Saffron NOLA

Had the most exquisite meal. when my friends told me we were going for Indian, I began salivating of my favorites; non of which were on the menu. It's modern high end Indian like you've never tasted. It's original and delicious

My husband and I have passed Saffron so many times while browsing Magazine street and we finally made reservations. The food here is great but make sure you come hungry as the portions are large!

The Tuna Crudo Chaat was super fresh and the mango sauce added a lightness to the dish. I love any type of crudo and this dish is a must.

We also got the Truffle Naan and it was super soft and fluffy with a moderate truffle flavor.

The Seafood Curry comes in a cute presentation with basmati rice and a smokey lime. There were large shrimp and a good amount of seafood in the curry.

We also got the Chicken Biriyani and this dish was our favorite. The chicken was tender and the saffron rice was so good I could eat it alone. The soft boiled egg was also a nice touch. It comes with a side dish of yogurt to be mixed in the rice.

Like I mentioned, the portions are large and you will definitely have leftovers for lunch the next day.

I would definitely come back to Saffron the next time I am in New Orleans!

Tl;dr high expectations, but underperforming; lacked seasoning and depth but great presentation and nice ambience

The wife and I are visiting New Orleans for the week, celebrating our second marriage anniversary. We've somehow become our parents, so we decided we should have some Indian food while traveling. We were excited about Saffron's menu, which advertised to have a New Orleans twist to Indian food.

The staff was very friendly and the restaurant itself has a nice modern, yet elegant aesthetic. We had made a reservation and were seated quickly. Our waiter was very nice and gave descriptions for the dishes. My wife ordered a mocktail, which had a mix of lime, roasted mango and mint and was lovely. Good blend of flavors with the roasted mango not being overpowering and overall being refreshing.

We ordered four small plates first. The fried oysters with naan triangles and salmon pani puri are how we started. The fried oysters were good, but nothing special. They had an average Nola grilled oyster with naan triangles, so missed the opportunity to incorporate Indian flavors. The salmon pani puri again had an eye-catching presentation, but lacked the depth and refreshing flavor that gol gappe are known for. These should be irresistible balls of goodness that you can't get enough of; and that feeling just wasn't there. Next up were the onion pakoda and chaat bird's nest. Onion pakoda had an inconsistency; again, the expectation was crunch throughout with seasoning, but we bit into some soft portions. The dish had two chutneys that gave it nice depth though. As great as the presentation of the chaat bird's nest was, it was the most disappointing. A garbanzo mixture on top of a bed of fried potato strings topped with two chutneys and a crunch, overlying a bed of yogurt; great in theory but again lacking in flavor in garbanzo mixture with the potato strings over-fried and dense at the bottom.

Last up was the chicken biryani. Nice presentation in a cast iron pot with saffron, fried onions and soft boiled egg on top. The saffron definitely came through in color and flavor. The chicken was well done and flavorful. Probably the highlight of the meal. However the kitchen seemed backed up and so the dish didn't come out for a while.

Overall, a solid 3 out of 5. There's definitely potential but a lack in consistency and a lack of flavor. Over promised but under delivered.

Indian/Creole fusion? Sign me up!

This was a great meal all around, and I can see why the chef is a James Beard finalist. The dining room and ambience is wonderful, very modern and with a cool modern playlist in the background. Service was on point at every juncture with a friendly staff, and we even had an appearance from the chef to present and serve the Biryani dish.

The cocktail list is large, diverse and very interesting, not to mention delicious. The sommelier was great and helped explain our beverage options. Our waitress was friendly and professional.

How about the food you ask? An explosion of flavors! Do not pass up on the "oyster bed roast". Fantastic flavors, perhaps not really Indian flavors, but wow did this plate surprise me with delicious tasting oysters. The onion Pakoda was another big hit at our table. Somewhat like a blooming onion but oh so much better. I could have eaten the entire dish on my own, but grudgingly shared with the other diners at our table.

We were a party of four, and all were happy with our food. Entrees were reasonably sized and shareable if you have some appetizers. The biryani was really delicious and a large portion. Our waitress suggested the side order of Raita, which was a pretty sophisticated rendition, and so glad we ordered it.

We enjoyed the food so much that we were just simply too full to explore the dessert menu. We will absolutely need to visit again on our next trip to New Orleans. In a city of great dining, this is a real gem

We've been eager to try Saffron after Arvinder Vilkhu was nominated for the 2024 James Beard Award and it did not disappoint! The food, ambience, and service were delightful. My friend and I had the Vanilla Handcuff cocktail that comes with a Prosecco sidecar and we didn't understand it, but we loved it lol (passionfruit is my favorite!) The Girl From Ipanema and Not A Jazz Brunch cocktails were also very yummy. As appetizers, we started with the Pudha (spicy & delicious) and the Potato Nest Chaat (so delicious, great flavors - worth the $25). We loved our Royal Paneer and Makhni D'aal entrees and we ordered the scrumptious Truffle, Garlic, & Chili-Cheese Naans to dip in them. Our server was awesome - not only did we get impeccable service & recommendations, we also got some history knowledge, as well! Definitely loved Saffron :)

From the first moment we walked in I knew we were in for a treat. The host was very prompt and got us seated. The restaurant is beautiful with an open kitchen. We really enjoyed watching the kitchen staff at work. I got their version of an Old Fashion that was one of the best I have ever had. We got the onion appetizer and naan with the trio of dipping sauces. Everything was great. My wife loved her beef kabobs and the seafood curry was one of the best things I have ever had. Server was perfect and knew when to come check on us and when to let us enjoy our food. One of the best dining experiences I have ever had.

AMAZING FLAVOR in every dish! Service was high end, great date night spot. Ambiance was a VIBE. We've lived around the corner for years and are so pissed we slept on this place for so long. HIGHLY REC!

Amazing food and ambiance! Was in town for work and received great recommendations and was well taken care of by the staff through my visit. I will definitely visit again if I'm back in NOLA. Loved the spin on Indian food and it was a lovely way to enjoy familiar foods with a modern spin.

Have you ever been to a restaurant and know that you want to make a reservation to come back?

After an amazing day celebrating a huge award for our daughter, she surprised us with an anniversary dinner at Saffron. It was the cap to a perfect day.

So nice to be able to sit and relax over a soothing cup of Masala Chai tea, my favorite, while it poured rain outside. Loved the milk served hot so that the tea remained hot.

Loved the presentation of the Aloo Tiffin Chaat. I'm a bit obsessed with Tiffin trays and this one did not disappoint. Loved the table side assembly. The potato cake with served with a chickpea masala topped with mint and date tamarind chutney was delicious. So good with fresh hot garlic naan.

Next time, will book table #40 or #42 so that I can watch the chefs create their magical fusion of the taste of India on Magazine.

OUTSTANDING. One of the best restaurants in New Orleans. Everything from beginning to end was perfection, from the hostess to the service to the chai and dessert. The flavors were unique and everything was seasoned perfectly. The service was impeccable and professional (Gabriel was our server). We ordered the raw tuna, curried gumbo, gulf fish, Japanese eggplant, paneer, naan, chai tiramisu (I actually would have preferred a stronger chai flavor), and the ginger crème brûlée. I'm not a fan of a ton of ginger, but this was one of the best crème brûlées I've ever had. Be forewarned, this is an expensive restaurant. Definitely for special occasions. But it's a meal I will remember for a long time.