Saffron in Scottish Borders

A relative that had been previously and who had enthused about it, that combined with a recommendation from local B&B owner and previous reviews we were expecting something exceptional, however we left feeling disappointed. We were advised to book yet were the only people in. The restaurant is very small but seemed very clean and bright. Staff were pleasant and attentive. We ordered 2 mains, a bhuna lamb and chicken tikka masala, one portion of mushroom pilau rice, 2 poppadoms and a peshwari naan, one large bottle, one small bottle of Cobra. The meal was served very quickly, almost too quickly. The rice was good but the strange thing about both main courses was although there was plenty of meat, there were no pieces of lamb or chicken bigger than a sugar lump. The sauce with the tikka tasted excessively sweet and the bhuna sauce had very little texture, it was almost pureed. The naan was over sweet and the colour of an orange hi-vis jacket, the mango chutney was an unusual deep red in colour. We dine out at Indian restaurants quite frequently and have never had meals served with such tiny pieces. The bill was just short of £60 which seemed excessive, the two beers alone came to over £12. The speed from ordering to the meals getting presented so quickly suggested maybe the sauces were pre-made rather than cooked to order. Would think twice about returning based on the high price.

Nice curry. Started with popadoms and pickles, skipped the starter and went on for a couple of nice main meals, no desert. Had 2 beers each. New girl serving was obviously learning the ropes. No issue with that. All good until we picked up the bill. £90 for 2 people. Yes £90! I paid by card and was invited to add a tip with the default option starting at 15%. Insane pricing. It’s about twice as much as you would pay elsewhere. On that basis alone I couldn’t recommend this place.

Popular place for an Indian meal in Innerleithen. We really enjoyed what we had and it was a generous portion (for dinner the next day). Recommended

We come here as one of our favourite places locally, the food, flavours and the team are just fab. You're in for a great night, best service from Rachael (as always) and Lexi Fantastic birthday meal... thanks all 🥂

We really enjoyed the quality (and quantity) of the food - all freshly made and delicious - perfect after a full day walking. Really friendly and efficient service - would definitely recommend.

Another take-away last night-absolutely delicious! Consistently amazing food. Enjoyed the best Chicken Korma I've ever had and the Peshwari Naan was utterly perfect! Absolutely love this place! 5* EVERY TIME!!

Best Indian food we've ever had. Staff are lovely. Even the standard curries have a unique taste. We'll definitely be back.

We booked this Restaurant after reading the reviews and must say - This was the best Indian Restaurant we have been to for some years. The staff and owner made you feel so very welcome and the food and service was the same. Excellent, First Class and very clean and bright. Would highly recommend

Real authentic Indian food. Won't be disappointed. Menu amazing loads to choose from . Restaurant lovely staff attentive and friendly. Couldn't ask for more.. Best Indian restaurant by far. Totally recommend.

We went as a family of 5 and we all enjoyed it. Some of the dishes not as spicy as I'm personally use to but the tastes and flavours were lovely. We all loved the food probably best Indian we've all tasted in a good while. A very small restaurant but lovely ambiance and friendly staff.

Absolutely excellent curry! We were in the area for two nights and had a takeaway on our arrival. Starters and mains were faultless. Probably the best curry I’ve had anywhere for many years. It was so good that I had another one the following night. A must if in the area!

From interesting starter to tasty mains and concluding with delicious cooling Indian ice cream the meal was a delight.If we ever find ourselves in the vicinity again we will know to order only one serving of rice between us. Too much even for greedy cyclists.

We enjoyed a good meal here but just thought it lacked a bit of taste. The flavours were just a bit too bland, and it was a little too expensive for what it was.

Good service and a varied menu. The food was excellent. We are experienced Indian restaurant customers and this was as good as any we have had. When they say the dish is mild, it is mild but very tasty. From our experience we would highly recommend this restaurant.

