Saffron Restaurant & Lounge

My new favorite Minneapolis restaurant! The entire experience was stellar! From the fancy cocktail expertly shaken with house-made tinctures' to the wonderfully presented, perfectly melded flavors of the menu items. We had anchovies, octopus, lamb brain delicately fried and flavorful, foie gras, whole fish served with crispy grapeleaves, lamb shank so sticky our lips stuck together! Other eateries are very good but this one ranks top in my judgement. 112 Eatery right across the street seldom disappoints but Saffron is more creative, more thoughtful, ditto for Bar La Grassa more

After almost going for a long time, our only disappointment after dining at Saffron is that we have missed too many great meals. more

We chose this place for our anniversary and it was fantastic! great food and service and the prices are very affordable given the quality of food hip atmosphere. We were greeted by Saed Wadi, a very charming and approachable owner. The place is very hip and refined but not stiff as other places. Joe, our server (and the other closer who's name I didn't ask) were very helpful with their recommendations. We had the Baba Ghanoush, Lentil Dip and Kofta balls (awesome flavors but my fav was the lentil dip), Chicken Bisteeya and chilled Pea soup and for drinks the Rin a Gin Gin (very fresh martini with cucumber and mint) and the Roots Reggae Rum (my fav!). I will absolutely recommend this place for a special night or if you're looking for smthg different. more

We brought guests from Washington DC, who have traveled to the Middle East and have gourmet palates, to Saffron's for Restaurant Week. We were all impressed with the choices they offered, the delicious food and presentation of all the courses. The staff was friendly, attendant without hovering. We were all delighted. Pros: Food, ambiance,people Cons: parking more

Sure, everything was gourmet, except for the food. But for those of you without with a very discriminating pallet, you may well not notice how the giant beans Tapas?esque teaser/appetizer is WAY over spiced with dill, and that the Greek Extra Virgin olive oil used was ? on the way to being ran(id (you know, when what should have been a peppery banana/green lawn bouquet is just slightly banana like, with a sort of weak oleic ran(id flavor on top). I'm going to be candid. For Minnesota, I suppose the food was OK (that is not to say there aren't a few fine gems in Minnesota,, there are.) But if Saffron was, for instance, in Big Apple, it would be out of business in short order. Why do I say this? The food is only so so. For instance, many of the menu items mention truffle (that initially scared me, and guess what,, my fears were well founded.) STAY AWAY from Saffron if the thought of heavy drizzle of Trader Joe?s black truffle oil makes you queasy. Things like this may well go unnoticed to most, and those who pretend to have godly taste, but if you have a very discriminating pallet, and the flavor and quality of the food are the primary reasons you are going here, do yourself a favor and spend ? the money at India Palace in Woodbury, Pun(h Neapolitan Pizza (4 locations now), or Sea Salt. And if you need to spend a lot of money to impress someone (and have a meal you will never forget), go to Savory?s in Stillwater. I just named the four best restaurants in twin cities region. Oh, and one other ? the McDonalds in Bloomington (next to Groth music, it?s the regional training MCK?Dees). So much money and research has gone into the McDonalds recipes, that when the food is served correctly (fresh & hot), it truly can be a gourmet experience. Sorry Saffron, it just didn?t work. I suppose as long as you remain only in Minneapolis, you will survive. *Hint, (=c. Sorry, they detected the words as offensive. Pros: Eclectic, Eastern Cons: Amateurishly executed, except for the meat kabbs more

This is the first restaurant that impressed us so much that we feel compelled to write a review. Pros: Excellent food, very reasonable prices (particularly for the small plates) Cons: Location more

We have dined at Saffron a number of times starting shortly after they opened. Saed is the consumate ""front man"", warm and engaging, making everyone feel welcome in true Middle Eastern style. As other reviews attest, the food is excellent and true to it's origins. My wife and I lived in the Middle East for nine years and have to say this is, without question, the best Middle Eastern food we have found. We have taken out-of-town guests and have recommended Saffron to many. My only hope is that continue to remain in the area! Pros: Great food, excellent service, great value. more

I feel compelled to write to you about a meal that I experienced (and I use this term intentionally) at Saffron in downtown Minneapolis last week, because the flavors from that exquisite meal are still lingering in my mouth. The chef, as I learned, from meeting the owner Saed (an affable and astute business man), is all of 24 years old. I am and was simply stunned. His instinct for fine cuisine is exceptional. I say this having grown up with good food and around good cooks. Pros: Perfect meal more

All I can say is you must try the Beef Carpaccio, Leek and feta tart, Duck entree and the Escargot pasta. Pros: The food, service, atmosphere Cons: can't find any more

This place should be packed it's so good! The staff is so nice. The owner takes pride in his place and you can see it! He came over and thanked us and was very personable. BUT the food speaks for itself. We had several Mezza plates (small plates) and chose to do the chef's selection which was awesome. The feta is so fresh as well as the homemade sausages etc. I had the lamb which melted in your mouth the flavors were awesome. My boyfriend had the salmon and it was insanely good! more

