First time here but will definitely return. Lamb was delicious and the craft cocktail was perfection.

Loved this restaurant! What a wonderful way to welcome my brother home and meet his new partner. Amazing food, darling staff, easily accessible, high quality food and romantic ambiance. I think it was on the higher end of a night out but I didn't even glance at the bill because the value was immediately recognized. 10/10 read more

Beautiful indoor/outdoor space. Nice staff, there were a lot of them, very accommodating. Food was good.

The food was delicious. I had lamb kabobs and dumplings to start. Both were wonderfully seasoned and prepared. I also had a couple of cocktails that were creative and very tasty. The service was excellent. I was here on a Monday so it wasn't crowded. Definitely will be back. read more

Great food, lovely atmosphere, solid service. The cocktails and mocktails were very interesting and unique and tasty. The pakoras were thick and fluffy with a crispy outside. The flatbread was soft and airy and buttery with the 3 super flavorful chutneys. The dumplings were similar to other cuisines but had some very unique sauce flavors and there was quite a lot of nice ground lamb inside. And the chicken and steak shish kebobs were quite good. read more

The food was delicious and the service was great! We got greeted right when we entered and were checked on throughout lunch. We ordered bolani, mantu, and beef kabob... all three tasted great. I would come again and bring friends who want to try Afghan food! read more

Dinner for 5 on Friday evening without reservations. Seated in side room - well appointed with white tablecloths and napkins. Service was attentive and friendly. Prices were reasonable and portions were generous. Food was outstanding- flavorful, balanced, fresh. Well worth a visit. read more

Delicious food, reasonable prices, great service. Saffron is an excellent place to buy appetizers for when we have guests at home--this takes care of one part of preparing a meal. It is also a great place for lunch or dinner. My husband and I have gone there for appetizers and drinks; we didn't need dinner afterwards. read more

Such lovely food!! We held a team event in their special room (with lots of light!), and they took exquisite care of us. It was a perfect location. read more

The food and service were amazing at Saffron Kitchen! My family and I ordered and shared lamb kabobs, beef, chicken and an egg plant dish. All were so tasty, full of flavor. The staff were so welcoming and warm, including the owner. It was our first time here tonight but we would love to return! The ambiance was lovely, especially the patio area where we sat. Perfect for a summer lunch or dinner. read more

Akbar and Abdul, the managers, diligently worked with our group of 20 to plan and execute a lovely and delicious holiday meal in late November 2024. Food portions were generous and very tasty, and the prices were reasonable. Our holiday dinner was in the private room with an excellent indoor/outdoor experience with the accordion-type glass wall that opened to the outdoor patio. Food, service, staff, and attention to detail were excellent. Akbar and Abdul were joys to work with! Saffron is very close to the Rockridge BART station, and nearby street parking was easily found. We look forward to visiting Saffron again! read more

Oh my god!! I'm Afghan myself and THIS is the best Afghan food I've ever had my entire life. I've ate home cooked Afghan a LOT.. so this is a huge deal. The mffff CHICKEN QUABLI palou is *chefs kiss* AMAZINNGGGGGG & mantu is sooooo good!!! Literally all you need for two people & itll fill both of you up!!! read more

Had lunch in Dec 2024 with friends. Lovely setting, tasty and fresh food, patient (we took a long time to order) and helpful service! A shout out to Jesse who served us. He even took time to teach us about the drinks served there. I look forward to trying his creation. read more

Decided to do take-out for Father's Day, and chose Saffron Kitchen. Great choice. We had the dumplings and the lamb kabobs. The dumplings were very different than what we usually expect, but great, and the lamb was cooked perfectly and was tasty and tender. Overall, the food was delicious and the portions were more than enough for the two of us. We will definitely go there again to dine in. read more

We went to Saffron for the first time, and we had a great time. The service was excellent. The food was fantastic, from the appetizers to the lunch; everything was great. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for good food and a pleasant atmosphere. We had appetizers and lunch, and each one was excellent. Appetizer: 1) Eggplants Pakora 2) Potato Pakora Main Dish: 1) Lamb Chop 2) Combination Kabobs Finally, our dessert: 1) Baghlava: I believe this was homemade and fantastic. You have to try this for sure. 2) Ferni read more

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

Magnificent value happy hour menu. Amazing flavors of Afghanistan in the mantu app. Friendly service by Ryan at the bar as well as other staff. read more

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

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This restaurant is the definition of a "hidden gem". Extremely tasty and well made Afghan-inspired food, ambient music, cozy environment, and very respectful and friendly staff. On top of everything, the price is so very reasonable; 1000% justifies the quality. Unlike a vast majority of restaurants in California where 18% tip to start with is somehow a norm, this place prioritizes quality and customer experience. Excellent experience and local business overall! We finished everything and would for sure come back again! read more

This is our new favorite spot on the College Ave corridor. There simply aren't enough good Afghan restaurants in the Oakland/Berkeley area. PRO-TIP: On a budget? Go to the happy hour. Its Tuesday - Sunday from 3pm to 6pm. Lots of discounted food items. They stop serving this menu promptly at 6pm, so don't dawdle. For an appetizer, we tried the potato pakora. Its crisp potatoes, topped with house-made yogurt, and meat sauce. At $9, its a steal for the portion size. Then we jumped into the Lamb Kabob. Its lamb fillets, charbroiled on skewers, served with seasoned basmati rice. At $28, it isn't cheap, but its delicious. We got a side of Eggplant. Its served as a large portion of eggplant, onions, tomatoes, topped with house-made yogurt, and meat sauce. $9 makes it pretty cheap for the portion as well. Great meal! We will be back! read more

We hosted a dinner here for seventeen guests. Lovely service, delicious food and cocktails, cozy outdoor space! Thank you Akbar for making us a memorable event. read more