We normally use Saffron as our go to take away. They have good moments and bad moments, recently more bad than good. Tonight was the final straw for us though. Nearly £80 for the four of us. My meal had raw prawns, my husband had over cooked prawns and the girls had over done and incredibly dry chicken. The order was meant to be ready for a certain time, so we arrived on time and had to wait over 20 minutes. No apology and the food was horrible. After almost eating a raw prawn I am hoping I spat it out in time but am keeping it just in case I need to report it to Environmental health….. never again.

Worst Indian food ever had. Starter was like a frozen meal that had been heated in a microwave tasteless. Main course was not edible had to return. Very disappointed

I live in town and have used Saffron's take-away on many occasions. With the pressures of keeping a business going under this awful pandemic, they have managed to continue to serve up delicious meals which, at the time of writing, are for take-away only. The food is excellent, service is great and we are so lucky to have this business on our doorstep.Thank you Belayet and the team, I hope you continue to receive the deserved support from the wider community and look forward to when you open your doors again, hopefully soon.

Great little restaurant/take away with excellent service and 1st class food. We managed to get a booking for Christmas Eve, before latest 'lockdown' and were not disappointed. Need to go more often.

Lovely find- excellent food. Well impressed. Good customer service and brilliant prices . Loved the pathia

The wife and I stayed overnight in the town and it was the guest house that recommended we try SaffronI’ve eaten Atul Kochhar’s Michelin star curry at Benares and Tamarind in London and I enjoyed this more. I even ate the lime pickle which was the nicest I’ve ever tasted.Beautifully turned out restaurant, friendly, professional service and incredibly delicious food. It’s sad that we live 252.4 miles south of here.

All Covid 19 regulations adhered too felt very safe. Very extensive menu good choice food excellently presented and tasted very good full of flavour and value for money. Staff very friendly and attentive.

We had a takeaway for 5 people, and all our dishes were delicious. My friend is dairy intolerant, but this wad not a problem for the restaurant. We'll be back.

Believe it or not we actually travel to Innerleithen from Motherwell to eat at this restaurant, their menu has so many dishes available that I have never seen in other Indian Restaurant’s and I would love to work my way through them all. The service is perfect, attentive without being overbearing, the garlic nan is one of the best I have tasted and I always order one when eating here. I highly recommend this restaurant and can’t wait to get back, I wish they did deliveries to Motherwell

Just back from dinner here. So glad we booked and got a table. This place is fantastic and I agree with many of the other reviews when they say some of the best Indian food they’ve tasted. This place knows how to cook. The Spices are all there but not clawing like in so many other Indian restaurants. Everything has a light delicate touch even the homemade spicy poppadom was paper thin but packed full of satisfying flavour. The decor like the food is tasteful and doesn’t overpower. Even the menu came as an unusual delight rolled up like a perfect dinner napkin. The staff are attentive and friendly and service is measured naturally to your enjoyment of the meal. Both our mains were excellent and there was a modern twist to the usual presentation of the food you’d expect elsewhere. This is relaxed fine dining Saffron-style. The restaurant is small so I’d definitely advise booking ahead especially at weekends. The restaurant offers take away and is obviously popular with this as well. It’s a bit of a drive to get to if not local but absolutely worth the extra mile Wishing Saffron all the best over the next few months and hope their establishment continues to blossom! Thanks for a really lovely meal

I've sat in multiple times and the same for takeaway and will keep going back. The food is the best I've had anywhere, and finding it in a small Borders town is surprising, but excellent. The staff are always happy to help in any way they can too.

