Saffron Indian Cuisine — Restaurant in New York

Ok, so Indian cuisine is one of the few cuisines that make me very, very nervous because I don't know much about it beyond that sometimes it smells scary and I can't really handle foods that are insanely spicy.

Came here on Saturday for dinner with my boyfriend, Indian food is one of his favorite (if not all-time favorite!) cuisines and we have yet to do Indian food together - seeing as it was his birthday weekend and I aim to please we decided to dive in headfirst at this new place near his apartment.

First off let's talk decor, this place is beautiful without being intimidating or trying too hard. Dim light's, dark red walls, interesting light fixtures, warm accents - there was definitely a lot of heart put into making this place look nice, but not bougie. This place is definitely a no brainer for a date, event/special occasion dinner, family outing, etc.

Now, service - the hostess sat us down only after our table was spic and span. She was friendly, gracious and with the restaurant not being empty - very well put together. Our waiter was super sweet, attentive and totally helpful as to what was super spicy versus what was mild and ok for someone who's taste buds are not as resilient, lol.

We didn't get to drink here because they're still waiting for their liquor license, but I saw from other Yelp reviews that they are temporarily BYOB for now, so I will definitely make sure we go back to take advantage of that :D.

Our meal began with complimentary crunch bread and ordered an appetizer to split. We went with the Chicken Palak Bhaja which were essentially crispy, flavorful chicken fritters (battered with gram flour) that were served with a plum colored sauce and (very) mildly spicy creamy green sauce which was delicious ad I could make out notes of cucumber and mint.

Before bringing out my entree our waiter brought us some creamy raita sauce which is also a creamy, cucumber based sauce mixed with yogurt and very reminiscent of tzatziki sauce, but I thought it was much tastier and richer.

For entrees I ordered their Kerala Pepper Chicken (chicken sautéed in black pepper and lemon juice in a rich gravy) with white biryani rice. It was made to be as mild as possible according to my specifications and served with more raita.

It was spicy (as I knew it would be with the inclusion of black pepper) but it was truly delicious, super flavorful, made with delicious spices and the chicken was tender white meat - my favorite :).

The Indian-food lovin' boyfriend ordered either the Chicken Curry or the Kadai Chicken - he liked it a lot. Ordered it to be spicy and felt that although he could handle the spicy (I tried it, twas' delish but SPICY AS HELL!!!) he wished that the spicy-factor didn't overwhelm the flavor. But overall he seemed pleased with his food and ate much more than I did.

My serving was a lot coupled with the complimentary crunchy bread and him having ordered Potato Kulcha bread and me getting Cheese Kulcha naans. I do wish they would have given us more rice. The biryani coupled with the raita and naans is what helped me come to terms with surviving my (delicious) spicy meal.

After our plates were cleared we were given a free bread pudding to share - I can't find it on their menu so I can't go into what ingredients they were using, but it was really delicious! Not too thick, tasted a but like a creamy, vanilla bean gelato and was sweet without being disgustingly so - twas' a perfect way to cap a great dinner!

The food here was fantastic and a wonderful introduction to Indian food! Great apps, mild chicken dishes with biryani, great breads made in their tandoor oven, awesome free ice pudding, reasonable prices, excellent service - we both really enjoyed our time here and I definitely hope to return to try something new for dinner or take advantage of their 40% off lunch special (from 10am-3pm, I think).

Saffron Indian Cuisine is a much welcome addition to the...

