So I ordered the simple tea and gulab jamun and it was all right. My only issue is the price: about $10 for a small sweet. You only get two gulab jamuns, and the tea itself is on the smaller side, so this place is pretty pricey. I'd hate to see what the actual food portions look like if dessert is this small. That said, I'd still try it again if I'm in the area. It's super convenient, right next to the station, and definitely better than the Dunkin' Donuts next door in terms of tea quality. The tea had a nice richness, not too sugary or syrupy, just clean and flavorful. Service was quick and really accommodating too. They even gave me a small complimentary rice pudding, which I didn't ask for. You know when they give you rice pudding, it's kind of a "they like you" type of vibe. So yes, I'd go back, just make sure you have some extra cash on you. read more

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Underrated Indian restaurant in the area. Food is good. Ordered the fish curry for dinner and it was very good. Rice is nicely spiced. Will be back to try other menu items. Nice cookbook decorations from the famous NYC Indian chef Vikas Khanna. Restaurant is cute but small, but great for takeout too. read more

A cute jewel in Tribeca... Food: Excellent. They put a lot of care and thought! I loved their biryanis. I've tried their chicken and vegetable biryanis, and they were so good. The vegetable biryani was filled with cauliflower, carrots, onions, lentils, etc. Their Mango Lassi is the BEST in Manhattan. The same is true about their chicken and vegetable biryanis. I love their nan breads! You can get nan breads with chicken, lamb, or goat besides the usual suspects! Service: Excellent! The ladies working there are lovely and friendly. I thanked the chef. Ambiance: They have a small sitting, but that's okay. It's cute. I usually take my food to go, or sometimes, I eat there. I ate my food. I forgot to take photos! read more

I went to this Indian place a couple of times and it was superb but quite expensive looking at the prices on the menu. Plates are from $17 to $19 for meat entrees! The only thing I come here for is the vegetable or chicken samosas which comes in 2! The vegetable samosas are $5 for 2 while the chicken one is $10 for 2! I think it is a pretty substantial increase from $5 to $10 if you go from vegetable to chicken! I ordered the vegetable samosas and they were very nice to provide paper plates and napkins to eat them. The vegetable samosas were pretty greasy so that's why it was packaged in a grease paper bag and I can taste the grounded potatoes and peas that made it very delicious. The samosa skin thickness is pretty thick and not too thin so none of the stuffing came spilling out. It came with 3 dipping sauces and they are the Hari (Green) Chutney (sweet), Imli (Tamarind) Chutney (tangy, smooth, red brown), Indian onion chutney (spicy). My personal favorite is the onion chutney because it tasted pretty spicy to add that extra kick. Wish the samosas were bigger because 2 of them didn't really fill me that much. The ambience of the place is pretty chill and casual. No music in the background and there's free water on the counter for people to grab. They also have a sign of all the Indian spices and herbs and their nutritional benefits. Plenty of tables and chairs there to choose from. read more

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Good food but a bit overpriced for the portion. I had their lunch "Feast", and since I am vegetarian, instead of a chicken choice, I asked for two veggies (mushroom bhaji and sarson ka saag). When the waitress asked if I wanted rice or naan or both, I chose only rice, which I came to regret, as the portions were quite small, and I was still hungry after wiping clean the entire plate. There was a good lunch crowd, all the seats were taken, and an older gentleman vacated a bar stool next to the serving counter. He sat on the other bar stool to work on his laptop. Later he asked me how I liked my food - I realized he was the owner of the restaurant. Seeing his turban, I asked him if he was Sikh? Yes he was - then he must be a vegetarian too (no wonder the veggie dishes tasted so good!); and also like me, a meat-cooking vegetarian :-). All in all, I liked the food, but wished for a better portion. read more

A Saffron Thread - Lunch special (vegetarian choices) - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

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It had to end sometime. Overall, the food is bland. Especially the chickpeas. I have been to Indian restaurants where these things are bursting with flavor. These lack flavor. The chicken tikka masala is decent, but the portion size is very small. In fact, most of the portion sizes here are small, save for the rice. Lastly, about the rice. You get rice with their lunch special, what they call The Feast. You get chicken, rice or naan and a vegetable all for $12.95. Affordable, until you see what you get. When it comes to the rice or naan, I should not have to choose between one or the other. Give. Me. Both. Unfortunately, the naan is not noteworthy at all. I got it to "clean up the mess", but I should have just thrown it in the trash. My only positive is it is cooked fresh and it was hot off the press. The mango lassi I got was good too. Just too small. The cute cashier was not enough to save this review from being what I got; a bland, small, but overpriced experience. read more

