Saffron Grill & Market

In Crepuscule, Roman Payne writes: “People wonder why so many writers come to live in Paris… Just like Italy, Spain, or Iran are the best places to pick saffron.” Well, I can’t comment on Paris or the search for novel ideas, but I can confidently say this: you don’t need to travel to Italy, Spain, or Iran to find saffron. All you need to do is drive to Novato. Saffron Grill & Market is a small, unassuming spot that serves a dual purpose, as both a Middle Eastern grocery store and a casual grill, and it does both surprisingly well. If you enjoy exploring spices, dried goods, and specialty ingredients, the shelves alone are worth the stop. I certainly got a kick out of browsing them. And if you’re hungry, just walk to the back of the store, look up at the menu, and order whatever catches your eye. The food is solid, comforting Persian cuisine, prepared simply and priced very reasonably. It’s the kind of place where you don’t overthink the order, you just pick something and enjoy it. The owner-operator is friendly and genuinely happy to answer questions, whether you’re curious about the food, the spices, or what pairs well together. It’s not flashy, and it doesn’t try to be. But if you’re looking for authentic flavors, good value, and a warm, local feel, Saffron Grill & Market delivers, all without leaving Marin County.

THIS IS A HIDDEN JEM I passed this place many times and never stopped... I finally stopped in... place is awesome. Mike is solictatious and friendly. I didn't realize that it was a grill... I got a Cornish hen and it was delicious and tasty. Mike has BAKLAVA, I used to get that from a great place in Daytona Beach when I lived there... it is hard to find good BAKLAVA... I tried both styles and I am going to be stopping by more often.

Great food and great service! The only odd part has nothing to do with this restaurant itself, but with the business next door. They have a strange sign saying that customers from Saffron can’t use their restroom, which gives off a discriminatory vibe. Still, Saffron itself is fantastic, and I’d definitely recommend the food and staff here.

We had Saffron Grill & Market cater our wedding, and we couldn’t be happier with the experience. Mike was incredibly helpful, accommodating, and easy to work with from start to finish. The food was absolutely delicious—flavorful, fresh, and a huge hit with all of our guests. Mike went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect, and his professionalism and kindness made the whole process stress-free. Highly recommend Saffron Grill & Market for any event or catering needs. Truly exceptional service and amazing food!

We picked up one chelo kabab and one chlo morq and salad. We were very disappointed with a very cheap quality of meat they used in their kabab. They did not tast like a persian food. very disappointing. I also asked how old the Baklava is; the owner assured me it was made a day before. when we tried it at our hotel we realized it was stale and so old we could not eat it.

Only place in the area I could find ketaifi (spelling?) and pistachio cream. Good selection of Middle Eastern foods; planning on coming back so I can get some fun new ingredients to try out. Halloumi cheese, pomegranate syrup, kebabs, etc. Local business which is nice. The baklava and other baked goods in the case at the front of the shop look very tempting.

Omg! This is a hidden gem, the food were delicious, rice were flavorful and meat were tender and juicy. The owner was very nice and accommodating. We ended our meal with a Turkish coffee, which was amazing. I would definitely return again. Beware, this is little place is a hole in a wall, or should i say, a hole in a mom and pop grocery store. Prices are slightly high, however, it’s definitely worth it.

Really good food (they have one table outside and take-out), friendly owner and lots of fresh breads, ingredients and items hard to find elsewhere.

It is a small shop and sells hard to find items such as tahini in addition to fresh and frozen food and meals. We really love this little local gem, but the service is often slow and the owners tend to finish what they are doing, such as stacking something on shelves, instead of prioritizing customer service. This can be frustrating when you have people waiting in the car or want to minimize your in store time to minimize virus risk.

Most of cookies, waffles, and sweets on the shelves expiration date at least a year old

Wonderful small market packed with every kind of Mediterranean ingredient. Clean, well lit, organized, good prices, helpful friendly service! The baklava (local) is a worthwhile splurge! The restaurant side is closed for renovations- I'm looking forward to trying that August 2023 when they begin serving again!

