Great food, amazing customer service, cute ambiance. I had the koobideh kabob and ferni for dessert.

If you haven't been, this is a MUST go spot. The food is consistently delicious! My favorite is the salmon Kara'e...uniquely tasty flavors and perfectly cooked. My partner loves the beef kabobs and I love the seafood combo kabob. It is also a phenomenal price to value ratio (great food, great price), which is refreshing with too many restaurants nearby offering food that's nothing special with inflated prices. Saffron Kitchen serves meals that I could never replicate at home and always satisfy my taste buds. Plus the ambiance is really pleasant and the servers are very kind. Highly recommend!! read more

Delicious food, great service, nice setting! I took two friends there for birthday lunches during the week. We had a great experience and will go back. read more

This is an amazing experience. From walking in and being charmed with awesome music, excellent staff who are courteous and attentive to every detail, and the food. 5/5 experience and highly recommend to everyone! read more

I was meeting my brother and two nephews at Rockridge BART, before they went off to a concert New Year's Eve Eve. I looked for nearby restaurants and found Saffron Kitchen. From the call I made to make a reservation through the end of the meal, everything was five star!!! The staff were great, ambiance nice and low key, and the food delicious. All four of us loved everything we ordered. I will return and introduce others to this great restaurant. read more

We went there for our team holiday lunch. The restaurant is located below street level and was bright and comfortable. It wasn't too crowded which made it nicer to talk. The food and service were great! We shared several appetizers, salad, and dessert. I'm looking forward to taking my husband there for dinner soon. read more

We were looking for an Afghan restaurant, but didn't want to head all the way to Fremont. Our party of 5 arrived for our 7 pm reservation on a Friday night and were warmly greeted and promptly seated. We were fasting and couldn't break our fast until sunset after 7:30 so we ordered our appetizers and beverages. The side of butternut squash, potato pakora and potato bolani made our mouths water. When the server realized we were fasting, he brought us delicious dates to break our fast with. The appetizers were even more delicious than they looked. I ordered Qabuli with chicken as my entree and it tasted like my mom's cooking. We saved room for a little dessert and shared firni and bakhlava with tea. Everything from the service to the ambience to the authentic flavors of the food was excellent. The portions were large enough that I have enough for dinner tomorrow. And even better that it's less than 20 minutes away from home. I can't wait to come back soon and try something different. read more

Saffron Kitchen - Butternut squash and potato pakora - Mediterranean Near Me - Oakland, California

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This place is fantastic. I love the ambiance and delicious food. Service was awesome as well. This spot is worth the trip to Orinda.

This was my first time having Afghan food, and oh man have I been missing out! Everything was absolutely delicious. The three of us split two appetizers and each got an entree and all of it was amazing. We were in heaven. The flavors are so beautiful and well balanced. I got a dough which was the only thing I didn't love love, but I was glad I tried it! I think I was just surprised it was so savory. It did pair nicely with some of the more spicy entrees. read more

Really tasty food, nicely presented. The salmon kebab was outstanding. Service is great. Staff is really friendly and welcoming.

Great food! Love the addition to the neighborhood. Wonderful service! Can't wait to come back for more.

So glad that we finally have an Afghani restaurant in the neighborhood. Everything we had varied from very good to excellent - mantu, bolani, aush, and beef and eggplant qurma. The bolani is the delicate kind with the thin crispy outside, not the thicker, chewier kind you find at some Afghani restaurants. The qurma is like a Persian khoresh bademjan, not like an Indian korma as the name might suggest - basically, a tomato-based beef stew, and absolutely delicious. The rice that came with the stew was perfectly cooked, as well, and the selection of three chutneys are all flavorful and distinct. Very kind people, too. Just an all-around great experience, the kind of meal that leaves you feeling better about life. I hope they do well! read more

We had a wonderful meal at Saffron Kitchen! Both the food and the service were exceptional. We ordered both kinds of dumplings as well as lamb and fish dishes and a side of butternut squash. I was in the mood for flavorful food and saffron did not disappoint, we were impressed with every dish without exception. The staff was exceptionally friendly and attentive and made us very comfortable. Definitely coming back to this new favorite. read more