Solid Indian food at saffron thread and friendly service. Both chicken dishes i bought had tender chicken with good flavor to satisfy my Indian food craving. I thought the saag paneer and other vegetable dish that I had could've used more flavor though and that there was not much spice in the dishes which is what takes away a star for me. Solid indian food to satisfy your craving though! read more

A Saffron Thread - a meal in a styrofoam container - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

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It is common knowledge that NYC restaurants receive their weekly supplies of fresh meat, fish, and produce o n Tuesdays and Wednesdays of each week, and do their best to exhaust these supplies by the end of the weekend! If not, those of us, on Saturday & Sunday may order and encounter meat & fish that are, obviously, no longer fresh! That has occurred here! My girlfriend and I ordered online and decided to personally pick up the finished product! We ordered, both, chicken and fish curry, and were decidedly bummed to discover gnarled overcooked chicken and burned out fish residue from the old "Chicago Fire"! UNACCEPTABLE...on any level!!! Not inexpensive they are obviously, no longer a food destination, but a warning to those, in the neighborhood, who expect: good food, prompt service, and RESPECT for their customers....find another food source!!! AR read more

I have not eaten at Saffron Thread in over three ( 3 ) years (way before the pandemic) and just wanted to try something new, yet, still old.  A pity life cannot be as good after stopping for a period of time.  The spinach was silky with pieces of tofu tasting delightful having the same Indian nuances as years gone by.  The chicken tikka masala was just as I remembered  -   Creamy with all of that curry goodness circling throughout my mouth.  Of course, the naan was soft, delicate, and mouth watering when dipped and soaked in both the spinach and chicken masala sauces. Although I understand increased prices, I was confused about the naan's decreased size?  When I requested the naan be placed inside the container's empty square section, I was told "No, it can't be done.  It cannot fit."  WRONG!!, more foil was used / wasted to wrap this SMALL naan. This was definitely an expensive lunch for $11.00 / three ( 3 ) pictured menu selections  (See Attached).  I now remember why it was over three ( 3 ) ago eating at Saffron Thread because the food was so fabulous!  If you can afford to splurge, get their mango lassi to accompany your meal. It will be a treat for your tastebuds. read more

A Saffron Thread - a tortilla and sauce - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

A simple lunch spot between FIDI and Tribeca, this place was a pleasant surprise. The person behind the counter was helpful. She pointed out that biryani was fried rice, when i was staring at the menu looking for chicken n' rice for lunch. It had the right amount of spice to it. Not a cheap lunch, but the serving size allowed me to take home leftovers to stretch it for another lunch the next day. This is one of those things that taste just as good, if not better, the next day. My wife's tikka was tasty too. read more

A Saffron Thread - Chicken Tikka - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

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As others have mentioned, the food is very bland. No taste. Otherwise, the place is clean. Man, do I miss the Pakistani Tea House! read more

Way overpriced. I paid almost $30 for a vegetarian entree (Chana masala), plain naan, and a drink. The food was fine but way too much money for what it was. read more

I have ordered take out from this place a couple times now and I really like it in comparison to other Indian places around the area. I've ordered the paneer makhani, garlic naan and the papdi chaat. All three were very good and tasted fresh. They also followed my instructions to make the paneer spicy and no cilantro on the chaat. The main entrees do not come with rice unfortunately you need to order that additionally. read more

Food did not taste that great for the price that I paid I would rather just go to 74th st in queens for better indian food

Lovely staff, food is quite good, excellent variety. Small space for in restaurant dining

Had this catered into work today. There was only basic Indian food. We had Saag Paneer, Vegetable Samosas, Chicken Tikka Masala, Lamb Rogan Josh, Naan, Rice Pulao, and Chana Masala. Overall all of it was pretty standard and nothing really all that flavorful or amazing. However, I'd say they gave us what was probably the best veggie samosa I've ever had, which is what redeems this to a 3-star rating. Crispy where it counts and delicious otherwise. I also liked the consistency of the naan as well. Cooked to almost perfection. Wish it had more bitter or flavor. read more

A Saffron Thread - Chicken Tikka Masala, Vegetable Samosa, Lamb Rogan Josh, Channa Masala, saag paneer. Naan Bread - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

