Clean and classy interior that borders casual and fine dining with attentive and friendly wait staff/service. I really enjoyed and would return for the mango lassi ($6?). The puri (I call them Indian-style nachos) was amazing and I would absolutely return to have it again. Eating the puri feels like putting a flavor bomb into your mouth and the flavors of the puri here are intense in the most wonderful way. It is a bit pricey ($12 for 5 puri?). We also had one of their curries (I forget if it was butter chicken or tiki masala) for around $21. The curry itself was very good (so much so that the left over curry was brought home and I cooked it with some ground turkey and rice for a large second meal) and had a pleasant smoky flavor to it, but the chicken was unfortunately very dry. Portions were quite small for $21 and you have to order rice or naan separately for $4-5. I would come back and would recommend the food here, just come knowing that the price may be a bit high and the portions may be a bit small, but the flavors are excellent. read more

See all

Based on take out only via GrubHub. Ordering online through Yelp's GrubHub was very easy. Plenty of parking on the street. Pick up was smooth. They have both indoor and outdoor dining with lovely decor for a formal meal or date. Pick up orders were at the table, really easy for quick pick up. The Kale pakoras were excellent with deliciously paired dipping sauce. The Aloo Gobi was with great flavor and spice even while mild. We enjoyed a wonderful take out meal. read more

See all

Saffron is my weekend wind-down spot, and I'm here for one reason: the thali lunch. Saag paneer, malai kofta, dal soup--always well-prepared and nicely presented. The chai isn't the best I've ever had, but it's there (and frankly, half the Bay doesn't bother). The atmosphere is calm, service never rushes me, and it's a place where I can relax alone and enjoy my meal. The food is medium-high quality--better than most Indian spots in the Bay--and the 3.8 stars feel a bit stingy. I'd call it a solid 4 for food, 4.5 for atmosphere. read more

Went here for the first time, and absolutely loved our dinner. We had the garlic naan, pani puri, baingan bhartha (eggplant), and butter chicken. Loved every bite! Will definitely be back! read more

We picked this place for my husband's birthday celebration and it was worth it! Loved their ambiance - each corner was beautifully decorated. We tried most of all that they had on their vegetarian menu. Their presentation and quantity for each dish was on point! Loved their paneer tikka and Malai Kofta (the best I have had so far in the bay area). Very friendly staff and they served us a "special dessert" to celebrate my husband's birthday. Reserving that 1 star as we were very disappointed with their Paneer Subji, too tangy and liquidly. All in all, a must try! read more

See all

Went here with my friends on a Friday evening for a birthday celebration and had a pleasant experience. We had a reservation in advance for a large group since it was a friend's birthday and were seated right away. I have to start by saying that it's a great spot for vegetarians. I'm a non vegetarian but every vegetarian starter we tried was amazing - the onion bhaji, dahi papdi chaat, general tsos cauliflower. Of the non vegetarian starters - the black pepper chicken tikka was decent but I'd skip the amritsari fish next time. Of the main courses - the jafrani malai kofta was so flavorful (again vegetarian) but the butter chicken was a bit of a let down. Too tangy for my taste. Service was amazing, no complaints at all. They even brought out a complimentary gulab jamun dessert for our friend's birthday. The ambiance is really nice - a bit on the fancier side for a $$ restaurant. Nice spot for large groups or events. Overall, 3.5/5 for me and a decent choice for a fancy indian restaurant but I hope they improve the non veg menu next time. read more

See all

Really excellent and authentic Indian spot right off Laurel in San Carlos. Excellent butter chicken and also really great appetizers (general Tao's cauliflower... samosas...) and a varietentrées in general. Super accommodating and even a great sit in location. read more

See all

I ordered lachha paratha and they gave me roti. The roti was really average too. I don't think its right to charge $6 for basic roti and call it lachha paratha. The butter chicken was fine, but if you are charging $25 for a single serving, fine isn't enough. It didn't taste any different from any other butter chicken, whether it was the gravy or the chicken, and the quantity was very small. I wanted either more in size or something special in the taste. Even the presentation was nothing special. 2 stars because at least it tasted alright. But I was really tempted to give 1 star because it only tasted alright for the cost. read more

