Saffron Restaurant in Runnymede

Sadly, there are no Indian/Punjabi restaurants in the area. I was filled with hope from the reviews here. It was bad. You know when someone says it might not be up to what you might expect (in an English way) and then it's much worse than you would've hoped? That bad. The lamb chops had raw tikka masaala on them. Raw tikka masaala on a cold lamb chop. The fish pakora had so much salt that my mouth pursed up like a cat's chocolate starfish. The garlic naan was undercooked ?? And it was the only thing on the plate that didn't have any seasoning? Incredible We left £35 poorer but wealthier in the knowledge that we won't return. The Polish strip bar that's rumoured to replace it is something I may embrace.

We stayed at the Swan hotel opposite and had a late arrival so wanted to eat quickly. We noticed the Saffron opposite so we went in with no expectations, but we were pleasently surprised with great service and an amazing meal - probably one of the best indians weve ever had. Would recommend.

We were staying opposite and after being let down by another restaurant decided to try Saffron Restaurant. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening, it is a cosy restaurant, the service excellent and the food was very tasty (we went for one of the set meals). We appreciated being accommodated at short notice and would recommend.

Absolutely delicious food delivered to the table quickly. Cannot understand why it's not buzzing at the weekends! A forgotten gem?

Lovely food. Shame it was completely let down by the service. Beer was off. They took away the beer and provided a new one, but decided to charge for it when I asked for the bill. When I queried this, I was told the beer was fine and I was the one at fault. Interestingly enough, I’ve had Peroni here on 10-15 different occasions. This time there was definitely an issue. I was very disappointed with the service I received and I’m sad to have to leave a review, but I feel I must after this experience. They’re out for a quick buck. Beware.

My first stay at the hotel and the restaurant was a lovely surprise. The food was lovely, lots of choice and full of flavour. The staff were really attentive and helpful, and the food was really tasty. I can recommend the chicken shashlik so much chicken and veg. I would definitely eat here again

I have been here a few times in the last 3 years and the food has always been great. Like really really good!! I would recommend the Jalfrezi or the Butter Chicken and also Sagg Aloo and well everything we had was yummy! However every time we go it looks like it is closed!! The restaurant is on the hotel but we walked in today no one in the restaurant we had to go and find someone to sit us down and make sure it was open. The decor is a little odd and the service is okay. But seriously a bit more attention to the restaurant front of house and it could be the best Indian restaurant in Staines.

Looking at other reviews I do get some of the comments, but as a whole we found the experience ok. The waiter seems a little rushed due to him being on his own but we got served ok. there were 7 or 8 people eating when we arrived and i didn't hear any one complaining. The wait in between courses was a little longer than you'd expect but when it did come it was very good. The Chicken Madras was excellent and my wife indicated that her food was good too. Good pricing too. At a guess i would say your experience may depend on when you go and what time, but i feel its worth it. I would definitely go again

I ordered room service from the attached hotel. No menu in the room so I asked for a vegetable biryani and naan, figuring this was something every Indian eatery offers. It was brilliant! Tasty, with a good variety of veg and served with a side of curried vegetables too. Quite the most delicious vegetable biryani I've ever eaten. Room service was quick (if expensive) and the table set-up attractively. Recommended

I think we were in the restaurant the same evening in August as one of the reviewers below. This was our 2nd choice restaurant for the night but the first had been closed down. On arrival we sensed it was not going to be a good experience. The large dining area was very sparsely populated and there was no music playing. The bar area was littered with unwashed glassware and having showed us the a seat the waiter left never to be seen again. We waited about 15 minutes but received zero attention. In that time we witnessed a stressed waiter and chef having an argument after which the waiter stormed out of the restaurant (we saw him later pacing round a local roundabout!). So we left without tasting or drinking a thing. We will not return.

First of all, I will say that the food was lovely. Unfortunately, that’s where the praise ends. We walked in and the place was empty, we were a party of six and that appeared to be too many people for them to cope with! With a restaurant of that size, only one person front of house and one person in the kitchen is not enough. They gave us three menus and when we asked for more, they said that it was all they had and that they would need to take one for the couple that arrived just after us! We ordered our food and drink, only to be told that half of the drinks we wanted were out of stock. We weren’t offered any popadoms so we had to ask for those. The starters arrived pretty quickly and gave us a good impression. Unfortunately, around an hour later, we were still waiting for our mains! It was clear that they were being cooked fresh and then brought out and stored in a hot cupboard, one by one, and so it took ages. The waiter told us it was just that they were short-handed tonight and that it wasn’t always like this but looking at previous reviews, I would guess that wasn’t true and was also the reason the place was empty when we arrived. There was no music at all, just a quiet, empty restaurant and, when another potential customer stopped to read the menu outside, the waiter shut the door! Another couple came in and, after 10mins of not being served, they left. The couple that came in after us told us that they had been told that there was no wine, even though there were bottles of wine on display!! When the food eventually arrived, it was good, but it was too late and, after our meal, we were not given hot towels or mints/chocolates as I have been offered in just about every other Indian restaurant I’ve ever eaten in. If any restaurant required new management, this one is it. Such a shame as, with some simple fixes, this place could be popular, busy and profitable, at the moment, I doubt it is any of those.

