SAFFRON KITCHEN

4.8

92 Reviews

$31 to $50

Afghan

Make a booking

2 people

15 Mar 2025

11:00 pm

Booked 9 times today

Neighbourhood 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.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
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
Phone number
(510) 735-9220
Website
http://www.saffronk.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
Abdul YAwary, Chef/Owner
Catering
We specialize in catering of all sizes and for all events. The whole restaurant can be booked with sufficient notice. For catering, we can deliver food to your venue as well. Please send an email to hello@saffronk.com to get in touch with our management to discuss this further.
Private party facilities
Our private room at Saffron Kitchen can accomodate up to 30 people nicely. This venue is great for all types of events, corporate events/meetings and parties. The room opens up to our beautiful patio to accommodate more people. The room also has a TV and projector. Restaurant's sound system plays music and can be muted.

Location
5940 College Ave, Oakland, CA 94618
Area
Berkeley
Cross Street
Harwood
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

SAMOSAUSD 9.00
Chick-peas filled fried pastries
MANTU APPUSD 10.00
MANTU Steamed dumpling ﬁlled with ground lamb, onions, topped yogurt-mixed vegetables sauce & mint
AUSHAKUSD 10.00
Dumpling ﬁlled with leek, spring onions, topped with house-made yogurt, meat sauce and mint
- WITH MEAT SAUCEUSD 0.00
- VEGETARIANUSD 0.00
- MEAT ON SIDEUSD 0.00
POTATO BOLANIUSD 9.00
Mashed potatoes and herbs stuﬀed turnover
EGGPLANTS PAKORAUSD 10.00
Crispy eggplant, topped with house-made yogurt, and meat sauce
- WITH MEAT SAUCEUSD 0.00
- VEGETARIANUSD 0.00
- MEAT ON SIDEUSD 0.00
- NAKED (Nothing on it)USD 0.00
POTATO PAKORAUSD 10.00
Crisp potatoes, topped with house-made yogurt, and meat sauce
- WITH MEAT SAUCEUSD 0.00
- VEGETARIANUSD 0.00
- MEAT ON SIDEUSD 0.00
(Soup) AushUSD 10.00
Noodle and vegetable soup topped with yogurt, meat sauce, and dill
- WITH MEAT SAUCEUSD 0.00
- NO MEAT SAUCEUSD 0.00
- MEAT ON SIDEUSD 0.00
MASHAWA (SOUP)USD 10.00
Lentil soup, topped with yogurt, meat sauce, and dill
- WITH MEAT SAUCEUSD 0.00
- NO MEAT SAUCEUSD 0.00
- MEAT ON SIDEUSD 0.00
SIDE OF BUTTERNUT SQUASHUSD 10.00
With spiced topped with house-made yogurt, garlic and meat sauce
- WITH MEAT SAUCEUSD 0.00
- NO MEAT SAUCEUSD 0.00
- MEAT ON SIDEUSD 0.00

SALADS

GREEK SALADUSD 18.00
Romaine, feta cheese, green olives, tomato, cucumber, onion, Greek dressing
CILANTRO CAESER SALADUSD 16.00
hearts of romaine, cilantro, mint, parmesan
WATERMELON, ARIGULA, FETA SALADUSD 18.00
Side Salad (Greek)USD 7.00