The best North Indian food in the bay area. Great service, clean ambiance. Food that has been consistent in quality over the years. Great job Ajay and Team! read more

Great food, but somewhat expensive for what you get. Rice should not cost extra. Service was good, but we had to bring the check inside. Nice ambiance. although setting sun is a problem outside. read more

This place was amazing! Our waiter was very kind and knowledgeable (especially because I'm gluten free). A majority of their dishes (tandoori, curries, tikka masala, etc.) are gluten free and they have many vegan options as well. My favorites were the saag paneer, the cauliflower (we ended up ordering this twice) and the tandoori chicken. Everything was delicious and I can't wait to return. They only serve beer and wine but the rose was a nice drinkable wine that went well with the appetizers. Also, their patio is so cute and created the perfect atmosphere for an amazing dinner. read more

See all

Thoroughly enjoyed our celebration lunch a few weeks ago. A group of us dined at Saffron on a Wednesday afternoon. It was a quiet afternoon which meant we could have a leisurely lunch. We all started with some non-alcoholic coolers. Different flavors - guava, mango, ginger - all quite tasty. The kale pakoras, onion bhajis, and cheese naan were a great start to our meal. Highly recommend the kale pakoras - unexpected, quite unique and yummy. For the main course - jafrani malai kofta was the star. It is decadent for sure - the fried kofta, the paneer stuffing, rich creamy gravy - all good things. The daal makhani and saag paneer were solid too. Roomali roti was the perfect accompaniment for this meal. As for dessert, both the gulab jamun and ras malai were delicious. Great spot for some high quality Indian food :) read more

See all

I really liked the food here. I ordered the chicken biryani and it was one of the better ones that I have had. The service was pretty good. The reason why I docked a star was because my friend's butter chicken was quite cold when he received it and we had to send it back to the kitchen. It seemed like they gave him a brand new one but it was a little weird they would serve cold butter chicken. My other friend's shrimp curry was also a little warm (not hot). The other thing I noticed at this place was that they called a pilsner a lager on their menu. That's just a minor mistake though. Overall, this place was pretty good though I wouldn't drive out the way just to come here. read more

Saffron has some of the best Indian food in the Bay Area. Anything that comes out of their Tandoor is amazing! But for me the main test of an Indian restaurant is their dal. And they get it just right. read more

Saffron - Dal Makhni - Indian Near Me - San Carlos, California

I had clearly asked the waiter if the the "dal of the day" was dairy free and ordered naan along with it. What we got was some variety of dal makhni and buttered naan. Since the waiter had confirmed it, I ended up consuming it that later wrecked my stomach. Besides, their dal had stones in it as well. They also do not have clearly labelled vegan dishes on their menu. I will not be visiting again since they do not respect dietary restrictions. read more

4.5/5 rounding up. This is a pretty good upscale Indian restaurant located in the beautiful downtown San Carlos. The prices are reasonable given they are up in the likes of SpiceKlub and Sakoon/Mantra. The service is top notch, our server was very responsive and took special care to make sure the toddler on our table was also well attended to. For food we ordered a large variety of dishes, the portions are on the smaller side but not too bad. The pepper chicken tikka, cheese naan and Amritsari fish were stand outs in the appetizers. General Tso's Cauliflower was okay, very similar to Gobi Manchurian. For main course we ordered Dal Makhani (5/5), Saag Paneer (5/5), butter chicken (3/5, too tomatoey and tangy). The stand out dish was the Kofta! Must try. Apart from that they have a great bread variety, good drinks menu for alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages, the dessert menu is fairly basic and I would have loved to see some creative dishes. All in all the restaurant stands true to its Indian dishes and does justice without being too pretentious or extra creative. read more

Saffron - Indian Near Me - San Carlos, California

Went there for Lunch and food was ok kind. I ordered chana bhatura and it was not enough for 1 person and I ordered extra bhatura which came so late that I almost lost my appetite. My husband ordered Fried chicken was too dry and oily. Didn't like it. Servers are very courteous and it was a decent restaurant. Overall not a good experience and it was too pricy for that kind of food. read more

