Saffron Restaurant & Lounge

LOVED, loved, loved this place! First Time trying it and the food was amazing, I had the fried cauliflower and lamb bacon wrapped asparagus for an appetizer which were simply amazing. Followed by the seafood tagine for the main course and the sweet cheese for dessert. Not one meal disappointed, the flavors were complex and I felt like saffron was infused in every dish. I would definitely recommend anyone to go explore their menu and try it. Definitely not cheap but a nice treat for a special occasion !!

As always, we have enjoyed our Saffron experience. We started with fantastic Fried Cauliflower, Octopus «A La Plancha», Marinated Olives and not-​so-​great mezze plate.
However, real star of the starters was Coriander Potatoes, fabulous dish.
Among main dishes we had: two tagines (Vegetable and Duck Leg), both very good, excellent Roasted Chicken and very ordinary steak (condiment was great but cut of meat was not)

I was there last night for a great meal. Four of us shared cauliflower, green beans, green salad, and the lamb tangine. The lamb tangine was summery and flavorful. Everything else was well presented and good. The service was right on. We couldn’t have had a better night.

All you need to know is that the food is incredibly delicious. The two of us each had two tapas and then we split a plate of olives and split dessert and were stuffed. Perfect service; noisy enough that you can keep your conversation private. We’ll be back.

Came with colleagues for dinner– great atmosphere with eclectic décor and space was inviting.
Their service was meticulous, explaining each food and making sure we never ran out of water. To be fair, it was a Monday night.
Had Turkish hummus for app which had real smooth texture with right blend of paprika. Then had their seafood Tagine (earthen bowl stew) for main, which had very fresh seafood and great broth and aroma. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and left very satisfied!

Tagine, tagine, tagine! You won’t be disappointed with any of it. My favorite was the seafood. I could drink a gallon of the broth. Start with the wonderfully aromatic Turk hummus and octopus. Move onto the fig and frois, and spring farrotto. Then finish with any of the tagine. You won’t be disappointed. Of course you won’t be disappointed with anything at Saffron.

Went to saffron back in February while in town for a wedding. I must say its one of the better meals I’ve ever had. Prior to going I read rave reviews online but was a bit worried when I asked around the hotel less than a mile away and nobody had been and some hadn’t even heard of it. Boy are they missing out!!!
The favors are amazing and all over the board in a good way. My fiancée and I shared a bunch of plates and they were all wonderful. Do yourself a favor and go here, now.

Saffron is one of my favorite «treat» restaurants in Minneapolis. It’s great to be able to try so many unique flavors and spices. Not something you’d normally find in the Midwest.
Some of my favorite dishes:
The croquettes — a great appetizer for a small group. Very tasty fried balls of meat and cheese.
The gnocchi — I think the gnocchi at Saffron is my favorite in Minneapolis. I think it beats many Italian restaurants
The grilled lamb chops — My favorite entrée at Saffron. The meat is so tender and delicious.
Any of the tagines — A great dish for two.
I cannot recommend Saffron strongly enough. I think it’s great!

Hmmm. Really wanted to «love» this place but it just didn’t deliver (for us). Two times here and a few things were consistent. Service was very good. Constant attention. Visual ambiance great… But the music selection doesn’t even remotely mix with the vibe of the décor (70’s rock?) Stick with the wine and the beer as mixed drinks are not identifiable (or tasty.) Food flavors are unique but not what I would call Persian, middle eastern or Mediterranean. (Too much going on with spices that don’t compliment each other and trying to be too unique maybe). I’m sorry but just not as good of offerings in that genre that we can get elsewhere in the Twin Cities…

I came here for the fall 2015 restaurant week, and I left thinking I just may have a new favorite restaurant in Minneapolis. Saffron is owned by head chef Sameh Wadi, who is so celebrated in the culinary world (mostly from this restaurant) that he’s appeared on Iron Chef America and has been in the running for multiple James Beard awards. Despite all the accolades, the atmosphere remains casual and approachable; as if you’re visiting nice dinner party in a friend’s Mediterranean home.
My experience here supports all the praise. Everything I tried was fantastic. The fried cauliflower was amazing, there was a fall seasonal mushroom soup topped with apples that just blew me away, and the roasted chicken over eggplant was perfectly cooked. All the dishes have a uniquely exotic taste to them, probably due to Chef Wadi’s Mediterranean melting pot style which explores many lesser used spices. The dishes seem familiar but so much more, and they are absolutely incredible. If you’re a foodie in Minneapolis, you have to make this a visit.

