Saffron Indian Bistro

This place is amazing. Authentic indian food, amazing décor, excellent customer service, good portions, and yummy food. I did not notice any Indians working here or dining here but it was busy with locals on a Sunday night. Our server, Cole, was really great. The fish pakora and lamb biryani were amazing. By the way, the lamb here is halal. They can prepare halal chicken if you give them a few days advance notice. We will definitely be back the next time we visit Tucson.

On a Sunday night, I was in a search for an Indian restaurant with halal meat options. Unfortunately, either nothing was open or closing soon. Luckily, I found Saffron on Unilocal and called them to verify their hours. They also told me that their lamb is halal!
The interior of the Indian Bistro is very beautiful and clean! The menu (both tablet and hardcopy) contained lots of variety (along with pictures). Although the dishes are on the pricier side, it’s worth it in my opinion.
What stood out the most though about this food establishment was the EXCELLENT customer service by everyone in the restaurant. Our server was Cole and he was absolutely amazing! He explained everything perfectly and had a very charming personality. He got our orders right (and I ordered 2 additional takeaway orders) and he made sure they were packed hot and he supplied plastic utensils and plates — very thoughtful!
The manager also visited our table which I found to be very personable. We let her know how satisfied we were and would definitely be back when in Tucson!
The food was delicious and full of flavor! (ordered the lamb biryani, bhaigan bhartha, fish pakora, and hot chai).
Saffron Indian Bistro is a must-​try for Indian food lovers!

Chicken Tikka Masala was amazing!!! Garlic Naan was delicious. Reminded me of meals I had in India. Great ambiance too. Bonus-​they deliver!!!

Overall an OK experience.
The service was pretty good, which I appreciate. However the taste of the food was «off”– it didn’t taste quite like other Indian food I’ve had before and wasn’t as good. Almost like the food was missing something but I couldn’t figure out what.
However when I ate my leftovers the next day it tasted better– not sure why the fresh cooked food didn’t taste as good?
Glad we tried this place but probably won’t be going back since the food wasn’t that great.

We are visiting in the area and decided we need a change from all of the wonderful Mexican restaurants Tucson has to offer. Since we are staying at the Wyndham Western Look located close by we decided to try Saffron Indian Bistro based on location and all of the wonderful reviews. The décor is bright and tastefully uncluttered. The buffet had a huge selection of high quality and tasty dishes. The food is so good we will returning tomorrow The servers are exceptionally good.

Love this place. Wasn’t sure about Indian food at first but this place made me a believer. Chicken tiki masala is off the hook and so was the curry. The ambience is great and contemporary, and the service is always excellent.

My husband and I had dinner here tonight. It’s the best food I’ve had in Tucson. And we have had some good food here.
We shared chicken samosas and they were perfectly spiced with a spicy sauce artfully placed on the platter.
We went on to share the chicken danshak and mushroom do pyaza. Both were spiced wonderfully.
Our waiter was very helpful and attentive, but not fussy. The hostess was pleasant.
The atmosphere is contemporary with nice lighting
I can’t find anything wrong with the place. I’m so glad we went.

In the past year I have seen this restaurant become even better — food is consistent; service is prompt and courteous; and the lunchtime buffet is a great value!

Saffron has a great lunch buffet for a good price. Their food is always fresh and delicious. It’s also quite hip. When you enter and see the modern chandeliers and furniture, it reminds me of a European club. I love their Chicken Tikka Masala, you can’t go wrong with that.

Nice setting and atmosphere. Caring and prompt service. Had vegetable samosas, tandoori chicken and mixed vegetables. Samosas’ fillings were gummy and not very tasty, Chicken tandoori was dry but had good flavor. Mixed vegetables were in a light chile sauce and OK. Food was nicely presented.

I have only tried it once, but was very satisfied. We were there on a not-​busy weekday evening. The server was very attentive and easily flagged down if we needed something. My test dish is always chicken tikka masala, with «very spicy» specified, along with a naan bread, in this case the garlic one for just a few pennies extra. (Curiously, chicken tikka masala does not appear on the menu, but they didn’t bat an eye when I ordered it).
Both the chicken and the naan were just right. When the dish makes my nose run a bit but my eyes don’t water, that is exactly where I want the heat level, and this was perfect. The naan was toasted a bit more than is usual for Indian places, but the resulting crispiness quite welcomed, and made scooping up that fiery sauce even easier. I look forward to a return, to sample the menu further.

