Saffron

Probably one of the worst experiences. First we were misinformed about not needing to make reservations for this place and had to wait for a table. Our server was discourteous and just plainly horrible, also he didn’t do a very good job explaining the menu. I think the place can really benefit having American servers, who frankly do a great job in my opinion. The food was ok, the eggplant dish was good. We also got the palak paneer, which was quite bland, could have been more spicy. Again, something our server should have inquired while taking our orders. For the prices they charge they really need to up their game!

A lovely spot for Sunday brunch. Amazing food, excellent service and the best mojitos in New York

Stopped by Saffron on a Friday night with some coworkers. The place was pretty empty so we did not need to call ahead to make a reservation. I’m not a huge Indian food fanatic so I let the others pick out some dishes and then we all shared. The prices were a bit expensive for the portion size but we ended up with more than enough food for 5 people and picked a huge variety of dishes as well. Although I don’t have much to compare it to — I thought the food was really good! The options for vegetarians at Indian restaurants is fantastic so I could eat so much of the food on the table. The rest of the group really loved the dishes as well. I’m not too familiar with the neighborhood but if I find myself back near Saffron I’ll definitely consider coming back.

Some of the food is very tasty while other dishes are rather bland. The atmosphere is nice and open but I found the plate-​wear and table cloths to be dirty. For what else is offered in the area it’s a good choice, but not the best Indian food.

The food was amazing! We had the papadum first, so flavorful. Then we had the garlic naan with our meals – chicken vindaloo and chicken biryati both were extremely flavorful, well-​seasoned, and the chicken was tender. The masala chai was great too. The staff was courteous and attentive. I would recommend this place to anyone hungry for some delicious Indian food.

Not a terrific experience. I imagine under the best circumstances that the food is quite good for Indo-​Pakistani on the Upper West Side, but hard to tell today. Begrudgingly given a window seat rather than one next to the kitchen door (it was half-​empty at the time), given dinner menus rather than the lunch menu At 1 pm (we asked and got them), appetizers not served until 40 minutes later. Lamb curry was tough not tender, potatoes and peas hard and undercooked in the aloo gobi, a single piece of naan for three lunches, all served an hour after we ordered. The mixed pickle and tea refill we ordered never arrived. Kitchen staff may have been on vacation like all the throngs across the street at the AMNH! Would probably find a grungy Indian place next time to eat instead.
After an hour and 40 minutes with dirty plates and no dessert (from the prix fixe menu), with people around us walking out in the middle of their meals, I peeled off a star. Oh well for them. They had four servers for 18 tables and a maître d’ so not sure why this place is such a service disaster.

Some of the best Indian food I’ve ever had! And I’ve had quite a lot! Lovely little neighborhood place. Gentle music, nice ambience, and I was blown away by how delicious the food was. I really did not expect it to be this good. I usually order the exact same things every time I eat Indian because nothing else on the menu sounds very good. Saffron’s menu was full of delicious options– each of which sounded better than the next. It allowed me to be adventurous in ordering, and I was not disappointed in the least! Just the right level of spiciness– the sauces were exquisite! The garlic naan tasted like the garlic had really been baked right in. The veggie dishes were filling and interesting. For our chicken dish we asked for white meat only, and they were happy to oblige. I can’t say enough good things about this place, and I will be back here very very soon.

I have been to this place 3 times, I give them 2 stars, they brought wrong food to the table, the bread was burnt we asked them to change it, we order saffron chicken, I did not taste the saffron in their chicken and it was not fresh.
I don’t recommend this place and I will not go there any more.

Ordered the lunch box from this place today and probably one the worst indian food experiences. It is hard for to write this review especially after my previous review and orders.
Lunchbox with channa amratsari came with rice and watered down Daal. Channa had a burnt smell as I opened the box and all the tomatoes/​onions were blacked/​charred.
The naan was cold. The saag channa my wife good was just as bad. The portion of food is small but the price is the same as regular dishes.
Ended up throwing the food and ordering from another indian restaurant. Maybe it is just bad day in the kitchen but you cannot accept bad food when you pay top dollar.

Amazing Indian food. Ordered the lamb curry and it was to die for. I’d recommend sharing dishes because their portion sizes are shareable.

Oh Saffrons!.. You’ve made me smile!
Blacken Red Snapper roasted potatoes hibiscus lemonade hit the spot. The wait staff was pleasant and knowledgeable. Enjoyed the outdoors seating.

There are many good Indian restaurants on the upper west side but when my boyfriend, uncle and I stumbled across Saffron we were blown away. Incredible food and wonderful service. A must try.

I’m not usually a fan of indian food but this place was amazing. They have an amazing lunch menu!