The food was very bland lacking in flavor and spices. This was the worst culinary experience I've ever had in my life! The chai was milky and not drinkable. Don't disappoint yourself with unpalatable food that is not even fit for my pets! read more

My favorite quick Indian in TriBeCa area. Been going here for years for lunch and work late dinners. The lunch counter is good but the best stuff is from the menu. Hakka Noodles rock. read more

Good food!!! We only ate at two Indian spots on our trip to NYC, this was the best! It can recommended from someone in Seattle and we were not disappointed !! We forgot to take pictures before the damage was done, but we had samosa chaat, chicken tikka masala, chicken tikka roll and naan. It all was delicious, especially the chicken tikka roll!! We will be back! read more

You ever order some Seamless bc you are hungry AF and you do the luck of the draw? This is my bad luck. I chose this restaurant. I ordered chicken tikka masala and bikaneri samosas. GROSS AND GROSS The chicken tikka masala was watery and flavorless and looked like chunks of chicken floating and bobbing in murky waters. No and thank you. The samosas were spicy AF and they had rice and whole bunch of other things I have never had in a samosa. Where do they do that AT? It was also hard AF like it was stale and refried. So no thanks. never again. Bye. read more

This restaurant is a 4 for what it is. It's a casual walk up to the counter and order in the City. The Lunch Special is $9 well spent. There is an ample amount of food and it's actually quite good. The saag isn't too spicy but yet maintains a good taste. The naan is damn good and it's a pretty good portion. The chicken tikka masala was nice. Often times, Indian Food can be heavy and takes awhile to digest. A Saffron Thread was fairly light and didn't weigh us down. Great spot to stop, grab lunch, and continue moving around the City. You walk in and order from selections in the counter, add rice, add vegetable, add protein, and add sides. You're good to go Final Word: Just what we needed: A quick and good lunch and then back to moving around NYC. read more

$9 lunch special plus tax Includes meat, veggies, lentils with rice and nan. Mmmm, talk about a sweet deal in the heart to TriBeCa/FiDi. I seriously loved the food here, it was delicious! I got the chicken (either garlic or ginger I don't remember) but it was delicious. It wasn't spicy but very flavorful. The Channah was soft and soooo goooood. I also got some sort of mushrooms as my veggies, delish! My Bengali friends loved it also and said it tasted like home-cooked food. They got the chicken tikka masala, mmmm gooooodnessss. I didn't really enjoy the nan mostly because I've grown accustom to roti made the carribean way however, it was good and very flaky. Def a must try! The lunch special cannot be beat. This is more of a to-go place however there is seating available if you're in the area or having a quick lunch. Delicious, cheap and filling. read more

A Saffron Thread - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

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We missed the buffet and specials so ordered a la carte. We had the lamb korma, palak paneer, baked eggplant, and samosa chat. Every dish was so flavorful and came with rice or naan. Onion kulcha has bits of onion packed into the bread itself instead of stuffed. The portions were incredibly generous, and the leftovers made for an amazing lunch. Will definitely be back! read more

Incompetence is the main ingredient and a lack of responsibility to top it off! so, I went in person and ordered Chicken Fried Rice extra Spicy and an order of lollipop chicken just to be safe...since ordering over the phone could cause miscommunication. When i went to pick it up it seemed there was some confusion...so re-confirmed a few times i was told it is chicken fried rice. So now I'm all the way uptown ready to eat and to my surprise its Veggie fried rice no chicken to be found! and its not even spicy as i had requested. Call them to complain and i was told to "Speak politely" and was hung up on ....and was told they will give me my $1 back...its not about the $1 its the principle of customer service. This place is ridiculous sub par food and worst service ever. Never again. Thanks but no thanks. #fakeindianfood read more

A Saffron Thread - NOT Chicken Fried Rice - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

