Now the clocks have gone back and what little summer we had is most certainly over, my boyfriend Karl and I were in need of a mid week winter warmer with a bit of spice.
Café Saffron is located in the heart of Shrewsbury overlooking the West End with an instantly welcoming atmosphere.
The fully licensed restaurant, which once upon a time was home to a bakery, has recently been fully extended and refurbished to a very modern standard with a warm and bright colour scheme, including sunny yellows and burnt oranges with distinctive artwork on canvas adorning the walls.
We were seated right by a huge window allowing us to enjoy the view while deciding what to have over a large glass of Mateus Rosé for me and a Worthington for Karl.
The friendly and energetic staff were on hand to talk us through the menu and recommend any dishes to us, even with a large party in they had plenty of time for us.
The menu has plenty to choose from with a great selection of old favourites and new fusion dishes exclusive to Café Saffron.
The starters are very reasonably priced between £2.95 and £4.95, with most main meals priced around the £7 mark. If you want to be really flash though, they offer a lobster dish with saffron and garlic for £15.95. I went for shukla aloo, an aromatic potato dish with lemon juice and turmeric on a bed of crisp lettuce which was lovely, Karl opted for king prawn on puri, Bengal tiger prawns served up in a Bengali pancake which he said was very tasty. Perfect timing in between courses meant we could enjoy our drinks and take in the surroundings before being expertly served our main courses by the attentive yet not intrusive staff.
I’d gone for house specialty tawa chicken, a spicy yet flavourful fusion dish of tender chicken breast cooked in the tandoor and served with a large helping of salad and fried onions.
Enthusiastic
Karl had lamb tikka dansak, a classic taste of sweet and sour, with special rice combining mushrooms, peas and spices to which he gave an enthusiastic two thumbs up. On the side we couldn’t resist the peshwari naan, fluffy in texture and sweet to taste.
All really very enjoyable and not a mouthful left over. With the main courses cleared and the hot towels handed out I thought briefly about dessert, Karl seldom goes for anything off the sweet menu whereas I have a sweet tooth to rival that of a child.
But they’re far from shy with the portions here and my waistband just wouldn’t allow it. However, we were more than happy with the arrival of a large Baileys over crushed ice for me and a warm brandy for Karl on the house to finish.
So with our bellies full we headed back out into the cold to make our way home, leaving behind the warm and lively Café Saffron – but I have a feeling it won’t be long before we return.
Nicola Debus
