This Indian Café Restaurant (previously being French/Indian) is contemporary in its décor and the tables set out in a spacious way, so you aren't elbow to elbow with your neighbouring diners! The service was excellent and there were plenty of waiters on hand to attend to every request.

Drink orders were taken promptly and arrived very quickly (2 pints of Stella, £3 each). We couldn't resist popadoms and chutneys to nibble through whilst looking through the extensive menu. The popadoms arrived with a beautifully presented selection of chutney's, our favourite being Mango! Our waiter was very patient with us as we took our time deciding what to eat. With an excellent selection of vegetarian and meat starters we really couldn't make up our minds, this was the case with the main course as well. Not only were there the normal Indian dishes but a number of saffron specialities which would be suitable for those people who are not so keen on spicy food. These were slightly pricier at £10.95. At this point we decided to opt for the "Leave It To Us Feast!" which is a 3-course option where they decide for you. We ordered one meat (£14.50) and one vegetarian (£12.50) with a garlic naan to share.

A selection of 3 different starters came for each of us, all were delicious and we were happy with our decision. Our main courses were equally enjoyable, a rolled chicken breast with minced lamb for me and a vegetable curry and a side dish of aubergines and chickpeas for my girlfriend. Rice was served with both meals. All the dishes were very flavoursome and medium spiced.

Indian ice cream was served for our final course - pistachio and mango. Again presentation was faultless and finished the meal with a refreshing taste.

This restaurant seems suitable for all occasions. There were a number of couples, families and groups eating and all appeared to be having an enjoyable time. Saffron's is open for lunch as well as dinner and has lunchtime specials between 12 and 2.30.

I hope to go back very soon.

Jan 00

Saffron Summertown, Oxford "A French Indian restaurant? Does that mean big plates and artistically presented tiny portions?" said a friend. I must admit a similar idea had crossed my mind. I was curious to find out what Saffron was like. When I visited Saffron, it was as part of a group Christmas dinner. Because the group was forty strong, a special menu had been agreed upon beforehand, where the choice had been shrunk to a manageable level. A wide range of vegetarian dishes (which were delicious) was offered as accompaniment. The d�cor was subtle and had a distinct French feel to it. I was particularly impressed by the wall mural with the Taj Mahal whose reflection was the Eiffel tower. The food, when it arrived, was indeed presented on a large plate. although the portions were reasonable. The waiters coped as well as can be expected with the difficult beer orders of 40 people. The starter (poppadoms and dips) was lovely. When it came to the main course the waiters patiently wrote down everyone's main course and choice of rice or naan. So far so good. A few people asked for their dishes to be extra hot, which was also duly noted. Unfortunately, those asking for extra hot dishes got mild dishes with a disappointing chilli sauce to add to it, which was a shame considering the quality of the rest of the meal. Over all I got the impression that Saffron was aiming for a chic clientele that didn't want to stoop to visiting a curry house and were after a highly civilised Indian meal. The food was good (provided you didn't want any chillies in it). Dealing with such a large group is obviously a battle for any staff, though on the whole they coped well. A quiet meal for two should cause them no problems, and the food is bound to satisfy.

Jeevani Mantotta