This is a really special place. We started with Persian style hummus; followed by wonderful lamb shank; and finished with pistachio, saffron iced cream. A delicious and unique dining experience in downtown Louisville.
Wonderful service and food. The atmosphere is great as well. The kabobs are amazing. I love going here.
I worked at Saffron's under different ownership several years ago while I was in college. It should speak volumes that I still absolutely love dining here, despite the fact that I ate this fare every single day that I worked here as a server!
The food is absolutely fresh and authentic, with a talented (and wonderfully personable) Iranian kitchen staff and owner (who used to be one of my regular customers when I worked here!). There are plenty of choices, ranging from the standard chicken and beef kebabs to as exotic as quail and lamb, with a number of delicious vegetarian options as well.
The employees really are like a family and it very much shows in the service standards. The first time I was seated with a current server, upon learning that I'd worked there, he immediately took me back to greet the staff and treated me like an old friend. Now, when I stop by, he greets me with, "Welcome home!" You can expect the same treatment during your visit. Reza, the owner, is constantly mingling with his regular patrons, many of whom consider him a friend. Needless to say, you will be well taken care of at Saffron's.
Small businesses run with love and pride are the heart of our city. This restaurant is a great embodiment of that, and is an excellent choice when shopping local for your next meal. I highly recommend this venue for every occasion from dates to lunch meetings. My favourite dish is the veggie kabob with extra shirazi!
Insider tips: for a real Persian experience, ask for a shaker of the spice ground sumac and a slice of lemon to top your meal. Also, see if someone will give you a peek at the "vault" to get an idea of the history of the restaurant, which was once a bank!
Great staff, wonderful food! The lamb chops are to die for!
The quail is excellent. I had the Ghormeh Sabzi which was fantastic; highly recommend. The eggplant app is an nice alternative to hummus, though both had great flavor and we well prepared. They also offer an Iranian beer which had some novelty, but tasted like any other green bottled beer. Lastly, try the dessert. Specifically the rose & pistachio ice cream.
I had never eaten at a Persian restaurant so I wasn't sure of what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. The food was excellent, prices reasonable, fantastic and very attentive service. If I get back to Louisvillle I would definitely eat here again.
I had the Vaziri, shish kbob chicken and ground beef. I added some baklava to go. Wonderful food, good service, highly recommended.
Persian food in KY?? You bet! They even bring real sabzi chordan to the table. One of the few places open downtown on the weekends.
Oh that eggplant appetizer was delicious and yougurt drink is tasty
The food was excellent and server was very attentive, suggesting the carrot juice it was great
Excellent food, attentive service. Very nice restaurant
Good Indian food in Louisville. If you're downtown it's worth the visit.
Delicious. Meal was amazing. Nice atmosphere. Will be back for sure.
Food was alright. Steak was a little dry and they had one waitress for the entire restaurant on a Saturday night, took awhile to get refills but overall was alright/good.
Our go to place for great food and services
We eat here once a month
This is a clean place, food is above average not the greatest but would worth to try. The only reason for giving 4,is first, before going there I called and asked if they have halal food, they said yes, both Lamb and chicken is halal but once we got there, we figured out only 2options we're halal. 2)portions we're small not like an authentic persian portion. But overall goof experience and I may go there again sometime.
Wonderful, unique dining experience. Everything we tried was top notch. I particularly loved the subtle blending of spices. Best dolmeh and kefta I've tasted. Save room for the ice cream with pistachios and rose water. The staff and service were also a pleasure.
As an Iranian I truly enjoyed my time and food at this restaurant. Thanks to Mr.Reza, they serve great Persian dishes in a very pleasant atmosphere with diverse menu. We had Soltani, Ghormeh and finally the best part, traditional ice cream.
The kabob I had at this place was amazing. I was in Louisville was amazing. I forgot the exact name of the dish. But it was amazing. I also got the baklava which was a perfect dessert.
Authentic and delicious Persian fare. A bit pricey but better if you go at lunchtime.