I was very excited to go here having been to Spain. It exceeded my expectations! The food was so flavourful, unique and delicious! 4 of us got a bunch of dishes to share then shared a tangine, highly recommend getting a tangine on top of smaller plates. The croquettes were awesome! The middle eastern sausages were fantastic! The shredded phyllo and sweet cheese pie from the desert menu was truly unique and delicious! If you’ve been trying a lot of different restaurants around Minneapolis like my husband and I have one thing you’ll notice is that the service isn’t quite up to par at Saffron. It was interesting. But the food shined so much it wasn’t a big hindrance. Highly recommend!

I went for a girls night with a girl friend before we went dancing and it really is the perfect place for that. Little dressy enough for you to throw on heels, a little exotic, quiet enough on a weeknight that you can actually talk and not have to pitch your voice at a certain way in order to be heard which leaves you sounding a bit like a 2 pack a day, 20 year smoker the next day, and more importantly people don’t glare at you when you and your girls laugh like hyenas and then guilty look around to see if people were judging you.
We ordered:
Beef sausage: in a citrus sauce. Would have been great with couscous but it was not too bad with the pita either.
Roasted cauliflower: THE FAVORITE. Spiced so well comes with a white yogurt sauce.
Lamb brain: Yes. Real lamb brain. A baby sheep gave up its brain for your pleasure you sick f*ck. But it is delicately spiced and now you can say you did it. Will likely not order it again since it’s good but not mind blowing good.
Fried Beef Kubbeh: Like crumbly sausage on more yogurt sauce.
Drank: Mulled cider. The perfect drink for a cold winter day.
Expensive (parking alone was $ 10 — that’s one appetizer!), but what a great experience. So different from the 435 burger bar pub places around Minneapolis.

Saffron is one of those places I’ve heard about forever. Great drinks. Great food. Great service. So during the latest restaurant week, I made it a point to schedule a reservation and finally try it out. But here’s the problem.
The space. Nice but fairly uninspired. Easily overcome with what’s important.
The drinks. Not that we sampled the whole menu, but the two we ordered were downright difficult to finish.
The food. There was one memorable dish, the lamb. Everything else was quite forgettable.
The service. In a word: vague. Not missing yet not present.
I understand things are slightly different during restaurant week, however the sum of the parts need still stand.