Saffron - Chana bhatura - Indian Near Me - San Carlos, California

Came here for a family dinner and didn't know what to expect, since I had never heard of this place. We walked in and were seated immediately. There was only one family seated in the corner of the restaurant. We got seated across the room from them. It seemed like a spacious restaurant, but that's probably because it was empty. After scanning the menu, we ordered the Lamb Meatballs and Fried Fish as appetizers. I loved how soft yet flavorful the meatballs were. They also had a bit of a kick to them, which I appreciated. I didn't try the fish, but my family said it was ok. It didn't have much flavor. Next we ordered, the Lamb Curry, Butter Chicken, Kofta and Shrimp Curry. They were all mediocre. It seemed like they were all made of the same base. The only ingredient that separated these dishes were the protein we chose. I have had far better Indian food at plenty of other restaurants, so I wouldn't recommend you go out of your way for this place. read more

Food is great , great Ambiance ,but waiters rush too much, I met a friend after so many months, so we were talking and eating slow . Waiter keep asking us how is everything , after we said food is great , they kept asking we still working on it or they want us to pack then we were eating our dinner they were keep asking again and again if they want to pack our food. We felt rushed , looks like they wanted as to eat quickly and get out of there. The funny thing was they just open an hour ago and they were not even busy there were only 3 tables with customers I don't understand reason for rushing us. Again food is really good place is nice and clean , food presentation is amazing. If you are just looking for good food, good place this is great spot, if you want to have conversation with your friends, then this is not the place. Business should understand they should at least give an hour for each table to settle down , chat with friends n to enjoy food. After an hour you can start rushing. read more

I was frustrated to learn upon arrival that items showing on the Yelp menu aren't actually offered here. I was told certain dishes like Chana bhatura are weekend only dishes. Disappointing. *1/31/24 Update* Though my initial rating was 3 stars due to disappointment of menu inaccuracy, I have to admit, the saag paneer and naan was the best I've ever had in my life, including my mom's saag paneer! Also, though the veggie dish was pricy, it was well worth the cost as I was able to take half of it home and purchased a naan to go. I was worried the naan would be leathery the next day but no, I broke it in half and popped it in the toaster and it came out as if it was just made fresh! I am definitely going to be back for more and tell everyone I know. :) read more

Service and food has gone down, prices have gone up. We came here on diwali night to celebrate festivities, no one even wished happy diwali. It was very under staffed, it took them 20 min to take our order. After the wait they tell us they had mix up in communication and there was no diwali menu. They sent out diwali email asking customers to reserve the table and now on the diwali night they didn't have Diwali menu. This is a joke, how are they running this restaurant? For prices and ambiance like saffron, I am expecting way better service. This is 3rd strike, I would not be coming here again. read more

We got here for a family dinner celebrating an occasion. It was a weeknight and had been raining so it was not very busy and hence we didn't have problem getting a table. We were attended immediately and our server was quite polite and pleasant in conversation. He made some good recommendations as well. We ended up getting Amritsari fish and Tandoori paneer for appetizers. Both were delicious. My partner had lycheee thanda which I feel is a bit overpriced for a flavored water drink. Whipped sweet lassi was delicious with fine hits of cardamom and nuts. For main course, we ordered fish curry, butter chicken and jafrani malai kofta along with naan and lachha parantha. All over, all entrees were great and the service was fast. The malai kofta was my favorite of all. The food can be graded mild in terms of flavors which could be preferred by many. I, however, wish there was more kick to the entrees as they were otherwise well made. read more

See all

Loved this place. Food was delicious, and space was beautiful. Got the butter chicken, chicken tikka Marsala, and the aloo gobhi with plain naan, garlic naan, and roti, and everything was delicious. Also got the kale fritters which I didn't love, but it was OK and a nice source of veggies. In any case, would come back in a heartbeat any day any time! read more