Saffron is confused, and so was I. Firstly I was not even sure it was open, we went on a Saturday evening and on arrival we were the only table there. The room itself if on first appearance very contemporary, White Walls, high apex ceiling, black beams, funky lighting, white table cloths and black chairs. However when you look closer the black chairs are simply wedding type chair covers, and the white table cloths hide old tables. The main problem here is lack of any atmosphere, yes a couple of other tables did arrive whilst we were there but the place lacked any vibe. There appears to be one staff member, who whilst he was very friendly he was not your typical Indian restaurant server. Sevice was slow and the other tables arrived after us and yet left before us. The food was actually better than we expected although our expectations were not high. Prices are reasonable and portions quite generous, but it will be some time before we rush back. Saffron is part of The Boleyn Hotel and appears to do a fairly good take-away trade so maybe the restaurant is not in focus for the management. The simple fact is that this area is well served by Indian restaurants and Saffron will need to improve in several areas to be considered more than average.

Food was great, huge servings and very delicious. Service was a bit slow, but the food made up for it.

When our family went to this restaurant we were extremely pleased with the quality of service we received and couldn't believe the value for money. The food was delicious and plentiful! Two of us decided to go for a set menu, which was very reasonable for the quality and abundance of food we received. Some of us decided to go for a chicken korma and my wife, who is a korma fan said how the flavour was lovely and the sauce thickness was just right. The waiting staff were polite and attentive throughout the meal, and the food arrived promptly and was hot ready to eat. I will definitely recommend this place to friends and our family and we shall go again.

Came here twice in a week, party of 8 and party of 3. Excellent food and service both times, highly recommended

Fuimos allí para una comida familiar. No reservar, pero no ocupada y nos dijeron que para sentarse donde nos gustó. . Somos una familia de 5 miembros, todas las mesas estaban para 4. Nos dieron otra silla a nuestra mesa, ya nadie se ofreció a hacer esto.

There was no atmosphere .... the service was slow. The waiter had no idea about the menu. The food was reasonably priced but some dishes which are normally quite mild are Hot.....Most dishes looked the same

We had a very tasty and flavoursome Indian meal. The starter were delicious JD very nicely presented. There was great choice of or the main and the lamb curry was great. We were very impressed. The staff were very friendly and attentive.

Decidimos comer en el azafrán en el último minuto como había estado en el hotel Swan para bebidas antes de la cena, que está justo enfrente. Decisión muy buena, así como ambiente encantador, el servicio amable, buen menú y sabroso, bien cocinada, la comida no grasienta. Volvería sin dudarlo y lo recomendaría a mis amigos.

We stayed at this hotel but when it came to the evening meal, the tables were not set and there was no aroma of cooking, so we went to the Swan across the road

Excellent Indian restaurant in Staines...probably the best in the town....its quiet strange that its almost empty most of sunday night....service may also look a bit lethargic...but the taste of food makes up all for shortcomings! Highly recommended!!

Arranque bien, pero una comida muy salada. Jalfrezi principal era un poco 'gloopy', con reminiscencias de un sauce supermercado. Servicio antipático. No volvería.

Había tenido una estancia relajante en la parte del hotel por un par de noches y decidimos probar el restaurante del hotel una noche.

This place has a nice ambiance and the staff are nice but the food was rather disappointing though plentiful.It is never very full so perhaps others find it the same as we did.

So I have been visiting this restaurant for over a year now and when I first started the food was superb, the service was a little bit slow but i didn't mind waiting as the food was worth it.I have visited twice in the last couple of months whilst on business trips and the food has been nothing short of awful.Its a shame but I dont think I will visit again........

Second visit and we had the set meals a :) Ian. What excellent value. 6 of us and a bill with drinks only £110. Again attentive staff, not too over the top, just right. Please go for the set menus it is well worth it.

I have been here 3 times in 3 months and each time have really enjoyed my food! The staff are okay nothing to write about really for them however the food really is amazing. The set menus are great value and always something new to try. Am rather sure it will be 4 visits in 4 months and continuing!

