Probably the best Indian food I've ever had ... better than what I recall having in San Francisco, Fremont, Berkeley, or even London. Other Yelp! reviewers had me aware not to pre-judge this restaurant by the exterior (which frankly looked fine to me), but I was still not fully prepared for how great the food served on the interior was. Service was friendly and efficient. The booth was comfortable. The menu - extensive, with all the expected, traditional dishes and some unexpected (and some fusion?) dishes - can't wait to get back and start working through the entire menu. On our first visit, I went with one of my favorites, the lamb vindaloo, while my wife ordered her fave, chicken korma. Both were excellent! Both were prepared to our desired level of spiciness, and the waiter's recommendation was spot-on when he noted that the vindaloo is at least a 3 out of 5 when prepared "normal spice level. The meat in both dishes was tender and perfectly seasoned, the sauces flavorful, the portions enough to satisfy two (or three) diners! Rice and naan rounded out our dinners. Boxes swiftly provided when requested. What more could one want?? read more

Saffron - Exterior 7.31.21 - Indian Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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Saffron is my favorite Indian restaurant in St. Louis County. The ambiance is warm and welcoming and always packed full. Be careful to order the dishes hot! THEY GET VERY HOT! read more

Best Mamosas and Chicken Korma I've ever had!!!! Service is always excellent. Highly recommend this restaurant.

3rd class food, 3rd class staff and 3rd class management. We went their once and found their balding staff's Indian hair in the chic Curry and Rice. Upon asking them, they denied it completely, so we left immediately read more

Such an amazing restaurant amazing and sweet staff. I have been going here for the longest time and it is always my go to for Indian food. The Ambiance is really good as well the hospitality in the restaurant is really good. Overall amazing place 10/10 would recommend! read more

Absolutely huge portions of delicious food. Our regular indian place has a place near and dear to our heart but saffron was one step above. Maybe it was the in person experience or maybe it was the food itself, but the whole meal was so good. We got samosas that were HUGE. I honestly wouldn't have. Ordered them if I knew how big they were. We are used to these small samosas and these things were the size of my fist. By the time we wolfed these down with a multitude of combinations of the complimentary sauce our entrees came out. There had to be at least 2 pounds of basmati rice for our two plates 5hat complimented our navaratan korma and mushroom dish (forget the name) perfectly. It was a large amount of food for an incredibly affordable price. The wait staff was present but not overbearing. The decor was so much that you forgot 5hst you were in a strip mall. Such a good experience! read more

I am new to Indian food. It is currently my favorite. And Saffron, so far, is the best place that I have been to. Again, in the category of Indian Food, I will consider myself a newbie, (with an experience of 5 different restaurants) With that being said, of the 5 restaurants I have been to, Saffron is my favorite. read more

Good Indian lunch buffet. I was looking for a lunch spot near my training center and looked on Yelp for a good place close by. I've been craving Indian food, so this suggestion was perfect. The buffet was Good, but pretty limited compared to what I'm used to. I was there around 11:30, so I would have expected more options, by half the dishes were empty. What was out was good, though. Service was fairly prompt and friendly. I would definitely go back. read more

Saffron - Lentil soup, chicken, fried veggies, rice, tikka masala - Indian Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

My favorite place for Indian!! The service has always been great. Even left my card there, after a take out order and they called me a few minutes after I left. Indian is my favorites highly recommend. read more

They should call it flavored rice with boiled chicken, instead named it biryani. You are better off cooking rice with salt and turmeric read more

Saffron - This was supposed to be chicken biryani, but when I received in my to-go order was spicy Chicken Curry mixed with rice. - Indian Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

This place is THE BEST Indian food! Try the Gobi Lassanwala (sp?)... It is so great! The owner is fantastic, and the staff is always great. My kids love the Mali Kofta also! Give it a try! read more

Not authentic Indian food, certainly not the worst I've had but pretty close, try an appetizer before you order your entree. The only Indian person (customer or employee) was the waiter.. read more