I have not purchased items here or eaten here before. I came by this morning, not realizing they had not opened yet. The man opening the store explained, and was nice enough to let me look around the store. Everything looked great and the pictures of their grilled meats look great. I will definitely be coming back to find out how good they are. Thank you for your kindness!

Fantastic market for anyone who's Persian or is looking for authentic ingredients/meals in the North Bay. The owners are incredibly kind, prices are very reasonable, and their selection of goods is fantastic. A+!

Ordered the koobideh and it was delicious, generous portion of rice and their shallot yogurt sauce was so tasty. They only had a partial menu because they were under construction. We can t wait to go back when they have everything. The owner was so friendly and accommodating.

A great variety of Turkish and middle Eastern food and groceries with good prices. We used to go to another grocery store in San Rafael which carry these products, but found Saffron Market and definitely won't be back to the other one. Here prices are right and the service is great. The owner is very friendly and helpful.

Love this place and the owner is darling and so knowledgeable regarding Mediterranean anything! I can't wait and either can the owners to open up and serve His AUTHENTIC MEDITERRANEAN GRILLED FOOD FROM THEIR NEW GRILL! Hopefully it will be soon!! A MUST PLACE to visit.

The restaurant we planned to go to was closed due to renovations which was unfortunate but we are for sure going when they're open! The owner was really nice and they had sooo much good stuff that reminds me of back home !

Great selection! Really enjoying the sangak Crisps. Some of the best flat bread I've had

Be still my beating heart. It is you, koobideh, that makes me swoon. And I've had koobideh at Caspian in Irvine so I think I have a pretty darn good reference point. Their saffron rice is the perfect compliment, with a bit of sumac sprinkled on top. Other highlights are the Baghali Polo (dill rice with fava beans) and walnut baklava which reminds me of the flavors of a homemade Apple pie. I wasn't as thrilled with the dolmeh. They taste more pickled (pomegranate vinegar?) than the more oily/lemony flavors I've enjoyed elsewhere.

Awesome family-owned store. Technically it's a restaurant too but there's literally only two tables; one outside and one inside...you eat in the grocery store. I'd love for this to be my go-to secret gem for Mediterranean in Marin but it was only a little better than ok. The hummus and falafel were ok. The dolmas were very good! The moussaka was a bit dry and not terribly flavorful. I'm also not sure why it took almost 15 minutes to get a to-go Mediterranean platter with all pre-prepared food when there were no other customers there. The store has a host of great imported goods but there aren't prices on a lot of items and most everything cost more than I would expect. They also seem to make their own pastries from scratch. They looked beautiful but I didn't partake. I'll definitely be back. I love supporting mom and pop places of business over chains or fancy, snobby suburban establishments. I'm sure there are things I didn't order that are wonderful. I will find them and let you know what to order! :-)

Such nicer owners and a neat store in Novato, a small Cali town, and this is the only place to get greek and middle eastern cuisine and ingredients. Thank goodness for this place!

The service was slow , but the great part of this order was lamb shank and dill rice. We also ordered a beef koobideh which had an ok quality so far. Tried Abeali Dough which you can find it in the dairy's fridge section. 32$ for 2 orders is reasonable.each portion was enough for 1 individual.

Had an issue with Mike over 3 different visits with 1 spoiled item here and there from the fridge and bread (mold). I do believe these things can happen during shipping and storage, but even in these cases, the customer should be refunded or given fresher items instead. Mike still insisted the items were still good, trying to justify that frozen items can change shape during shipping, with no refund given, except for the last item which was exchanged upon my insistence. I had to really insist and brought the item to make sure he saw what was wrong with it. In the 3 cases, the items were spoiled beyond being consumable and had to be thrown out. I am putting this constructive review with the hope that these issues will be resolved in the future and so an easier and more customer-friendly return process is implemented instead of sending a long and loyal customer home...

