Intrigued by the other reviews, I went in for an early dinner. There was only one other patron, so I got a lot of attention. The service was very good, and my servers were knowledgeable, polite, and friendly.
Barely looking at the menu, I knew what I wanted...lamb shank! It came with a delicious arugula salad, and a platter of rice and other sides. The lamb was like previously described in other reviews, and I highly recommend it. The portion was huge, and I had enough leftovers to feed another person.
I asked the waiter if they had a shared plate charge and indeed they did. For an additional $3, a fellow diner would have received their own plate of rice and relishes. So, for a total of $22, two could easily have feasted on this yumminess.
I meticulously piled my gobs of leftover lamb on top of a mound of leftover rice and promptly forgot my doggy bag. I didn't realize I had forgotten it until it was too late. I'll go back. Not for my leftovers, but to try the rack of lamb I saw on the menu too.
We used to go to this place when we lived near downtown and Majid owned the place. Then we moved and as a result we haven't been there in many a year. We recently found ourselves downtown during daylight hours and decided to stop by for lunch...
From the outside it is an understated black storefront - too much so, in my opinion. Through the front door and... the place was more than half-full. This was a good sign. The previously black walls were now brightly painted and tastefully decorated, including a large picture of "the last supper ", which one might think out of place in a Persian restaurant until you realize that Jesus and Company were most likely eating lamb and flatbread, two of the restaurant's staples.
We were speedily seated, and our waitress took our drinks orders. All three of us opted for water, but any inkling of us being cheapskates was soon scotched when two of us ordered braised lamb - the most expensive item on the menu, and a tradition with us when eating here. When the food arrived, the portions were enormous - we could have easily split one lamb shank between us. It was *wonderful* - better than ever. The new owner has a winner on his hands. My one criticism was a lack of flatbread to mop up the gravy. We finished up with Persian Ice Cream (yum!), and off we went, taking our lamb shank leftovers with us for tomorrow's dinner.
We will return - and this time we won't wait years before we do.
I've tried several things at Saffron's and ALWAYS get the Sabzie plate. Â It really cleans out the mouth and seems to enhance anything I've tried after.
I've yet to have dinner here, and have been for lunch several times. Â
The service is right on target, gracious and timely and not 'hovering', while always seeming to know if there is something your'e needing. They are also more than willing to answer questions about the menu and food.
The Kabobs are a mainstay at lunch, but I've also splurged for the Lamb shank and was very pleased.
I would encourage anyone who like Persian style food, and those that are curious to definitely put this one on their lists.
Had the filet and beef kabobs which were good but the real reason I gave this place 4 stars is because of the pistachio ice cream blended with saffron and rose water. Â This desert was great! Â The food all around was excellent but the ice cream, the ice cream, the ice cream. Â Too good to pass up.
Review Source:Absolutely fantastic!!!
Don't miss the lamb chops. Also, Kirsten (bartender) is quite the mixologist. Highly recommend ordering whatever she has whipped up recently.
Everything was fantastic. Not sure about the so-so reviews but we had a great time, great food, great drinks and will certainly go back.
I'm giving this place 3 out of 5 because I don't have the heart to give it a 2. The food itself was fairly good, above average but didn't knock my socks off. I had the mixed steak and chicken kabob plate. The quantity was good and not unreasonably priced. The free appetizer of watercress and feta salad and pita bread was a nice touch. I'd give the food a 3 1/2.
The service was a little disappointing. My waitress was distant, bordering on unfriendly. She seemed rather peeved that I asked for 5 more minutes to make up my mind, and she didn't smile and barely said a word the whole meal. I don't need to be conversed with, but I expect a friendly face when I'm spending my hard earned cash. I didn't see anyone else complain about the service so maybe she was just having an off night. I'll give the service a 2 1/2.
Friendly service is a huge part of an enjoyable meal and can make the difference between coming back for another meal and trying some place else.
Pretty good! My sister and I split dolmeh, spinach, and beef stew. My sister refuses to review Middle Eastern food because she compares everything to her grandma's cooking but I can! The dolmeh was nice and I very much enjoyed them, though grandma apparently boiled her grape leaves until the midrib was super-soft. We both liked that there were yellow lentils in them. The spinach was good but I was expecting something a little different, i.e. warm. It grew on me as I was eating though. I really enjoyed the beef stew; there were flavors of cinnamon and turmeric. The beef had a great flavor and the eggplant was perfectly cooked. It had shoestring potatoes on it, which I thought odd, but overall it was well presented. The service was great and the decor decent. I appreciate that this restaurant had many gluten free options. And they do have wi-fi, but it was really slow.
