I went here for a quick lunch with my son, and I feel like I got completely ripped off. Plus, there is no bathroom even for paying customers, which made for a very uncomfortable eat-in lunch. I ordered the lunch special with keema and channa masala (chickpeas) and an order of tandoori chicken to share. I asked specifically for all dark meat (drumsticks, thighs and wings) and was told that all dark meat was no problem. I asked twice to make sure, since I don't like white meat. If you pay with a credit card, you are presented with a screen which forces you to choose a tip. I don't think tips are required in self-service restaurants where you order from a counter and take your own food to the table. I bypassed the tip and got a nasty look. The keema (which was made with chicken and not beef or lamb as I expected) was completely tasteless. The channa masala was equally bland, with a small amount of chickpeas in a horrible watery sauce and did not taste fresh. The rice was also old and stale tasting. But the worst was the tandoori chicken. Despite having asked for dark meat twice and being assured I would get it, I got a few miserable small pieces of absolutely dry, reheated, tasteless white meat chicken. I am almost certain it was not made in a tandoor, it was simple spiceless roast chicken reheated in a microwave. It might have been sitting for days or reheated several times before it was eventually served. It was inedible. Really disgusting. The total with two sodas was $27. The amount of food was not sufficient, and the $13 charged for a few tiny pieces of dry, reheated chicken, which barely came to a few bites of meat, was a shameless cheat. (Like Woody Allen's joke...the food was terrible, and such small portions!) You are far better off going to Aahar in the neighborhood, which has a superb lunch, or Sheezan, which has far tastier food. You will get a much better lunch for the same or less money, and your food will at least be edible. You have been warned. Don't listen to the morons who praise this place, because you could feed them wet cardboard and they would think they were eating good Indian food. read more

Visited for the first time yesterday for a work lunch and was really impressed! Lunch special with fresh naan and tasty curries. I added the lentil dish for an extra $2, bringing my total to $13 and it was well worth it for a hearty meal. read more

The service and price during their lunch special were exceptional. $9.80 including tax for 1 chicken entree, 2 vegetable options, rice, and a huge portion of naan. The only reason I gave this place 3 stars is because the food was incredibly bland. I had to add extra spices just to expose the flavors. I might come back to give it another try, but honestly it was difficult to enjoy. read more

A Saffron Thread - Look at the size of the naan in comparison to the box! - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

Took a walk to see what the hype was about and figured I'd pick something up to go, cos let's be honest, no one likes to sit in a restaurant and come out smelling like the food. I LOVE Indian food but could never go sit to eat because i'd come back to the office as if I were in the kitchen! Well NOT THIS PLACE! Soon as I ordered I decided to stay. The Naan bread was perfect and not as THICK as other places , it was more airy and HUGE! The shrimp curry was DELICIOUS and not at all heavy which you would think with a curry, but this sauce was nice and light but still VERY flavorful. The portion (there were at least 8 JUMBO shrimps in my order) was enough that I was able to leave HALF to eat the next day (but there was a homeless lady right on the corner with a hungry sign so I asked her if she wanted it and mentioned it was Indian and she LIT UP and says OMG YES I LOVE INDIAN- so much for lunch tomorrow!! THAT'S how generous the portions are) I will absolutely be ordering/ eating from here again. read more