ENTREES

BEEF KABOBUSD 24.00
Charbroiled Beef skewers, served with seasoned basmati rice
- RareUSD 0.00
- well doneUSD 0.00
- Medium RareUSD 0.00
- Medium WellUSD 0.00
CHICKEN KABOBUSD 24.00
Charbroiled chicken skewers, served with seasoned basmati rice
- RareUSD 0.00
- well doneUSD 0.00
- Medium RareUSD 0.00
- Medium WellUSD 0.00
COMBINATION KABOBSUSD 25.00
Chicken and Beef
- RareUSD 0.00
- well doneUSD 0.00
- Medium RareUSD 0.00
- Medium WellUSD 0.00
RACK OF LAMBUSD 38.00
Grilled rack of lamb skewers (4 pcs), with seasoned basmati rice
- RareUSD 0.00
- well doneUSD 0.00
- Medium RareUSD 0.00
- Medium WellUSD 0.00
LAMB KABOBUSD 30.00
- RareUSD 0.00
- well doneUSD 0.00
- Medium RareUSD 0.00
- Medium WellUSD 0.00
LAMB CHOPUSD 36.00
Lamb loin chops, charbroiled on skewer, served with seasoned basmati rice
- RareUSD 0.00
- well doneUSD 0.00
- Medium RareUSD 0.00
- Medium WellUSD 0.00
KING SALMON KABOBUSD 26.00
Charbroiled ﬁllet of salmon skewers, served with seasoned basmati rice
- RareUSD 0.00
- well doneUSD 0.00
- Medium RareUSD 0.00
- Medium WellUSD 0.00
SHRIMP KABOBUSD 26.00
Charbroiled jumbo prawn skewers, served with seasoned basmati rice
- RareUSD 0.00
- well doneUSD 0.00
- Medium RareUSD 0.00
- Medium WellUSD 0.00
SEAFOOD COMBOUSD 27.00
Grilled Salmon, shrimp skewers, served with seasoned basmati rice
- RareUSD 0.00
- well doneUSD 0.00
- Medium RareUSD 0.00
- Medium WellUSD 0.00
QABULI PALLAWUSD 26.00
baked Lamb, caramelized carrot & raisins, seasoned basmati rice
- WITH LAMBUSD 0.00
- WITH CHICKENUSD 0.00
LAWANGUSD 24.00
Chicken cooked with onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and sour cream served with saffron basmati rice
SHISH LEEKUSD 24.00
Chicken or beef, sautéed with onions, tomatoes, green peppers, carrots, with seasoned basmati rice
- WITH CHICKENUSD 0.00
- WITH BEEFUSD 0.00
MANTU ENTREEUSD 24.00
Steamed dumpling ﬁlled with ground lamb and onions, topped with yogurt, mint, and mixed vegetables
AUSHAK ENTREEUSD 23.00
Dumpling ﬁlled with leek and spring onions, topped with yogurt, meat sauce and mint
- WITH MEAT SAUCEUSD 0.00
- VEGETARIANUSD 0.00
- MEAT ON SIDEUSD 0.00
BEEF QURMAUSD 24.00
Cooked with green peppers, onion, fresh garlic, tomatoes and spices
SPINACH QURMAUSD 24.00
Baked lamb or Chicken, spinach Qurma, fresh garlic, cilantro, and spices
- WITH LAMBUSD 0.00
- WITH CHICKENUSD 0.00
BEEF CAULIFLOWER QURMAUSD 24.00
Braised Beef, or baked chicken & cauliflower stew, tomatoes, fresh garlic, gingers, and herbs
BEEF EGGPLANT QURMAUSD 24.00
Braised Beef or baked chicken & eggplants, tomatoes, fresh garlic, and spices
BEEF POTATO QURMAUSD 24.00
Hearty chucks of potatoes baked and then sauteed with peppers, onions and carrots and finished with a tomato sauce.
SALMON KARA'EUSD 24.00
- RareUSD 0.00
- well doneUSD 0.00
- Medium RareUSD 0.00
- Medium WellUSD 0.00
KOBIDEH KABOBSUSD 24.00
SHOLAUSD 24.00
(Afghan Savory Sticky Rice with Beef) 🌶️

