SAFFRON INDIAN RESTAURANT AND BAR — Restaurant in Steamboat Springs

We ordered takeout from Saffron. It’s important at the start of this review that I highlight that we are from the UK, where we are absolutely spoiled for high quality Indian food.

There are two types of Indian restaurant outside of India - the first is often called “British Indian Restaurant” (“BIR”). This was popularised by the Bangladeshi diaspora, originally in the UK, but now spreading globally. They use a “base sauce” which is then amended with a couple of spices and ingredients to make different dishes, and finished with pre-cooked meat. The second type of restaurant is a more authentic restaurant with traditional dishes, and no base sauces. This is a BIR restaurant. There are some fantastic BIR restaurants, but this is one of the worst I’ve ever tried.

I ordered takeout - lamb vindaloo, rice, naan. I wanted to keep it simple to see the quality of this kitchen. I have a very high spice tolerance so ordered the vindaloo extra hot.

The vindaloo was not, by my standards, particularly spicy. The quality of the cooking was also particularly poor. The overriding flavour was raw Indian chilli powder - it had not been cooked into the base sauce at all. It was also incredibly sweet - perhaps amended for the American palate, but quite sickly in this dish.

The rice was poor. There was little separation in the grains - the kitchen either used too much water or left it to steam too long.

It is very difficult for naan to travel well. The naan was the highlight of this meal - despite the travel time of 15 mins or so it stayed fresh and warm and was well cooked. I was expecting it to be far worse and was pleasantly surprised.

I see all of the very positive reviews here. Either it was a bad night, or my standards for Indian food are different to American standards. I get it - in England we have terrible Mexican food so it’s easy to chuck around 5 stars for something mediocre. Indian food is rare, but increasing in America. If you didn’t have a good time at Saffron please do not write off one of the best and most complex cuisines in the world - this is not representative of what you can get elsewhere.

I really wanted to like this. Steamboat needs a good Indian restaurant....

Saffron is the best new restaurant in Steamboat. Just go. It’s worth ten stars!

QUALITY = Incredible. I ordered the Veggie Masala & Garlic Naan, a highly recommended and mega-delicious combo. Each bite tasted farm-to-table fresh, and PACKED with juicy, delectable, and savory flavors. Saffron’s approach to classic Indian fare demonstrates captivating innovation and expertise in their kitchen. I’m salivating at the thought of how good my dinner was as I’m typing this review. That’s just how superb the food at Saffron is. You have to try it to believe it! Hungry Steamboat skiers, snowboarders, cowboys, and cowgirls alike will love it. There’s something for everyone at Saffron, whether you’re trying Indian cuisine for the first time (plenty of mild/not-spicy options), or if you’re a connoisseur Desi cuisine, you will love your meal.

RESTAURANT = A relaxing, warm, and inviting ambiance. Sam not only took excellent care of my table, it was clear that he delighted in sharing the food lovingly prepared and served by his family at Saffron. Servers asked me “Do you feel good?” (which was refreshing and appropriate, because the food here is good for the belly and soul). They came over more than once. The staff had command of the dining room, and even as the restaurant filled up, each table received like-family attention. Bir, the owner/manager, came over to ask how I was enjoying my food. He explained how Saffron is new to Steamboat and thanked me for coming, saying “enjoy your meal!” All of the above, such enthusiasm is so rare and exceptional that it made the dining experience at Saffron that much more special.

BONUS THOUGHTS = The prices are reasonable (awesome!) and the portions are excellent. Vegans, vegetarians, health-conscious foodies rejoice because Saffron is the place to be! As a vegan, I have gravitated towards and eaten at countless Indian restaurants in top cities across the country. Saffron restaurant in Steamboat surpasses ALL. The quality of food, service, and the entire dining experince at this restaurant is absolutely stellar.

Dine here with confidence. Your mind and belly will be so glad you...

Saffron Indian - Steamboat, CO We very much enjoyed the Indian food here! Be aware, their spice levels come in: no spicy, mild, medium, hot, extra hot. We got both dishes hot, and we were on fire! 🔥 🐓Chicken Korma: nice, creamy sauce, with good chunks of chicken breast. I didn’t like that the picture on the website shows bone-in chicken, which is what we wanted, and it came with chicken breast instead. However, flavor wise it was good.

🍤Shrimp Kadhai: was a nice tomato-y gravy with onions, bell peppers and tomato chunks. Very different than the creamier Korma sauce, but in a good way. I liked the vegetables they weren’t overcooked.

🫓Butter Na’an: was perfect. Gosh we love good na’an and this was delicious. We were stuffed but kept trying to eat more!

🫓 Paratha: this one disappointed me greatly. Paratha js similar to a Chinese scallion pancake (minus the scallions) called 葱油饼. It’s flaky and a little chewy, but dense at the same time; flaky like a croissant but dense like na’an. Whenever I see it on a menu, I must order it. It takes me back to my childhood, as my grandma handmade these scallion pancakes 葱油饼. The picture on their website was nothing like what we got. The website showed paratha how it should be, rolled out flat with a snail like pattern. This was just…flat, dense bread, no ounce of flaky, which is everything Paratha should be. Very disappointing.

Overall, we loved it all except the Paratha, and perhaps the chicken breast instead of bone-in. Next time we plan to get extra butter na’an and try more dishes, but may opt to dine in so we can get clarity as the menu pictures don’t necessarily match...