Fajna restauracja jeśli chcesz zjeść coś smacznego za niewygórowaną cenę. Obsługa jest miła, jedzenie było naprawdę dobre. Na trzy osoby zamówiliśmy cztery dania, krewetki, curry z warzywami, kurczaka i jagnięcinę do tego ryż i chlebki naan. Choć nie wyglądało to nie daliśmy rady wszystkiego zjeść. Byliśmy koło godziny 18:00 i nie było zbyt dużo ludzi więc trudno powiedzieć coś o atmosferze. Ogólnie restauracja godna polecenia dla ludzi lubiących indyjskie jedzenie.

This Indian Restaurant is attached to the Anne Boleyn Hotel on The Hythe in Staines-upon-Thames. Itself directly across the road from the popular Thames-side pub The Swan.The restaurant is clean-looking and not unattractive, describing itself as Contemporary Indian Cuisine. I visited on a Friday evening, early to avoid any possible crowds.In fact the place was empty at 19.15 hrs. We were placed at a window seat: a move which indicated the thought of 'dressing' the room [i.e. passing folk could see that the place was open, in business but with seating to spare].I asked which beers were available on draught and was informed that the staff-member was new and would now go and find out: something I thought might have been noted somewhat earlier.The answer was "none" so I requested one large and one small bottle of Cobra. The beers arrive after a delay of over six minutes, the beers but no glasses! I pointed-out that there were two large bottles - not what I had ordered, The response was simply to say that we would only be charged for the bottle and a half [NB, This didn't happen, the final bill included the full two at £5.10 each!].A second staff-member appeared and asked if would like poppadums and chutneys, this seemed a good idea - it wasn't. The chutneys were totally bland and the onion salad dry and tasteless, obviously made some time before this service session.An order for Bhindi Bhajee failed. The kitchen had run-out of Okra: this, at the start of a Friday evening service!I will not bore readers with detail of the sad offerings, except to comment that the 'chilli' indicators on the menu bore no relation to the heat of the dishes. When the staff are all trained and briefed, I trust the Chef will correct this appalling misdirective.A disappointing experience but, at least the toilets were clean.

Ate here for the first time last week for my step-daughter's birthday. Restaurant was very quiet to start with, as we were early, but it soon filled up.The atmosphere in the restaurant was nice. The best thing about the whole experience though was the quality of the Indian food. It was excellent, and some of the best Indian food we have eaten in the UK, and we have eaten alot!! We used to go to Jimmy Spices across the river from this restaurant quite a lot as it is cheap and cheerful. However, my step daughter wanted a sit down meal, rather than a buffet, and I'm glad she did, as we would not have tried this place otherwise. Additionally, we found it was really great value, especially for the quality of the food (£70 for 4 adults, including drinks - glass of red wine, mango lussi, bottle of water, either 1 or 2 beers - can't remember!). The only improvement that could be made here would be for the restaurant manager to employ more waiting staff, as the poor guy that served us seemed to be the only one serving in the restaurant most of the time and he was rushed off his feet, which meant service was a little slow, but it was still friendly and we weren't in a rush so it was fine.

One waiter, serving drinks, taking food orders and then serving food.Food was acceptable but nothing more and the wait to order due to lack of staff was far too long.

Beautiful and clean, great service and the food was divine. Came from the States and was staying at the hotel across the street... I could smell the delicious cooking through my open window. Great price. Enjoy!!!

Totally relaxed venue. Had couple of drinks in the bar before enjoying a lovely meal. Really enjoyed the relaxed ambiance and attention was just right! Excellent and thank you - just what we needed after a busy day celebrating.....

Was very quiet but food was nice and reasonably priced, there was a lot of food, dishes were fairly big, ideal for the hotel it is joined to.

I have visited this restaurant once with a friend. We popped in recently at the end of the evening after having a few drinks in Staines. We were surprised that prices were very reasonable and the food was very enjoyable. The dishes were different to a lot of other Indian restaurants... it would be good to try again to make a more detailed assessment of the food. The location is good on a quiet road behind the Thames with a lot of pretty historical buildings. Inside the restaurant is pretty well presented. There are not many diners there which is a shame, but overall it was a pretty comfortable environment. I seem to remember the staff not being to keen to tailer dishes to our wishes, most other good Indian restaurants are happy to do this. Also, the staff said in advance that it was fine for us to book a table for 10:30pm, however when we got there they seemed to want to hurry everything up. Overall though this restaurant is worth checking out and could be really good with a bit more effort and probably promotion from the restaurant itself. The restaurant is part of the hotel, so perhaps they aren't too interested in achieving more business?

We were staying at the hotel and were meeting family so decided to eat at the hotel restaurant. This is a brilliant Indian. We chose the SET menu. There was so much food we couldn't eat it all. Tthe food was fabulous and great variety. We all had a bit of everything. Can't fault it at all. Attentive staff and excellent value for money.