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Saffron Grill
Category: Restaurants Indian Indian
1279 Fulton St(between Divisadero St & Scott St)
San Francisco, CA 94117
Neighbourhood: Western Addition/NOPA
(415) 567-5100
- Hours:
Tue-Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Lola B. said: "My husband and I love ordering in from this place every other week or so as a treat. We both get the Korma-E-Chicken, I order it "mild" though. The chicken is tender and the sauce is very, very good. I also order their dessert, the…" read more »
234 reviews for Saffron Grill
Review Highlights
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"The chicken tikka masala was delicious." In 36 reviews -
"Standouts were definitely samosas and garlic naan." In 22 reviews -
"This is a very quaint family-run restaurant." In 13 reviews
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- A Yelpy Insight: Vegetarians go nuts for this spot. See more places they like.
234 reviews in English
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Review from Taís C.
San Francisco, CA
4/23/2012
Try the chicken soup with lemon. The best combination of flavor I've ever had in a soup...it is simple perfect... I also loved the garlic naan, Lamb curry and Saag Panner....everything was great.
I live one block from this retaurant and I've never noticed it there. I'll definitely come back soon.
The place is small though...however, it makes it intimate and cozy... -
Review from Candice H.
San Francisco, CA
4/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
It wasn't until this place, did I truly enjoy chicken and Indian food. Must have:
complimentary thing crisp bread (don't know what it's called but the sauces....:::drool:::)
-somosa
-garlic naan
-Anything chicken - seriuosly, I never used to eat chicken in any meal and this stuff is so damn tender
-Anything lamb - delicious
-Saag paneer - FYI, this was the only dish I used to order at an indian restaurant. Thanks to the B-F, I have now tried many other items. I let him order, but this is amazing too.
Also - the girl, the owner's daughter??? SHE IS HILARIOUS and so welcoming. The BOMB if we ever still used that term this day in age.
Best in the BAY! -
Review from Janna M.
4/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
They have a vegan menu! By that I mean a printed and laminated list of menu items that comprise a whole 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper, not a server who can recite one or two dairy free-options. Amazing!
Lest you worry that the options are plenty but the fare is lacking, I can assure you that this isn't the case. The food is beautifully prepared and delicious. The baseline level of spiciness is not that hot, but I imagine they'd turn up the heat a bit (or a lot) if asked.
As others have noted, the space is teeny. Get takeout or go on off hours, or you'll be waiting around for awhile. -
Review from Konrad P.
San Francisco, CA
5/24/2012
Quaint. Simple. Good. You have to sit close to other customers. Yes, feels like fam. No seriously though it's a great spot and the food is good. When they say spicy they actually mean spicy. Not kill-you/ prove-you-are-a-real-man-yearning-for-colon-cancer spicy, but they bring the heat within reason. Nevermind, spicy is really tough to convey over Yelp. I liked the Korma and the Saag Ghosht (sp?).
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Review from George A.
3/5/2012
This place is a few blocks from my house, but I have no clue where it's at exactly (this review is based off a delivery order). I'm sure I've been by it quite a few time though, but even by looking at signage in the pictures posted here I don't recognize the place.
Anywho, me & my roommates, got delivery from here and I thought it was pretty good. When it comes to Indian food I'm pretty game for anything so I let one of the roomies handle the order. We ordered a lentil dish, a lamb dish, and two chicken curries (one of which I know was tikka masala).
I thought everything was good, but nothing really stood out. I wouldn't say the food is bland, but when I eat Indian food I expect a LOT flavor & spice, and I just didn't get that from anything at Saffron Grill. The lentil dish in particular was lacking, and all though I thought the two chicken dishes were good I could hardly tell the difference between the tikka masala and the other one we ordered (I honestly don't remember which dish it was). Probably my favorite curry we ordered was the lamb (I'm pretty sure it was the vindaloo). The meat was tender and the spices seemed a LITTLE more distinct than the chicken dishes.