Review Source:Passing through town with a family of six. Two gluten free kids and a vegetarian wife make it tuff to just stop anywhere.  Found Saffron on Yelp so we called last minute and were able to get in. Didn't know if that was good or bad. We were greeted promptly, I would guess it was the owner. Facility was very clean, including the bathrooms. Their we're many gluten and meat free items on the menu so everybody was happy. Everybody loved what they ordered but the seafood stew seemed to be a big hit. The whole meal  was pricy but good with the service attentive and professional.. I would also recommend trying the ice cream. It's the first time I've tasted rose water in ice cream. Very tasty!
Review Source:Persian not Parisian.
Saffrons is a mix of Middle Eastern style cuisines with a seafood influence. The dishes come with heavy sauces in an metal serving bowl like Indian Cuisine. The flavors are similar and there is a choice of rice. Almost every dish like the name contains a little saffron.
The restaurant has a huge banquet room with an old safe that is perfect for large groups. The experience I have always had here is only average. Clean bathrooms, restaurant, and full bar. The food is good but not great and I am never sure how to fit this restaurant into my food craving rotations. Definitely worth trying once.
If you are looking for some ethnic choices and solid dining experience then try Saffrons.
I'm yet to sample their kebabs and other dishes but the rack of lamb I had for lunch a few days ago was out-of-this-world!! It was tender and immensely flavorful. The rice and veggies that came with it were good too. One of the best Persian restaurants I've eaten at in the US is Noon-o-kabab in Chicago; they set the bar really high. I hope to go back to Saffron more regularly to see how it compares. The guys I went with enjoyed their chicken and salmon kebabs. We also ordered a plate of hummus which was pretty good. The service and ambiance were top notch too. I want to go back to try their chenjeh, joujeh and koubideh kebabs.
Review Source:Been to Saffrons a couple of times and thought it was time to tell others about this place. Started off our meal with the hummus which was good. Then I got the rack of lamb. The wait staff were correct when they said it would feed two. When it came out it was 8 nice and thick chops. They tasted fabulous. Wife had the chicken kabobs. Must have been good because they disappeared quickly. The rice and veggies that come with the meal were also tastie. Staff was very attentive and knowledgable about the menu. Hope to see more people give this place a try because its worth it.
Review Source:Ambiance and service get an A+. The decor is beautiful. The vibe feels romantic, so it's perfect for a date. The service is spot on. I went a couple of weeks ago and our server met all of our needs and more. He was on top of everything from start to finish. And -- he was knowledgeable about everything. I love going into a restaurant offering cuisine I'm not familiar with and getting a lesson in culture from my server. Love it!!
So why the three stars you ask... It's flavor. I see Persian, and I think I'm about to get punched in the palate with an over the top explosion of flavor. But that didn't happen for me. I had the chicken kabob and my boyfriend had the braised lamb. Neither set us on fire. Everything at Saffron's was a little bland for me. Well that's excluding the Saffron ice cream, which tastes like my grandmother's perfume. I did get punched in the palate with that one, but not necessarily in a good way ;)
I want to love you Saffron's, but we don't have that connection just yet. I'll return and give it another go at some points. Watch out for the updated review!
Delicious!! Saffron's been a local favorite for me now for several years now... although I've only eaten in the restaurant once or twice, I've been always delighted with the take out and get it probably once or twice a year. Despite that, the food is always as I remembered it since the first time - amazingly tender lamb and kabobs, excellently complimented flavors, and overall great persian food.
Recommended selections: Braised lamb & chicken kabob.
An excellent dinner right in downtown Louisville. While in town for a conference I took a colleague out to dinner her and not only was the food excellent but the service was truly above and beyond. It isn't cheap but you won't break the bank either. Saffron's has a limited menu which in this case is a virtue: Â if there were more choices you'd simply be stuck trying to decide among so many wonderful choices.
Review Source:It was just OK!
I would have liked a little more flavor to my food. I thought the food fell a little 'flat' and I've had Persian in Boston so I know the difference. The lamb shank was under seasoned in taste. The chicken Khoresht was under seasoned as well. Maybe they thought we were some non-ethinic eating out of town folk but I'm not. Being from Boston we have some great diversity options and I explore alll the time!!