Run down, sure. Not quite a restaurant and more of a take-out place, sure. Don't let that deter you. The book on the cover is deceiving. It's what's inside that matters or should I say the food on the inside that matters. Here's what good: the food. It's not just good, its surprisingly superb. I recommend getting the platter, you can choose one chicken/meat and two veggie dishes and it comes with rice (have your main dish poured over rice) and some of the best naan that I have had: fluffy, the right amount of oil and slight crispiness--simply blissful and will put you on cloud nine when dipped in their curry sauce. Oh and the [naan] piece that I was served was almost bigger than my face. What's better is that you get all that for $9. Yup, you heard that right. The dishes I had 1) Chicken Curry, what wasn't to like. Solid curry sauce, the right amount of spices with a little kick and the chicken was super tender. It was solid and tasty all the way out and compliments the naan perfectly. Someone knows what they are doing in the kitchen. Yum! 2) Vegetable Zalfrazie, which is described as fresh sauteed mixed veggies cooked with exotic spices. The description didn't disappoint. Think of an array of veggies playing in a pool of curry / exotic spice sauce, also with a little kick. It was almost as good as the Chicken Curry and made for a great supplement. If you can look past the somewhat rundown interior and the lack of seating ala restaurant style, you are in for a treat. This place is a hidden gem. If you work in TriBeCa or you are in the area, I strongly recommend this place for dinner or lunch. The $9 special is all day everyday, the only thing that changes are dishes in the buffet that you choose amongst to come with the platter. This place is a hidden gem and you won't find a better deal, certainly for Indian food of this caliber. I'm pretty sure I'm not only going back but because I work in Tribeca, I will make Saffron Thread a weekly tradition. :) Also, I read reviews that the lady at the counter/register was rude. I didn't find this to be the case at all. Just the opposite actually; she could tell I was a Saffron newbie and took the time to explain each dish and how the platter system worked. She was very friendly and carried a smile on her face. read more

This is a good quick Indian restaurant. I have been here twice. The first time I ordered from the pre-cooked food near the register - and the food was just ok. I felt like it wasn't spicy enough and was missing ingredients. The second time, I ordered off of the menu and the food was much better and fresher. During my second trip, I asked for *spicy* shrimp... the owner suggested that I order the Goan Shrimp Curry. It was tasty and *almost* there for my palate, but missed the mark. It wasn't nearly spicy enough for me, so they gave me some green chilis to add to the dish. However the shrimp in the meal were huge - full of meat - very impressive! Probably the highlight. I'm just NOT ok with 95% of Indian restaurants in Manhattan (and even Brooklyn and Queens for that matter) that kowtow to Anglo palates and tastes. I know that the food should be MUCH hotter - in order to taste the nuance and complexity of the variety of spices. I understand assimilation, but seriously, let's not dumb down this food so the people who culturally relate to it start to not recognize it (sigh: I realize that most of these restaurants would be out of business if they listened to me). I don't doubt that I will return one day as the (affordable) food options in that area are slim. I will just ascertain that I ask for my food "Indian Hot". After that, I will update my review if needed. read more

This review is based on my experience for take-out/delivery. I ordered chicken vindaloo and chicken naan for delivery. I was surprised at how generous they are with the portion... or maybe my perception of fair portion for Indian food has been skewed by other Indian restaurants in the area such as Ruchi and Baluchi's, where chicken vindaloo typically comes with 4-5 pieces of chicken swimming in a pool of curry for $14. Saffron's chicken vindaloo (at less than $10) comes with lots of white meat chicken pieces. I split the vindaloo and naan with my fiance, and still had leftover for lunch the next day (yes, I am one of those people who microwave fragrant lunches at the office). Unfortunately the vindaloo is not as spicy as I normally like it. The chicken naan is good, but not as tasty and filling as Ruchi's. I will order it again though because it's still pretty dang good. Side note: I found a tiny piece of hair on top of the rice container (ewwww). Since it is on the container and not inside, I decided to let it slide. Side side note: I was surprised that this place does not have more reviews, but apparently there appears to be numerous filtered reviews. Hmmmm a little sketchy, Saffron... I guess we'll see. read more

Worst place to order from!! The food is decent but the management is rude nd so unprofessional. The lady on the desk seems absolutely uneducated.does not know how to talk to a customer. She's rude nd just not co- operative!! read more

Amazing food in this place! Have been coming here for the past year and never had a negative experience. Food is ALWAYS fresh and tasty. Best place to eat Indian food in the downtown area. Prices are very fair to the quality of food provided. read more