Saffron - a wooden table with plates of food and utensils - Indian Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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Saffron is one of my favorite spots, period. Ordering food from another culture can be intimidating. The staff is kind, and happy to explain every item on the menu. They are happy to ask you what you like and make recommendations. You can't go wrong with anything chicken or palak. Also don't miss the samosas! read more

This place is amazing. My fiancé and I went for dinner. Great social distancing and the service is fantastic. This was our first time having Indian cuisine and we got great recommendations for first time dishes. The naan bread is to die for and the chicken korma and chicken masala is amazing!! We will be back! read more

Saffron - Chicken Korma - Indian Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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Saffron is our favorite Indian restaurant in the St. Louis area. If we lived closer we would go once a week! Every dish we have tried is delicious! read more

We order the meat samosas as an appetizer and it was so delicious! The three sauces were perfectly seasoned. The mango lassi was very rich and sweet. Also good. I ordered the lamb vindaloo and it was tasty but way too spicy! I usually can handle spicy but it was so hot that I couldn't taste anything else and had to order a cup of milk to douse the fire in my mouth! My bf ordered the goat curry. It was tender and much more mild at level 3 spiciness. Very flavorful. The service was wonderful! Super polite and quick. I would definitely want to go again read more

Saffron - Goat curry, assortment of naan, rice, and lamb vindaloo - Indian Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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Wanted something different for date night. Saffron was nice and quiet so we could have a conversation, service was quick and very attentive, food was delicious, and came in large portions. Would definitely recommend and go there again! read more

I've had Indian food all over the country, Saffron rivals some of the best Indian food in NYC and California. Absolutely amazing flavors, the Navaratan Korma is outstanding! Excellent and welcoming service, will be back ASAP! read more

Saffron is my absolutely favorite restaurant for Indian food anywhere, not just in St. Louis. The owners are amazing and they are committed to high quality food and creating a great experience. I always feel so welcomed and everything on their menu is so delicious. Lots of great vegetarian options. I love the saag with paneer, it is super fresh and good. This is my go to restaurant for comfort food with a great dining experience! read more

I always drive out of my way just to come to Saffron - hands down my favorite Indian restaurant in St. Louis! The ambiance inside is wonderful. The owner is incredibly friendly and the servers are professional and attentive. Saffron's food has never failed to impress and all the dishes come in generous portions. To top it off, they also have a lot of unique dishes not commonly found at the other Indian restaurants in town (my favorite is the mushroom saag!). If you are vegetarian or vegan: the staff here is always more than happy to accommodate! They have a fantastic selection of delicious vegetarian dishes and sides, several of which can be made vegan upon request. If you're looking for some fantastic Indian food and a lovely dining experience, give Saffron a try! Also: they are taking all the precautions they can post-lockdown. From one-time paper menus to socially distanced tables, you can really tell that the owner and staff are serious about keeping their guests safe! read more

I'm super impressed with Saffron. I came for the lunch buffet, and I was honestly expecting the food to be pretty mediocre. However, I could not have been more wrong. On my first trip, I tried a bit of each of their curries all of which were delicious. I'd recommend sampling as much as you can, but if you want to stick to just one or two things, the chicken curry and the chicken tikka masala were phenomenal. Further, sides like rice and naan were cooked perfectly, our service was prompt and courteous--if you're in Saint Louis and like Indian food, I highly recommend Saffron. read more

Goodness, flavor and aroma surround you at Saffron! I had the palak paneer and my wife had the matter paneer. Both delicious and they respected my wife's spice tolerance. Of course portions are double so we had a full meal to go as well and it was just as delicious on day2! Extra charge for naan knocks down a star. Building was a bit cold too and there was a space heater in the corner trying to keep up with a cold day. read more

Standard Indian restaurant with a daily lunch buffet. I went for their lunch buffet with my sister and we thought it was ok, but not great. They did have a couple authentic dishes that other buffets might not have however. The highlight was definitely the vegetable curry. It was fantastic. read more

