Saffron - Burlingame

Came here for the first time on Sunday during dinner and the food was delicious! We sat at the bar since other tables were taken or booked, but we didn't mind. Between 2 people, we got their Andhra Fried Chicken, Genovese Basil Dosa, and Butter Chicken. My favorite dish we got was the Genovese Basil Dosa. It was fun to eat and packed with tons of flavor, I also loved all sauces for this dish! The Butter Chicken was also really good, the curry was rich in flavor. I also liked how it came with butter naan.

The staff was friendly and also provided us recommendations on what to get next time we're here. I would say this is a high end modern Indian restaurant. I definitely would come back again!

Go here to enjoy creative variations of Indian food and an upscale dining experience!

FOOD
My No.1 favorite dish here is the Genovese basil dosa. I drive from SF to Burlingame exclusively for this dish - its that good.
My No.2 dish here was the crab croquettes. The patties were extremely flavorful, perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Last time I also tried the truffle mushroom Uttappam which I found to be flavorful but a bit too chewy in texture. I wouldn't order it again. We tried their cocktails which were okayish, and the kulfi dessert which was excellent. The rose kulfi was exceptional.

SERVICE
Quick service and very accomodating of dietary preferences.

AMBIENCE
This is an upscale restaurant with tasteful decor which makes for a great date night spot! I would dress up a little to go here and avoid sticking out :)

Amazing authentic experience

Formerly a Michelin spot, Saffron presents southern Indian classics with a modern spin.
5* for the flavors and variety.

The dishes are small to medium in size with the exception of the lamb shank (large)

The dipping sauces were flavorful
Reservations not required outside but are encouraged for the main dining room

Prices are a little higher but worth it

Stopped in for lunch on a weekday and wasn't busy. It's nice inside and got seated right away. We ordered the seasonal veggies, butter chicken, and a basil dosa. Food came out timely and everything was amazing. The veggies were warm but also crisp and had such great flavor. It was probably our favorite dish. The butter chicken was creamy and chicken was seasoned and cooked great before to give it another depth of flavor. The naan was soft and served with the butter chicken which I appreciated. The dosa filling had wonderful spice and enjoyed the dipping sauces and soup that came with it. Texture was light and crisp on the outside. You could taste the basil but not overpowering. Definitely recommend all these dishes.

My fiance and I's first time having Indian cuisine and it was AMAZING! Thank you Ashish for all of these recommendations. You were so patient and kind sharing your knowledge of the food. We both appreciated it very much! Spice levels are great. We also got the ghost pepper sauce on the side. It had a strong punch so take it little by little. Tiramisu was a light and creamy lady finger combo with fruit and it was chefs kiss to end the night. The interior is also a beautiful white and gold with a high ceiling. So pretty walking into a location you don't realize is bigger than expected!

We here for lunch with a client. The ambiance is great, the restaurant is small but decently busy (not loud but not dead either). The food was INCREDIBLE. I had the Biryani and it was the best of my life. I'm usually a butter chicken gal but I mixed it up and was not disappointed.

Top service here they are a more culinarily focused Indian restaurant with great flavors. Atmosphere is perfect for a dining experience and was the perfect date night. I really enjoyed the butter chicken, naan, vegetable curry and the cheesecake dessert is so good! The prawn appetizer was tasty but a little small. Everything was perfectly seasoned and just enough heat.

Saffron is an upscale Indian restaurant and one of the better places to get pani puri. While the puri is not the same as what I've had overseas, it's more on par with what I expected compared to other places in the SF Bay Area.

There are several vegetarian-friendly options. I am a huge fan of the paneer kofta curry. The sauce is amazing and we ordered a side of naan to scoop up any remaining sauce.

I also love the dosas here. I've tried the basil dosa and the Bollywood dosa. Part of the fun is how big the dosas are! It took 4 people to finish one order. I will say that I was primarily interested in the Bollywood because of the ghost pepper aspect. It has a bit of a kick, but it's nowhere as spicy as one would think (considering it IS a sauce made from ghost pepper). The chefs definitely toned it down and I felt like like it could have been spicier. Guess the team didn't want to be held responsible for any deaths - literally and figuratively.

The interior is nice, especially the small bar area. There's one cute semi-booth that is probably my favorite 2-top. Otherwise, the upstairs is great for larger parties.

My one tiny complaint is how staff hover around when you pay the bill. They bring the card reader and swipe your card, then wait around as you select a tip with pre-selected options of 20%, 22%, and 26%. I believe there's a 3% additional mandate as well. Honestly, it just makes me super uncomfortable with someone looking over my shoulder when I'm trying to figure out the bill. I would rather they just leave the machine while I make my selection and then pick it up after we leave. Other restaurants I've frequented allow me to take my time, and I very much appreciate that tactic.

The food was delicious and along with the beautiful decor and excellent service this restaurant gets 5 stars.

Cocktails were beautiful and delicious but really small for the price.

A higher end Indian restaurant located in the downtown Burlingame area. The ambiance is very nice inside, and on the weekday evening I went, the place was busy as well. Perhaps the most unique aspect of this restaurant is the coastal Indian flavors found here which I really appreciated. Nice to see flavors from places like Kerala featured at a restaurant like this.