Modern Indian restaurant Saffron to open in downtown Red Bank

Sarah Griesemer, Asbury Park Press
·2 min read

Nearly four years after Front Street Trattoria closed its doors on Red Bank's West Front Street, a new restaurant is preparing to open in its place.

Saffron, a modern Indian restaurant, will host its grand opening on Friday, Dec. 15. The restaurant is owned by Amrita Jogi and Manish Kumar of Millstone Township, and Hanish and Fatima Kumar, who oversee a sister restaurant of the same name in Milwaukee.

"My husband and his brother are big foodies and we wanted to open a restaurant ... and always wanted to have one locally," she said. "We could never find the right spot — it's either strip malls or spaces not in a downtown. It's really hard to find that good mix.

"We're just so excited to be here, and it feels like this is meant to be," Jogi said. "I'm so excited that this is where our home is going to be.

Saffron, an Indian restaurant, is opening in the former Front Street Trattoria space on West Front Street in downtown Red Bank.
Saffron, an Indian restaurant, is opening in the former Front Street Trattoria space on West Front Street in downtown Red Bank.

More: This Jersey Shore restaurant has been named among the best new spots in America

Front Street Trattoria, opened by Michael and Valerie Aufiero in 1985, closed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Jogi and her team began renovating in December 2022. The 1,700-square-foot, 70-seat restaurant was designed to "showcase the luxury of old-world Indian Royalty" through hand-painted murals and marble tables, according to a news release.

There is a patio that will be utilized in warm weather, too.

"There's a definite need for what we’re bringing here," Jogi said.

Executive Chef Abhishek Patil's menu, a contemporary interpretation of Indian food prepared with new-age culinary techniques and a focus on presentation, features dishes from all of India's regions. Options include Saffron's signature butter chicken, chicken croquettes, crab dosa and smoked lamb chops.

Butter chicken will be on the menu at Saffron, opening in December in Red Bank.
Butter chicken will be on the menu at Saffron, opening in December in Red Bank.

More: Christmas drinks, ugly sweaters, Miracle pop-up bar, more at Loaded Spoon in Freehold

Patil, who also oversees the kitchen at the Wisconsin restaurant, has tweaked the Red Bank BYOB's menu to include more seafood, Jogi said, "because we have such great options available here for seafood."

“From the beginning, our vision was clear. We wanted guests to transport to a new experience that will make them feel they traveled to India,” Patil said in a news release.

Saffron will serve dinner on opening night, then begin lunch and dinner service. Reservations are preferred.

The restaurant is not affiliated with Saffron Indian Restaurant in Freehold Borough, which opened earlier this year.

Go: 31 W. Front St., Red Bank; 732-230-6700, saffronredbank.com.

Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to sgriesemer@gannettnj.com, follow on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to our Jersey Shore Eats newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jersey Shore: Indian restaurant Saffron to open in Red Bank