Good food, although it is pretty Americanized, but every time we’ve been there the service has ranged from really bad to just slow.

I have eaten at several Indian restaurants in England and here in Tucson. Saffron doesnt make the grade. Sauces in dishes are not made with the spice and richness one should expect. Try the Indian at 1^st and grant and or Broadway and wilmot then you will see what I mean.

My husband and I love this place! We’re not super familiar with Indian food, so we can’t attest to its authenticity, but it’s really yummy and the portions are large enough for leftovers (yay). The naan was delicious. We’ve ordered for takeout and also visited the location, and were pleased both times. The restaurant itself is classy enough for business lunches or dinners, if that’s your thing, but was pretty family-​friendly too. We definitely recommend it!

I’ve been here twice, once for the buffet and once to try their normal menu.
The first time was good, I wasn’t blown away by the buffet but it was tasty and I wasn’t disappointed.
The second time was more recent and this time I was blown away. I ordered the chicken tikka masala, samosas, naan and my boyfriend had chicken biryani, and garlic naan.
The biryani and Tikka masala were both delicious and the portions were huge! I am a lover of Indian food and in Tucson there are decidedly few places that have good Indian food.
Even though Saffron is a 40 min to an hour drive from where I live, it is well worth the visit when we’re on the north side of town.
Also, their teas are delicious!
I can’t wait till our next dinner here, it is truly delicious and well worth the drive.

We love Indian food and were very pleased at not only the high quality of food but the exceptional service.
The food comes in three variation of heat. Mild medium hot. The hot is very favorable and within most Americans tolerance level.
We had chicken vindaloo which was excellent. Chicken tender not dry. Huge portion and very flavorful
The lamp pitaia was ordered hot and was great. Spicy flavorful and succulent lamb.
The chicken curry my daughters favorite Indian dish got a huge two thumbs up.
Our server Lien was exceptional. We never had to ask she was there.
This is going to be a regular night out spot.

A decent lunch buffet to try Indian if you are new to Indian food. The buffet is not very impressive if you are familiar with Indian food. I will try a dish from the menu next time. I am remaining hopeful.

The place itself is nice — clean with non-​traditional modern décor, spacious, with a cute little outdoor patio that we sat in. The service was excellent, however pretty slow on a Saturday night. Our waiter was absolutely excellent but the manager can handle more servers instead of checking in repeatedly only to tell us our waiter would be around soon.
My fiancée thought his chicken tikka masala was good. The garlic naan was good as well. However, I had been craving Navrantan korma (Vegetable Korma) for weeks, and the dish just didn’t hit the spot– normally I find Indian food at restaurants too creamy/​heavy, but for the first time I found myself thinking the dish wasn’t creamy/​flavorful enough! The Paneer dish we got also didn’t have enough sauce, and the paneer cubes were dry and lacked adequate taste.
They have mango lassis, and a full menu of cocktails, beers and wine; as well as a daily lunch buffet
I probably will go to a grungier traditional place next time I crave my korma!

I went here for an early dinner and I’m definitely a fan. The food is fresh, reasonably priced, flavorful, and filling. Service is friendly and helpful, although a bit slow (especially since we were the only people in the restaurant). The atmosphere is modern and chic with a lot of the décor being white — which is a major risk for a restaurant — especially one that serves bright pink chicken!
They have menus on iPad’s which I thought was pretty cool.
We ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala, Baingan Bharta, Mushroom Do Pyaza, Ajwain Fish, and Naan. Everything was delicious — although the Mushroom Do Pyaza was a bit oily for our taste. The Naan was also a bit dry, but I ordered it without the butter… big mistake. Why did I do this? I don’t know. Rice was unlimited.
Our favorite dish was by far the fish: perfectly cooked and beautifully spiced.
We ordered everything «medium» and were happy with the results. Not too hot — not to mild. Just the right amount of spicing.
So a solid 4-​stars. I’ve been to a lot of Indian restaurants and the presentation and food quality here is definitely top notch. I’ll be going back. If they stay consistent, then I may just bump them up to 5-​stars. I’d also like to try out a few other dishes and eventually make my way over to their lunch buffet.
Go here!

