Saffron Restaurant — Restaurant in District of Canberra Central

My friends and I visited Saffron for lunch on a Friday and were absolutely impressed with the quality of the food and service we received. Elegantly appointed with quiet music in the background, the restaurant's appealing decor and ambience was a good sign of great things to come.

We ordered the Deluxe Banquet to share and received an exquisite selection of entrees and mains that we absolutely enjoyed. One of our friends is celiac; the level of attention to detail they gave her to ensure she received gluten-free alternatives made her feel seen and appreciated, and this is something that elevated not just her experience but ours.

The three dips we were served were made from hummus, carrot, and beetroot, along with baba ganoush, made from eggplant, and a more than generous amount of flatbread and bread to enjoy with it.

The dolmades was beautifully made; the kabak (zucchini fritters) firm with a delicate crunch, made even more savoury by that sensational garlic yoghurt sauce. Falafels, sausages, and sambusek (lamb mince in puff pastry) came out in quick succession. As someone who likes a good taboulleh, I was also quite pleased with the freshness and acidity of their salad.

We enjoyed all this with a bottle of Pinot Noir that was silky and elegant, and paired perfectly with the shis kababs (skewered lamb fillets) and insanely moist and flavourful tawook (skewered chicken breasts). My personal favourite, though, has to be the karides, those grilled king prawns, beautifully grilled and smokey; as someone who appreciates seafood, the prawns and calamari were just chef's kiss.

Each of these dishes were also introduced to us by the Saffron team who gave us insight into Lebanese culture and flavours. As someone of Lebanese descent, I appreciated how Saffron celebrates the region's ingredients and cultural heritage in Canberra.

Suffice it to say that by the time dessert was served–Turkish delight and a halva that I had almost completely to myself because the group was stuffed beyond belief–we were fully and thoroughly pleased with our experience.

For the quality of the food, the impeccable service, the lush interiors, and even the ease of parking, Saffron comes highly...

Edit (August ‘23): we tried the premium banquet option last night as a birthday treat and OMG you could have rolled me home.

Highlights were: the calamari (I’m always skeptical about calamari in Canberra but it was perfect) the hot entrees (each one deserves its own post, the felafel was super crisp on the outside and soft and moist inside, the sausage was aromatic and tender, the zucchini ball was also soft and fresh, and I don’t even know what the last one was but it smelled delicious and tasted as good as it smelled) the saffron rice (I desperately wanted to eat more of it but I was so full I was starting to disgrace myself with my efforts) the babaganoush (creamy, smoky, perfect) Martin’s hospitality, which is second to none.

The photos here are of the first 2 banquet courses. I forgot to snap the mains before we destroyed the platter 😂

Original: I've been coming here for years (actually since they were in Manuka under the old cinema). The food is always fantastic and the staff are consistently lovely. Martin (the owner) is an absolute gentleman, and he remembers the beer my husband drinks regardless of how long since we've been in. The tangines and the warm broadbeans are really delicious, and we always end up ordering entrees just because they're super tasty. A local gem...

Amazing-highly reccomend keep reading for extremely detailed review My hubby and I went here for date night 1830 on a saturday. Great time to come as it picks up quickly around 7/7:30

The food was very toothsome! The entire we had was the sambeusk, it came out quick and hot and the yougurt dipping sauce was bursting with flavour. Our mains also came out quickly with fantastic service. They were extremely well presented with a decent size plate, so you didn't have to worry about knocking any food off accidently. I ordered the mixed grill, which gives a taste of the tawook, shish kebab and kafta. It was delectable and upon my next visit I would order either the tawook or shish kebab as a whole or possible try the chicken tangine! We were surprise to be given a complimentry basket of bread too, which was very moreish. Dessert; the sticky date pudding did not dissapoint. MWA!! Delicious, great food, great service. Give it a try for something new...