Sooo much food. It really is a great bargain! But you probably won't finish your lunch... Saffron is basically a mini Indian buffet with some items made to order. Doesn't disappoint, but I feel their prices are a bit high other than the value platter. The platter comes with two veggie dishes, one meat, basmati rice and naan. And it's filling. Eat up or save some for later. Bangers: samosas, roti roll, saag paneer (spinach), channa masala (chickpeas), chicken tikka/tikka masala. I LOVE their naan. Some days I just get naan and a side of rice. Employees, I'm guessing are smiling on the inside, but still are nice. There aren't too many tables, about 5 or 6, and some stools so eating in isn't always available. read more

Indian Chinese has come so far in New York that the only thing Saffron can legitimately say to herald its arrival is that it's the "first of its kind in TriBeCa." This cuts a whole half-mile off of the previously not very far commute to get this once rare type of dry-rub chili mega fusion. Ordering off the rather perfunctory selection of dishes on offer here, makes it too easy to miss why people used travel thousands of miles for this stuff. Simply put - this isn't spicy enough. This isn't case where an American is trying to get the Thais to simply their complex varieties of spiciness to make everything taste like fire, but just a truism of this cuisine. Indian-style Chinese combines the chili and curry masalas of the sub-Continent with the wok cooking and peppers of the Middle Kingdom. The first time I dish cuisine - in a Delhi back alley - I literally cried from the spice. Chili chicken here is much closer to a slightly tarted up version of sesame chicken. Yes, the temperature is hot, but the flavor profile isn't memorable or pain inducing in the slightest. The rather clinical surroundings and lack of a crowd at 6 pm on a Wednesday confirm what this place is - another Seamless-driven place for bankers to add to the late rotation. The traditional Indian entrees on the steam table looked fine - there are worse options within a couple blocks - although they won't stand out in a pretty crowd great of generic Punjabi eateries. While it might not be possible after a long investment banking shift, I'd anyone intrigued by the new menu here to head for Flushing and Jackson Heights, where real Indian Chinese is available. It's a painful, but ultimately very rewarding experience. read more

Very good portion of lunch special, three dishes over rice with a big warm garlic naan ends up to $9. Certainly cant be as cheap as any other food trucks around, but considering the tidiness of the envionment and size and taste(less salty than regular indian meals) I would give it 3.8 out of 5. read more

A Saffron Thread - paneer, mixed veggies curry and eggplant stew - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

One month ago I went in and ordered a chicken roll. After 10 minutes nothing, so I asked about it and the kitchen had made nothing so I walked out. The men in the kitchen are very lazy. Today I called in an order for pick up at 350 pm. I arrived at 415 pm and they still had not made it. So I walked out again with nothing. read more

The food tastes very bad. People who want to have real Indian food and not just big pieces of vegetables in tomato sauce should not go to this place. People where good and friendly but the taste no no. I will never recommend anyone to eat at this place. read more

Very good lunch special. 3 currys and tasty rice and a naan bread for $9. I take half of it away and have about 6pm, it basically feeds you for the day. Definitely get the eggplant curry. read more

I wasn't expecting to love this place as much as I did. I went on a Friday evening to get a quick dinner before meeting up for a movie at Battery Park. Warning: HUGE portions. Get less than you think you need! Anyway, this place totally hit the spot -- friendly staff, decent food in huge portions. I had aloo gobi and naan and absolutely could not finish it all by myself. The place was quiet when I got there -- one young professionalish type just off of work and two construction guys who knew the staff. Tip: Didn't realize it was BYOB. Everyone else there had a bottle of wine and were drinking out of plastic cups. I'll remember next time. Totes charming. read more

If you're looking for quick, hot and delicious Indian food...well stop looking, cause Saffron has it. I ordered the lamb vindaloo, which came with a plate of perfectly cooked rice, with some peas thrown in there for texture. The lamb was tender and moist, and the sauce was fairly spicy, but very light. Given that I always have a hue appetite, I was surprised after being full from only a bowl of lamb and a plate of rice. The only reason why I won't give it 5 stars was because it was just a tad greasy, but I'm being nitpicky. Bottom line is, this place is clean, the staff was friendly, and if you have a hankering for Indian food, I highly suggest this restaurant. read more