Since Saffron Grill is close to my house I would probably get food from there again (the prices are adequate as well). However, if I was with a group of people who really wanted to get Indian food, and didn't mind venturing out to get it, I would probably choose someplace else. -
Review from Taylor C.
San Francisco, CA
2/5/2012
This is one of my favorite Indian restaurants in the Bay Area. It's a little on the pricey side otherwise I'd eat there a couple a times a week. It's a cozy , family run joint around the corner from Alamo Square. They also deliver!
The veggie samosas are fresh and spicy. A lot of cheaper places in the Mission use frozen samosas, but Saffron Grill makes theirs from scratch.
Amazing chutney. Enjoyed the Navratan Korma, but wished the sauce was a little thicker. The keema naan (w/ spicy lamb) also stood out. Oh and I adore their rice pudding. I dream about it and wake up craving it. -
Review from Mark i.
San Francisco, CA
2/18/2012
+3 stars for very tasty Samosas, very light and tasty Saag Paneer.
+2 For great service. Very friendly.
It's a tiny place, so adjust your expectations accordingly. -
Review from Bhavin M.
San Francisco, CA
4/13/2012
Picked up samosa, chicken kabob and chole - everything was super fresh! Unreal for an Indian place - place has completely earned its 4* rating. Samosas are hand-made at the restaurant - not ordered from somewhere else and reheated, which is typical Indian restaurant tactic. And the prices were also reasonable!!
Good, casual place - w/ above casual quality! :) -
Review from Ryan T.
San Francisco, CA
4/4/2012
Ever notice how most yelp review are more about the reviewer than the food itself?
Saffron Grill is very tasty. Try the butter chicken and pakora. -
Review from Jameson B.
San Francisco, CA
5/7/2012
OK at best. Butter Chicken was uninspired. Sag Paneer was fresh, but only moderately spiced. Also, $28 is a bit much for two dishes, rice & naan.
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Review from kelly g.
San Francisco, CA
5/4/2012
Wanted to eat their food but.....they won't deliver more than 1.5 miles.
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Review from Ross H.
San Francisco, CA
12/1/2011
The only Indian food spot in the area. They do it right. Samosas are amazing. Naan is fresh baked all the time. The spices are wonderful.
I've never dined in, as I've had the luxury of walking a few blocks to get here. The ambiance inside is tiny. Very intimate. I would take the right person or people here for a mellow dinner.
The prices are a bit high, but the food is great quality.
If the prices were lower I'd go 5 stars in a heartbeat. -
Review from Nicole N.
San Jose, CA
2/19/2012
They closed an hour earlier than their stated time.
So my boyfriend and I trekked up to the city to celebrate Valentines Day tonight (Saturday) since we weren't able to do it on the 14th. We were both super jazzed about having Indian food and that this place got such good reviews. We called ahead to make a reservation at 9, and the employee my boyfriend spoke to said that a reservation would not be needed and to just come.
So after our parking adventure, we didn't get to the restaurant til about 9:30, however they immediately turned us away, stating that they were closed. We mentioned that Yelp said they were open for another hour plus their own website says they are open til 11 on Saturdays. The only response they gave was a shrug and that "it just happens."
Whatever their reason was for closing early, it has left an unfortunate first (and only) impression of their restaurant for me. -
Review from Andy C.