Surviving a below-​zero Minnesota winter is a legitimate battle, and it’s one that I am determined to win in 2016. Temperatures bottoming out this weekend coincided with an unbearable case of cabin fever, so the boy and I ventured out for a late-​night dinner at Saffron (close enough to our place to feel like we made a solid attempt at being social, yet nearby enough to leave the snow pants and hand warmers at home). We were seated immediately at the cozy corner along the back wall of the restaurant, which was so comfortable and warm that it was a close runner-​up to being on my own couch at home. The ambience was kind of the only reason that I wish I could give the place 3.5 stars instead of a still respectable 3.
Drinks: We ordered a glass of house red wine and the Tesla cocktail (gin, cocchi di torino, green chartreuse, and bolivar bitters, served in a wine glass???), which was a stunner. No complaints here.
Food: Octopus «A La Plancha», grilled halloumi, and the lamb shank tagine. The octopus was prepared well, but I didn’t really taste any of the toasted garlic, paprika, or sherry flavors that were promised. The halloumi was cold… and only about 2.5 bites worth. If you take small bites. For those of you who are still confused about tapas (and I am one of you… how do you people ever know how many to order?!), take note that the portions are very small here, so don’t underestimate yourselves. Temperature problems were repeated with the tagine, which would’ve tasted 100% better had it been a few degrees hotter. You know when you’re at home and all it takes is a few more seconds in the microwave to elevate your Easy Mac from good to great? Yeah. It was like that. Except asking a few A+ chefs to nuke your tagine for a little while didn’t seem like such a great idea. So we soldiered through.
Service: Everyone from the hosts to the bussers to our server were very warm and welcoming, and despite coming in later in the evening, we didn’t feel rushed. The spacing of the two tapas and the entrée was perfect — no empty plates overstaying their welcome, and no snagging the last forkful before the server wrenched it from our grasp.
We ended up staying for another round of drinks because we were feeling all warm and fuzzy, and drinking wine in a social setting seemed like a much cooler idea than drinking wine at home in stretchy pants. Saffron is a super cool place to hang out, especially on off-​peak hours when people aren’t waiting to take over the best little nook in the whole restaurant. I have faith that the issues we had with our food aren’t an everyday occurrence, so I’m excited to give it another shot.

Craaaazy good! I am a nerd level foodie & Saffron did it for me. We did it up family style-​2 couples and we ate like royalty for just over $ 100. I’m still dreaming of the coriander potatoes & fried cauliflower with feta fondue. The tango mock tail was definitely something to write home about. We even fished around for the ingredients & bought the ingredients for it today, so we can try to recreate it at home. The gnocchi was unique, light, & delicious & the desserts were big enough to share, & unforgettable. We got the coconut chocolate cake with passion fruit sorbet, & the farafi which was probably the most mysteriously interesting & fabulous dessert I’ve ever had.
Not to mention, the place has great ambiance without feeling pretentious & the service was superb.
Thank you Saffron. We Love you!

3.5
Husband and I got a seat easily without a reservation on a Friday night. The servers are very sweet and accommodating. We had the fried cauliflower with sheep’s milk for dipping, kofta meatballs, and vegetable tagine (individual portion). It was an appropriate amount of food for two to be satiated, but not super full. Hubby went home and ate a big cookie afterwards hehee. The cauliflower had great texture, but it was really salty. The kofta meatballs were seasoned really well, but I wish they came with more mint and sauce. The vegetable tagine was heavy on the chickpeas which were just slightly more al dente than I would like. The cilantro made the dish, and there wasn’t enough of it so we requested more for the table.
The front of the restaurant has great ambiance, but the bathrooms are a huge disconnect. It’s like walking into a strip mall bathroom. It’s a shame because otherwise it’s a lovely space.

Great décor, nice middle eastern menu. The drinks are awesome, but the food is a little too salty.
The service was ok. However, there was a survey along with the check that the waitress had either forgotten to take out, or filled out herself, indicating that the service was a ⁵⁄₅. I’d say more like a 3.
Saffron is overpriced for the quality of food and service given.

Came here for business dinner and was satisfied but not overly impressed. Cocktails were delicious. Had the Halibut and several appetizers. Our waiter did a great job and was very attentive to our needs. I would give it 3.5 stars for overall experience but the food just couldn’t get me over that 4star rating.

My lovely friends took me here for my birthday last year and I was very excited because they have a unique menu with small plates such as Octopus «A La Plancha» and Lamb Brain for the daring! Unfortunately, the overall experience left us with a lot to be desired…
The food wasn’t all that spectacular and the service was horrendous. It was probably an off night of sorts but our server was very rude, unfriendly, and not helpful at all. The manager checked on us and resolved the situation but it did leave us with a bad impression.
The Sauteed Parisian Gnocchi was a bit dense and tough. The Roasted Chicken wasn’t too memorable. The consensus around the table — it wasn’t worth the upscale price. The portions were smaller too so we left pretty unsatisfied. The highlight was the dessert for sure. Get the Chocolate & Coconut and don’t forget the Turkish coffee!