Good food. If you go to sit down and eat they take care of you. I would never order the wraps they have again but the chicken curry and rice and spinach is delicious. The mango lassi is also really good. They are a good cheap Indian food place. I would recommend people to stop in. read more

My girlfriend and I were very disappointed with our meal.. We had the Jaipuri Tadka Daal and Channa Masala both of which were very bland, so much so that we wound up putting some of our own seasoning n just to give it taste. To top things off we got an order of naan bread which cost us $4.00, however the order consisted of one piece. When I called to see if this was mistake the guy on the other end told us that it wasn't but that if we had dined in they wuld have cut it into 4 pieces (as if that would have changed how much we got). Trying to be positive I will say that the delivery guy and the guy I got on the phone were both very friendly, I was even offered the owners number to register my complaints. Oh, and at least we got two new food containers. Other than that it was really a waste of cash :/ read more

Saffron Thread Fresh= one of the best inexpensive lunch options TriBeCa has to offer. $9 for 2 entrees, lentils, rice, and a huge piece of Naan bread. Good quality food options to choose from in a take-out buffet style. Service is really efficient and there's table seating inside for you to enjoy your lunch. read more

Food: 3 stars for the food (although I only had one lunch special...so this may not be a fair barometer). If you need a change from Chipotle this is a good option. Ordinarily I avoid Indian for lunch during he week, just because it can be heavy and spicy...a little much when you have to return to work. But this place serves light and not overly spiced food. So I guess this is good and bad. Good because it makes it an easy place to grab some Indian food for lunch while not feeling like crap after and bad in the sense that some of the dishes were kinda uninspiring in the flavor department. Saag Paneer was delicious. CTM was tasty and light. Naan was good. In general the food was good, but not so good that I'm running to go back. Value: $9 lunch special. I'm used to Pakistani Tea House prices so I thought this was a bit much. Overall the prices were reasonable, portion was fair, but by no means large (with the notable exception of the largest piece of Naan I have ever seen) that came with the lunch. I was full, but not stuffed when done. Service: Exceptional. The owner was very nice and you could tell takes great pride/care in the place. I like supporting small businesses like this. Heath Grade: A. The place looked very clean. read more

Decent enough food. Pretty standard and average, but also consistent. I usually order chicken tikka masala and vegetable samosas when I get Indian food. The samosas from here aren't bad but also not my favorite. Decided to write a review because whenever I want to order Indian, I keep forgetting which places I like over others. Their prices aren't bad, but for a couple extra bucks you can get better quality in the same neighborhood. The delivery is quick though, so all in all it's not a bad option. I'll order from here again, but it's not my first choice. read more

So I gave it 3 stars, but I was really hoping to give it 4 or 5. The good: Friendly service. Decent prices. Seemed clean. Tandoori chicken: flavorful The bad: Tandoori chicken: because it was still attached to the bone, and a bigger piece, deep center, there were some red... Long wait: so think they started cooking the chicken when I ordered, so waited ~30 min for take out I really wanted to like the restaurant. If I was to try them again, I'd order veggie dish, and stuff already cooked lol read more

I cannot recommend Saffron enough. the chicken curry was stunning. it was not heavy, but a perfect mix of light, and savory. The chicken pieces were cooked perfectly, and the sauce was smooth to the point it was creamy. The rice and naan were so fluffy and there was so much flavor packed in. I have eaten with Indian families before. This was a major bout of nostalgia for me. I was hanging out with my best friend again in his kitchen. Check these guys out. You will not be disappointed. The naan is baked when you order, it's that fresh. read more