We were in Innerleithan to visit its charming second-hand bookshop, 'Century Books' and noticed this attractive Indian Restaurant. Checking it out on TripAdvisor it looked very promising, and it proved much better than that.With only 14 covers it is small inside but beautifully decorated and beautifully laid out. Even before yoy unroll the unusual cloth menus you know you are in for a treat, and will not be disappointed. The wait staff are unusually well attired and all were eager to look after customers, both regulars and newbies such as ourselves.There are many excellent menu options both regard to food and drink. such that we spent some time considering our choices. We opted for 4 starters, a vegetarian platter, a minced lamb puri, tandoori chicken and vegetable samosas.Each was well presented, ample and delicious. The platter with vegetable, potato, cauliflower and mushroom pakora and an onion bhajee was a delight. All the vegetables had texture and were excellently spiced. I have never tasted a minced lamb puree before. The bread was served separately from a delicious portion of superbly cooked and flavoured lamb mince. The tandoori chicken looked beautiful and tasted exquisite. The vegetables in the samosa were tasty, fresh and again had texture rather than being mushy as is more the norm.For mains we had a chicken tikka, chicken biryani and an aloo Gobi. The tikka portion was huge and unusually consisted of excellent chicken breasts marinated, cooked and then sliced. My biryani was lovely to look at, beautifully spiced and more than I could eat. As with all the vegetables the aloo gobi was perfectly cooked with still some bite to the vegetables. The mains were completed with a chicken tikka nan, (which I had never seen before,) a chapati and crispy french fries.It was clear that the chef treated vegetables with unusual care and skill throughout the courses. I cannot praise the service highly enough, both the 2 waiters and the waitress could not have been more courteous and professional, and the boss also came to our table to heck we had enjoyed the meal. The starters were so good I could have ordered more of them as a meal.All in all this was an extremely pleasant experience that we hope to repeat soon, (coronavirus permitting.) There was a non-stop stream of carry out activity, clearly showing that the local population were clearly familiar with the very much above average restaurant. And with a bill for 3 including drinks of under £75 it was very good value too!

Lovely restaurant. Tiny so book especially at weekends. Loved the food pricey though. Husband has Shashlik was lovely, nan great good find

What a gem! My wife and I visited here tonight and loved this place. The food was fantastic and this was equalled by tge service. The best indian meal we've had for quite awhile.

Score Breakdown1.5/3 for the food1.5/2 for the customer service Overall 3/5The food came quickly with nice staff members. The vegetable rice was cooked well however the sauces were overly spiced and took away from the flavour of the dish. I would recommend this if you enjoy spice.

Best Indian food in the country been many times now. The naan bread is incredible, very fresh! Euan and Rachael do an excellent job 🤗🤗

While it's a small Indian restaurant with only 16 seats, the food and service are top notch. Professional, friendly and knowledgeable staff are attentive without being intrusive. An excellent menu with lots of choice and several unique dishes. Great flavours!

We visited twice in 3 days .lovely small restaurant excellent food . The first time my husband and I have had four meals between us on two occasions and loved them all Good atmosphere, friendly staff ,excellent food please move to Kendal .

Had many takeaways and was meaning to go for a sit-in for ages and glad we did!We shared some starters and had a range of main courses - everything was great. Some slightly unusual choices made it all the better. Prices are very reasonable and staff really nice.It’s a very small restaurant on Innerleithen high street - 4 table, i think, so if in any doubt book ahead!

Small restaurant with an intimate feel. Good menu of freshly cooked dishes. Due to its small size booking is recommended.

Small 14 seat restaurant, but wow the food is just sublime and perfect. We often get a take away, but for once had a sit down meal this time.

What a gem. Amazing ambience excellent food.. yes the chef even nailed the bhindi. Food plentiful. Banana lassi great mango lassi better. Bombay aloo sublime. I loved the actual menus!

What can I say.... Saffron has great service and the food is absolutely amazing both takeaway and if you decide to sit in. I cannot fault this place. If you are visiting Inners you have to give it a go. I have been in numerous times and had take aways and I’ve never had a bad one yet. My fave is Rasun Baghar chicken. The pakoras and garlic naan are great too! If you do decide to sit in then make sure you book!

We tried to walk in on a saturday as soon as they opened but were not successful. The reason for their popularity was plain to see and smell. An opportunity missed for us. From observation I feel able to comment...will eat there but book first!!

Stayed in an apartment in Walkerburn and this place was recommended. Booked in and what a great place it was. Two delightful young ladies on front of house service who couldnt be nicer and were efficient on all fronts. The food was exceptional and hearty portions. Couldnt ask for better. We will return again when in the area Perfect!