VEGETARIAN ENTREES

VEGETARIAN SPINACH QURMAUSD 18.00
Cooked with scallions, fresh cilantro and fresh garlic, saﬀron basmati rice
VEGETARIAN BUTTERNUT SQUASHUSD 20.00
With spiced topped with house-made yogurt, garlic, saffron basmati rice
VEGETARIAN EGGPLANTSUSD 20.00
Eggplant, onions, fresh garlic, tomatoes, topped with house-made yogurt sauce, saﬀron basmati rice
VEGETARIAN CAULIFLOWERUSD 18.00
Cauliﬂower, tomatoes, onions, fresh ginger and herbs, saﬀron basmati rice
VEGETARIAN COMBOUSD 22.00
with Spinach, Butternut Squash, and Eggplants, saﬀron basmati rice
VEGGIE POTATO QURMAUSD 18.00
Hearty chucks of potatoes baked and then sauteed with peppers, onions, carrots, chickpeas and finished with a tomato sauce.

SIDE DISHES

SIDE OF SPINACHUSD 10.00
Cooked with scallions, cilantro, and fresh garlic and spices
SIDE OF BUTTERNUT SQUASHUSD 10.00
With spiced topped with house-made yogurt, garlic and meat sauce
- WITH MEAT SAUCEUSD 0.00
- NO MEAT SAUCEUSD 0.00
- MEAT ON SIDEUSD 0.00
SIDE OF EGGPLANTSUSD 10.00
Eggplant, onions, tomatoes, topped with house-made yogurt, and meat sauce
- WITH MEAT SAUCEUSD 0.00
- NO MEAT SAUCEUSD 0.00
- MEAT ON SIDEUSD 0.00
SIDE OF CAULIFLOWERUSD 10.00
Cauliﬂower, tomatoes, fresh garlic, onions, fresh ginger, and herbs
SIDE OF GRILLED VEGGIEUSD 10.00
Two skewers (tomatoes, Onion, Bellpeppers
Side of Seasoned Basmati RiceUSD 5.00
Side of White Basmati RiceUSD 5.00
SIDE OF BREADUSD 3.00
SIDE OF POTATO QURMAUSD 10.00

DESSERTS

CHOCLATE CAKEUSD 9.00
BAGHLAVA & ICE CREAMUSD 14.00
ICE CREAMUSD 9.00
Ice cream with rosewater cardamom, and pistachios
FERNIUSD 9.00
Milk pudding, topped with chopped roasted pistachios
BAKLAVAUSD 9.00
Sweet, flaky pastry made of layers of phyllo dough, chopped nuts, and syrup
SAFFRON PISTACHIO ICE CREAMUSD 9.00
POMEGRANATE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAMUSD 10.00
Cake cutting service feeUSD 2.50

KIDS MENU

KIDS CHICKEN KABOBUSD 13.00
KIDS BEEF KABOBUSD 13.00
KIDS SHRIMP KABOBUSD 14.00
KIDS KOHBIDEH KABOBUSD 13.00
KIDS SALMON KABOBUSD 14.00

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

Noise • Moderate

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

J
Jon VIP
San Francisco23 reviews
5.0
Dined 1 day ago
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.
Is this helpful?
J
Joseph VIP
San Francisco4 reviews
5.0
Dined 4 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.
Is this helpful?
P
Peter
San Francisco3 reviews
5.0
Dined 4 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.
Is this helpful?
M
Michelle
San Francisco4 reviews
5.0
Dined 7 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!
Is this helpful?
M
MADELINE
San Francisco6 reviews
5.0
Dined on 6 March 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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D
David
San Francisco8 reviews
5.0
Dined on 25 February 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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H
Helen VIP
San Francisco23 reviews
5.0
Dined on 21 February 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
Is this helpful?
G
Ginger VIP
San Francisco10 reviews
5.0
Dined on 18 February 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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C
Carrie VIP
Las Vegas1 review
4.0
Dined on 15 February 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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J
Jon VIP
San Francisco23 reviews
5.0
Dined on 15 February 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 booking

2 people

15 Mar 2025

11:00 pm

Booked 9 times today

Order delivery or takeout

5940 College Ave, Oakland, CA 94618

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross Street
Harwood
Area
Berkeley
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
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Afghan, Mediterranean, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment Options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Abdul YAwary, Chef/Owner
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.saffronk.com/
Phone number
(510) 735-9220
Catering
We specialize in catering of all sizes and for all events. The whole restaurant can be booked with sufficient notice. For catering, we can deliver food to your venue as well. Please send an email to hello@saffronk.com to get in touch with our management to discuss this further.
Private party facilities
Our private room at Saffron Kitchen can accomodate up to 30 people nicely. This venue is great for all types of events, corporate events/meetings and parties. The room opens up to our beautiful patio to accommodate more people. The room also has a TV and projector. Restaurant's sound system plays music and can be muted.