5 stars for our Restaurant Week experience!
I didn’t ask my friends if they wanted to go here during RW, but TOLD them I had already made reservations.
The night started perfectly, with easy and cheap street parking, a pleasantly un-​packed dining room, and a cocktail quickly in hand. I loved the Saffron Rose. I think I have a problem, because when I first saw the small elegant glass I worried if there was enough alcohol in it for me, but alas, there was! Our server was bubbly and in great spirits. Which I always commend more so on RW nights because the poor things are repeating the same crap over and over again.
We couldn’t not order the lamb brain. It was recommended on a talk thread, plus I said I’d try it so I couldn’t look like a pussy now. The whole table (4 ppl) enjoyed it, but it was such a small serving that I don’t think I got enough to go by from my ¼ of a bite. It had a mild taste and tender texture, and the garlic and tomatoes were delicious accompaniments. We asked for pita bread to soak up the rest of the flavors and grey matter mmm. A highlight of the night was the smoked trout app — it had every flavor you would ever want on one balanced plate — savory, sweet, smokey, fresh… ahhh. I ordered the chicken and prawns. I usually don’t order chicken, but this was falling off the damn bones into a mouth-​watering sauce and I was grateful that I allowed this to be in my life. Another favorite was the lamb dish, which was not too game-​y but packed with bold flavors. I’m so f’ing hungry right now.
Oh, and Saed Wadi magically appeared at our table like a mythical creature. He was hilarious and helped us take photos of our food by setting up some sick ass iphone flashlight lighting. We had a good laugh and like that, he was gone. Did we dream this?
We loved both the Mascarpone Panna Cotta and Chocolate and Turkish Coffee Trifle desserts. The trifle paired heavenly with the house-​chosen port. So much so that when the server merely walked up to us, my friend pulled her trifle and port towards herself and basically hissed at the server. That’s my girl.