My fiancé and I have ordered delivery from Saffron Indian Bistro several times. The food we have ordered has always arrived still warm and is quite tasty. The vindaloo is really good, but beware of ordering is super spicy because they aren’t joking around with those spices. We are also a fan of many of their chicken dishes. There are a few that explicitly state they are «white meat» chicken dishes, and those are very good. Occasionally the wait for delivery take about an hour on busy weekends (and delivery is $ 5, minimum food order of $ 25, and then the driver expects a tip as well — so it can add up quickly).
The only fault we can give this place is some of the pricing on the appetizers. The veggie samosas are very good, but kind of pricey considering you only get two pieces and they’re smaller than what you can find in a freezer section at Trader Joe’s.
The price of naan is also quite high. Some range from 2 – 3 $ per slice. Again, I can just pick up a pack of 4 from Trader Joe’s for that price in the freezer section. Even cheaper if I go buy actual naan bread.
Cost of actual entrees ranges but is around $ 13 per person on average. That seems reasonable (although there are cheaper places in Tucson). But again, this is pretty decent food.

I really enjoyed this place. It’s a bit of a drive from midtown but this is some quality Indian food. Of course you have to get an order of samosas. I opted for the traditional Chicken Tikka Masala. I ordered mild but it was still a little spicy (i am such a wuss) so be careful. Get the garlic naan, sooooo good. I also got a mango lassi which was to die for. If I’m ever in a mood for Indian food again, I’ll be sure to come back here.

I’ve been here twice now and both times were disappointing. The food here just seems to be soulless. It lacks the complexity that is the hallmark of Indian food. My chicken tikka masala fit the definition of the dish — yogurt-​coated chicken in a red tomatoy curry — but it just tasted flat. A few notes of flavor instead of a rich chorus of tastes.
Another disappointment — my wife ordered her paneer tikka masala hot, but the heat wasn’t the Indian spiciness we are used to. Instead it tasted peppery. I’ve been to a lot of Indian restaurants and have never had a hot dish taste peppery.
To add to my distaste, this place has very trendy décor. I’m not against trendiness, but to me trendy ethnic restaurants tend to signal a lack of authenticity. Obviously there are exceptions, but sadly Saffron is not one of them.

I was craving Indian food and being newly vegetarian I knew they would have a variety of choices. Besides, who doesn’t like a yummy mango lassie? They had so many choices I didn’t even know how to choose so I stuck with mango
We had the buffet. It was hot and clean. The food was delicious and we had a few choices for our vegetarian selves! The veg masala was rich and smooth.
Our server, Isabel, was friendly and efficient. She described item’s on the buffet and refilled my water glass continuously! That was important on this sweltering day in Tucson. Next time we visit we will ask to be in her section!

Great food (off the menu we didn’t have buffet) and great service. Decent prices. Very clean and well lit.
We will definitely be back if we’re in the area again it’s very convenient right off the road. The lunch buffet seems to be a decent deal for a good price we didn’t try it though, maybe next time.

We’re in Tucson for my cousin’s graduation, and came to Saffron for dinner. The décor is modernish, with a strange mix of colors and materials. I don’t think the chairs match the décor, but nobody asked me…
Our table was ready for us when we arrived, though the place wasn’t terribly busy at our reserved time. The staff was polite and diligent, so no concerns there…
So what’s left to talk about??? Oh, the food… I appreciate flavors and spices, and Indian food is supposed to deliver on both fronts. The food here was a bit lacking… I’ll say that the texture of the food was right on, but the various curries failed to distinguish themselves from each other. We had tandoori shrimp, dal makhni, saag with chicken, and some fish makhni… Each dish hinted at its respective flavor, but the impact just wasn’t there… I would’ve liked the food to be both spicier and more flavorful. I didn’t like the fish at all, and the shrimp had obviously been frozen. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t that great either… 3 stars.
On the other hand, our waiter played his sitar for us… And he was actually really good.

Easily the best lunch buffet in town. Dishes are constantly coming out and sometimes new dishes will be introduced as the buffet hours wind down. The naan for the buffet is never soggy as is sometimes found in other places. At Saffron, they are kept warm without being steamed.
This is not specific to Saffron but as I was dining, I overheard a woman at a nearby table instruct her friends to mix mint chutney and raita for enhanced flavor. This is a game-​changer.
Rich’s recommendation: I can’t claim it as my own, but mint chutney and raita. Put it on everything.