Saffron is a quiet spot, mostly empty in the afternoons, not eye-​catchingly designed but pleasant and bright thanks to a corner location and enveloping glass storefront – you can sit by the glass and enjoy the A.C. but people-​watch as if you’re sitting on Columbus. A mix of ragas and mellow Indian pop play quietly in the background. Service is relaxed but attentive. It’s a nice neighborhood space.
I came here on a weekday for the $ 12.95 lunch special. I was expecting to be disappointed because of some mixed Unilocal reviews, and because the price is suspiciously low for a proper restaurant. Instead I was pleasantly surprised. This wasn’t destination dining – it was overall a little too bland and a little too greasy – but I enjoyed it, and a few items were better than solid, they were outright good. Three courses, plus rice and naan and yellow dal, in a pleasant location, for a weirdly low price. Hard to complain about.
Specifics:
Appetizers: Mulawgatany soup, lovely. Alloo papdi chaat, also lovely.
Mains: Lamb saag, too greasy by far and with lamb a little too chewy, but still enjoyable. Alloo gobi mutter: unexceptional but again still enjoyable (it’d be a feat to mess up a dish that’s essentially just peas, potatoes, carrots, and cauliflower). Yellow dal: a bit bland.
Accompaniments: The rice was fluffy, and the naan both floppy and crispy, if a bit too drizzled in what I assume is ghee.
Desserts: kheer (a kind of rice pudding) and carrot halwa (a sort of sweet minced carrot), both surprisingly good. Neither dish was too sweet, both a touch subtle. A nice way to end.

Saffron is owned by former co-​owner of Saffire in Columbus circle. He is very friendly and often meets with dinner guests. Staff is very friendly and courteous. This is a very nice location and food is exceptional. I highly recommend the Paneer Tikka Masala /​Makhani.
Large windows in the front offer views while seated. Price is very fair for the area.
Welcome back to the area!

If you love authentic Indian food, this place is a hit. They have a wide menu of traditional dishes
and nice wine and cocktail list, the service is very good with excellent professional servers, the shrimp malabar, the saffron speciality lamb chops are definitely worth the try. Will definitely be going back, it’s a new favorite in town.

Very good lunch menu ($ 12.95 for 3 courses). Choice for appetizer and entrée consisted of a wide array of vegan/​vegetarian, chicken and lamb dishes (no seafood at lunch). I started with Kalmi kabab, chicken wings that are marinated and then grilled in clay oven. They were flavorful but a tad overcooked. For main I got palak paneer, which is paneer (cottage cheese dumpling) cooked in finely chopped spinach. It came with naan, basmati rice and lentil. The dish itself was marvelous. The paneer here was firmer and cheesier than other Indian restaurants I’ve been to, and the spinach stew was garlicky and flavorful. It paired really well with rice. I was the least happy with the complimentary lentil — it was extremely soupy and flavorless. Barely edible after I seasoned it with salt and a lot of pepper. For dessert the choice was between a rice pudding and carrot pudding. I chose the latter and was blown away. Regardless of the small portion, it was decadent, nutty, and warm.
Every dish here is served piping hot so be careful. I almost burnt my tongue after first bite of the gajar halwa. Fruit/​mint water is a nice touch and the dining room is bright and cozy.

These days it’s hard to find a restaurant that serves both authentic and flavorful Indian food, which is why I was surprised to stumble upon Saffron one day. The restaurant is a new and much needed addition to this area. The food is rich and flavorful, and the naan is fresh and made to order. The floor to ceiling windows make this a great spot for a summer meal, especially if you’re lucky enough to beat the crowds to get a window side table. The proximity to Central Park makes it all the better. It’ll definitely become you’re go-​to stop for Indian food.

Oh I’m so happy to have Saffron joined our neighborhood! The meal started off with free papadum which are think delicious crackers and 3 spreads. All very good. Some of the bets papadum I’ve had. I had the chicken vindaloo and gobi palak. I love chicken vindaloo and I’m so happy to report the chicken was really moist and the sauce was spicy and packed with flavor. My side cauliflower and spinach was a perfect accompaniment to the meal.
The service was really great as well. Welcome to the neighborhood Saffron!
Oh and I picked up a to-​go menu on my way out and it’s shows they have 4 lunch specials all under $ 9. I will try some and report back.

Never went to Saffron’s predecessor, Mughlai, but the new place seems easily worthy of better marks than the old spot’s three stars. Not sure there’s any Indian that’s a better value on the UWS — I’d definitely choose Saffron over the spendy Awadh.
The free papadum starter was traditional and respectable — quality crackers with chutney and spiced onions. All the mains were very good, even if they could perhaps be refined a touch. We had the gobi palak (cauliflower with super-​creamy saag), chicken vindaloo (really tender poultry, could be just a bit more fiery) and lamb xacutti (spicy coconut stew — again, very nice, but maybe jazz up the flavors one more notch). Sides of cumin rice were perfecto.
I’ll add that we had bites of the tikka masala that was being sampled for free outside, and it was an unusually bold version of a dish that seems Americanized in a lot of places.
Finally, the service was on point, and the drink list seemed well-​priced (e.g. $ 10 martinis) if not particularly notable in terms of selection.