The service was manic. One person, super sweet and nice, was the hostess. The other person, unfortunately, our waitress, was uptight and had almost an air of distain in her voice, was a rather unpleasant person who shouldn't be working with people probably!!! The super nice one held the earned Saffron's the 3 star review.
If I'm here again I would go again, depending on the length of time in town and other options. I came for lunch and maybe dinner would have been a better option? Not sure but I won't tell anyone not to try this place.
If you go..ENJOY!!!!
Nice place. Â While in town for some meetings, I strolled over from my hotel for dinner. Â In the absence of their "Herb Rice Ball", which they were out of, they offered hummus, which was seasoned and presented nicely. Â Fesenjan was good -- too good. Â I wasn't able to finish it, not because it wasn't delicious (it was), but rather because it was just too darned large.
I was in a nasty mood and wanted to really dislike the service, but I couldn't. Â The waiter was constantly checking in on me, and constantly topping off my water and my peach mango iced tea (marvelous, by the way.) Â Sort of like having Kenneth the NBC page as your waiter, but it worked out.
A little more expensive than I thought was justified, but not outrageously so.
I wil be back next time I'm in town
While visiting Louisville (I'm speaking at the fed tomorrow) we decided to visit Saffron because I LOVE Persian food. Â This delightful little place is masked by an unassuming strip of older shops so the appearance from the street is misleading. Â We arrived at 5:30 (they open at 4:00 p.m. for dinner now) and were seated promptly and served water and the traditional appetizer SABZIE (combination of fresh watercress, tarragon, parsley, scallions, radishes & feta cheese, served with warm pita bread) which was extremely refreshing.
We started with a Greek salad and were pleased with the flavor, seasoned well, not too much oil, crisp romaine...topped with feta...loved it. Â We ordered the braised lamb and the salmon and waited...more waiting...a lot more waiting. Â Now to their credit they apologized and explained that they were taken by surprise by a conference and were really (seriously, really) behind in the kitchen. Â Now, if you have read my other reviews you know that this doesn't work for me, yet I remained seated and waited even longer. Â When the fine folks at the table near me got their food I almost slid my chair over to their table...I know how to use a knife when necessary...yet I waited. Â When our food finally arrived I was famished. Â As always we shared both entrees and (insert expletive here) the lamb was amazing. Â The tomato-base sauce was creamy and smooth and the lamb shank was so tender it fell off the bone. Â The rice and vegetables were perfect and my partner had to fight (we are old hands at fork wars) to keep his half of the salmon.
This meal was worth the wait tho I suspect this was not the norm, they were all quite apologetic and the conference attendees really showed up in force. Â If you are in the area this place is worth a visit or two...or how ever many visits it takes to eat through the menu.
UPDATE:  came back for dinner tonight because I had been DREAMING of the rack of lamb all night long.  It was even better (if that is possible - I tend toward a "what have you done for me lately" kind  of attitude) than dinner last night.  Certainly served more rapidly.  The service was once again very good, this time fast and all of the staff are very personable.  We split the rack and spent $38 for a terrific meal that so far surpasses any lamb dish I have had.
Wow! I have never had Persian food before so I can't rate Saffron's in comparison to other Persian food, but I can rate it based on other food in general and I repeat - Wow!
A large group of us went to dinner here tonight and we had a wonderful meal with awesome service and amazing food. Â The appetizer that everyone starts with is a plate of herbs and cheese. Â It was so fresh and awesome! Â Then I ordered a vegetarian stew that was also amazing. Â If it wasn't so much food I would have cleared my plate, but I did eat as much as I could fit in my belly!! Others on the table were full of ooos and ahhhs at their food as well. Â
If you're in town you must make a stop here and try any number of amazing dishes!
The food was excellent, although it looked like they were a little overwhelmed by the crowd and didn't have the service on staff that they needed. Â One of our party of 8 wasn't served her meal, but when we pointed it out, they were profuse in their apologies, sent out her food, and also sent a round of free Persian coffee cocktails to the table. Â Did I mention the food? Â Was very good. Â They sent stuck-pot rice to the table as an appetizer, and I had the vegetarian dish of pomegranate and walnut sauce with rice, which came with some fresh vegetable "salsa." I'd go again.
Review Source:It's restaurants like Saffron's that make me realize how good the culinary scene in Louisville is. Â Every time I come up here for a business trip, I look forward to a new restaurant to check out, and every time I'm pleasantly surprised.