Hello there,

I would like to take the time to share the wonderful experience I had my first time ordering food from this totally awesome restaurant! I would like to point out that my neighbors recommended me to Saffron! I am taking about MULTIPLE neighbors who were so hooked on the delicious food and amazing service! I was starving today and decided to give it a try. I called to get my food delivered at my house. Upon calling, the kindest gentleman by the name of SAIFUL is the one who took my order. I told him that I am a first time client and that I was recommended by all my neighbors who were beyond satisfied with this incredible place! He was extremely delighted to hear the compliments and then proceeded with my order. Since I love spicy food I went for my all time favorite Lamb Vindaloo! I really appreciated that though SAIFUL felt I was very familiar with Indian food he still kindly gave me heads up that dish in particular was spicy. He was extremely professional, very amicable and beyond kind! Since I’m such a foodie I’ve asked him about the portion of the rice and he offered an extra one on the house! Now that’s what I call top notch service! He followed my instructions meticulously and gave me a time frame of when my food would get delivered. I had to ask his name as I couldn’t wait to taste that food but most importantly give the greatest review as he truly deserves all the praise and recognition!!!!! As I expressed to him, I never fail to leave a review when I am satisfied with a service! His kindness truly made my day and surely speaks volumes on the overall professionalism and awesomeness of Saffron restaurant! When my food arrived, I was almost in tears to notice that SAIFUL not only gave me that extra rice but also offered some mango lassi on the house and some kind of vanilla ice cream. He truly surpassed my expectations and standards! Now I see why all my neighbors keep ordering from Saffron and highly recommended for me to give it a try! Great food, great service, and mind you this was a takeout!!! I can only imagine how amazing my experience would be when I will dine in! I honestly cannot wait! I also love that my delivery came with a little beautiful pamphlet of their restaurant! Literally giving me ideas of my next order already! The lamb chops I see on the pamphlet look mouthwatering! All in all I really would like to thank SAIFUL for his hospitality and kindness! I sincerely appreciate the undeniable great service! As promised, I had to drop a few words for this business to keep growing! I will more than definitely recommend all my friends to Saffron! A great business is always recognized word to mouth! I cannot thank my neighbors enough for recommending me to my new go to Indian restaurant! I’ve attached below a picture of the little souvenir I took from this experience!!!! Namely SAIFUL!!!!! Thank you for this wonderful service SAIFUL!!! You and the whole team at Saffron restaurant rock!!!!! Cannot wait to dine in with all my friends!!!!🥳 Thank you 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 Kindest...

Do not trust the high ratings of this restaurant. They asked for a review before we even received our food, and were offering free drinks in exchange for positive reviews. That alone is a huge red flag — it likely explains their misleadingly high online ratings, which do not reflect their actual service or hygiene standards

My Friend’s Experience:

I was dining with my friend who was visiting from Texas. They had ordered several items, including Mutton Biryani. While eating, they found hair strands in the biryani. My friend calmly called over the server (Moinul) and asked about it. Instead of addressing it professionally, the server rudely said, “How would I know?” My friend asked him to check with the chef. He returned several minutes later with no apology, simply saying the biryani would be taken off the bill.

We then asked to speak with the manager (Rahyan), which made things even worse. He was extremely rude, refused to take any responsibility, and falsely claimed that all staff wear hair bands (none of them did). Then, unbelievably, he tried to blame my friend, saying it could have been their own hair — a completely inappropriate and offensive accusation.

When my friend rightfully pushed back, the manager threatened to call the police. My friend told him to go ahead. The manager pretended to call, but never actually did — so my friend ended up calling 911 directly. The dispatcher said they would send someone, but since it was not a priority issue, we waited nearly two hours before needing to leave due to travel commitments.

While we were waiting, they sent a woman who claimed to be a manager to try to defuse the situation. My friend told her they were willing to pay for the entire bill, including the biryani, if the restaurant would just offer a sincere apology. She relayed the message, but the manager came back yelling loudly, still refusing to apologize, and continued to blame my friend.

To avoid further escalation, my friend insisted on paying for the biryani anyway — just to be clear they were not seeking a free meal, only basic respect and accountability.

Staff involved: • Owner: Saif • Server: Moinul • Manager: Rahyan

This was an incredibly disrespectful, unhygienic, and unprofessional experience. The staff showed zero customer care, and their practice of manipulating reviews with incentives is deeply dishonest. If you care about food safety, customer service, or simply being treated with respect — avoid this place...