FSA - Food, Service, Ambiance The food was exceptional. The sauces were hearty but not heavy. The red chutney was packed with flavor. I had the lamb with peas, which was a bit unexpected for reasons I'll discuss later. That dish was perfect. The servers need more training because I ordered the lamb with spinach (not the lamb with peas). So I'll try that next time. The inexperienced servers made the dining experience a bit inconsistent. Noticeably long wait times between sitting, ordering and getting the check. The service issues do not discourage me from going back. The place was the Golden Squirrel before it became the Saffron Kitchen. The pendulum swung from dark sports bar to bright restaurant. The size of the bar truly dominates the decor. The restaurant is lit almost to a fault. If the lights were a little dimmer, the restaurant would feel more intimate. Overall, a great start that is worth a visit. read more

I really enjoyed the salmon kara'e, it wasn't quite like anything I'd had before! They have a beautiful location right on college avenue (where the golden squirrel used to be) and I'll definitely be adding this place to my local rotation. Be aware that many of the entrees feature meat -- there is a vegetarian section on the menu but probably not their main focus. read more

I've been there twice with my family. Afghan food is excellent. Staff is attentive and restaurant has a great open ambiance.

Excellent food, great hospitality, and flavors you just can't beat! This is the place to go for fresh and flavorful food. Truly a gem in the East Bay :) my family came and experienced an amazing meal here and I can't wait to come again! It's beautiful! read more

I have been several times. Great food and excellent service. Nice ambience, good vegetarian options and a well stocked bar. Nothing not to like. read more

Delicious food, great service, and convenient location. I'm definitely going to return!

My friends and I had dinner here and each chose options from the Oakland Restaurant Week menu. Everything was delicious! I loved that there were ample vegetarian options for my friends who do not eat meat. I'll definitely be back! read more

Good food, good service, nice restaurant, a lot of options on the menu for drinks and food. We loved the lamb dumplings -- very flavorful and the sauce was yummy. The mango Lassi cocktail was fun to try. The rice dish with baked lamb was very good and had lots of lamb in it. I would eat here again. I think two entrees and two drinks were about $70 which is a little more expensive than I'd like but it was good. read more

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

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Very different but enticing menu. All 3 dinner choices were excellent. The pot stickers of lamb were wonderful. As were the beef, lamb and chicken choices. The watermelon salad was enough for 3 yo share. Vey happy choices and portions allowed take home leftovers. read more

My partner and I craved for basmati rice meal. So, we tried this place and we loved it. Servers are accommodating. The place is cozy too. read more

Saffron Kitchen - Mediterranean Near Me - Oakland, California

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The food here was very good I enjoyed the appetizers the most - the samosas and pakoras. The service was excellent the owner answered entire staff were super nice and welcoming to our party. We used the private room and the ambiance there was perfect for our party and we all had a great time. read more

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I just want to say again how great the food provided by Saffron Kitchen at our daughter's wedding was! We're still getting compliments 9 months later! They're wonderful people to work with - I highly recommend them for your next catered event! read more

I work in Rockridge and like to stop by Saffron after work. When I sit by the bar, I am greeted by the friendly bartender, Risa, who is courteous and incredibly knowledgeable about specialty cocktails. My favorite dish is the Mantus with the earthy taste of the lamb and tangy yogurt sauce. For dessert, you cannot go wrong with Ferni paired with the Saffron Cardamom Green Tea. The tea offers a calming aromatic experience that blends perfectly with the light sweetness of Ferni. The owner, Akbar, also came to check in on our meal and delightfully shared the origins of the Afghani tea and how the tea traveled from China to Afghanistan during trade from the Silk Road. I have been pleased with every visit at Saffron, and I will gladly continue to return. Compliments to the chefs. read more

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The kebabs are the way to go, though I like the basmati rice the best. As far as the sides are concerned, the slightly sweet squash is my favorite. For Valentine's Day, they gave out a rose to all of the ladies, which is a nice added bonus. You can't go wrong with either the pistachio pudding (if that's your thing) or the pomegranate chocolate ice cream. They have good outdoor seating and an elegant dining room. read more

I visited a couple of weeks after they first opened and I was very impressed. I've had Afghan food many times before -- the various Helmand restaurants in SF, Cambridge MA, Baltimore, and I thought this was at least as good. They dramatically upgraded the space from the previous restaurant -- although it's a lower-level of space, it was bright inside and everything was refined and lovely. read more

This place is fantastic. Great happy hour and good peoples like Ryan and Johnny! I followed Ryan here from Ben 'n Nics and have been enjoying the presence of a new restaurant on college ave. Nice work people! And don't mind the haters like Rick...just a clown in need of pampering! Hugs, Neal read more

Saffron Kitchen - Happy hour menu! - Mediterranean Near Me - Oakland, California

New place on College worth visiting. The dumplings were great mix of flavors, Qurma Lamb was some of the softest lamb i've had, Shish Leek was enjoyable but not remarkable. Had the sunrise mocktail which was nice too. The staff and feel was friendly and you want them to make it. My one suggestion is get rid of the white tablecloths and push the ambiance to a great upscale neighborhood Afghani bistro. The tablecloths make it a little stuffy, and in order to fill a place that is this big I think you want folks coming back very frequently not just special occasions. So you want bistro feel, specials every week, a place for regulars to feel at home, etc. We will be back for sure. read more

Really great food and service and atmosphere ...as long as they get Kalamata olives for the Greek salad!

The food here is so good. The flavors are amazing and the location is very convenient on College Avenue. I love the ambience of the restaurant. But I also use the takeout order as well. read more

great food, reasonable prices, great service. Had combination skewers. Baklava was great.

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