SAFFRON KITCHEN

4.8

91 Reviews

$31 to $50

Afghan

Make a booking

2 people

15 Mar 2025

19:00

Booked 8 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 12:00–16:00 Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 16:00–21:00 Fri, Sat 16:00–22:00
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, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

SAMOSAUS$9.00
Chick-peas filled fried pastries
MANTU APPUS$10.00
MANTU Steamed dumpling ﬁlled with ground lamb, onions, topped yogurt-mixed vegetables sauce & mint
AUSHAKUS$10.00
Dumpling ﬁlled with leek, spring onions, topped with house-made yogurt, meat sauce and mint
- WITH MEAT SAUCEUS$0.00
- VEGETARIANUS$0.00
- MEAT ON SIDEUS$0.00
POTATO BOLANIUS$9.00
Mashed potatoes and herbs stuﬀed turnover
EGGPLANTS PAKORAUS$10.00
Crispy eggplant, topped with house-made yogurt, and meat sauce
- WITH MEAT SAUCEUS$0.00
- VEGETARIANUS$0.00
- MEAT ON SIDEUS$0.00
- NAKED (Nothing on it)US$0.00
POTATO PAKORAUS$10.00
Crisp potatoes, topped with house-made yogurt, and meat sauce
- WITH MEAT SAUCEUS$0.00
- VEGETARIANUS$0.00
- MEAT ON SIDEUS$0.00
(Soup) AushUS$10.00
Noodle and vegetable soup topped with yogurt, meat sauce, and dill
- WITH MEAT SAUCEUS$0.00
- NO MEAT SAUCEUS$0.00
- MEAT ON SIDEUS$0.00
MASHAWA (SOUP)US$10.00
Lentil soup, topped with yogurt, meat sauce, and dill
- WITH MEAT SAUCEUS$0.00
- NO MEAT SAUCEUS$0.00
- MEAT ON SIDEUS$0.00
SIDE OF BUTTERNUT SQUASHUS$10.00
With spiced topped with house-made yogurt, garlic and meat sauce
- WITH MEAT SAUCEUS$0.00
- NO MEAT SAUCEUS$0.00
- MEAT ON SIDEUS$0.00

SALADS

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

ENTREES

BEEF KABOBUS$24.00
Charbroiled Beef skewers, served with seasoned basmati rice
- RareUS$0.00
- well doneUS$0.00
- Medium RareUS$0.00
- Medium WellUS$0.00
CHICKEN KABOBUS$24.00
Charbroiled chicken skewers, served with seasoned basmati rice
- RareUS$0.00
- well doneUS$0.00
- Medium RareUS$0.00
- Medium WellUS$0.00
COMBINATION KABOBSUS$25.00
Chicken and Beef
- RareUS$0.00
- well doneUS$0.00
- Medium RareUS$0.00
- Medium WellUS$0.00
RACK OF LAMBUS$38.00
Grilled rack of lamb skewers (4 pcs), with seasoned basmati rice
- RareUS$0.00
- well doneUS$0.00
- Medium RareUS$0.00
- Medium WellUS$0.00
LAMB KABOBUS$30.00
- RareUS$0.00
- well doneUS$0.00
- Medium RareUS$0.00
- Medium WellUS$0.00
LAMB CHOPUS$36.00
Lamb loin chops, charbroiled on skewer, served with seasoned basmati rice
- RareUS$0.00
- well doneUS$0.00
- Medium RareUS$0.00
- Medium WellUS$0.00
KING SALMON KABOBUS$26.00
Charbroiled ﬁllet of salmon skewers, served with seasoned basmati rice
- RareUS$0.00
- well doneUS$0.00
- Medium RareUS$0.00
- Medium WellUS$0.00
SHRIMP KABOBUS$26.00
Charbroiled jumbo prawn skewers, served with seasoned basmati rice
- RareUS$0.00
- well doneUS$0.00
- Medium RareUS$0.00
- Medium WellUS$0.00
SEAFOOD COMBOUS$27.00
Grilled Salmon, shrimp skewers, served with seasoned basmati rice
- RareUS$0.00
- well doneUS$0.00
- Medium RareUS$0.00
- Medium WellUS$0.00
QABULI PALLAWUS$26.00
baked Lamb, caramelized carrot & raisins, seasoned basmati rice
- WITH LAMBUS$0.00
- WITH CHICKENUS$0.00
LAWANGUS$24.00
Chicken cooked with onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and sour cream served with saffron basmati rice
SHISH LEEKUS$24.00
Chicken or beef, sautéed with onions, tomatoes, green peppers, carrots, with seasoned basmati rice
- WITH CHICKENUS$0.00
- WITH BEEFUS$0.00
MANTU ENTREEUS$24.00
Steamed dumpling ﬁlled with ground lamb and onions, topped with yogurt, mint, and mixed vegetables
AUSHAK ENTREEUS$23.00
Dumpling ﬁlled with leek and spring onions, topped with yogurt, meat sauce and mint
- WITH MEAT SAUCEUS$0.00
- VEGETARIANUS$0.00
- MEAT ON SIDEUS$0.00
BEEF QURMAUS$24.00
Cooked with green peppers, onion, fresh garlic, tomatoes and spices
SPINACH QURMAUS$24.00
Baked lamb or Chicken, spinach Qurma, fresh garlic, cilantro, and spices
- WITH LAMBUS$0.00
- WITH CHICKENUS$0.00
BEEF CAULIFLOWER QURMAUS$24.00
Braised Beef, or baked chicken & cauliflower stew, tomatoes, fresh garlic, gingers, and herbs
BEEF EGGPLANT QURMAUS$24.00
Braised Beef or baked chicken & eggplants, tomatoes, fresh garlic, and spices
BEEF POTATO QURMAUS$24.00
Hearty chucks of potatoes baked and then sauteed with peppers, onions and carrots and finished with a tomato sauce.
SALMON KARA'EUS$24.00
- RareUS$0.00
- well doneUS$0.00
- Medium RareUS$0.00
- Medium WellUS$0.00
KOBIDEH KABOBSUS$24.00
SHOLAUS$24.00
(Afghan Savory Sticky Rice with Beef) 🌶️