1st, the service couldn't have been better. Everyone who came to our table was welcoming and friendly. We were able to eat in the annex just outside the main restaurant but the staff were always checking to see if we needed anything. The food was exceptional. Each one of us had a different entree but everyone was delicious. My father and brother said they don't like Afgani food, but they love this food in a big way. read more

The most amazing food--all four of us enjoyed our vegetarian and meat entrees. If you eat meat, the Mantu--our family has been dreaming about this dish since we ate it. Amazing read more

Tender flavorful chicken skewers and watermelon salad. Good location and comfortable restaurant atmosphere. Friendly waitstaff.

Delicious food with friendly service. The flavors on every dish we ordered were great, and everything was cooked nicely. Glad to have this restaurant as a replacement to the Golden Squirrel. Will be back as we live very close by. read more

This restaurant is a fantastic addition to the Rockridge food scene. Unusual, but very tasty, food and cocktails and excellent service. Cheerful, comfortable, and lively ambiance. Highly recommended. read more

Food and service wonderful. The dough on the Aushaks and Mantu was amazing- silk and gossamer. We enjoyed the milk pudding dessert with almonds and cardamon. read more

Delicious food, wonderful friendly service, lovely and clean ambiance. The dumplings and kabobs were fantastic. Can't wait to go back!

We had a lovely evening at Saffron Kitchen. The service was great and the food was delicious. We had the Aushak, Potato Bolani and Vegetarian Combo. Everything was great. Our favorite was the butternut squash in the Veggie Combo. It was so sweet and flavorful. We are excited to come back again. read more

Everything!!! I had two dishes that were to die for. The food is incredibly tasty and the owner always made sure I was taken care of. This is truly a gem of a finding. Everyone was so nice and attentive. read more

I highly recommend this place if you are looking for a fla earful yu.my food, welcoming and attentive staff, and good ambiance. They have a great variety of appetizers, samosas, and eggplants are my favorites. The Mantu and the lamb keboob are super yummy! read more

Saffron Kitchen - Mantu - Mediterranean Near Me - Oakland, California

The food was delicious! Open, friendly ambiance with full bar and excellent service! Looking forward to our next visit!

Our second visit, just as good as our first. It's a bit out of our way so we don't come here more often. I had the lamb kabob ($30). My wife had the spinach qurma with lamb ($24). For dessert we had the baghlava with ice cream ($12) because they were out of chocolate cake, and decaf coffee ($4). Everything was delicious. It was a generous amount of food, the right amount to make you feel well fed but not bloated. Service was very friendly and attentive. A great place to have in the neighborhood! We called first to make sure they would have room for us. The call went to voice mail before someone picked up. We might have been discouraged by that, so they might want to pick up quicker. read more

Dinner tonight for the first, although certainly not the last, time at this delightful upscale Afghan restaurant. Crispy bolani, tender lamb dumplings, spinach, and one of their numerous yummy looking lamb dishes, and desserts! All the food was delicious, the service was excellent, and they have made the former golden squirrel into a lovely and comfortable spot. Next time I want to go with a bunch of people so that we can order and share lots of dishes. read more

Three stars for the service, they really tried to make us comfortable. Drinks were okay, not bad but not great. However, the essence of it all, the food is where it disappoints the most. Hard to trust all the 5-star reviews here. We ordered 2 appetizers, both were too greasy, and they appeared "industrially" made. Out of the two main entres we ordered, the salmon kebobs were alright. The veggie item, roasted butternut squash was terribly sweet, it was just chunks of squash boiled and served with yogurt and rice. The dish lacked in texture, taste, & color. It was downhill from there, quite unexpected. I forgot to take more pictures! We understand that they might want to adapt Afghan cuisine to the American taste. However, it is hard to ramp up or do fusion with time-tested recipes. Better not to destroy the original if the newer version ultimately looks like a bad, half hearted attempt. North worth the $$$ check. We may give this place another try but it won't happen any time soon. read more

Saffron Kitchen - Mediterranean Near Me - Oakland, California

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Saffron has incredible food! Everything was prepared perfectly, tasted fresh, flavors were balanced and the staff was kind and attentive. A perfect meal! read more

Saffron Kitchen - Mediterranean Near Me - Oakland, California

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Superfriendly service, somewhat bland but good food, good portions, cute & airy space even on a gloomy day.