Went for late lunch (buffet) on a Saturday. Dosa on buffet was too "steamed" from sitting on heated server, even without cover. Recommend making fresh dosa for any customer who wants -- that is how Udipi buffet in Houston includes dosas with their buffet -- fresh, not in the line. Fish curry was just sauce no fish. Asked staff and he said people took the fish or it got mushed from them trying to find fish in the sauce. That's terrible -- please restock if your buffet is still open. Also website shows weekend lunch hours till 3:00 pm, but shortly after 2:30 the staff started closing it down. Website needs to be updated if that's when food is taken away -- we sometimes get to restaurants around 2:30 for late lunch. read more

Ate here on a weekend night with my son. I had the chicken vindaloo, while my son had the tandoori shrimp. It didn't disappoint. The vindaloo was just the perfect amount of heat. The naan was good also. Will go back read more

One of the better Indian buffets in Saint Louis. Very good selection and lots of vegetable dishes. Casual and comfortable. Worth a trip.

We love Saffron and have been coming here for years! The flavors are so uplifting and the vibes in their dishes are unbeatable. We do the NAVARATAN KORMA but all of their veggie dishes are amazing! The staff is always kind and often remember your party and sometimes even your order! They are very customer focused and will explain the menu and help you order if you are not familiar with Indian cuisine. Especially discuss temperature of spiciness, if you think you like it hot they might change your mind! ;) 5 stars all day everyday and cant wait to go there again! read more

This is the best Indian food I've ever had! The taste of the food is unreal. The portions are also great and the staff is so nice! They also have tons of vegan options which is great. This is my favorite restaurant! read more

Saffron is a gem!! Perfect service. Perfect food. Perfect price. Seriously one of my favorite spots.

Growing up in Manchester UK we were spoilt with Indian Restaurant's...and although there are others to choose from in St Louis this is the "Real Deal". My wife and I just love this place. Food , service really is . The fact that it is located on Manchester Road gives it an added bonus.The lunchtime buffet is brilliant - or date night Dinner is sure to impress your partner. BRILLIANT ! read more

Have been coming to this place for last 10 years. Never disappointed except once. Tried variety of appetizers, veg and non veg entrees. Always flavorful fresh and delight to palate. Malai kofta, paneer saag, paneer makhani, mutter mushroom are my good to go any given day. Breads are awesome, baked to perfections, fillers are too exact taste. Try their assorted naan basket. You will find garlic naan, onion kulchaa and plane naan texture as you order, dough fresh and great in taste. I have introduced this restaurant to my kids when they were toddlers. In any given day they can go for malai kofta and butter naan. Likewise, my American and European friend who never tried Indian food appreciate the introduction of Saffron for trying out Indian Food. Service is prompt and friendly. Sometimes you might need to wait more than other days to get a table. They have good selection of alcohols. Dessert is where some improvements could be made. Overall great place to try Indian food. read more

The food here is absolutely incredible! Their food will leave you full and wondering why you didn't find this place sooner. We ordered their samosas for appetizers and have fallen in love with their entrees as well, including my personal favorite the Channa Masala. Leave some room for desert as well because they have rice pudding is phenomenal! read more

Unfortunately Saffron, when I first came here 3-4 years ago, you were awesome. You guys had a variety of curry meats (goat beef and chicken if I remember correctly) and a bunch of other awesome stuff. I've been here 2 times now twice in the past 3 months and you guys have done nothing but disappoint. First of all your variety for the lunch buffet has diminished severely, there is only chicken curry and chicken tandoori for the meat dishes. There was no beef or goat or lamb or whatever else you used to serve. Second your waiter was extremely rude to me and my guests, there was some dried up chicken in the curry and tandoori and it was not good, yet you questioned whether or not I liked chicken... and why I didn't eat the small remaining pieces on my plate. Well obviously, because it was dry and terrible. The second time I came, same thing, very limited amount of choices, yet you still charge 10 dollars per visit. On top of that, on your own website you guys say you close lunch buffet at 2:30 yet you denied customers entrance at 2 PM. I was absolutely shocked when I saw that. Sorry, this is really unacceptable read more