A nice addition to the area. Try the kabab or chicken roll

The 9 dollar lunch special is a godsend to Chambers street. 1 veg, 1 meat, 1 rice topping + naan? I'm there every time. A personal favorite lunch combo is the chicken tikka masala and the saag paaner. Their samosas are also massive and plentiful. This is a bit pricey compared to the other southeast Asian spots on Church but the quality of the lunch special and the fresh appearance of the spot make it all the more worth it read more

A very nice place in downtown. Very reasonably priced and get a good lunch for $10 to $12. The place is clean. I would avoid the indian Chinese food here as I found it a little pricy and portions small. The chicken rolls are little too sweet for my liking. But again a great place for nice decent food and worth a try. read more

Do not go there if you value your money. People try to show that they are friendly but aren't. There is so little or zero service and still drop the tipping software right at your face. Why? You have to be licky to get even a single piece if paneer or meat in your portion. read more

Beware! Beware! Beware! Ordered my food online and they never delivered it. Also they wouldn't refund the order when it was clear they didn't deliver my order. The lady on the phone was rude, unsympathetic and condescending. I wasted 1.5hr waiting for an order that never came. I wish I had heeded the negative reviews on here. Stay away from this place unless you'd like to be treated with no respect. read more

I went to the restaurant and ordered the lunch meal. I received an email from the restaurant of a birthday offer of $5 off. I tried to use it but the cashier told me that I couldn't use it. I asked her why I couldn't use it. She repeated again that I could not use the offer code. I asked again. She told me that it was only for entrees. I looked through the email it did not say it was only for entrees it only stated that it is a birthday offer code of $5. I showed her the email and she insisted that I could not use it. She told me that my meal is only $10 and that I should just pay it. I asked to speak to the manager or a supervisor. She stated that he had just left. I was very dissapointed about the service. The cashier made me feel very embarrassed and uncomfortable. I have been going there every week for almost a year for lunch. I recommend many of my colleagues to go there for lunch. But now I no longer want to go there and I'm sharing with my colleagues my experience. read more

A Saffron Thread - I received an email from Saffron of a Birthday $5 off. I tried to use it but the cashier told me that I couldn't use it. I'm highly upset. - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

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This place is literally the worst. The food used to be great but recently the quality has gone down so much. The portions are really small and deliver took over 90 minutes! I got a notification that it was on its way but the food was not delivered until after a whole hour! Horrible horrible!! read more

Duuuuuuuuude. I'm just mad about Saffron. Saffron's just mad about me.... This place is shockingly good. FIRST let me say that due to the construction on Chambers Street, you will pass this place up UNLESS you happen to be walking on the south side of the street. That's exactly what happened to me. Ravenous and yearning for something other than Chipotle before an evening lecture, I turned down Chambers in the hopes of stumbling upon something I hadn't yet noticed. And I found Saffron!!! At first I came in because they were empty and I felt bad for them. And I then noticed that they were really, really clean. Figuring that I had nothing to lose, I ducked in and saw that the place was GLEAMING. I was greeted by two huge smiles, and immediately knew that this place was special. I didn't know what to get, so the owner/chef made his own suggestions. While you can get things made to order, I opted to just go up to the counter, where about twelve succulent dishes are on display, beckoning. How do I narrow it down?! This was like Sophie's Choice. I sat down, armed with a tray filled with various things. A minute later, naan the size of an elephant ear was taken out of the oven and delivered to me. The two guys working there stood at the counter, silently, looking at me expectantly. Was I pleased? You bet. Best discovery I have made in a long time. An amazing choice for the area. AND there are awesome nutritional facts on the wall-- like fun trivia tidbits about various foods. Do it. read more

If you value your health, DO NOT EAT HERE. I ordered delivery and it tasted great...however, next morning I was vomiting from food poisoning. My boyfriend had two bites of my meal and he had terrible diarrhea. I called the manager and asked that they please refund my money for the sickening experience and they outright refused, and were very rude and denied it altogether. A horrible experience, coupled with their unprofessional management team. ALTOGETHER THE WORST INDIAN EXPERIENCE EVER. THEY DESERVE TO BE CLOSED DOWN. read more