Review from 2016: Saffron is a nice place. Along with Aahar, I think it is the best of Indian dining in the Tribeca area. There's maybe another place nearby, but Saffron is the one of these two places you want to go to if you are looking for a cheap, casual place to eat lunch. A lot of people order things to go here, but I've only ever eaten in here, which is pleasant. Most people usually get one meat dish, coupled with a vegetable choice, your choice of chik peas or lentils, coupled with a rice and a naan, all for like $9 pre tax, it's not a bad deal. When you step up to the counter, make sure you specifically say you want the "platter special", or risk getting charged for something completely different. This place also has daily specials, which means depending on the day you come, you can try different, rotating items. I can't really put a finger on which items are which, since they're usually some variation of chicken curry, but as far as I have tried, they are all excellent. I think Wednesday is typically the vegetarian day for specials, so if you're a vegetarian, that may be your day. One downside is that they could be a little bit more generous with the chicken or the meat dishes when they serve. You get a ton of carbs in your lunch, but typically not much meat at all, which is a shame because I think people would come back more for if they got a more... substantiative experience of Saffron. The staff is quite nice here too. Solid location to have lunch at. read more

Went back here, on a Tuesday like last time. Had the special which for 9 bucks comes with a meat entree and 2 vegetable entrees (as well as rice and naan.) Excellent deal. Had the egg curry, the sag paneer, and the big portion (your first order, the one they ask if you want over rice) was the kari Pakora. Egg curry (guess) was solid, curry had good flavors but there wasn't much well big pieces of egg. I don't know whether it is traditional but maybe cut up some of the pieces so you don't get half/3/4ths of an egg in a small portion? If it isn't, than this was fine. it was probably the least memorable but it was anything but not-flavorful. 3.5 Sag paneer (Paneer, a milky hard cheese in spinach) was solid as well. Great flavors of spinach and the paneer was the perfect tendency. If anything, it was a bit buttery (but it's better to be too soft than too hard.) 4.0 Kari Pakora (Pakora, being chickpea fritters in a curry sauce [in this case a buttery yellow sauce with saffron and some spices) was excellent and I was happy it was the main portion. Sauce was one of the better ones I have had and the pakora's were well spiced and loaded with chickpeas. 4.5 Rice was fluffy and the naan was solid, for free naan I don't mind the solo serving, especially for a good one. For the deal together, I'd give it a 4.0 for the flavor but a 4.6 due to the excellent prices. The sweet lassi was fine but the portion was just a little small for the price. Flavor was fine though. 3.7 You might wonder now why this place has a 5 not a 4, as it rounds to a 4.15. Well, it's the combination of dishes, the low price for the area, the fact that they have an amazing consistent Carrot Halwa (5 stars) really helps me rate this place so well. 4.5 read more

My office gets catered lunches from here every now and then (serving 50+). The saag paneer is decent. The lamb rogan josh and vegetable dishes are passable, but not very flavorful. The chicken tikka masala is downright bland and extremely watery. Not a fan of the pizza dough they call naan, either. The vegetable samosa is the only truly flavorful item in our order. This is the case every time, so I guess on the plus side, they are consistent. Also, they have always delivered our order on time. read more

Nothing fancy but this small restaurant has great Indian food, a great lunch special for $8.95 for 1 chicken, 1 vegetable, with nan or rice or both (plus tax). I've been here plenty of times for lunch. Nice staff, clean, and good. It's a BYOB place for an after work bite with a friend and they also provide free water. read more

A Saffron Thread - Lunch special $8.95 - 1 chicken, 1 vegetable with nan or rice or both - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

A Saffron Thread NY Manhattan TriBeCa 8pm Monday 7th March 2016 Four Stars Stopped in for a quick to go order. I had the $9 platter for a Tikka Masala, Chana Masala, Lentils, Rice, and a fresh piece of naan. The chicken breast was dry but the sauce was tasty. I liked the veggies. The rice was a bit undercooked. The naan was fresh, carby and delicious. read more

A Saffron Thread - $9 Platter - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

I'm here about twice a week, love this place, the owner and employees are always pleasant and welcoming and the place is pretty updated and clean. The food speaks for itself, always fresh and packed with flavor. If you're curious about a certain dish, they let you sample it, awesome. Lunch special with a drink will run you just under $12 bucks. If you play it smart you can have half for lunch and the other half for dinner or lunch for tomorrow. It's a good serving of food though, well worth the money. Grab a chicken roll $6, for and quick flavorful satisfying lunch. There's wifi available as well if needed, just ask the employees for the password. read more

A Saffron Thread - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

Great lunch spot on the cheap side for the area with so few options.. Their lunch deal includes rice, two veggie options, and one meat along with naan and runs for about $10 with tax. Everything I tried has been delicious. Samosas are also on point. Beware though all the little side things (pickle, chutney, etc.) are $1-2 extra. Excellent chutney though. Lunch buffet gets served right away so the wait is minimal. read more

