I've shopped at Saffron a few times, but I ordered food on my last visit. The market itself is great. They carry all the things you'll need for Persian cooking and entertaining guests. They have a nice selection of ice cream too. If you need tea pots and tea sets, you can get those too. I wanted to have some chicken and beef koobideh, so I popped in. However, my plan was to cook them at home on my own charcoal grill. So, full disclosure, the pictures I'm sharing are of their koobideh mixes that I formed on my own skewers and (over)cooked on my grill. Despite overcooking the kebab, they were some of the most flavorful kebabs I've had, in particular the chicken. The beef was deliciously, but pretty standard. The chicken had some magic in it. You should def come to Saffron, buy some things to take home or - better yet - have them serve up some kebab to you. read more

Saffron Grill & Market is well-known for their high quality, fresh and delicious Persian/ Mediterranean dishes. Options include dining-in at the restaurant, DoorDash/Uber Eats/ even in-house delivery (order it directly from their website saffrongrillnmarket.com) and catering for parties/gatherings. read more

Amazing food, incredible service. This is a takeout restaurant. It's easily some of the best food in Marin, and some of the best Persian food I've had in the Bay Area. The prices are also reasonable for what you get. All of their food is cooked on a charcoal fire grill - it's delicious! I recommend the joojeh kabob and koobideh. read more

Saffron Grill & Market - Joojeh kabob and koobideh - Grocery Near Me - Novato, California

I bought pastry and cookies that have no date on them and are very stale. Their kabob barg is also not that fresh. Their merchandise has no rice tag on them. read more

The closest place to get some koobideh, its as good as it gets. Serving was plenty, nectar spot to get cuisine like this would be SF.

Consistently good food and service. I'm Persian and a cook but since discovering this place, we often order from them for our larger parties. read more

The food is really delicious and it's prepared fresh to your order. I call ahead and pick it up. Their market has an amazing selection of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern spices and preserved food, cheeses, frozen food, etc. The owner is really nice also. I highly recommend it read more

Absolutely delicious , had the combo beef lamb skewer and chicken skewer , delicious very flavorful the owner was extremely friendly and helpful , will definitely be adding this time my list of great spots to hit up read more

I just had the Game Hen with grilled veggies and rice and the char from the open flame was amazing! The game hen was cooked to perfection and the marinade was spot on. The rice was so flavorful I saved some just to eat by itself for left overs. And the portions are so big that there was no problem having left overs. They are super nice and there is a whole shop full of incredible goodies to take home along with your dinner. I highly recommend this place and cannot wait to go back! read more

Let me just say this -- I've had a lot of kabobs in my life, but this one right here? Easily in a league of its own. The flavor was next level -- smoky, perfectly seasoned, and grilled to absolute perfection. Every bite had that juicy tenderness that tells you the meat was marinated with love and patience, not rushed. read more

We have been ordering from Saffron for the past few years and not once have we been disappointed. Mike is always quick to respond, very hospitable, and generous. The food from their hot menu is always fresh, authentic, and delicious. It's truly a gem! read more

Delicious food and great service! We ordered koobideh combo, shirazi salad, and fesenjoon. We also purchased a bar of the Dubai chocolate. Great portions too - we had plenty of leftovers for another meal. We will be back! read more

Saffron Grill & Market - Dubai Chocolate - Grocery Near Me - Novato, California

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The gentleman that runs the store is very hospitable and helps suggest things for you. The lunch was very tasty with chicken, rice, grilled vegetables. The tea he suggested is out of this world and will be coming back to get more tea! read more

Outstanding catering provided by Mike & Saeed. All the guest spoke highly of the quality and taste of the kabobs. And this from critical old school Persain's that always think nothing compares to a family member's koobideh!! read more

Oh my word!! RUN to this restaurant! We just moved to across the street and ordered food from this Gem anticipating the normal decent fair and be were STUNNED!! THe flavours are jaw droppingly good, we almost fainted! My usually quite Husband exclaimed,"WOW!This is FANTASTIC! We ordered form them a few days later and it did not disappointment! This restaurant should be Michelin starred its THAT good! And we are food snobs! We had the rack of lamb which was swoon worthy and the Cornish game hen! the layers of flavours and aroma was hipnotising! The amount of food felt like a feast, literally a platter of aromatic, flavorsome rice and grilled onions and bell peppers and tomatoes which may sound like ordinary ingredients but the chef has transformed into a heavenly platter and oh the meats, wrapped and permeated with so many dimensions of taste bud tingling heaven!I The owner, is such a hospitable, sincere, class act and we shall be twice weekly patrons of this gorgeous find! read more

Said they were open. Drove from Santa Rosa only to have no one answer the door. Very disappointed.