Lovely family owned store with an awesome restaurant. We had the saffron plate which definitely feeds 5 (I came with a group of 4 big eaters and we were absolutely stuffed). The meat was super flavorful and their beef and cornish hen were phenomenal. Their saffron rice was very flavorful. I've made saffron rice before and you can tell when folks haven't put the real stuff in. This place knows whats up, come support a business and enjoy the good food.

No need to travel to Italy, Spain.. or Iran!! In Crepuscule, Roman Payne claims, "People wonder why so many writers come to live in Paris. I've been living ten years in Paris and the answer seems simple to me: because it's the best place to pick ideas. Just like Italy, Spain.. or Iran are the best places to pick saffron. If you want to pick opium poppies you go to Burma or South-East Asia. And if you want to pick novel ideas, you go to Paris." Well, I've not been to Paris, so I can't comment about one's ability to pick up novel ideas there, but I assure you that there is no need to travel to Italy, Spain.. or Iran for Saffron!! All you need is to get yourself to Novato and there it is!! This little shop serves a dual purpose, it is both a grocery store and grill. If you are into Middle Eastern spices and delicacies, you'll get a kick out of the stuff in their shelves; I did. And if you want to get a taste of Persian cuisine, then just walk to the very end of the store, look up at the menu and order whatever off the list which tickles your fancy! The food is good and very reasonably priced. The gentleman who is the owner operator is a very pleasant man who will help you with any questions you may have.

A small asian Mediterranean grocery outlet, selling Iranian, turkish and indian food products. Their falafel are out class like super yummy. And the owners are really very cooperative and nice people. One can find lots of variety of rice, flour and sweets. I highly recommend this store...

Very friendly market. Nice selection of hard-to-find Persian specialties. Highly recommended.

I wish I could give this place better rating, as I love Mediterranean food and produce, but out of $130 spent in the store, ~$30 went straight to garbage 10 min after I bought it. Tzatziki was bad - not fresh, so fermented, that it was sour to taste. Their front counter sweets that are sold by weight all tasted like laundry detergent - i guess its that old, that absorbed all the smells from the counter. Koobideh meat was undercooked - that was an easy solution granted we have microwave in the office. When I asked about exploding cheese package ( supposed to be vacuum tight) the sales associate recommended to not buy it.

We've been coming to this place for 3-4 years. We usually do takeouts, and while the food is prepared, we pick up tea, sweets and dried fruits. Feels like we are in a Middle Eastern market! Food is fresh and authentic, so many different dishes on the menu! We are fortunate to have such diverse cuisines in the community. P.S. Don't forget to get some samusas! They have about 4 different kinds.

What a local treasure! We ordered takeout from here and everything was phenomenal -- chicken fesenjan, several kabobs, baba ganoush, baklava, and some pistachio desserts, too. The staff (family-run) is so kind and their grocery selection is also incredible (my kids were jumping for joy when they saw five kinds of haloumi!). We only moved to the neighborhood a few days ago, but will be here regularly over the years to come.

Wow! We've enjoyed a number of meals and a cup-a-tea here, both eating in the tiny cafe area and take-away. Highly recommended!

Holy Moly this is a find in Marin! I was heading to the dollar store and then to grab some takeout when I drove by Saffron Grill and immediately parked my car. I lived in Santa Clara for about a year and am in love with all things Persian Market. I could not believe this has been hidden from me, for three years says Mike the owner/nice guy/waiter/cashier/smiling man. The aroma of cooking spiced meat filled the store and my mouth began to water. Mike was kind enough to let me sample some of the harissa (it's good, really good) and two types of the Eggplant caviar (really excellent types, I prefer the hot. It's smoky and heat filled not hot) he generously guided me through the menu for a great dinner. He offered me hot tea, Mike was amazing! They have a few tables and chairs inside, they bring them out on nice days and evenings. Loads of Persian and Middle Eastern items line the shelves and are in the cooler. They carry Lurpak so you know they are legit. The baklava is excellent, though they don't make it there try it. Loaded with walnuts and spice, just like my Baba used to make.