See all

Really excited to try this place after I read all the raving reviews but we weren't too impressed with the food. For appetizers we got the lamb meatballs and fried fish. The lamb meatballs were really flavorful but the fried fish lacked flavor and wasn't anything special at all. For main food we got the butter chicken, kofta curry, shrimp curry and lamb curry. Everything was good but nothing great. All the curries tasted pretty much the same and we felt that everything had too much cream in it. Overall felt that we could get this type of food at any other Indian restaurant. The service was really great. Our server was amazing and attentive. The restaurant has outdoor and indoor seating but we opted to sit inside since it was raining a bit. The restaurant is clean and spacious read more

Saffron - Menu - Indian Near Me - San Carlos, California

We usually get take out from Saffron but decided to pop in for dinner. Tbh the food is so much better when its piping hot. Flavors are amazing, the restaurant is very clean and the service was attentive and prompt. Really enjoyed our meal! Thank you Saffron! read more

Nice ambiance and good service. The menu and the taste of the food are good but nothing extraordinary. We ordered thaalis. For the price they charge, I was surprised that there was no appetizer or dessert in the thaali. Overall, I don't think this place is worth the price. read more

Came here for dinner and it was amazing!! We had made reservations through Resy and were seated promplty. Food - We ordered kale pakoras and tandoori paneer for appetizers. The tandoori paneer was so soft, literally melted in the mouth. The marination of the paneer and the bell peppers and onion was perfect, absolutely delicious. The kale pakoras were okay. For the entrees we got the jafrani malai kofta, dal makhani, garlic naan and rice. The malai kofta and dal makhani were absolutely delicious, super creamy and flavourful. Service - was so good!!!! Our server was so sweet, attentive and nice!! I cannot believe that we have not been here before. Absolutely loved this place and will definitely be back! read more

See all

beautiful ambiance and the service was also amazing :) definitely a go to when you're craving indian food. the food was high quality and filling - approved by my fiancé who's indian! only after visiting did i find out that this place is Michelin recommended and all i can say is - it makes sense! read more

Saffron - Indian Near Me - San Carlos, California

See all

Michelin Plate, small portion sizes, a bit overpriced, not spicy, and not too authentic. That's exactly how I like my Indian food in NorCal. I'm so fortunate that I live in a part of the country where no one seems to mind innovation and breaking away from the traditional norms when it comes to food. I got the lychee soda, the asparagus soup (soooo good), and the jafrani kofta curry with bread (exquisite with dates and cheese stuffed in potato croquettes in a tomato curry. read more

See all

Yummy! I've been wanting to try this place because it's so cute on the outside and of course love south Asian food. My friend and I went for dinner last night and loved it. We ordered the Veggie Biriyani and Jafrani Malai Kofta along with naan and each got one of their draft beers. Both dishes were so good. The kofta was better than a lot of places I've tried and the presentation of both dishes were beautiful. The biriyani was also so good and came with a side of raita and a chutney that had a good kick. The decor is so nice too. Loved the photos on the wall and the service was great. Will for sure be back. The brunch sounds good too. I'd try one of their cocktails next time for sure. Good amount of meat & veg options which is always nice. read more

The banana peppers - if you check older pictures on Yelp, there were 4 pieces, now they only give 3 pieces. Prices have increased and quantity has decreased. Butter chicken - Dont get fooled by the big serving plate, the plate is hollow and can only be filled up 50% of what its actual size it. This is kind of stealing imo, showing big containers which are only halfway full they way they are designed. read more

Saffron - Banana peppers - Instead of 4 you get only 3 even after they charge you 3% labor surcharge - Indian Near Me - San Carlos, California

See all

My go to stop for butter chicken and dal makhani. If you're craving Delhi style food- go here! They don't disappoint read more

Saffron - From bottom to top- Saffrons Daal Makhani Saffon's Famous Butter Chicken Seasonal Vegetable Masala Traditional Lamb Curry Garlic Naan - Indian Near Me - San Carlos, California