Wonderful small market packed with every kind of Mediterranean ingredient. Clean, well lit, organized, good prices, helpful friendly service! The baklava (local) is a worthwhile splurge! The restaurant side is closed for renovations- I'm looking forward to trying that August 2023 when they begin serving again! read more

Did I just find one of the best stocked Persian markets in the bay area? This place has an absolutely comprehensive stock of literally everything I need to make Persian food. It's also incredibly organized and a pleasant shopping experience. Which is a funny comment to make but I've been in my fair share of these markets in the bay area where everything is just kinda thrown up on shelves with little organization.The shopping center also has ample parking and it's easy to hop off 101 to shop there. They had literally ever spice and seasoning sold by Sadaf and many others. They even had more rare items (like the bigger bottles of Grape and Pomegranate molasses) that I have only seen sold in SoCal and a few different brands of saffron ice cream. Again, less frequently seen brands that are better than Gol which you find typically. I will be stopping here more often in the future! read more

Most of cookies, waffles, and sweets on the shelves expiration date at least a year old

Be still my beating heart. It is you, koobideh, that makes me swoon. And I've had koobideh at Caspian in Irvine so I think I have a pretty darn good reference point. Their saffron rice is the perfect compliment, with a bit of sumac sprinkled on top. Other highlights are the Baghali Polo (dill rice with fava beans) and walnut baklava which reminds me of the flavors of a homemade Apple pie. I wasn't as thrilled with the dolmeh. They taste more pickled (pomegranate vinegar?) than the more oily/lemony flavors I've enjoyed elsewhere. read more

Awesome family-owned store. Technically it's a restaurant too but there's literally only two tables; one outside and one inside...you eat in the grocery store. I'd love for this to be my go-to secret gem for Mediterranean in Marin but it was only a little better than ok. The hummus and falafel were ok. The dolmas were very good! The moussaka was a bit dry and not terribly flavorful. I'm also not sure why it took almost 15 minutes to get a to-go Mediterranean platter with all pre-prepared food when there were no other customers there. The store has a host of great imported goods but there aren't prices on a lot of items and most everything cost more than I would expect. They also seem to make their own pastries from scratch. They looked beautiful but I didn't partake. I'll definitely be back. I love supporting mom and pop places of business over chains or fancy, snobby suburban establishments. I'm sure there are things I didn't order that are wonderful. I will find them and let you know what to order! :-) read more

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The service was slow , but the great part of this order was lamb shank and dill rice. We also ordered a beef koobideh which had an ok quality so far. Tried Abeali Dough which you can find it in the dairy's fridge section. 32$ for 2 orders is reasonable.each portion was enough for 1 individual. read more

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I have not purchased items here or eaten here before. I came by this morning, not realizing they had not opened yet. The man opening the store explained, and was nice enough to let me look around the store. Everything looked great and the pictures of their grilled meats look great. I will definitely be coming back to find out how good they are. Thank you for your kindness! read more

Lovely family owned store with an awesome restaurant. We had the saffron plate which definitely feeds 5 (I came with a group of 4 big eaters and we were absolutely stuffed). The meat was super flavorful and their beef and cornish hen were phenomenal. Their saffron rice was very flavorful. I've made saffron rice before and you can tell when folks haven't put the real stuff in. This place knows whats up, come support a business and enjoy the good food. read more

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No need to travel to Italy, Spain.. or Iran!! In Crepuscule, Roman Payne claims, "People wonder why so many writers come to live in Paris. I've been living ten years in Paris and the answer seems simple to me: because it's the best place to pick ideas. Just like Italy, Spain.. or Iran are the best places to pick saffron. If you want to pick opium poppies you go to Burma or South-East Asia. And if you want to pick novel ideas, you go to Paris." Well, I've not been to Paris, so I can't comment about one's ability to pick up novel ideas there, but I assure you that there is no need to travel to Italy, Spain.. or Iran for Saffron!! All you need is to get yourself to Novato and there it is!! This little shop serves a dual purpose, it is both a grocery store and grill. If you are into Middle Eastern spices and delicacies, you'll get a kick out of the stuff in their shelves; I did. And if you want to get a taste of Persian cuisine, then just walk to the very end of the store, look up at the menu and order whatever off the list which tickles your fancy! The food is good and very reasonably priced. The gentleman who is the owner operator is a very pleasant man who will help you with any questions you may have. read more

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The restaurant we planned to go to was closed due to renovations which was unfortunate but we are for sure going when they're open! The owner was really nice and they had sooo much good stuff that reminds me of back home ! read more

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A great variety of Turkish and middle Eastern food and groceries with good prices. We used to go to another grocery store in San Rafael which carry these products, but found Saffron Market and definitely won't be back to the other one. Here prices are right and the service is great. The owner is very friendly and helpful. read more