San Francisco, CA
3/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is a small and friendly Indian restaurant located on Fulton near Alamo Square Park. I usually prefer frequenting Indian buffets for ~$10-12, but this place really makes me reconsider since you can actually taste the superior quality of the dishes. We came here around 8:30 PM on a Thursday night and the restaurant was nearly full. We were promptly seated and served complimentary papadum (thin slightly spicy Indian crackers) with two different chutneys (one sweet one spicy). We shared the chicken tikka masala (boneless chicken in a garlic and tomato sauce) and lamb korma (boneless lamb in a creamy cashew, raisins and saffron sauce), with side orders of garlic naan and rice. Wow you can actually tell they use high quality ingredients with a specific emphasis on tenderness and freshness. The chicken and lamb were extremely tender while the curries melded perfectly with the rice and naan. I especially loved the creamy cashew sauce in the lamb korma and couldn't get enough of it! The portion sizes were definitely generous enough to share. Service was very attentive without interfering with your conversation. Lastly, remember to make reservations if you plan to come with a larger group since it doesn't look like this place seats more than 20-25. All in all, the prices are on the higher side for the typical SF Indian restaurant, but I would consider returning here every once in awhile for quality Indian food. Wavered between 3 and 4 stars, but rounded up due to the superior quality.
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Review from Steph M.
San Francisco, CA
10/29/2011
This is a cute little restaurant, very cozy. We were impressed by the delicious aloo gobi and garlic naan, although the chicken tikka masala was a little bland.
Maybe we're ruined by the cheap Indian food in the Mission, but the bill surprised us. Two entrees, beers and naan is over $50?
But seriously, order the aloo gobi. I nearly licked the plate. -
Review from Stephen H.
San Francisco, CA
10/5/2011
What a nice, homey-feeling surprise (homey as in like home, not d. clown). Saffron's a great neighborhood Indian restaurant with a warm feel inside, shared with other comfort-food appreciators and Indian food lovers.
We got the fish curry and lamb sag, both quite good, paired with garlic naan and roti (which were fairly average - my fiance makes just as good ones). Our friends got the chicken tikka masala, which I would say were a little above average. If I ever feel like a casual Indian, this is where I'll go. -
Review from Gretchen B.
San Francisco, CA
8/20/2011
Awesome find!
As others have said, Saffron is a really tiny restaurant. But it's worth the wait if necessary (I didn't have to wait at all early one Saturday evening). 3 friends and I went and possibly ordered everything on the menu.
We tried lots of different breads - get the combo basket! The saag paneer and other veggie dish we had were also delicious.
Overall, the restaurant has a very family feel - like you've gone to your Indian family's house for dinner -- that, paired with that bread basket is why I'll be back! -
Review from Jack B.
San Francisco, CA
2/13/2012
Two Words: Food Poisoning.
I went there with 5 friends on Friday night. We had each been there before, and the food was great and nobody got sick. However, after our meal last Friday night each and every one of us got food poisoning.
The sad thing is, the food tastes great. But not good enough to warrant the chance of getting poisoning.
Oh, and also, the amount of chicken in their chicken dishes was lacking for a $12-$13 meal.
They are nice and the food is good...but I wish:
1. They put more meat in the dishes
2. They not get me sick -
Review from diya g.
Los Gatos, CA
2/7/2012
I have tried a lot of indian restaurants in the city. Saffron grill was pretty good- Liked the ambiance-quiet and cozy. I am genereally frightened of ordering tikka masalas in indian restaurants here- but i was quite pleased with what they served- it was adequately rich and i could taste the fresh tomatoes.
And the samosas were pretty good too.
Alu gobi was pretty good- but nothing extraordinary. I was deeply disappointed with their plain naan. But overall i would go back and try their other items on the menu.
And yes it is a little pricey. -
Review from Tiffany N.
Denver, CO
3/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Sir Nicholas and I recently enjoyed dinner at this tiny, hole-in-the-wall-ish restaurant. The ambiance feels like you might be dining in a friend's family home, and the quality of the food also has that same homemade goodness to it. The service is overwhelmingly friendly and when they say things will be spicy rest assured they are very much so telling you the truth.
We started with the Assorted Appetizer which included samosas (puff pastries filled with potatoes sweat peas, herbs and spices and vegetable pakora (mixed vegetable fritters coated with garbanzo beans batter) and both were great. My main dish however stole the show. I had an order of Chicken Vindaloo that was beautifully spicy, burning my mouth in a delightful way and causing me to break out in a little bit of sweat.