I came in when I wasn't feeling well and wanted something warm, yummy, and strength-building. The lamb shank was recommended to me and it was just the perfect thing! It came in a soup-like broth and the lamb was delicious, tender, just beautiful! Great condiments and the rice (with the yummy, chewy crispy part -- what is that called?) was perfectly done. Very good price point too. I felt stronger and took the rest home for a second meal later on. Oh, and I love the confections! So many to choose from, a great little-something-sweet after a meal. Sure there's not much seating, and outdoor seating looks over the parking lot, but who cares when the food is so good?

This is the place to come for Persian food and groceries. The food is good and more cheaply priced than a normal restaurant. We don't eat Persian food often so it was nice to find this. They have enough vegetarian options available too. Where it was really awesome was the amazing choice of fresh Turkish delights and other Middle Eastern sweets available. I mean the best I've ever had of these types of sweets. If I lived nearby, I would come here quite often.

Well stocked Persian supermarket with any middle eastern ingredients needed and fresh premade Persian meals.

The best Persian food I've had ever excellent customer service very nice people they treat you like family they have catering service I recommend this place anytime

Owners are awesome. Great for lunch and I dare ya to walk out without having a box of pastries or cookies in hand. So many goodies in the market section, I come back often a and still see and try new things.

It's nice Persian grocery which Catering the food and serve you food as well . Very delicious and feels like homemade ( like my mother's cooking )

New to this area.What are people ordering for such high stars? Got the lamb shank and it was in an gravy. It would of been ok if it wasn't so over cooked. Like shriveled up dry. Got the green and yellow rice and couldn't get past the first bite. Was cooked well but the flavor just wasn't for me. Might give it one more shot but doubtful. Update:this was take out and it would of been sent back if I was dining in.

Wafer Flat Bread. Interesting. An Ethnic Fav no doubt. Taco crazy me will likely use it to wrap some saffron infused Kabobs. LOL. It sure would Taste lots better than some Corny Corn tortillas I had. At some sorry Taquerias. Joojeh Soltani... Thats Skewer of Chicken. Pieces Yellow. Saffron? Medi marinade? Tender, so moist. Light Flavor thats distinctive. I added some salt. Boy did that Change Heaven and Earth. Chicken Eaten with some of the Saffron Rice, spice snowed upon sweet onions slivers... simple Enjoyment. Thats Skewer of Ground Beef. Koobideh. I've been a hamburger steak person all my life. This was like premium tenderness, moist, so flavorful. 5 stars. What did they use? Mignon? What made it for me Big Time. Was the worderful Rice Wafer on my plate. Pure rice. Two texture. Two shades artistically prepared by their chef. For all I know there Grandmother was cooking. From 1000 year old recipes. Tomatoe. Really good tasting. Wonder if its Organic. Todays Dinner. 4 stars plus. Im sure some Yelp'Rs may give more stars. But this food was new to me. Will return next time we are in Novato. Till then I will dream of their Lamb Shank and Rack of Lamb. How would I describe food Light Flavorful made quite Tasty. As I was boxing up the little foods to take home. I took another bite of the Smoky Chicken. Quite flavorful as it cooled. Bet at home dipping in some Orange Marmalade(spelling?) would turn this chicken wild. Great foods can be complemented by multi flavors Saffron Grill & Market is different than my Favorite Medi place. Flames and Skewers, Bakersfield California. Where foods have strong flavors. Can't wait to try Lamb Dishes here next time. If in Novato... look at their extensive menu. And their many Medi Grocery products and Spices. The family here is from Iran. Lots USA Physicians from Iran. Bet they do Catering to many of them

wish I could give it 10 stars! I come out this way once or twice a month for a corporate work meeting and this time I decided to eat out, rather than eat what was provided by the company... With that said, I saw this spot in a little shopping center and decided to try it out because I love Persian and Afghan food. It was about 12 pm and the grocery section was open with a few small tables inside and outside. Mike, the owner, was very gracious and had excellent customer service skills. First they brought out some mint, lavash bread, whole onion, and butter. The combination of those foods really go perfectly together and a great way to start the meal. Shortly after, they bring out the Koobideh. It was presented beautifully and it tasted even better than it looked. It was juicy, tender, I could bite into it like a hot knife through butter, and perfect amount of spices. It was accompanied by white rice and a grilled whole tomato. Such a large portion of food for a very affordable price. Excellent food, friendly service, they did things just right!

