Garden thali
a tray$22
Dal tadka, smoky baingan bharta, a vegetable dish of the day, cumin rice and two tandoori rotis.
- Raita, pickle, papad and a small sweet
- Spice: mild to medium
A thali in the courtyard, spice marked on every bowl
Saffron Courtyard cooks curries from Punjab, Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Goa, bakes its breads in a charcoal tandoor and serves thalis at lunch and dinner. Each dish carries a spice level, and most can be made milder.
5 regionson one menu
3 thalison steel trays
Mild to hotprinted on each dish
- Vegetarian dishes marked
- Allergens beside every dish
- Breads baked as you order
- Courtyard tables for ten
How we mark spice
Three levels, printed beside every curry, bread and grill plate. Spice is not only chilli: a mild dish can still be full of cardamom, clove and pepper.
- Mild: warmth without chilli bite
- Medium: a steady heat that builds
- Hot: green and dried red chilli
- Can be made milder
- Heat ground into the masala
Dishes finished with a tempering of chilli in hot ghee can be made milder, because the cook simply leaves the chilli out of the last spoonful. Dishes whose masala is ground with chilli at the start, such as the chettinad and the prawn curry, cannot be softened without becoming a different dish, so we will suggest another plate instead.
Kashmiri chilli gives the rogan josh its deep red colour with only medium heat. If you are unsure, ask for a spoonful to taste before you order a whole bowl.
Thalis: one tray, a whole meal
A thali brings several small dishes together on one steel tray, with rice, bread, pickle and something sweet. Dal and rice are topped up once at the table for anyone still hungry.
Courtyard thali
a tray$26
Lamb rogan josh, dal makhani, paneer butter masala, cumin rice and a butter naan, finished with rice pudding.
- Raita, pickle and papad
- Spice: medium
Coastal thali
a tray$28
Kerala fish moilee, a small bowl of Goan prawn curry, cabbage thoran with coconut, lemon rice and two soft appams.
- Contains fish, crustaceans and mustard
- Spice: mild to hot
Each tray lists its allergens on the menu card at the table. Ask for the garden thali to be tempered in oil instead of ghee and it contains no milk.
Curries by region, spice and what they contain
Every curry comes with a small bowl of rice. The region in each name is where the recipe comes from; the cooking happens in our kitchen.
| Dish | Spice | Contains | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow dal tadka, everyday lentils tempered with cumin and garlic | Mild | Gluten (in the asafoetida) | $11 |
| Dal makhani, Punjab: black lentils cooked overnight, butter, cream | Mild | Milk | $13 |
| Paneer butter masala, Delhi: tomato, butter and cashew sauce | Mild | Milk, cashew | $16 |
| Kerala fish moilee: coconut milk, turmeric, curry leaves | Mild | Fish, mustard | $22 |
| Baingan bharta, Punjab: aubergine roasted over flame, mashed | Medium | None listed | $14 |
| Lamb rogan josh, Kashmir: yogurt, fennel, Kashmiri chilli | Medium | Milk | $21 |
| Goan prawn curry: coconut, kokum and dried red chilli | Hot | Crustaceans, mustard | $23 |
| Chettinad chicken, Tamil Nadu: black pepper, fennel, red chilli | Hot | Mustard | $19 |
Asafoetida is usually sold mixed with wheat flour, which is why our everyday dal contains gluten; tell us and the cook will temper a pot without it. Peanuts are not used in any recipe, but cashew and almond are ground in the same kitchen.
Breads from a clay oven lit with charcoal
The tandoor is a deep clay pot with charcoal burning at the bottom, hotter than any home oven. Naan dough is stretched by hand and pressed against the inside wall, where it puffs and chars in about a minute.
Because each bread is baked when you order it, a basket never sits waiting under a lamp. The same oven roasts the paneer and chicken that have spent the night in yogurt and spices.
- Charcoal lit at four for the dinner service
- Naan made without egg, rotis made without butter
- Paneer and chicken marinated overnight
From the tandoor
Butter naan
Leavened with yogurt and brushed with butter as it leaves the oven. Mild. Contains gluten and milk.
Each$4
Tandoori roti
Whole wheat flour and water, no butter unless you ask. Plant based. Contains gluten.
Each$3
Paneer tikka
Paneer, peppers and red onion in yogurt, mustard oil and Kashmiri chilli. Medium. Contains milk and mustard.
Plate$14
Tandoori chicken thighs
Marinated overnight with ginger, garlic and garam masala. Medium. Contains milk and mustard.
Plate$17
Between the tempering pan and the courtyard tables
Overheard over the thali trays (example reviews)
Two of us eat chilli happily and one does not. The server explained which curries could be made milder and which could not, and the mild plates still tasted of proper spice.
Coeliac in the family, so the asafoetida note on the menu was a surprise and a relief. The kitchen made a fresh pot of dal without it and said so when it arrived.
Booked the courtyard for twelve for a retirement lunch. The thalis came out together, the dal was topped up without asking, and the heaters kept everyone outside until late in the afternoon.
Before the first poppadum
Can every dish be made milder?
Most can. Dishes finished with a tempering of chilli are softened by leaving it out. The chettinad, the prawn curry and the paneer tikka have chilli ground into the masala or marinade, so we will point you to a gentler dish instead.
Which dishes suit a vegan guest?
Baingan bharta, the tandoori roti and the garden thali tempered in oil instead of ghee. Ask before ordering anything else, because ghee, yogurt and cream run through much of the menu.
Why does the dal contain gluten?
Asafoetida, the pungent resin that seasons many dals, is usually sold mixed with wheat flour. We can cook a separate pot without it if you tell us when you reserve.
Do you cook with nuts?
Cashew thickens the paneer butter masala and almond goes into the rice pudding. Peanuts are not used in our recipes, but nuts are ground in our kitchen, so traces cannot be ruled out.
Can we book the courtyard for a group?
Yes, for 8 to 20 guests at lunch or dinner, with a mix of thalis brought to the table together. A deposit is agreed by phone once we have confirmed the date.
Is the courtyard open in cold weather?
From October to April it sits under a canopy with heaters. On very cold nights we move courtyard bookings inside and tell you when you arrive.
Reserve a table
Pick a sitting, a date and a time, give the size of the party and say how much chilli your table enjoys. We reply to confirm, to suggest another time or to let you know we are full.
- Courtyard or dining room, if you have a preference
- Groups of 8 to 20 in the courtyard
- Allergies noted on your booking for the kitchen
Through the arch and into the courtyard
Phone or email
In a converted coach yard opposite the library gardens, entrance through the arch
Lunch and dinner
| Tuesday to Friday lunch | 12:00 to 14:30 |
| Tuesday to Friday dinner | 17:30 to 22:30 |
| Saturday | 12:00 to 23:00 |
| Sunday | 12:00 to 21:30 |
| Monday | Closed |
Allergens and the law
The allergens printed here are our own record of each recipe. The rules on which allergens must be declared differ between countries, and recipes change, so please ask on the day as well.
Reserve a table