developer tools and enthusiast early adopters. The fundamental challenge, as one Redditor noted: "Ordering without the visual appeal of comparing food from 20 places ain't lucrative enough."​

The pragmatists occupy the middle ground. Security researchers note that OAuth flows and pay-later options provide appropriate safeguards. UX practitioners point out that location resolution can be finicky, requiring precise coordinate data that natural language doesn't always provide cleanly.

And experienced developers acknowledge the sweet spot: This works brilliantly for repeat orders and high-intent tasks, but struggles with discovery and exploration.

What does this mean for the future of apps?

Zomato's MCP server is the opening salvo in a philosophical battle that will define the next decade of interface design: Do conversational/text-based interfaces complement or replace visual GUIs?

The honest answer is that they might just co-exist!

Most UX experts predict a hybrid future where conversational AI acts as a meta-layer across your apps, not replacing them. Voice and text excel at high-intent tasks (reorder usual meal, quick lunch). Visual UI wins for exploration and discovery (finding new restaurants, browsing photos, comparing cuisines).

The pattern emerging is clear: apps are becoming services wrapped in APIs.

Instead of separate Zomato, Blinkit, and Swiggy apps, imagine a unified AI agent that orchestrates across all platforms simultaneously. "Get me groceries and dinner within 30 minutes, minimize costs" triggers the agent to compare prices across services, find bundles, and coordinate delivery.

The "super app" model resurfaces, but powered by AI agents instead of mega-platforms.

This creates an uncomfortable future for brands. When AI agents choose restaurants based on optimization (price, ratings, delivery time), how do you differentiate as a restaurant? Photos, ambiance, and brand personality become invisible to the AI layer.

The real shift will be from static interfaces to contextual switching. Morning commute? Voice ordering while driving. Lunch browsing? Visual app to discover new places. Evening reorder? Quick text command. Apps adapt presentation based on context and user intent.

End Note

For you as a marketer or a product owner: The question isn't whether AI will change how people interact with apps. It's how fast and what happens to your brand in the process.

When AI agents choose restaurants, visibility is determined by data quality and ratings, not fancy UIs or marketing spend. When conversational interfaces become primary, your app's beautiful design goes invisible.

The brands that win in this transition will be the ones that treat APIs as products, ensure machine-readable content, and optimize for agent selection, not human visual browsing.

The Zomato MCP server showed us one path forward: that technology will become invisible when it should be and visible when it needs to be. Interfaces will become liquid, flowing between text, voice, and visual based on context.

The question now is: What will you build for the users who never open your app?

Your next food order might start with voice, refine through chat, and confirm visually. Or it might happen entirely through conversation. The app adapts to you, not the reverse.

What do you think? Would you order today’s dinner through Claude?