I tasted their food for the first time at San Ramon community center yesterday. everything was great, fresh and tasty. Thanks for not overloading it with salt.

I was staying in the area on business and when I travel, Mexican and Mediterranean food are my most frequent take out choices. Saffron Grill was less than 2 miles from my hotel, had all these great reviews, so I decided to give it a try. I was not disappointed. The portions are generous and the prices are modest. In addition to the grill and deli, this is actually a very well-stocked specialty market. Plenty of spices, mixes, and non-perishables to meet your recipe needs, as well as a small assortment of fresh vegetables. And . . . you must not leave without a pint or more of any of the Golnazar ice creams!! Give the pomegranate and dark chocolate chip a try . . . I think you'll find a flavor you can't live without -- simply "delish".

As an Iranian living in Marin, I definitely needed to find a good spot to get my staple Persian ingredients. Low and behold, I was so pleased to find they served food as well! The owners are both very kind and helpful and make me feel at home. Since moving here about a year ago, I have now tried everything on their menu and can confirm that they are all delicious! So thankful to have found this gem.

This family business is such a great little spot! The food is delicious!! The servings sizes are plentiful. The owners are gracious and kind and also happy when you come in. I can't support this place enough, it's a great little gem in Novato. Do yourself a favor and get yourself a chicken and meat combo platter...it's sooo good!!!

Really good kabobs and take out meals. This is located in a small strip-mall style shopping area. A quiet, unassuming mediterranean store. When you walk in you are greeted by a friendly cashier, and a large menu hanging in front. The menu is a bit hard to read and to wrap your head around what it is saying, but basically they make great kabobs and you'll get a full meal with pita bread, rice, baba ganoush, falafels, hummus, and the kabob of your choice. There isn't much room to dine there, this is really all about take out. I brought a meal home and my picky kids loved it. It was good.

Great food I almost went for dinner to eat there then decided to pick up. Good thing I did because there are literally two inside tables. When I went to get the food I walked into the market asking if this is where I pick up from a phone order or is it at the restaurant. They looked at me puzzled then I realized the two tables are the seating for the market/restaurant . So, I suggest phoning in your order and picking up. The food was very good although I had to reheat my chicken and it made it a little chewy one piece. Overall the it was excellent I got a side of grape leaves 5 for $2.98 and a small side of taziki for $1.75.

Saffron looks like a Market from the front. (except for the dining tables) at the rear is a "deli"" where kebobs (9.99) plates, falafel, etgc. (.75) are available. buys:" peanuts snack. bamba" (1 oz, $1) -cheese puffs with peanut flavoring, tasty -snacks seems pricey, all cookies, snacks contains palm oil, not so healthy crumbs: -nice minimarket with referigerated items too. -pricing seem above average but this is marin so probably reasonable. 3.5 stars

This place is GREAT! We love Middle Eastern fare and were so pleased to enjoy a reasonably-priced delicious meal near our Novato home. First, we were served flat bread squares that you roll up with butter, parsley and a little onion for an appetizer. My husband had the lamb chops and I had the Cornish game hen. Both were se ver with a whole stewed tomato and rice. Just delicious. And it was sooo fun to dine right inside this extremely well stocked market. Of course, we couldn't leave without buying a few things including a pint each of rosewater and pomegranate-chocolate chip ice cream to take home. I also purchased dried chickpeas and an eggplant-tomato sauce/spread. With the two dinners and groceries, we were out of there for less than $40. We will definitely be back.

I don't think there's any market like this in Marin or the Bay! Absolutely extraordinary quality and fresh! Everything you want is right here, not to mention this special feeling, 1 has while dinning in! These owners treat you like family. The people who complain about prices going North are simply lacking sophistication. We don't just pay for groceries when we're purchasing.... quality, taste, service, cleanliness and authenticity are top on the list! This lovely oasis has it all and so much more. Not only are you walking away with fine delicious gourmet foods, there's a feeling of sweetness and hospitality you just won't find anywhere. I recommend coming here thus, enjoying all the bountiful flavors and savory taste your heart will need to come back for! Absolutely my favorite market!