We decided to stop by for dinner tonight and we were impressed with how amazing the food was! Everything was perfectly seasoned. The mango lassi was the best I've ever had. We'll definitely be back. read more

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Great food, service, atmosphere . We had Rack of lamb, chicken with vegetables and rice and an appetizer whose name I forgot. Also hearty red sangria. Wonderful friendly service. Beautiful table settings with white tablecloths. Highly recommended. read more

I brought a group of 14 people to Saffron Kitchen for a work event. We used a room that could be enclosed with glass doors, and so it was semi-private for the event. The food was great, Akbar was beyond hospitable and attentive, and it was a an excellent experience in every way. read more

Went here yesterday and was very pleasantly surprised! The food was delicious, the service was first rate and the interior was clean and the ambience was classy but not overdone. Ordered the Aushak which very tasty as was the butternut squash and eggplant dish. And the staff were super friendly, attentive and efficient. Will definitely return and try some other dishes! read more

The moment we walked in we felt welcomed. The wait staff was sooo nice and the food really good. I got the lamb and spinach qurma, delish! My husband got the salmon kebabs, my son the mantu entree. For apps we got samosas and mantus. Bday dessert was chocolate cheesecake. Our drinks were awesome as well. The whole experience was fabulous. We will be back for sure! read more

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Came for Happy Hour and feasted on fabulous small plates and great cocktails. Will return for dinner with a group of friends. Lovely decor. Pretty outdoor patio. Excellent service. Highly recommend! read more

Delicious food and great cocktails! I especially loved the Rumi's Love. Wonderful vibe. The owner Akbar is my new best friend.

Nice restaurant as restaurants go in this area of College Ave. Unfortunately it's usually empty of people. The previous tenants were beer and wine type Pubs that were a better fit for the neighborhood as a hangout spot. The "white table cloth " decor just seems out of place. I'm hoping the owner relocates - as the food is nice - to a spot that better suits their aims for a formal dining restaurant and that a new tenant brings back a local Pub style for hanging out, socializing, and watching sports while having some nice food and drinks. read more

I appreciate that this restaurant is offering something that adds to the current restaurants in Rockridge--Central Asian food, with an environment and price point that's a lot more casual than a lot of places in Rockridge. It's nice to have a place like it, as many of the places around Rockridge are not the kind of place you'd just go to on the spur of the moment for dinner, and I would imagine it could become a go-to place for locals. On my first visit, I thought the service was very friendly and the food was very high quality. All of the wait staff was great, and I thought the food was a good value considering the prices. Me and the person I came with were able to get dinner for under $40 (sans tip)--pretty good. I would say that this location is still working out their process a bit. There were some hiccups in the service that I would imagine they'll probably iron out over time--one suggestion, just leave the bottle of water at the table instead of having someone walking around replenishing the (small) cups. Also, I think the ambiance is still figuring itself out. When I arrived around 6:30 pm on a Saturday night, the lights were very bright and overall the space felt a little lacking in character. But then they lowered the lights a bit around 7:15 pm and it was a big improvement. I think with a few more tweaks it will feel like a really inviting environment. read more

Great service, food and ambiance. Very clean and friendly staff. Definitely would recommend!

Saffron Kitchen is a wonderful new addition to the Rockridge neighborhood. The food is delicious and the service extraordinary. Nice ambience, lots of light. A full bar. My lamb qurma was excellent and my friend was very happy with her lamb skewer. Our waiter was attentive and topped off our drinks frequently. The owner, whose name I've forgotten, came to our table and asked if everything was ok. We went because I'd seen an interview with him in the Rockridge News. Very nice man. I hope this place thrives! read more