Who does not like Persian food with its saffron rice and tasty lamb dishes? Safran Vienna is a new restaurant in town that satisfies all your cravings for Iranian comfort food with a modern twist. My experiences with Persian food are limited to the lunch menu of a restaurant next to my workplace. Although their menu is small, I have tried every available meat and vegetable dish and have found my favorites. So when I entered Safran Vienna, I was ready to experience something different.
inside @Safran Vienna
My appetite was a bit diminished, therefore I ordered only a couple of starters and was happy with that. My friends went for soup and starters as well as salads and main dishes. We specifically asked for the dishes to be served in a certain order. That turned out to be in vain, as everything arrived when it was ready and not how we would have liked it.
We started the meal with a small sample from the kitchen, a slice of white bread with lentils. The bread was a bit like focaccia, but less oily and very soft and fluffy. The lentils had a hint of cinnamon and the whole thing was served warm. It was absolutely fabulous and I was ready to be blown away by the rest.
amuse bouche @Safran Vienna
I ordered the salad Shirazi, a mix of cucumber, tomatoes, onions, mint, lemon juice and oil. The vegetables were finely cubed, but they did not taste of much. That might be a problem of the season. The mint was the biggest disappointment. I expected it to be fresh, but it was actually dried and powdered. It had a strange taste and ruined the overall experience for me. There was also too much onion in the salad.
salad Shirazi @Safran Vienna
The Mast o Bademjan, a spread of eggplant, yogurt and garlic, fared a bit better. Still, it is not something I would order again in spring. It tasted mainly of yogurt, with less of the eggplant and garlic coming through.
Mast O Bademjan @Safran Vienna
Torshi, pickled vegetables, was my third dish and this was truly pickled. I am sure it works much better when eaten together with a main dish, as the acidity probably cuts through the richness of the food. I did enjoy the mix of vegetables though, which all kept a nice crunch.
Torshi @Safran Vienna
I also tried Ash Reshte, a vegetable soup with herbs, two kinds of beans, lentils, noodles, onions, Kashk, which is whey, and mint oil. It was a shame that the soup arrived only lukewarm. Also, this is not really what we would call a soup, as it was thick like a stew. The taste was excellent though and it was very filling thanks to the beans and noodles.
Ash Reshte @Safran Vienna
Mirza Ghasemi, a starter that can also be ordered as a main dish with rice, was a wonderful eggplant dish with tomatoes, garlic and egg. It had a deep smoky aroma and was exceptionally tasty. This is definitely something I would order again.
Mirza Ghasemi @Safran Vienna
The two kababs that were ordered, one with beef and lamb and the other with chicken, arrived with a large portion of saffron rice. On the side there was a small packet of butter as well as a lime dipped in red powder. I cannot say exactly what it was and I have no picture of it, but both of my friends enjoyed their meals and the food looked great.
Chelo Kubideh @Safran Vienna
As much as I liked the amuse bouche from the kitchen, I was not entirely convinced by my starter selection. That said, many people around us seemed very happy with their food. The restaurant probably still needs some time to find its stride and settle in. The personnel was very friendly, although communication was a bit difficult. I will give them some time before returning. Yours, Pollybert
Safran Vienna
1090 Wien, Nussdorfer Strasse 49
Tel: +43 1 9225710
Email: office@goldenpomegranate.at
Tue-Thu, Sun: 11:30-22:00, Fri-Sat: 11:30-23:00
https://safran-vienna.at/
