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SAFFRON KITCHEN, Oakland, CA

SAFFRON KITCHEN

4.8
4.8
100 Reviews
$31 to $50
Afghan
5940 College Ave, Oakland, CA 94618

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2 people
19:00
Booked 5 times today

About this restaurant

  • 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.

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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 pm–4:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • 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.
  • Delivery & takeout

What 100 people are saying

SAFFRON KITCHEN reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

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
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseModerate

Diners' Choice Awards

  • East Bay

    Healthy

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Saffron Kitchen is celebrated for its "exceptional" Afghan cuisine, combining "authenticity, creativity, and Afghan hospitality." Diners love the "delicious" flavors, standout dishes like aushak and mantu, and "friendly" service. Enjoy the "warm, friendly environment" with varied seating options and a compelling menu, perfect for any occasion.
100 Reviews
  1. Terry VIP

    San Francisco16 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Or first time and we were pleased. We had a group of 8+ for a birthday dinner. The service was very accommodating to our wish to be at one table together. The food was well prepared and yummy. We will return.

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  2. Rona

    San Francisco1 review

    4.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Staff very accommodating and food delicious. Love the Rumi quotes on the tables. Only drawback… you think it’s a classy restaurant until you walk into the restrooms, which are decidedly déclassé and look more like gas station bathrooms – I was extremely surprised they weren’t nicer or better maintained!

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  3. Ajegirl VIP

    San Francisco4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 29 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    The seafood combination kabob is delicious 😋 When seafood is moist and not overcooked, you know the chef knows proteins

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  4. TC

    San Francisco3 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 29 March 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    I dined there a few months ago and it was awesome, but this visit had some food issues. The shrimp was over cooked but well seasoned. The lamb chops were beyond well done. Lamb should never be cooked past medium rare. Also the menu said there were 4 lamb chops but we only go two and a couple of small pieces of lamb. This time was on a Friday my first visit was on a Tuesday. I will give it another try and hope that there was just a bad night in the kitchen.

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  5. Jan

    San Francisco11 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 24 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    The service was great. We ate outside on a perfect warm spring day. The waiter was very helpful and tried to make our first visit a memorable one. We enjoyed our meals.

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  6. Mary VIP

    San Francisco78 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 23 March 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    I have been to Saffron several times (lunch, happy hour, dinner). My son and I went for a fixed price meal as part of Oakland Restaurant Week. I love Saffron's food choices. Everything I've ever had has been delicious. The happy hour is a great deal with many food choices at reduced prices.

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  7. Alfred

    San Francisco34 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 21 March 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The Oakland Restaurant Week menu was a good value

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  8. OpenTable Diner

    Greater Boston1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 15 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was delicious and staff were very friendly. Nice interior and good service. Definitely will go again.

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  9. Jon VIP

    San Francisco23 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 15 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food, service, and cocktails. We look forward to each visit to Saffron Kitchen.

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  10. Joseph

    San Francisco4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 12 March 2025

    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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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 100 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. San Francisco Bay Area
  4. East Bay
  5. Berkeley

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 5 times today
Google Map for SAFFRON KITCHEN

5940 College Ave, Oakland, CA 94618

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Harwood
  • Area
    Berkeley
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Daily 12:00 pm–4:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • 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
    Dog Friendly, Gluten-free Options, Vegan
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Phone number
  • 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.
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