Ah. Restaurant Week. Time to eat well for cheap! With the recent Unilocal hype of Saffron, I wasn’t disappointed in the least to follow suit. There were several Unilocalers in the dining room tonight, it could have been a Unilocal event. I was able to say hey to Kara D and her party just in time after they devoured the lamb brain. Saffron was a great suggestion and we had a great delicious meal here tonight.
We had reservation at 7:15 PM and they called at 5:00 PM to confirm. When we got there, the restaurant was half empty. It didn’t stay half empty for long as by 8, it was a full house. They seated us right away though we were early, and we had a nice table overlooking the whole restaurant. I had expected the place to be fancier and dressier; however, it was not at all stuffy and fancy. It was perfectly carried out like a Michelin star restaurant as far as service with a more demure and casual atmosphere. I kinda liked it and it was a bit cool to get the over the top service while my check won’t be over $ 100.
We started with the octopus a la plancha. It was a tiny plate consisted of four pieces of octopus in oily sauce with paprika and garlic. It started the meal so well as the octopus pieces were tender, and so flavorful. That oil sauce was explosion of flavors. You could taste spices, brine, coarse salt, and so much smokiness but not overwhelming. I was really into it and could eat the whole thing myself and order one more. The octopus was not easy to cut but yet when you use your teeth, it was tender as tender can be. It was wonderful.
The poached lobster salad was worth the $ 6 upcharge. It felt very french and it was light. Can’t hate the soft cooked egg though it was so four years ago. It still helped dressed the salad quite beautifully along with the tarragon champagne dressing. The fingerling potatoes two ways, with some being sliced thin and crisped up was perfect for texturing. I enjoyed this simple salad and the lobsters were great. It’s simple, subtle, yet refined.
I went with the braised chicken and prawn while my friend went with the Greek Lamb Cassoulet. I love Cassoulet but I am a lamb hater. If not, I would have always gone with Cassoulet. My friend loved her dish and she said the giant beans soaked in all the sauce and it was vivid flavoring all around. I had a taste but I was turned off by the gaminess of the lamb. It wasn’t their fault. I’m just not into lamb but the dish was bold, colorful, and served beautifully in a hot plate.
My chicken dish was heaven. It felt so comforting. The chicken leg was so tender but it didn’t lose its integrity. Being a big fan of braising method, that chicken has been simmered awhile to have that type of blossoming flavor. Again, the paprika was very pronounced and the prawns were plump and I had fun sucking on the head. The chickpeas that were the bed for the chicken and the prawns were crunchy and it was just great texture. I really really enjoyed my entrée. It was a dish properly prepared. It was delicious!
Mascarpone Panna Cotta was a perfect segue to dessert and it almost served as palette cleanser as it was very delicate and subtle. Surprisingly, it was really fun to eat and savor. I loved mixing it up with the sliced grapes and the crumbles of pistachio and some other crumbs I couldn’t name. It was tiny but we spent the whole twenty minutes that we had left on the parking meter savoring this dessert. We started with this one as we thought the Chocolate and Turkish Coffee Trifle would overwhelm our tastebud. It was a great choice but after we were done with the panna cotta, we were both so satisfied we didn’t need the second dessert. The trifle was fine. The milk chocolate pudding and the coffee granita were nice. I’m not a fan of the cardamom cake but it was fine. It was a proper dessert and fitting to the cuisine.
We had a pretty successful meal with impeccable service. We saw Saed Wadi mingling and talking to customers, while Sameh Wadi was in the back but bringing food back and forth to this one table by us. That was cool. If I had one tiny criticism was the entrees were both a bit overseasoned with salt. However, it wasn’t so much that I couldn’t handle it. I still gave Saffron five stars as quite honestly, I wasn’t at all prepared to be blown away on Restaurant Week. However, they gave us a stellar meal at discounted price.
I would love to go back and try their regular menu. The RW’s tasting menu for $ 30 was hard to beat. They really made it right using the event to make people fall in love and come back for more. I really could see how Chef Wadi held his own against Morimoto on Mackerel battle. The foods were fantastic here. Awesome job, Saffron. Very well done!
Oh btw. I have eaten at Daniel Boulud’s restaurants, as well as restaurants of Iron Chefs Morimoto, Puck, Batali, Symon, Garces, and Flay. I am also a James Beard Foundation Member. I hope I’m qualified to write this review. :)

Saffron is very large, and spacious, and the host greeted me graciously. There is a cool bar area, as well as the more formal, but very open-​concept dining room.
My server was attentive and extremely pleasant, super cool guy. I had to pour my own water a couple times, and they don’t do the fancy things such as match your linen to your clothing, but otherwise the staff was helpful.
I had a few items, as I wanted to experience something different while keeping it slightly healthy. I was interested to hear about how the Branzino and various items are sourced from Greece! This is real-​deal Mediterranean, but with a little flair. ;)
Here’s what I had:
1) Charred Octopus — very good. Tender inside, crisp on the outside, and cooked in an ever-​so lightly spiced olive oil. I enjoyed it tremendously. Decent portion. Reminded me of Kanella back home in Philadelphia
2) Garden Salad — also very good. They offer very interesting salads at Saffron and this was well sized without being overwhelming. Lots of different tastes going on here
3) Brussel Sprouts — cooked to my liking in that they were tender, but the sauce was very heavy with a truffle oil that I found overpowering. I plowed through anyway!
4) Seafood Tangine — Tasty dish, but to be honest, didn’t knock my socks off. I’m a big fish eater and enjoy all the textures, which was lost here in the tangine concoction. Don’t get me wrong, the seafood was excellent, fresh, good portions, eclectic (shellfish, white fish), and the vegetables in particular were soft and enjoyable, however, everything seemed to blend in a way that lost some of the sophistication of the different tastes but didn’t take it up a notch
I bailed on dessert, since I felt like a pig at this point! Would definitely go back when craving Mediterranean