I am by no means a connoisseur in the culture of culinary arts or fine dining however a GEM can be spotted by anyone with an ounce of erudition. CONSISTENTLY amazing. Cleanliness, food quality, service, and ambience are all of highest caliber. more

My husband & I had dinner here recently on a Saturday night. The service was excellent, and our waiter was especially attentive and knowledgeable. We had the blue crab salad and the vegetable bisteeya. The blue crab salad had a nice avocado base that was very creamy. I would recommend both! I had the salmon & clam tagine and my husband had the lamb. Both were excellent, and the lamb practically melted in your mouth. I had the chocolate mousse cake for dessert, and he had the creme brulee. The chocolate cake was very good, but the creme brulee was absolutely wonderful. It was chilled with a blueberry and tart base. It also had a lemon verbana foam on the side. Lovely flavors and a surprising treat. My only suggestion would be that they add another choice or two to the dessert menu. Overall, a fabulous restaurant that I highly recommend. Pros: Excellent food and inventive flavors Cons: Somewhat limited dessert menu more

From other reviews expected a great experience going there with party of 9. What a disappointment. The dinner took close to two and a half hours. The server was no place to be found for re-ordering drinks. The meals were brought to the table one or two at a time with delays between each delivery. Worst of all, the manger (Part Owner) explained to us that the kitchen is backed up since they have stations for different entry and out table had multiple of same food and that caused delay. I would also stay away from the BASS (too fishy). However, the appetizers were good. Pros: Can Not think of any Cons: Service, Parking more

To be honest we went there with no expectations, but we were blown away. Pros: Lamb entree. Spicy Lamb Sausage. Creme brule tart more

Well, I hate being disappointed in restaurants, especially when all of the reviews have ranted and raved about Saffron. I asked my boyfriend, and two other close couples to join us for dinner. To be honest, I thought the ambiance lacked style & attention to detail, and really did not feel welcoming. It could have been a lot more hip considering it's prime location in the Wharehouse district and being downtown. Pros: Small plates, decent Cons: No where to park more

Time and Time again our guests make a point of stopping at my desk and thanking me for introducing them to SAFFRON. I heard about them shortly after they opened in early spring and was invited over to experience it for myself. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. They give you the option of small plates (like SOLERA) so that you can try a number of different items, and we did. The carpaccio was amazing, beef and tuna with morroccan seasonings and the flavors lit up my palate. I can't remember the last time I experienced such flavor. Richly flavorful but not overly spicy, very nice! Just when I thought I couldn't eat anymore they brought me a boneless lamb shoulder in a lamb reduction that was as tender as my grandmas potroast. The server was very knowledgeable and did a good job describing the food in advance, the portions were generous and the deserts were fabulous. Since that night I have sent many a hotel guest to saffron and without fail, they make a point of thanking me for sending them over there. Try this restaurant before it becomes so busy you cant get in..... Pros: Unique, something new in Minneapolis Cons: relatively small dining area, it will be hard to get a table here once this place catches on. more

Last night I went to Saffron for the first time. My husband and I went with another couple. I was very impressed. It was not crowded - which was a good thing because we got a great table right next to the front windows. However, I doubt this will be the case for long. I am sure once this place starts getting press it is going to be crowded. My husband and I like to dine out at nice restaurants quite often. To be honest, there are only a few that we return to. Saffron is definitely a restaurant we will return to. Pros: Fine restaurant entrees with an ethnic twist Cons: parking more

My husbend and myself felt like we were on a journey of amazement and enjoyment when we visited saffron on a friday night. The place was uncomparable, it is one of the rare things in life that have no buts. I called it the cruise of enjoyment. We really enjoyed everything; the decoration, the atmosphere, the music and finally the food with its taste, and presentation. The service was really very good and the waitress was so patient. It took us so long to decide what to eat , every menu item sounded yummy!... We finally decided to order one small plate, two mezze, and the two entrees. If you consider yourself on a cruise, eating and enjoying your food would be the deck area where you could enjoy the wide, open, blue sea and sky breathless. I had the salmon which I usually order in restaurants but this time felt like the first time. It sounded like I was looking for something and I finally found it ( Eureka). The sauce was so yummy!... I cann't even describe it. it's like there is no words to describe it fair enough. My husbend, on the other side, ordered the beef strip loin with the smoked potato gratin. The meat was so tender and delicious. Then we went to the next level of the cruise where you think you cann't enjoy the sea anymore but suddenly you realize you can actually enjoy the under water world through the glassy bottom. And here comes the dessert; pistachio, peach and ginger ice cream and the rice pudding. I loved the pistachio and peach, the ginger I more than loved. We spent three hours that felt like maybe one. you come to the end and you don't want to leave, you wake up the second day and you don't want to eat your breakfast because the taste of last night's dinner is still in your mouth and you want to hold onto it. more

We went there for Valentines Day dinner?. There was a special six-course menu? The food was amazing, with service to match? one of the best salmon dishes that I have had in Minneapolis? Slow roasted salmon with cauliflower fondue and a black olive sauce?. Simple flavors done just right Pros: Great food Cons: Parking more