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SAFFRON KITCHEN, Oakland, CA

SAFFRON KITCHEN

4.8
4.8
92 Reviews
$31 to $50
Afghan

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 9 times today
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Vegetarian-friendly
  • Great for outdoor dining
From Kabul to the mediteranean, at Saffron Kitchen we provide Afghan cuisine with a unique mediteranean flavors using herbs and spices along the silk-road region. Our recipes have stood the test of time for generations of home cooking. Our dumplings like Mantu and Ashak will remind of the ear east feasts while the various Kabobs of chicken, lamb, beef, and seafood are driven from the central asian recipes and spices. We offer an excellent vegetarian selection on our menu as well. To complement the food menu, we offer an excellent selection of premium wines, spirits, and many kinds of beer on tab.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Afghan, Mediterranean, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Daily 12:00 pm–4:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Abdul YAwary, Chef/Owner
  • Delivery & takeout

What 92 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • East Bay

    Best Overall

  • East Bay

    Best Service

  • East Bay

    Best Value

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Saffron Kitchen offers "wonderful traditional Afghan food" in a "beautiful setting" with "splendid service." The Mantu and Aushak appetizers are "delicious and generous," while the lamb kabobs are "tender and flavorful." The restaurant's "friendly staff" and "lovely ambiance" complement its "creative, beautifully presented food," making it "highly recommended."

92 Reviews
  1. Jon VIP

    San Francisco23 reviews

    5.0

    Dined today

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food, service, and cocktails. We look forward to each visit to Saffron Kitchen.

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  2. Joseph VIP

    San Francisco4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Afghans are notoriously hard to please when it comes to eating at Afghan restaurants and I can say without hesitation that Saffron is exceptional. The menu, which includes some really creative spins on traditional Afghan dishes, still carries some of the best examples of traditional Afghan cuisine served up in great portions and with balanced flavors. Standouts were the aushak and mantu -- absolutely order both, not just what you consider your favorite -- and the Shola, which is about as close as you can get to quintessential home-cooked Afghan comfort food at a restaurant. The staff was wonderful, the owner and chef are both present and engaged in sharing their great creations, and it was so great to see such a diverse and rich mix of folks eating around us. Hands down one of the best Afghan restaurants I've been to in terms of balancing authenticity, creativity, and Afghan hospitality.

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  3. Peter

    San Francisco3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    If we really like a new (to us) restaurant, we keep going back. Saffron Kitchen is one of those places that we tried and we keep coming back to. Every dish we've had so far has been really good.

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  4. Michelle

    San Francisco4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Yum! We enjoyed a wonderful evening here. We hope to return!

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  5. MADELINE

    San Francisco6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 6, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Six neighbor ladies and my daughter and I had a lovely quiet lunch and Cody was a fabulous and attentive server and we appreciate his humor and his ready wit and attention to detail yes eggplant pecora is still my favorite and the watermelon salad was as always wonderful but the butternut squash dish was a standout

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  6. David

    San Francisco8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 25, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food and service but don’t park on College avenue outside the restaurant. Our rental car was broken into.

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  7. Helen VIP

    San Francisco23 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 21, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great food - went with a friend. the bartender made us awesome drinks - Martini for me and he Royal Bermuda Yacht Club for my very eclectic Australian friend - both drinks were superb. we ordered the mantu, eggplant and lamb kabob - lots of delicious flavorful food- and the service was excellent by Abdul and rest - icing on the cake as I am a frequent diner there Akbar stopped by to say Hello - was so glad to seedt he place was busy - will be returning soon

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  8. Ginger VIP

    San Francisco10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    What a nice place to have lunch. Food is fantastic! The friendly waiter suggested a pot of black tea infused with cardamom and saffron that was perfect for a cold day. The eggplant pakora was piping hot and crunchy outside, tender and smooth on the inside. My lamb kabob was cooked perfectly and juicy from a tangy marinade. Th flatbread served alongside was almost like focaccia with a nice crunch and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds. I'm looking forward to our next visit!

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  9. Carrie VIP

    Las Vegas1 review

    4.0

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We really enjoyed our valentine's day dinner at Saffron. We had two large dogs with us, and they were very accommodating on the heated patio, and were extra nice to my very pregnant self. They gave all the women there a rose, which was a nice touch! The food was great. We shared the squash appetizer, enjoyed the soft bread/dips, and I got the lamb mantu. We would absolutely go here again. Service was great. The ONE thing I think they could work on is the bottleneck at the host stand. There was constantly a bunch of people standing there, which may have just been a Valentine's Day problem.

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  10. Jon VIP

    San Francisco23 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Saffron Kitchen is a warm, friendly environment with excellent food, cocktails, and service. We look forward to returning soon.

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FAQs

SAFFRON KITCHEN offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (510) 735-9220.

SAFFRON KITCHEN is rated 4.8 stars by 92 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 9 times today
Google Map for SAFFRON KITCHEN

5940 College Ave, Oakland, CA 94618

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Afghan, Mediterranean, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Daily 12:00 pm–4:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Abdul YAwary, Chef/Owner
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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