VEGETARIAN ENTREES

VEGETARIAN SPINACH QURMAUS$18.00
Cooked with scallions, fresh cilantro and fresh garlic, saﬀron basmati rice
VEGETARIAN BUTTERNUT SQUASHUS$20.00
With spiced topped with house-made yogurt, garlic, saffron basmati rice
VEGETARIAN EGGPLANTSUS$20.00
Eggplant, onions, fresh garlic, tomatoes, topped with house-made yogurt sauce, saﬀron basmati rice
VEGETARIAN CAULIFLOWERUS$18.00
Cauliﬂower, tomatoes, onions, fresh ginger and herbs, saﬀron basmati rice
VEGETARIAN COMBOUS$22.00
with Spinach, Butternut Squash, and Eggplants, saﬀron basmati rice
VEGGIE POTATO QURMAUS$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 SPINACHUS$10.00
Cooked with scallions, cilantro, and fresh garlic and spices
SIDE OF BUTTERNUT SQUASHUS$10.00
With spiced topped with house-made yogurt, garlic and meat sauce
- WITH MEAT SAUCEUS$0.00
- NO MEAT SAUCEUS$0.00
- MEAT ON SIDEUS$0.00
SIDE OF EGGPLANTSUS$10.00
Eggplant, onions, tomatoes, topped with house-made yogurt, and meat sauce
- WITH MEAT SAUCEUS$0.00
- NO MEAT SAUCEUS$0.00
- MEAT ON SIDEUS$0.00
SIDE OF CAULIFLOWERUS$10.00
Cauliﬂower, tomatoes, fresh garlic, onions, fresh ginger, and herbs
SIDE OF GRILLED VEGGIEUS$10.00
Two skewers (tomatoes, Onion, Bellpeppers
Side of Seasoned Basmati RiceUS$5.00
Side of White Basmati RiceUS$5.00
SIDE OF BREADUS$3.00
SIDE OF POTATO QURMAUS$10.00

DESSERTS

CHOCLATE CAKEUS$9.00
BAGHLAVA & ICE CREAMUS$14.00
ICE CREAMUS$9.00
Ice cream with rosewater cardamom, and pistachios
FERNIUS$9.00
Milk pudding, topped with chopped roasted pistachios
BAKLAVAUS$9.00
Sweet, flaky pastry made of layers of phyllo dough, chopped nuts, and syrup
SAFFRON PISTACHIO ICE CREAMUS$9.00
POMEGRANATE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAMUS$10.00
Cake cutting service feeUS$2.50

KIDS MENU

KIDS CHICKEN KABOBUS$13.00
KIDS BEEF KABOBUS$13.00
KIDS SHRIMP KABOBUS$14.00
KIDS KOHBIDEH KABOBUS$13.00
KIDS SALMON KABOBUS$14.00

What 91 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."