This review is for the market only and not for the take-out or restaurant items. I truly dislike leaving bad reviews for family owned businesses, especially one that carries Middle Eastern foods and products in Novato. When this place opened, it was a Godsend. Unfortunately, this market is poor quality. Though Saffron Market is an Iranian shop, they carry much variety and many products that are necessary for the Palestinian plate. HUGE plus! However, nearly every time I make a purchase here, I have to go back to make a return because something I had purchased was past it's expiration date, which my husband checks religiously every time I come home with groceries because obviously, it never occurs to me to check expiration dates before I make my purchases. I assume that shopkeepers, ya know, keep shop. The last straw was when I purchased a jar of Nabulsi cheese (cheese from Nablus, Palestine). When I got home, my husband looked for the expiration date. There wasn't one. When we opened the jar, the cheese was moldy. Upon returning it, we checked the other jars in the fridge at the market - no dates. I think the dates are purposefully removed. I am very familiar with the "Mid East" brand of cheese, and so I know that expiration dates are normally printed on the jar. Sure they accepted the return, but every time I return something, there's an apology and a long winded excuse for why an item is expired, moldy, stale, etc. And so, be sure to check the dates on the items before purchase and if there is no date, don't buy it.

That's a little jewel hidden in Novato. The service is friendly and the have a ton of food to choose from. We ordered some food to go, the portions are gigantic and very tasty. Don't forget to order some cucumber yoghurt with it, I just like the taste. We will come back for sure!

I can attest that I am not a relative, friend or even an acquaintance of the business owner. I got the newsfeed of new store opening in our neighborhood on other media site, so decided to order for a birthday occasion. My family loved the food, we ordered lamb chops and lula kebabs, along with olivie salad and regular salad, and roasted veggies. What we really liked about the whole experience was the customer service. It was amazing. We quickly learned that it's a family business and they all were very accommodating. Our food was prepared so quick (too quick, lol) we didn't expect it. Furthermore, they didn't charge upfront for the order, and if I was a crook I could have not come back and they would have been stuck with that order. All in all, I believe we will be a repeat customer at this place.

We are back again. This is our favorite place for Persian food. As good or better than the rest of the Bay Area. The koobedeh cannot be beat for flavor and juiciness. Their homemade dough is so refreshing. They now serve a different creamy goat cheese with the appetizer,so much better than traditional feta. If you haven't already been here, make it a point to go you won't be disappointed.

Nice people.. but three bad things about this business: - help is hard to get! They're always telling a story or something in Farsi and I have to stand and wait to be acknowledged.. - much MUCH more expensive than other close Persian markets.. 5 stuffed grape leaves for $2.99?! Come on!! Jasmine market downtown San Rafael sells them for 15 for $5, and that's also expensive! - it is so cruel to see such a huge dog( possibly husky) sitting in a cage that it barely fits in, filled with toys and treats.. I think the dog belongs to the owner, but it's sad.. very sad.. the dog cries when people walk in and out as if asking for help.. that is just plain cruel and I was upset my children saw that.. hope my notes make a difference

The owner was very upon arrival, explaining his menu items. I was craving salmon kebabs and yay they had it. It took a very long time, I understood they were cooking it fresh. The salmon was good although a bit dry. Had they could it a little less it would've been perfect since it had the right seasoning. The saffron rice was good but again a bit dry. However I realize this is how it is made. I liked the seasoning and onions they added to it. They sure give you a ton of it though.

The best ever middle eastern grocery and restaurant. The food tastes delicious and is of great quality. Cheers to Saffron!

Got takeout at work. Beef stew was interesting - definitely a tad heavy, but no real complaints. Dolmas were great. Huge amount of rice, too. Colleagues seemed to enjoy their beef kabobs. This place was a huge crowd pleaser!