SAFFRON KITCHEN

Make a booking

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

APPETIZERS/STARTERS

SAMOSAUSD 9.00

MANTU APPUSD 10.00

AUSHAKUSD 10.00

POTATO BOLANIUSD 9.00

EGGPLANTS PAKORAUSD 10.00

POTATO PAKORAUSD 10.00

(Soup) AushUSD 10.00

MASHAWA (SOUP)USD 10.00

SIDE OF BUTTERNUT SQUASHUSD 10.00

SALADS

GREEK SALADUSD 18.00

CILANTRO CAESER SALADUSD 16.00

WATERMELON, ARIGULA, FETA SALADUSD 18.00

Side Salad (Greek)USD 7.00

ENTREES

BEEF KABOBUSD 24.00

CHICKEN KABOBUSD 24.00

COMBINATION KABOBSUSD 25.00

RACK OF LAMBUSD 38.00

LAMB KABOBUSD 30.00

LAMB CHOPUSD 36.00

KING SALMON KABOBUSD 26.00

SHRIMP KABOBUSD 26.00

SEAFOOD COMBOUSD 27.00

QABULI PALLAWUSD 26.00

LAWANGUSD 24.00

SHISH LEEKUSD 24.00

MANTU ENTREEUSD 24.00

AUSHAK ENTREEUSD 23.00

BEEF QURMAUSD 24.00

SPINACH QURMAUSD 24.00

BEEF CAULIFLOWER QURMAUSD 24.00

BEEF EGGPLANT QURMAUSD 24.00

BEEF POTATO QURMAUSD 24.00

SALMON KARA'EUSD 24.00

KOBIDEH KABOBSUSD 24.00

SHOLAUSD 24.00

VEGETARIAN ENTREES

VEGETARIAN SPINACH QURMAUSD 18.00

VEGETARIAN BUTTERNUT SQUASHUSD 20.00

VEGETARIAN EGGPLANTSUSD 20.00

VEGETARIAN CAULIFLOWERUSD 18.00

VEGETARIAN COMBOUSD 22.00

VEGGIE POTATO QURMAUSD 18.00

SIDE DISHES

SIDE OF SPINACHUSD 10.00

SIDE OF BUTTERNUT SQUASHUSD 10.00

SIDE OF EGGPLANTSUSD 10.00

SIDE OF CAULIFLOWERUSD 10.00

SIDE OF GRILLED VEGGIEUSD 10.00

Side of Seasoned Basmati RiceUSD 5.00

Side of White Basmati RiceUSD 5.00

SIDE OF BREADUSD 3.00

SIDE OF POTATO QURMAUSD 10.00

DESSERTS

CHOCLATE CAKEUSD 9.00

BAGHLAVA & ICE CREAMUSD 14.00

ICE CREAMUSD 9.00

FERNIUSD 9.00

BAKLAVAUSD 9.00

SAFFRON PISTACHIO ICE CREAMUSD 9.00

POMEGRANATE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAMUSD 10.00

Cake cutting service feeUSD 2.50

KIDS MENU

KIDS CHICKEN KABOBUSD 13.00

KIDS BEEF KABOBUSD 13.00

KIDS SHRIMP KABOBUSD 14.00

KIDS KOHBIDEH KABOBUSD 13.00

KIDS SALMON KABOBUSD 14.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

Does SAFFRON KITCHEN offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?