The vegetables/meat free and rice dishes are very good but my guess is that the meat in the meals is frozen and reheated and it is in cube form. The chicken in particular does not come straight from the chicken to the dish, I think it comes to the restaurant in a frozen pre-packed form.

This was amazing for both me, my husband and kids will come again. Great meal and would recommend!!!

Great Indian restaurant in the centre of Innerleithen. Only a few tables so suggest booking on busy days. Food excellent with some unusual dishes. Would highly recommend a visit.

Brilliant night, good company and amazing food. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly, nothing is too much trouble. A real gem not to be missed. We will back soon.

Visited here after reading good reviews. The food was served quickly and was tasty but nothing special. Staff were fairly friendly and efficient. The main problem with this place is that you are eating in the front of a takeaway , so people coming in and out for food orders and the phone ringing and orders being taken continuously. This doesn't make a very relaxed environment for eating.

Great service. Great food. Can not fault. A real gem of a place. Definitely one of the best curries I’ve ever had.

My boyfriend and I were staying in Peebles and decided to try saffron based on reviews. A small stylish place, lovely polite staff and beautiful food. Would definitely eat there again.

Intimate meal with my wife before a very big occasion for us as a couple. The food was great and the service attentive but not overpowering. We will return!

Wij haalden het eten af. Het was tijdig klaar zoals besteld. Veel keuze en duidelijke omschrijving op de menukaart.

Only 14 seats in here but it’s just perfect, nice staff and very attentive, the food is really high end but so are the prices, but you don’t mind as the food is really very tasty. We had the mixed starter, chicken tikka and chicken Balti and all perfect.

Visited again twice in April this year having previously told people, 'best in the area' Could not criticize the food, but was certainly not up to previous standards and we feel may have resulted from a change of chef. ? Sauces were ok, chicken was bland, popadom condiments careless.Staff and comfort the same good standard, but will not travel to visit again as better food standard available in Galashiels. Sorry to say.

Five of us enjoyed a lovely meal at Saffron. We've been a number of times now (it's a 40min drive but well worth it) and are slowly working our way through the extensive menu. The chicken bhoona puri starter is fantastic - even our 17month old daughter scoffed it down! Staff and service were as good as ever.

Very small but excellent food and very friendly service A hidden gem with great choice of food in a great part of Scotland

We went to dinner with my friend We had lamb karahi and saslik Very nice and fresh..excellent service Highly recommended Will be back soon.

My husband and I had a meal here yesterday. Service was great, the restaurant is very cramped, however, as it’s basically 14 covers at the front of a takeaway. Our starter was tasty - chicken pakora. The main course was lovely too, the chicken melted in your mouth, naan bread was perfect. But ... both my husband and i’s respective Madras and Vindaloo sauces were overly spiced in terms of flavour not heat and really spoilt the dish. We ate most of the meal because we were hungry and because it was expensive. I’m sure the chef was having a bad day, but I think it’s something that ought to be addressed.

We live near and it's still such a treat. Genuine Indian food. Try the vegetarian platter to share to start. Generous portions and lovely service

This place gets great reviews so we were looking forward to going. There was nothing wrong with it and the service and decor were fine. But everything about it was mediocre. The starters were typical (pakora and sheesh kebab) and nothing out of the ordinary. We both had items from the ‘chefs specials’ menu as they sounded quite tasty. Both were very ‘saucy’ (extremely skimpy on the main meat ingredient) and both were rather lacking in spice and flavour. They had no fish curries (only king prawn) and all but one of their vegetarian main dishes were ‘mixed vegetables’ with a variety of different sauces.

We frequently visit this fabulous wee restaurant and the atmosphere, service, staff and food are always fantastic. Every dish is distinguishable and freshly prepared. This is our favourite Indian restaurant and we are lucky enough to only live a few miles away from it.

We got a takeaway from Saffron when visiting Innerleithen. Fantastic food, lovely staff and very wel priced. Absolutely loved this place and would highly recommend!

Visted here based on the below reviews however must say we were disappointed. Small portions in respect of starters in comparison with the price (chicken pakora). Menu states if they dont have what you would like to ask and theyll be more than happy to make this, unfortunately this did not happen and was offered a similar curry on the menu. Service was ok. Probably won't be back.