Saffron's was one of the best Persian meals I've had in a long, long time. Â The appetizers (quail, spinach, etc.) were delicious. Â The lamb shank and rack were amazing (my coworkers said he usually doesn't like rack too much, but this was was particularly good). Â The dessert (bachlava and rosewater flavored icecream) was excellent - it's a good example of when two ingredients come together to create an amazing whole. Â The wine selection wasn't that great, but the awesome waitress made a pretty good recommendation, and she definitely knew her stuff. Â
Very impressed. Â All the way through. Â I wish I remembered the waitress's name though - she definitely upped the entire meal up to 5 stars. Â Great job, Saffron!
The flavors in Persian food are as beautiful as the Persian people are hospitable.Saffron's offers both in abundance.The staff is warm and welcoming as soon as you enter. They are genuinely happy to see you.Our server was  very helpful in going over the menu and explaining items and special(unfortunately already 86'd due to popularity).
The lunch menu is dominated by a wide variety of kabobs and stews. You can get lamb,beef,chciken,seafood,or vegetarian.All of these are seasoned wonderfully.The items are served in a manner and in such  ample portions that diners can share with others at the table. Don't fail to request a side of the "crunchy" rice.It is the marvelous rice that is at the bottom of the pan that is well done and stuck together with butter.So simple yet so decadent.Other bitsof advice to get the Persian experience is to start with sabzi,a plate of herbs,radishes,and pita and end with the rose water and saffron ice cream.
Great Persian food in Louisville? Amazing! Discovering this place was totally unexpected as it came as a result of the first surprise of the day that left me in L'ville for a night: having my car blindsided and sending it into a ditch. Most of the annoyance and dazed mental haze I thhh tthh thhhnn thaa think from that experience was washed away by this wonderfully calm restaurant with sublime service and splendid dishes. The spinach salad with saffron was insanely good. And the grilled rack of lamb with some citrus tones to it was really one hell of a savory dish. Â Wonderful tea, too. Clarifying.
I agree with the other reviewer. This is one of the best Persian meals I've ever had. And now that I've yelped it I'm certain I'll remember it.
Wanting something different, we asked concierge of some restaurant ideas for vegetarians as well as carnivores. Â They recommended Saffron's and it was a real treat! Â
I especially loved the appetizer--fresh herbs with feta cheese that you crumble and roll in pita bread. Â It's very simple, yet delicious.
The vegetable kabobs were wonderful. Â Full, flavorful and juicy, grilled just right. Â And the rice--excellent of course.
I also ordered the herb stew with kidney beans, scallions and other ingredients. Â I was not so crazy about this dish, but it was not bad either. Â It was just ok. Â Everyone else in my party was very satisfied with their dishes.
The ambiance is very intimate and quiet, and the music was a plus for me. Â Although serene, it made me want to belly dance. Â I will definitely make a point to visit with restaurant again the next time I'm in Louisville.
We were on a road trip and stopped in Louisville for dinner. Â We lucked out to have ended up at Saffron's. Â (Note, Yelp has this "Saffron's" and another "Saffron's Persian Cuisine". Â The latter is not the correct name, which you can see on their web site.)
I've eaten Persian cuisine in Tehran, Los Angeles (aka Tehrangeles) and many homes and this meal ranked with the best. Â We had the Bourani Esfenaj to start and split the Choreshteh Gemeh. Â Both had more delicate flavors than I'm used to and were a delicious surprise.
The service was exemplary, from the waiter to the water boy. Â They were eager to describe the dishes for anyone who might be unfamiliar with them. Â The atmosphere was warm and the owner or manager said a hearty goodbye when we left, from a table he was sitting at with what appeared to be regulars.
I would venture to say that this is the best Persian cooking in Kentucky.
Decent selection of Zinfandels and decent kabobs. Â I'd give them 3,5 Â but the great service and lack of other stuff in the neighborhood puts them up to 4 stars.
I went with the chicken kabobs which were tender and very flavorful. Â Our waiter was pretty helpful on what to order from the menu.
Certainly not the best koobideh kabob I've had, but the service is friendly and they stock a good selections of beer (xingu, gouden carolus and maudite). Â Sabzi salad with arugula was fresh. Â Kabob was a bit strangley rubbery and I was really missing some home-made bread as they serve warmed, baked elsewhere pitas.
Review Source:
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