For people that are unsure of trying new styles of food I would suggest trying Saffron. I admit I am not the expert on Indian food. I have mostly had this cuisine at buffets (including one from a family gathering from the owners of Kaos on Washington Ave back in the day). I did my usual (ordered house or chef special) "CHEF SIGNATURE BIRYANI $ 13.95 Combination of Chicken, Lamb and Vegetables cooked traditionally with Saffron flavored Basmati Rice" This dish could be described as equivalent to Chinese fried rice with actual pieces of meat. Yes it is slightly different, but after a few bites I think most people will really enjoy the dish. The waiter asked what level of seasoning I wanted on the meal & I said "4", but I would suggest starting low 1-2 for the people trying Indian food for the first time. The heat was about perfect, if I had not tried Erin G's "5" vindaloo.... any Red Dwarf fans? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Dwarf The amount of food given was could feed 2 of me or maybe 6 FDA approved sized portions. The dish & rice is served in a community bowl with a separate plate given me. The natural way of dinner meals served in Asian cultures is still family style. I also ordered the veggie appetizer and liked the samosa very well and the 3 sauces added good flavor to the rest. I stole some Naan from Allison B and it was very tasty- sorry it was put in front of me. Taj Mahal beer was good and started a question about how big it was. Being a Jefferson County boy, I described the 22 oz as "a tall boy, but in a bottle"... so yes even Hoosiers can enjoy this place & International Supper Club. read more

This place is really good and the waitstaff are very nice and responsive. I would highly recommend it to anyone who has not tried Indian Food before. The waitstaff and menu do a great job explaining individual dishes. Samosa and garlic Nann are a must try. They are really good. The food is also always fresh. We typically get an appetizer or two (Samosa and Nann), split a chicken dish (currries) and get the cucumber salad to cool the palate, as some of the dishes (curries) are quite spicey. We were not the greatest fan of their tandori chicken, it was a little dry. But we also do not have alot of experience ordering that dish at other places. Overall, if you are tired of burgers, pizza and fries and want to try something a little different. I highly recommend this place. And don't forget to try all of the sauces provided with the Samosa. They are made in house and a really nice touch I have not seen at other Indian restaurants. read more

I'm just mad about Saffron. Mad in love! My friend and I have been talking about Indian food for quite a while. As much as I enjoy this cuisine, I haven't branched out too far past my staple, CWE's Rasoi. She suggested Saffron, and I was up for the hike to the county. We went for dinner on Saturday, which isn't my ideal way to experience Indian food for the first time. I'm a sucker for a good buffet so that I try multiple dishes for a reasonable price. However, that didn't take away from my first experience here. Thanks to the Yelp reviews and the Saffron website, I came in prepared to make my order. I went with the Chicken Tikka Masala, a dish that is by far the most accessible on the menu. Needless to say, the orange sauce was extraordinary, and the chicken was quite tender. Couple the dish with endless rice and an order of naan, and it was a perfect meal! It doesn't stop at the chicken. Saffron also offers goat, lamb, and seafood, all offered in different degrees of spice. The menu is also very vegetarian friendly. We ate until we could eat no more, and the waitress brought us extra rice to take home with our leftovers. I was ecstatic! I'm glad that I branched out. I'm looking forward to trying the buffet next! read more

We love Saffron! We recently did curbside pickup, and they were so accommodating. The gentleman who brought out our food was wearing a mask and very polite. I'm glad they are offering this service during covid as I was craving some Indian food!! The beef samosas with cilantro sauce are my favorite. My husband always gets the Lamb Vindaloo extra spicy whereas I toned down the spice for my Chicken Tikka Masala. read more