Food is fresh, delicious, possibly not spicy enough for many, but kitchen will spice up if requested. Staff and management try to make visit special. Very clean, proper tablecloths and many other nice touches

Having spent some days in Rajasthan, I discovered true Indian cuisine, unlike the majority of Indian restaurants in the UK. I was really impressed by the food at Saffron.

We found Saffron by accident, not having read any of the reviews. It's excellent. Really good food; some of the best curries I've ever had, lovely staff and generous portions - we couldn't have managed a starter. Just go.

This is possibly the best Indian restaurant I’ve ever eaten at. The makkhonwala chicken has a sauce made with butter, cream, almonds, mango, and coconut. The dish, according to the Bengalese owner, has Indian origins and was customized for the British palate. I wanted to lick the bowl, but refrained. The Kulu Kata masala lamb was dew

Had a lovely meal in this small and friendly restaurant. Service was great and food was delicious. Would definitely go here again and it does takeaways!

We were a party of 11 which for a small restaurant is a lot. I am pleased to report the high standards were maintained. Everyone enjoyed their meal and the staff were friendly, making it an enjoyable experience to be repeated soon.

Great wee place.... we recommend the lamb!!! So nice and tender.... delicious! Annnd they give you hot moist towels at the end 😍

Not your typical Indian restaurant.. the room is small but well designed.. attention to detail menu in silver serviette ring very extensive and caters for all .. amazing dips for the popadoms .. food excellent quality fresh tasty .. the naans definitely the best I have encountered. Staff excellent ..to sum up 5 stars a must if you are in the area.

Had a fantastic curry here when travelling back south, yes small but the food and curry was probably the best curry I have had in a few years. If your passing then highly recommend.

Lovely meal for our daughter's birthday. Only a few tables, so advisable to book ahead. Try the spiced tea, very aromatic, delicious, as was the food

Fabby friendly staff with gr8 food but way to crammed for me inside and real shame they don't deliver😉

A gem of a restaurant in Innerleithen. Very small but fabulous food. A huge menu to choose from but never disappointing. Highly recommend trying this restaurant.

I am not usually passionate about Indian food, but this little place might convert me. I had a fantastic chicken rogan ghosh. Nice atmosphere and decor.

Mention Innerleithen restaurants and people will immediately recommend Saffron. I have been wanting to go for ages. Yes, it lived up to all expectations. Tried the evening meal deal and it was delicious. Portions are generous and good value. Thank you for a lovely meal.

Fantastic food served by very friendly staff definitely worth a visit Book first however as a small but cosy establishment

Group of six out for a family meal. Wide selection of dishes made it easy satisfy everyone’s dietary needs. The food was delicious all freshly cooked and excellent quality. The restaurant was full and there was a great atmosphere. The staff were attentive and the Cobra was chilled to perfection. A perfect venue for a nightout. We will be back, highly recommended.

We visited Saffron as we were staying in Innerleithen and it is the smallest restaurant we have been in with about 6 tables but don't let that put you off as the food was superb we had the mixed platter to share followed by chicken nantara which is a lovely lightly spiced sweet dish with fluffy pilau rice and a naan that wasn't the size of half the table like some places,the girl serving us very pleasant and most attentive,be warned though pre book as it fills up quick,nice touch is the menu's,large selection and printed on a lovely scroll.

Having arrived into Walkerburn on Saturday evening we were after something quick. They don’t deliver but was close enough to go and collect. The kids (12 and 7) said it was the best korma they had ever tasted and the husband indicated that it was the first time he had had a curry (lamb Balti) and did not feel like it was sat heavy on him.

Ein kleines Lokal mit wenigen Tischen, wir kamen auf Grund des Tipps unseres Gastgebers. Erstaunlich, das es in diesem kleinen Ort so ein tolles Lokal gibt. Das Essen war super lecker, frische Zutaten, frisch gekocht. Preise moderat, die Portionen reichlich. Es gibt auch take away. Frühzeitig da sein oder reservieren, wir hatten Glück, kurz danach waren alle Tische besetzt. Echte Empfehlung und eine super Abwechslung zum typischen Pub-Food.