Great service, great food, great cocktails. A perfect dinner!
Wow! This was the best rack of lamb I have ever had! Humus was good too. Service was fantastic. No complaints!
We had a really nice meal here on a quiet Sunday. The people who work there were really friendly. All the people in our group of 8 likes their meal.
Excellent authentic Persian food, staff a little overwhelmed they forgot a couple of things
They are tow expensive and they force you to pay tips or service about $32.
The rack of lamb is amazing! The service is excellent! Some of the best Persian cuisine in the city.
We recently moved to northern Kentucky and decided before we get too settled to go on the Bourbon trail. Our last day, we visited Louisville and stopped in Saffron for lunch. I wish we lived closer! Everything from the cocktails to our meals to the dessert was spot on perfect!
We had the red sangria and an Old Fashioned Date. I coveted the Old Fashioned Date. It was fantastic; bourbon mejool dates and ginger; the red sangria was mighty fine as well.
Everything was delicious! Great service. Outstanding place.
On May 16, 2016, at 6 pm for the first time we were to Saffron Persia Cuisine and the last time ever. There were no guests other than us. Our server Ms. Jane was unfriendly and rude. She brought us some mint and vegetable that was wilted. When I asked her to bring some fresh one, she rudely said that these are fresh. I ordered Salmon Barberry, supposed to come with mixture of rice and dill and saffron with barberry.
But there was no saffron and barberry found in my food. Rice was cooked with dried dill.
Get the chocolate bomb - best chocolate anything I've ever had. Delicious filling meal, reasonable prices. Salmon was good. And they have carrot juice.
We love middle eastern food and had yet to check Saffron's out. Decided to try it on a Sunday. It was easy to get to with both metered street parking and non-metered parking behind the building available. It had customers but wasn't packed so we got a table right away which was nice. The waiter was friendly, helpful and efficient. He brought a complimentary palette cleansing plate of greens, radish, cucumber and feta to the table along with a thin tearable bread.
Some restaurants have menus that go on forever ... Saffron's has a nice variety without being overwhelming. We ordered two appetizers the chilled spinach one and the quail one. The spinach one was good the quail one was great. For the main course for different dishes were ordered; chicken & ground beef kebabs, filet & ground beef kebabs, seafood stew and a spinach beef dish. All came with either jasmine or basmati rice, grilled veggies, and a middle eastern salad. The dishes were artfully arranged and a delight to eat! We all shared around the table and it was all wonderful. The chicken kebabs with Persian spices was flavorful and tender. The seafood stew was a delicate balance of spices that still allowed the seafood itself to be tasted. The two beef dishes were tender and tasty.
We ordered all three desserts and though I'm personally not a big fan of chocolate, ice cream or baklava they were all very good. You can just catch hints of the rose water and saffron in the ice cream. The baklava isn't too sweet like I find it is at most places. The chocolate bomb is delicate, rich but again not to sweet like I find it at most places.
Saffron's is a restaurant I'd like to go back to and continue to explore the menu.
Oh, and either there wasn't music playing in the backrooms or it was at a volume where it didn't intrude on our conversation ... which is a huge plus!
Very much looking forward to your reopening. That s the best recommendation I can give.
This was the best meal I had in Louisville. The flavors really popped for me. Loved the cucumber relish that came with the meal. The beef kabobs were so savory and delicious. The owner was in and was kind enough to stop and chat with us. He had an amazing story which made the dining experience even better than l expected. It was really close to the convention center, I would definitely recommend going for a great lunch if you are anywhere near the restaurant.
Amazing ambience and authentic Persian food.
Must try - Saffron ice cream.
Got the special, ground beef with rice and onions, first bite tasted bland, but once we mixed the veggies in that were on the side of the plate.... whooo boy, it's damn delicious
Food was ok but I have had better Persian dishes. Saffron rice was weak in color and flavor. My partner who had a different dish, thought it was great!
saffronsrestaurant.com