I'm writing a review after many years of dining at Saffron. I went in last night (October 5,2024). I was highly disappointed with the experience: service, food and ambiance. 1. First they asked me to sit outside with 85 F and no fan or any other cooling system. I decided to wait the long wait and finally got a table after 35 minutes (expected without reservation) 2. The restaurant was too loud and I could hear everybody but the server. 3. Then I learned that the restaurant had gone tapas style, less food for more money strategy. sorry didn't work well with my idea. 4. The paneer tikka is grilled paneer now. Wow! It should not be served then, please. 5. The food quantity has gone down with the ever increasing price. Yes it's business but be HONEST in what you do. I'm sure this was my last visit. I will not miss you Saffron. read more

Really good dining experience. Waiting staff had really good recommendations and service. Have recommended this place to friends and family looking for authentic Indian food. Looking forward to next visit with larger group. read more

I have been hearing of Saffron for years and finally got to go in a Tuesday afternoon for a team lunch, therefore no pictures of the food. It has been recently renovated and currently looks very Instagram friendly- the wall colors, decors, the serving dishes, even their outdoor setting looked pretty fancy. It wasn't super busy, I noticed a few orders packed up for pick-ups. The menu is pretty decent. We got the fried fish and paneer tikkas for appetizers. The portions are not very big, so keep that in mind when ordering. There were options for quite a few non-alcoholic drinks, everyone at the table ended up ordering and they were good. For the mains we ordered a couple chicken dishes, dal Makhani and the koftas. We were a little underwhelmed by the quantity of the koftas (only 2 in the entire bowl of curry) but the taste did make up for it, so not a big complaint. There aren't too many options for dessert, we ended up getting a plate of the gulab jamun which had 3 pieces. Overall, I recommend this restaurant for a nice, upscale setting and meal. read more

I just moved to the area and have been walking past this super cute place for the last week. It always had good music and looked insta-worthy. However I was a bit skeptical since it looked empty on most weekdays. We were catching up with a friend and I was thrilled when Saffron was suggested and I was told that this place was on the Michelin guide. The food here was solid. Everything was delicious, from the drinks to the garlic naan! I was quite surprised by the onion naan where the onions were literally stuffed inside the naan. It was great! read more

See all

Me and my cousin had stop by saffron to munch some easy to go meal. We had General tso cauliflower, chili chicken, rawa fried shrimp, chicken and lamb slider. Everything thing was very delicious. And service was top notch. Romeo and Suraj gave us excellent service and very friendly stuff. read more

Saffron - Indian Near Me - San Carlos, California

Discriminating against families with young children. Staff was extremely rude and asked us to "Silence your child or step out instead" when our two year old had been crying for all 5 minutes. Our son was having a bad evening because he was hungry and got impatient waiting for the food to arrive. Not only was no empathy offered from the staff, but they treated us and our child very inhumanely, under the "pretext of other customers having a problem" . On cross questioning which customers had raised a concern (only so we can apologize to them) they had no answer, sheepishly looking at each other and avoiding the question altogether. As a parent, it was extremely disappointing to see such an atmosphere at a restaurant which we had heard such good things about. This was possibly the worst dining experience we have had in the bay area, making us feel not included and disrespected. read more

Saffron is one of my new favorite Indian restaurants now! Came here on a Saturday night with a part of 4 and were seated right away. I had my dog with me so they were also able to accommodate outdoor seating. 5/5 Food: every curry was so good! I especially loved their fish curry and chicken tiki masala. I was excited to try the butter chicken because that's usually my favorite dish but the chicken in the butter chicken was super dry and hard...however the chicken in the tiki masala was very tender. We also got all the naans, I liked the roti the best. Overall everything was delicious. 4/5 Drinks: only con is that there isn't really much of a drink menu, no cocktails )-: I got the ice tea and one of their coolers, very refreshing. 5/5 Service: our waiters were so kind and attentive, amazing! Will definitely come back! read more

Saffron - Indian Near Me - San Carlos, California

See all

Great food but less variety. Less novelty but good presentation. Service is good and they will take care of you. Slightly on the expensive side but it is white cloth service. read more

Saffron - Amchuri Bhindi Masala, ONION NAAN, LAHSOONI SAAG PANEER - Indian Near Me - San Carlos, California