91 Reviews

J
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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P
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.
Is this helpful?
M
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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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
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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 Francisco22 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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J
Jennifer
San Francisco2 reviews
5.0
Dined on 7 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Gracious when we were an hour late for our reservation due to having fallen asleep. Friend was still talking about how great our experience was from linen table clothes to not only the presentation of the food but the taste/quality was outstanding. Friendly staff. Felt seen by all. Would like servers to give us their name as opposed to asking for it.
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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 91 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

19:00

Booked 8 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 12:00–16:00 Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 16:00–21:00 Fri, Sat 16:00–22:00
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, Gender Neutral Restroom, 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

SAMOSAUS$9.00

MANTU APPUS$10.00

AUSHAKUS$10.00

POTATO BOLANIUS$9.00

EGGPLANTS PAKORAUS$10.00

POTATO PAKORAUS$10.00

(Soup) AushUS$10.00

MASHAWA (SOUP)US$10.00

SIDE OF BUTTERNUT SQUASHUS$10.00

SALADS

GREEK SALADUS$18.00

CILANTRO CAESER SALADUS$16.00

WATERMELON, ARIGULA, FETA SALADUS$18.00

Side Salad (Greek)US$7.00

ENTREES

BEEF KABOBUS$24.00

CHICKEN KABOBUS$24.00

COMBINATION KABOBSUS$25.00

RACK OF LAMBUS$38.00

LAMB KABOBUS$30.00

LAMB CHOPUS$36.00

KING SALMON KABOBUS$26.00

SHRIMP KABOBUS$26.00

SEAFOOD COMBOUS$27.00

QABULI PALLAWUS$26.00

LAWANGUS$24.00

SHISH LEEKUS$24.00

MANTU ENTREEUS$24.00

AUSHAK ENTREEUS$23.00

BEEF QURMAUS$24.00

SPINACH QURMAUS$24.00

BEEF CAULIFLOWER QURMAUS$24.00

BEEF EGGPLANT QURMAUS$24.00

BEEF POTATO QURMAUS$24.00

SALMON KARA'EUS$24.00

KOBIDEH KABOBSUS$24.00

SHOLAUS$24.00

VEGETARIAN ENTREES

VEGETARIAN SPINACH QURMAUS$18.00

VEGETARIAN BUTTERNUT SQUASHUS$20.00

VEGETARIAN EGGPLANTSUS$20.00

VEGETARIAN CAULIFLOWERUS$18.00

VEGETARIAN COMBOUS$22.00

VEGGIE POTATO QURMAUS$18.00

SIDE DISHES

SIDE OF SPINACHUS$10.00

SIDE OF BUTTERNUT SQUASHUS$10.00

SIDE OF EGGPLANTSUS$10.00

SIDE OF CAULIFLOWERUS$10.00

SIDE OF GRILLED VEGGIEUS$10.00

Side of Seasoned Basmati RiceUS$5.00

Side of White Basmati RiceUS$5.00

SIDE OF BREADUS$3.00

SIDE OF POTATO QURMAUS$10.00

DESSERTS

CHOCLATE CAKEUS$9.00

BAGHLAVA & ICE CREAMUS$14.00

ICE CREAMUS$9.00

FERNIUS$9.00

BAKLAVAUS$9.00

SAFFRON PISTACHIO ICE CREAMUS$9.00

POMEGRANATE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAMUS$10.00

Cake cutting service feeUS$2.50

KIDS MENU

KIDS CHICKEN KABOBUS$13.00

KIDS BEEF KABOBUS$13.00

KIDS SHRIMP KABOBUS$14.00

KIDS KOHBIDEH KABOBUS$13.00

KIDS SALMON KABOBUS$14.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

Does SAFFRON KITCHEN offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?