They have good naan as well, and a couple of particularly interesting versions including one filled with lamb and another filled with nuts, raisins, and cherries. We tried both at our table and the second one was almost like eating a dessert. Overall Saffron Grill was quite a nice option for an affordable Indian dinner and I would easily go back again.Listed in: Western Addition/NOPA, Eating Indian Food in San…
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Review from Richard H.
San Francisco, CA
8/22/2011
A cozy restaurant with very yummy food. They deliver which is great, although a trip to the restaurant is much more fun. The portion sizes are decent - and I have pretty much loved any dish I have ordered.
The real star of the restaurant is Rita, though. She is so much fun, a little bit spunky - and a perfect host for this place. Don't miss it - you really feel like you have walked into someone's house for dinner and end up having a great time. -
Review from Marin P.
San Francisco, CA
9/4/2011
Even though I get Indian food delivered to my house often, I've only been to the nearby Saffron Grill once in the last two years since I moved into the Nopa area. After getting some take out the other day, I'm reminded why.
We ordered the Channa Masala, Chicken Coconut Curry and the Sag Lamb and most were disappointing. The chicken curry was pretty good actually but the masala and lamb were under seasoned, bland and there were only a few pieces of lamb. Considering that this place is pretty pricey for what you get, I was expecting much more.
Bland, overpriced Indian food is one thing, but me and my dinner-mate got really sick that night and the next day. I'm talking my-stomach-is-in-so-much-pain-that-I'd-rather-not- have-it sick due to this food.
Maybe I'll give it another shot in a few years -
Review from Cynthia R.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 5/31/2011
Last weekend I ordered dinner to go from the Saffron Grill. It was excellent and just confirmed to me how much I love this place. I had Saag Paneer, Samosas, Rice, Naan and Riata.
Again, the paneer was super fresh and the saag was really different than I am used to. Not as creamy and the ingredients tasted more distict than most paneers. Loved the onion in it.
Naan cooked to perfection and fresh raita. They give you a lot of rice so that you can make 2 or three meals out of your one entree. The food tasted even better the next day.
Everything was nicely packaged and ready to go when I got there.
Please Saffron Grill.... Add Paneer Tikka Korma to your menu and I'll never go to another Indian restaurant in the city. Or offer it as a special and let me know. I'll be there.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/25/2011
I had dinner there for the first time and had a really nice meal. The service was great. They were… Read more »
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Review from Leo K.
4/16/2011 9 Check-ins Here
This place is the best. Their food already starts off pretty spicy, but I'm a world champion spicy-food-eater, so whenever I go, I demand that the chef make my dish "so spicy that my kid's kids start sweating." The matriarch of the place always obliges.
One time, my roommates decided to give their orders an ultra spicy kick. No one could eat more than 2 or 3 spoonfuls of their dish before tapping out. I ended up finishing all their food as they sat there, looking bitter and sweating like they were sitting in a Russian bathhouse.Listed in: Restaurants
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Review from Jenee Y.
San Francisco, CA
8/17/2011
I live just a couple blocks from this place and walk by it all the time. I finally ate here with my boyfriend a couple weeks ago and regretted not coming here sooner. The food was delicious! The naan was tasty and not too thin. The tandoori chicken was moist and had just the right amount of marinade on it and the curry prawns were amazing! Be sure to get a mango lassi if you have a sensitive stomach for Indian food!
Note: if you plan on coming during peak dinner hours, especially on the weekend, prepare for very slow service. The food is still amazing and worth the wait! -
Review from Miss B.
San Francisco, CA
7/14/2011
I love that the restaurant is a small, friendly business, but ultimately my dinning experience resulted in disappointment.
I can't remember the names of our apps because I left those up to my bf, however, one of them involved meat and when it was served to us it was barely lukewarm. We weren't sure if the dish was intended to be served cold or hot (not a good sign), but the temperature made us both pass on eating the possibly "left out for a long time" tempered meat.