Big menu, fantastic food, large helpings, lovely little restaurant and great service! Highly recommend!

Booked a table for a birthday celebration which we only mentioned briefly. At the end of a fantastic meal we were treated to complimentary drinks - very unexpected and a lovely surprise. Service was impeccable- quick and attentive. Very friendly vibe. Chicken pakora to start, best I've ever had. The accompanying sauce was delicious. The mains - butter chicken and hot korma were rich, tasty and melt in mouth chicken. Rice fluffy and one between two was plenty. Crispy poppadoms and reasonably priced prosecco. Loved this place, will be back in future.

We've eaten there before and were previously very impressed but this time the service let it down badly. We came very close to walking out. The food when it arrived was good however, and the waitress was very apologetic for the delay. I think one of the staff had probably let them down as they were clearly understaffed on the night we were there. I put it down to bad luck on our part and would still recommend it.

We had a delicious meal here on a Sunday night. There are only a few tables so it will probably be worth booking at busy times. Service friendly and efficient and we were struck by the many take away orders collected - always a good sign!

Cute and small modern Indian restaurant with very pleasant service. Quite extensive menu. Food a bit too stoggy (even for Indian) for my taste.

What a find. We couldn’t have been happier with our evening in The Saffron. Lovely food, great service and a nice atmosphere. Be warned; make sure you book. It’s very small. Couldn’t recommend it highly enough.

You have to book as there are only 6 tables but it is a fabulous Indian. Good value and first class food with great service. You should definitely visit here if in the area and looking for a good Indian. It's easy to get there by bus and it's a lovely restaurant for any occasion. Highly recommend this restaurant.

Being at a bit of a loss as to where to eat in Innerleithen one evening, we were recommended to Saffron. We assumed that on a Tuesday night we would not need to book and we wanted to have a look at the place first anyway. But note that this very nice restaurant is very compact, with room only for about a dozen diners. Food was good, though the lamb was just a tad chewy, so when we went back a second night we stuck to two chicken dishes. Pleasant service, reasonably priced, nice surroundings. If one of the other tables was a bit noisy it could be annoying in a small space, I guess.

As the title suggests this is the hallmark of this excellent restaurant, both sit in and carry out curry after curry is frankly sublime, how they make lamb that tender I have no idea!

having read the reviews we decided to go. first of all for that type of restaurant a very nice decor . huge menu, very interesting and all the dishes we tried were excellent . well done!

Food exceptional. Cleanliness of restaurant so good you could eat off the floor! Staff friendly and efficient. You need to book in advance as table numbers limited.

A handful of words; Tasty Moorish Filling Lush Best curry ever Full depth of flavour Friendly Flexible Top and bottom. Amazing curry house always has been! Make sure you book as it is small.

I had 2 starters which were fantastic and one I had never had but will definitely again. The India pistachio ice cream was really good to but I could have shared it. Such good food all around us too

Excellent food large portions, never managed to finish however staff poppped it in a takeaway box Restaurant is spotless Great place to eat

Had to try Saffron after friends had recommended it. Our visit was on a very cold night, unfortunately with the...

A birthday visit with my wife. Buttered Chicken (but with Lamb) excellent. Sauce available mild, medium or hot.

We ordered two large curries for 16 on 1/1/18. They were delicious and the staff could not have been more...

This small restaurant has always impressed. We have only eaten as takeaway. Every meal has been great and we especially...

I live in Galashiels and I travel to Innerleithen on occasion just for this restaurant as I've tried all the...

We are lucky enough to have the Saffron as our local Indian Restaurant and I keep meaning to write a review so that we don't take it for granted!

The Saffron offer an extensive menu of Asian food which is well prepared and delicious. The staff are helpful and friendly. It is not a big venue therefore recommend you book.

A top notch Indian / well worth a visit / great food / less is more / this small restaurant works because it is not too big & the food is cooked to order I recommend a visit.