A Saffron Thread - Order of samosas - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

The most fresh amazing Indian food in lower Manhattan. Each dish feels so well crafted snd clean. I love ordering from here and grabbing take out while walking by! read more

After I got in by accident a few weeks ago, I keep coming back to this great Indian place. Compared to similar fast-food/lunch places in the area this is definitely the cleanest (also reflected in their A rating displayed on the door) and has the best tasting food. It may not be the cheapest if you order from the menu however you do get what you pay for (large portions and quality ingredients) and the staff has always been very friendly. read more

A Saffron Thread - Chicken tikka masala - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

The best "homely" Indian restaurant near TriBeCa. They make the best goat curry (called "Goat Hundi" in their menu) in the entire world. Daal Tadka is also too good. I can eat them everyday. The ambience and settings are not at all good though. I prefer taking foods out rather than eating their. read more

A Saffron Thread - Dal Tadka and chilli chicken - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

Just wanted a snack so ordered the "naan" with the "tadka daal" to for dipping and a starter "chicken kebab" and there home made green dressing that's to die for read more

A Saffron Thread - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

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Solid food, fantastic value. Nice and clean inside.

I'm new to this place, but I'm hooked! The kind people, and the finger-licking everything is going to make me come back for years I think. I had Rice with spinach sauce, ground chicken, and eggplant; ALMOST ATE THE PLATE! read more

A Saffron Thread - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

Nice Indian take out option in FiDi. They have a small amount of seating available, but it seems like most people opt for to go. They also have a small buffet-type area where you can have a meat, a vegetable, and a grain (rice or naan) basically instantly during lunch. Honestly, the buffet didn't look that appetizing, so we opted for ordering off the menu. I ordered the Rogan Josh (a lamb curry) and the Saffron Special Naan. The curry had a very good sized portion of boneless lamb chunks. It didn't taste strongly of onions, but it did taste good and the lamb was cooked well. The special naan was awesome! It was sweet (from the raisins) such that it almost tasted like baklava? The naan itself was a bit unevenly cooked, and I didn't even care because the naan was so tasty. I'd definitely go grab lunch from there again. read more

A good place to stop in for some Indian food in Tribeca. For a little over $10, you get a lunch combo that includes one meat dish and two vegetable side dishes, all of your choosing. It also comes with naan. This wasn't the best Indian food I've had (the meat dish I chose - though I can't remember what it was, exactly, was pretty bland), there wasn't anything wrong with it. Friendly and fast service. P.S. The reason that I decided on this Indian restaurant, when looking at a map of local selection, was its awesome name. "A Saffron Thread?" That is just poetic. read more

A Saffron Thread - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

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I went here for a quick lunch with my son, and I feel like I got completely ripped off. Plus, there is no bathroom even for paying customers, which made for a very uncomfortable eat-in lunch. I ordered the lunch special with keema and channa masala (chickpeas) and an order of tandoori chicken to share. I asked specifically for all dark meat (drumsticks, thighs and wings) and was told that all dark meat was no problem. I asked twice to make sure, since I don't like white meat. If you pay with a credit card, you are presented with a screen which forces you to choose a tip. I don't think tips are required in self-service restaurants where you order from a counter and take your own food to the table. I bypassed the tip and got a nasty look. The keema (which was made with chicken and not beef or lamb as I expected) was completely tasteless. The channa masala was equally bland, with a small amount of chickpeas in a horrible watery sauce and did not taste fresh. The rice was also old and stale tasting. But the worst was the tandoori chicken. Despite having asked for dark meat twice and being assured I would get it, I got a few miserable small pieces of absolutely dry, reheated, tasteless white meat chicken. I am almost certain it was not made in a tandoor, it was simple spiceless roast chicken reheated in a microwave. It might have been sitting for days or reheated several times before it was eventually served. It was inedible. Really disgusting. The total with two sodas was $27. The amount of food was not sufficient, and the $13 charged for a few tiny pieces of dry, reheated chicken, which barely came to a few bites of meat, was a shameless cheat. (Like Woody Allen's joke...the food was terrible, and such small portions!) You are far better off going to Aahar in the neighborhood, which has a superb lunch, or Sheezan, which has far tastier food. You will get a much better lunch for the same or less money, and your food will at least be edible. You have been warned. Don't listen to the morons who praise this place, because you could feed them wet cardboard and they would think they were eating good Indian food. read more