Unfortunately, when our entrees arrived we were served lukewarm seek kabob. Room temperature meat again, bah! I chose mattar paneer for my main and found the sauce to be too thin for my taste. Some may prefer a thinner sauce, if you do... this is your place. Overall the dinner was a flop. -
Review from Jessica P.
San Francisco, CA
5/15/2011
Amazing Indian food with spunky service. If you like it hot, you can get it here! It's my fav and go-to India restaurant in the city. They also do delivery and take out.
I've been impressed with all the dishes I've ordered: Veg Samosas, Chicken Achar, Aloo Gobi, Yellow Dal, Channa Masala, Chicken Tikka Masala, Veg/Chicken Biryani, Chicken Vindaloo. The nan, roti and parathas are also top notch. You can't go wrong.
Get a mago lassi to cool off your taste buds.... mmmmmmmm... I am now leaving to go eat here again! -
Review from Michael B.
Manhattan, NY
6/6/2011
Saffron Grill is small, family-owned (I think), and very intimate (in a good way). The whole place only seats like 20 or 25 people total.
The free appetizers were great: some thin crunchy bread and 2 different sauces. The entrees were really good also, and our waitress was very friendly. -
Review from donal c.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 2/21/2011
I ordered take-out a couple of nights ago, from Saffron Grill, via GrubHub.
After my previous experience at the restaurant, I was looking forward to a satisfying meal. I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala, and the Tandoori Shrimp. The online ordering process was very easy, the delivery was prompt, and the delivery guy was courteous & friendly. However, the food was TERRIBLE! The Tandoori Shrimp comprised a few shrimp doused in some anonymous spices, and the Chicken Tikka Masala - normally one of my favorites - was bland, verging on the inedible. Very disappointing, all the more so because I had such a positive experience eating in at the restaurant.
My hope is that the take-out meal is not the same (for whatever reason) as what is served in the restaurant. (Another cause of the "GrubHub Curse" -- all my ordering experiences through GrubHub, while ideal for such an Internet-savvy geek as myself, have been disappointing food experiences.) So -- so more take-out. I will try the restaurant again, though now I am fairly apprehensive...1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/15/2011
I have a new local favorite Indian place...! Saffron Grill is in the neighborhood, and it's a place… Read more »
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Review from Jenn L.
Irvine, CA
8/30/2011
Not sure why this place got 4 stars on Yelp..very misleading.
I was really excited to come here since I am a big fan of Indian food but the experience was just an overall disappointment.
The restaurant is very small and they are very short staffed so service definitely suffered. The food took a while to come out.
The vegetable samosas finally arrived and were really good. Awesome flavor and great texture.
The dishes we ordered were bland and had a weird puree-ed consistency. We had ordered the chicken coconut curry, chicken vindaloo, and potatoes and onions in masala sauce...I have had much better at Indian restaurants in Orange County and San Diego. -
Review from Linda C.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 8/29/2011 4 Check-ins Here
This place has gone downhill. It was one of my favorite places. The service, efficiency, well-trained, and hard work people seem to be missing now.
Funny thing is that they are the same owners cooking here! Only exception is that the hostess/waitress (daughter of owner) is missing since her child has been born. You now see the laziness and efficiency of those remaining and newly hired in the front.
When we arrived, we were seated and waited over 5 minutes to get menus. We had to waive the waitress down to get our orders in when we were ready. We did not get water or asked what we would like to drink when order was taken. We received our water 10-15 minutes later. We waited 45 minutes for our entrees. Wow! This place has always been busy, so I can not say that's the reason we got our food so late or the scattered brains of the front. We have been here numerous times and had no issues before.
Menu have changed and there are no longer combo meals. So sad! People who had take-out orders ended up waiting for an additional 20 minutes when they arrived. That really does not make sense to me. I wouldn't even go to the restaurant until the allotted time the restaurant has indicated the food will be ready for pick-up.