I'd specifically pointed to the combo (which would have given me a veg dish and a naan for $9), and sat down at a table. The food did arrive on a tray promptly. I immediately noticed that the Vegetable Jalfrazee contained 1 small potato and lots of onions and snow peas (filler material used to bulk up the dish, instead of actually using vegetables!) When I went to pay for my meal, I was charges $13.04. When asked what had happened to the combo I'd ordered, the lady behind the counter very rudely said I'd ordered a curry that came on a tray, and not from the choices that would have yielded the combo price. I explained to her that I had infact pointed to the combo, and that she'd failed to explain to me the difference between ordering an item on a tray (code for full-price, vs the combo.) She vaguely apologized after I expressed my discontent twice. That's certainly not the way to gain repeat customers. Not going back there ever again. read more

From walking in, i was excited with the decor and smell from the food. However, when I approached the counter with the tired, angry looking line cooks, I proceeded to ask questions about the brand but she coughed over the open steam table. After that the counter lady sat down near the steam table and rice cooker to play with her nose and mouth. So unsanitary. Plus the food was cold. How weird that they have books of a renowned chef, but the employees dont represent the brand accordingly. I dont know how this restaurant has survived the almost 7 yrs. read more

A Saffron Thread - When employees touch their noses, mouth and face in front of guest and dont wash their hands following them co - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

Stopped by for lunch today and was blown away. Where to start? Three generously-served curries, rice, and an enormous piece of naan for under $10? Great value. The menu selection isn't huge, but what they do have seems to be quality; I would especially recommend the Biryani, but my girlfriend's Channa masala seemed solid as well. It all has a homecooked sort of feel, but I mean that as a compliment. Meanwhile, the customer service was fantastic, super courteous and helpful all around, and the decor / ambiance was great as well... the place is absolutely spotless, and feels surprisingly spacious and relaxed for the middle of TriBeCa. I'm impressed, and would definitely recommend it as a lunch destination for anyone in the area. read more

Something changed with their lunch special and it's limited choices now. Portions are smaller. It's okay, not as great as it was before.

My previous review disappeared!! Not sure how and why? Today I went to eat at 2:40pm. The woman at the counter started talking to me about my previous review and she was rude. I agree with some other reviews from Priyanka K. and Ravish M. who said that she was rude to them. She did not want to listen to me why I wrote what I wrote. Instead she just started being rude. The worst part is SHE REFUSED TO SERVE ME AND WHEN A MALE EMPLOYEE WALKED IN SHE ASKED HIM TO SERVE ME!! I decided not to eat at this place and walked away. I never argued or raised my voice. I did not not even get a chance to explain. I will never go to this place and will not recommend anyone to go here as long as the female employee is at the front counter. I was the regular customer at this place. Food was Ok but the attitude of this female employee was not. read more

AMAZING INDIAN FOOD! Used to go here for lunch and get the 9 dollar plate! So much food and everything is delicious. Also, the employees are so nice and go out of their way to accomodate every customer. I will return! read more

I ordered delivery from here. The food was actually quite good, but the delivery experience itself was fairly awful. I had three appetizers (samosas, saffron-based chicken dish, and a kachori-type dish) and found them all to be generally nice and spiced well. The naan and mango chutney also live up to expectations. The chicken even held up to being eaten microwaved the next day. Delivery was terrible. Seamless estimated 30-45 minutes, but it took about an hour and a half. Worse than that. the food was not packaged correctly and the kachori-type dish had leaked onto everything else in the bag. Gross! Most Indian restaurants package dishes into aluminum containers, with a round paper top around which the aluminum border is wrapped. No such luck here: plastic tops popped on top of the aluminum, and the border wrapped around carelessly such that much of the sauce dripped out. Come on, Saffron Thread, all these other places have found solutions to the delivery problem, so get cracking on it! read more