Curry me happy! My search is over– I finally found chili chicken and chili paneer in Tucson. Sound the dhol, I’m getting my bhangara on. I cannot wait to feast on it in the very near future. I also want to try the spicy mango cocktail and the cucumber cocktail.
I happened to win a gift card off of their Facebook page for two lunch buffets, so at this visit I had the buffet. So, keep your eyes on their page. You can chose to put your food on plates or bowls or go with the super cool «Tiffin» trays. The food was really fresh and flavorful. They played it safe and nothing was spicy.
The chef’s special was berry chicken. It was not a traditional Indian dish at all, but it was delicious. It was more Indo-​Chinese. It is not served on their menu, so keep your eyes peeled for it to be on the buffet. I seriously wanted to smuggle some out in my diaper bag.
Another stand out was the chicken masala. I make a mean masala but this was stellar. The chicken was all white meat, succulent and tender and it was marinated to perfection. The sauce was decadent. I was saucing up my rice, dunking my naan, putting it all over my poori. I could not get enough. If I could have gotten away with it, I would drink it.
All you can eat, fresh naan? Yes, please! Pair it with the mint chutney and cooling raita.
The had a balance of veg and non veg. The stand out for desert was the kheer. It was creamy and chock full of cardamom, just the way I love it. It was two bowl worthy.
As soon as you enter a giant bronze Ganesh greets you. The décor inside has a modern and clean vibe. The menu can be viewed on a tablet and each dish is pictured. Love that.
At the end of the meal I was in placed into a food based Shavasana.
If I did not live 45 minutes away, I would be the duchess of this place within a week. It’s just that great.

When I lived in San Diego with my parents, I once saw a commercial for a restaurant called Passage to India. My mom responded with an «Indian food… so nasty and unhealthy for you!»
After my visit to Saffron Indian Bistro, I will definitely have to convince my mom to eat here for once.
Now you’re probably asking me, «If your mom told you that Indian food was bad and unhealthy for you, why did you decide to eat at Saffron Indian Bistro one day?» Basically, Saffron Indian Bistro came out to a couple of events that I volunteered at, including Tucson Meet Yourself. I had the pleasure of trying out their food and meeting Laura (the manager) at those events. Laura was pretty cool, and the food was great!
I came in to try out their all-​you-​can-​eat lunch buffet. It consisted of a salad, basmati rice, and several dishes of Indian cuisine, which you could pour onto the rice. A couple of the dishes were a bit weird, but they were pretty good overall. The chicken tikka masala was my favorite, but the chicken curry came in a close second. The Naan bread was great as well! They had two types: fried and baked. I liked the fried bread better, but both were so good I had to get seconds! The tandoori chicken was great too!
I had about a salad and three platefuls of rice before I started to feel full. I also treated myself to dessert. They had two types of pudding: rice and mango. The rice pudding tasted kind of weird, but the mango pudding was pretty good!
All the servers there were pretty good, but Lien was the best one out there. In fact, I would say she was the best server I ever had! She was always making sure we were comfortable and enjoying our food and even spending some time getting to know her customers well. Definitely ask for Lien, and you’ll get treated well as well!
This was the very first time I ever ate at an Indian restaurant. After my visit to Saffron, it definitely won’t be the last!

Spicy mango cocktail! Yum!
This place is great! Let’s say I’ve always wanted to find a good Indian bistro to eat at, I believe this place so far has to be my favorite. I was expecting a fast food type of service, but it was actually a sit down and dine type of place. The decoration of the place really illustrated Indian culture and so does the music they play, it really gives you a good Indian experience.
My waiter was pretty good, very formal and informative. He really did a good job at serving and he was the one that recommended me the Spicy Mango cocktail. I love mango and spice so I went for it. The drink was tasty. It had a bit of a kick from the alcohol but the spice wasn’t too overwhelming. I was pretty impressed by it.
For the main course I ordered chicken curry at spicy level lol! I love my spices so why not go the hottest right?! Well this curry chicken had me in WOW! It actually tasted homemade like my mom’s version! It had the nice spice and the flavor was perfect. There wasn’t much missing from it, you had the quality taste of curry and the chicken also was super tender and infused the curry flavor in it perfectly.
Another good side that came with it was the garlic bread! It is like a flat bread but garlic bread version. Dipping that in my curry chicken sauce was perfect. Definitely a good dip and talk type of meal.
Overall I’m pretty satisfied with the place and deserves my 4 stars. I really recommend and will be returning here in the future!