Our food was lukewarm (chicken vindaloo, fish masala, basmati rice). Only dish that was hot was the garlic naan. I also see that the people in the front do not know how to multi-task with various tables. I have been a waitress and even know better than this. The front are obviously not well-trained or seasoned restaurant front people.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/14/2010
This is one of the best Indian restaurants I've been to in SF! The restaurant says it is northern… Read more »
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Review from Chanel M.
San Francisco, CA
8/23/2011
Total gem. Best Indian food this side of town.
Love their Sag Paneer and Lamb Vindaloo. Pass on the Chana Masala.
Good service too. And they deliver! -
Review from Dom and jazz C.
San Francisco, CA
1/7/2012
I'm having a hard time understanding the high reviews for this place, this is by far the worst, most disgusting Indian food I have ever eaten. Everything we ordered was bland and the portions were extremely small. We ordered the chicken tikka masala and the veggie korma. Both were watery and in need of any type of spice or flavor.
I'd recommend passing on this place, there are better, cheaper Indian places in the city. -
Review from Daniel B.
San Francisco, CA
12/16/2011
This place does awesome Indian, and they have a secret vegan menu. Love it!
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Review from Alana R.
Berkeley, CA
3/11/2012
I'm new to SF and after living in Berkeley for 5 years I didn't think I would find a yummy Indian restaurant, but I did. Delish, fresh and NOT greasy! I have eaten at a lot of Indian places and while they might be cheap they were also greasy. Food was flavorful and service was great. Best of all is down the street from me. Will go again for sure.
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Review from Adie T.
San Francisco, CA
1/1/2012
I always have my order to go: the restaurant is very cramped. But the food is great!
My go-to place for comfort food: Butter chicken, raita and Naan - never go wrong! -
Review from Canadianne R.
San Francisco, CA
1/1/2012
What a secret gem of the city. An Indian Family restaurant with charm and delicious food. The Indian food is the best in SF, but then the waitress (daughter) has a wonderful personality - she really leverages the experience to perfection. I totally heart them. If you like a warm environment with and spicy Indian food, this is your place.
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Review from Lilia M.
San Francisco, CA
4/7/2011
We've gotten take-out from here a few times and it's been great every time. (Sidenote: kind of grossed out with myself that I say "we" in almost every review I've done).
My usual is the Prawn Masala combo which comes with rice, Naan, and rice pudding. I possibly have the lowest tolerance in the world for any kind of spice, and this Prawn Masala dances a savory line of just the right amount of heat and too much heat. I guess that means if you really love the spicy stuff, it won't be hot enough for you, or I suppose you could just ask for it to be hotter than the norm.
Any time I almost get into a death match with my significant other over the last piece of Naan means that it must be really good shit or we're just a couple of fatties. I'm inclined to believe it is a combination of the two.
I was, however, pretty disappointed with my last order because they were out of yogurt and thus couldn't make me a Mango Lassi. Like, really disappointed. It's still too soon; I don't think I can talk about it anymore. -
Review from Libra J.
San Francisco, CA
12/7/2010
FIVE STARS YOU ROCK. when i type in best indian food in sf this claims the place. it truly is the indian food in san francisco that is prepared cooked and served with LOVE.
other words to describe saffron grill:
intimate.
spicy.
entertaining.
warm.
wholesome.
relaxed.
= the best place to eat the best food. what are you waiting for?! -
Review from Natasha R.
San Francisco, CA
11/2/2010
A successful hole in the wall has cheap and delicious food at the sacrifice of ambiance. I personally am a big fan of such mom and pop places serving authentic ethnic cuisine. Saffron certainly fit the bill with its dingy small interior and six tables.
Sadly the food was a total flop. Not only is everything overpriced for this caliber of a restaurant, but the curry wasn't spicy at all, had a watered down consistency, and the portions were on the small side.
Mike T.'s review is spot on. If you can't do a decent Chicken Tikka Masala, its not a good sign.