Fantastic market for anyone who's Persian or is looking for authentic ingredients/meals in the North Bay. The owners are incredibly kind, prices are very reasonable, and their selection of goods is fantastic. A+! read more

Love this place and the owner is darling and so knowledgeable regarding Mediterranean anything! I can't wait and either can the owners to open up and serve His AUTHENTIC MEDITERRANEAN GRILLED FOOD FROM THEIR NEW GRILL! Hopefully it will be soon!! A MUST PLACE to visit. read more

I wish I could give this place better rating, as I love Mediterranean food and produce, but out of $130 spent in the store, ~$30 went straight to garbage 10 min after I bought it. Tzatziki was bad - not fresh, so fermented, that it was sour to taste. Their front counter sweets that are sold by weight all tasted like laundry detergent - i guess its that old, that absorbed all the smells from the counter. Koobideh meat was undercooked - that was an easy solution granted we have microwave in the office. When I asked about exploding cheese package ( supposed to be vacuum tight) the sales associate recommended to not buy it. read more

We've been coming to this place for 3-4 years. We usually do takeouts, and while the food is prepared, we pick up tea, sweets and dried fruits. Feels like we are in a Middle Eastern market! Food is fresh and authentic, so many different dishes on the menu! We are fortunate to have such diverse cuisines in the community. P.S. Don't forget to get some samusas! They have about 4 different kinds. read more

Such nicer owners and a neat store in Novato, a small Cali town, and this is the only place to get greek and middle eastern cuisine and ingredients. Thank goodness for this place! read more

Great selection! Really enjoying the sangak Crisps. Some of the best flat bread I've had

What a local treasure! We ordered takeout from here and everything was phenomenal -- chicken fesenjan, several kabobs, baba ganoush, baklava, and some pistachio desserts, too. The staff (family-run) is so kind and their grocery selection is also incredible (my kids were jumping for joy when they saw five kinds of haloumi!). We only moved to the neighborhood a few days ago, but will be here regularly over the years to come. read more

Ordered the koobideh and it was delicious, generous portion of rice and their shallot yogurt sauce was so tasty. They only had a partial menu because they were under construction. We can t wait to go back when they have everything. The owner was so friendly and accommodating. read more

A small asian Mediterranean grocery outlet, selling Iranian, turkish and indian food products. Their falafel are out class like super yummy. And the owners are really very cooperative and nice people. One can find lots of variety of rice, flour and sweets. I highly recommend this store... read more

Wow! We've enjoyed a number of meals and a cup-a-tea here, both eating in the tiny cafe area and take-away. Highly recommended! read more

Saffron Grill & Market - Yum! - Grocery Near Me - Novato, California

Holy Moly this is a find in Marin! I was heading to the dollar store and then to grab some takeout when I drove by Saffron Grill and immediately parked my car. I lived in Santa Clara for about a year and am in love with all things Persian Market. I could not believe this has been hidden from me, for three years says Mike the owner/nice guy/waiter/cashier/smiling man. The aroma of cooking spiced meat filled the store and my mouth began to water. Mike was kind enough to let me sample some of the harissa (it's good, really good) and two types of the Eggplant caviar (really excellent types, I prefer the hot. It's smoky and heat filled not hot) he generously guided me through the menu for a great dinner. He offered me hot tea, Mike was amazing! They have a few tables and chairs inside, they bring them out on nice days and evenings. Loads of Persian and Middle Eastern items line the shelves and are in the cooler. They carry Lurpak so you know they are legit. The baklava is excellent, though they don't make it there try it. Loaded with walnuts and spice, just like my Baba used to make. read more

Saffron Grill & Market - Clean aisles leading to the deli counter - Grocery Near Me - Novato, California

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It is a small shop and sells hard to find items such as tahini in addition to fresh and frozen food and meals. We really love this little local gem, but the service is often slow and the owners tend to finish what they are doing, such as stacking something on shelves, instead of prioritizing customer service. This can be frustrating when you have people waiting in the car or want to minimize your in store time to minimize virus risk. read more

I came in when I wasn't feeling well and wanted something warm, yummy, and strength-building. The lamb shank was recommended to me and it was just the perfect thing! It came in a soup-like broth and the lamb was delicious, tender, just beautiful! Great condiments and the rice (with the yummy, chewy crispy part -- what is that called?) was perfectly done. Very good price point too. I felt stronger and took the rest home for a second meal later on. Oh, and I love the confections! So many to choose from, a great little-something-sweet after a meal. Sure there's not much seating, and outdoor seating looks over the parking lot, but who cares when the food is so good? read more