I absolutely LOVE Indian food, so I was excited when the Yelp International Supper Club announced Saffron as our next destination. I'd been here a few other times and was looking forward to another visit. Saffron's food leans towards the North Indian food category with more creamy and mild spices as compared to much spicier South Indian variations. However, you still might find this food to have a little sting if you're not a big spice eater. You can order different spice levels here, but I found the "medium" to be rather mild for my taste. I've enjoyed most everything I've tried at Saffron, but can't say this is the best in St. Louis. It's really hard to rate Indian restaurants and it depends on if you are rating the buffet or ordering off the menu. I give Saffron somewhere around good 3.5 to 4 stars based on both. I've tried a few appetizers here including the hariyali chicken appetizer for $8.50, which is also available as a main course. Described as being marinated in yogurt, cilantro and mint, it came out nice and juicy on a bed of grilled onions and peppers. It was absolutely delicious, but missing the tandoori oven effect that was described on the menu. It's a good option if you are looking for meat that's not smothered in a curry sauce. The meat and veggie samosas were both excellent here. These deep fried stuffed pastries are like samosas on steroids they are so huge! They come with a trio of delicious sauces- tamarind, tomato chutney and cilantro-mint, which all go well with the samosas. I couldn't pass up the channa masala which is one of my all time favorite Indian dishes. This veggie classic is made with chickpeas and cooked in a nice spicy tomato sauce and Saffron's version for $9.95 didn't disappoint. It's good served over rice, but you can also just scoop it up with one of the many different bread choices. The chicken korma for $12.95 is also good here. It's a creamy dish with chunks of boneless chicken breast cooked in a yogurt and puréed cashew sauce. If you are new to Indian food, this is a good dish to try. It is usually served mild, but you are given a choice of spice level here at Saffron. Chicken malai tikka ($8.50 or $14.95)is usually one of my favorite dishes, but it was a bit disappointing here at saffron. What I was served tasted good, but it just didn't taste like the chicken malai that I'm used to having. The yogurt, spice and cheese marinade should have had a thicker coating on the chicken in my opinion. Overall, I'd say Saffron has consistently good Indian food. I'd recommend it to try, but would also suggest exploring some of the other restaurants in the metropolitan area. I'm sure I'll be back on occasion to sample more of the menu items. read more

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Saffron was an unexpected gem! I had driven by it before, but always dismissed it as strip mall cuisine. It turned out to be an AMAZING meal and I can't wait to go back! Went with the international supper club, which is always fabulous company, whether the food it good or not. The service started slow but ended up awesome. Allison B and I split the vegetarian platter, which had a variety of veggie pakora (potato, zucchini, and potato), plus paneer pakora, samosas, and some sort of fried onion thing that was like a mound of fried, shredded onions. It was soooo yummy! I've never had such great flavor from samosas, and everything else was so tasty! We had NO problem finishing it off! Lucky to have another veg-head with me, we ordered the veggie (word started with an N, I think) korma and the paneer makhani. Both were huge portions, with unlimited rice. Both were AMAZING - packed with veggies or paneer (which are usually skimped on) and flavor - just enough spice with #2 level. The naan might have been the best I've ever had. Fluffy and huge! I ordered an order just for myself, took half home, along with other leftovers, and enjoyed it the next day for lunch. Can't wait to go back!! read more

Saffron - Indian Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

I have been converted. Before last night when I attended the International Supper Club, I would have told you I do not like Indian food. I quickly learned that it wasn't that I didn't like Indian cuisine, I was just eating at the wrong places. I will admit the service started out slow, the waiter would take half of our drink order and disappear. Then reappear with the first round and finish taking the rest of the orders. Perhaps a dozen Yelpers could be intimidating. Once he started to take the food orders, a spark appeared in his personality. He truly seemed to enjoy talking about the entrees and the spice levels of each dish. He issued warnings to some diners and those who did not listen to his wisdom, had beads of sweat building up on their upper lip and forehead. My entree was Chicken Palak, which was chicken (given) and spinach with Indian seasonings. I was a wimp and choose my spice level as a 2 1/2. For my reentry in to Indian cuisine that was, but next time I'll be able to kick it up a notch. The entree and rice are served in separate bowls, (almost family style) which made it easy to share samplings of other diners choices. Portions were large enough for take home and the other half enjoyed my experience when he got home from work. The ambiance is simple and casual which makes for a very relaxed dining experience. Thanks Saffron for introducing me to good Indian cuisine. read more