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GREENSBORO — Saffron is named after the exotic spice frequently used in Indian cooking.

Exotic aromas lure you in. Intense flavors make you want to remain and return.

The dining room is large and open. A black-and-white tile floor looks up to framed Indian stitchery on the walls.

I am enamored of Saffron’s breads.

Meals begin with pepper bread and mint sauce (gratis). Contents of a bread assortment ($10) vary. I have had Naan (unleavened white flour baked in a clay oven), Garlic Naan (fresh garlic and cilantro added), Rosemary Naan (added herb) and Onion Kulcha (Naan with onion). These are round, flat and puffy-steamy when served after baking in a clay oven. Their yeasty aroma arrives first. Each bite reveals a slightly sweet taste adventure; swirl a bite in whatever liquid remains on the plate to add another dimension.

A Vegetarian Platter ($8) is a good way to start, because it provides samples of several appetizers. Vegetable Samosa places mashed potatoes and green peas in crisp fried turnovers. Vegetable Pakoras are coated in graham flour and deep-fried. Aloo tiki are small herbed potato croquettes. All earn high marks for texture and flavor.

Shrimp Fritters ($10) are jumbos, coated in chickpea flour and fried. The firm, crisp exterior gives way to marvelously tender interior. A sweetish sauce enhances all of these. (Based on taste, I think this is flavored with cardamom.) I cannot recall enjoying any shrimp dish any more than this one.

Tandoori Mixed Grill ($18) presents small entrée samples, all baked in the tandoor oven (pear-shaped, made of clay). Chicken Tika is characterized by a dry, seared exterior, which seals in texture, moisture and flavor. In Tandoori Chicken, the skin has been removed; there is no fat, the exterior is slightly charred, yet the interior remains moist and tender. Shrimp are jumbos, deveined and tender. Seekh Kabab is a sausage, moderately spicy. A sauce of onion, tomato and heavy cream enriches these otherwise lean ingredients.

Palak Chicken ($15) is based on pieces of mostly dark meat, bite-size, in a spinach and cilantro cream sauce augmented with green peppers. I find the flavor combination uniquely appealing.

Chicken Kadahi ($15) places soft-cooked pieces of white and dark meat in a fried onion stew. My wife and I both loved it.

Phil, an unindicted co-conspirator who is a regular, introduced me to Shrimp Masala ($17), which I now consider the best entrée I have tried here. Jumbos are deveined and tender, baked in the tandoor oven, their natural flavor augmented by a light tomato-cream sauce that imparts excellent flavor of its own, but allows the natural taste of the shrimp to emerge as well.

I was a little disappointed in Lamb Saag ($16), although not because of flavor. On the contrary: The blend of spinach, cilantro and cream is a delightful complement to the meat. But several pieces exhibited fat and gristle. If all had been trimmed as well as some, this would have also earned high marks.

One issue that might concern some readers is heat. You will have no difficulty getting mild preparations. I did not find “hot” to be excessive, but I have not tried “Indian hot” yet. One dish ordered mild came out hot, but this was promptly replaced.

Most dishes are decorated with a small salad of mixed lettuces and peeled cucumber that may or may not be fresh enough to eat.

Dessert offerings range from ice cream ($4) or Mango Cheese Cake ($6) for the unadventurous, to such authentic Indian preparations as Kheer ($6) — a rice pudding with nuts and cardamom, or Gulab Jamun ($4) — fried milk solids in clear sugar syrup. (I am still operating under weight restrictions, so I did not try any desserts.)

Saffron is not only recommended, it is a personal favorite. I find Indian cuisine especially appealing between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when I overindulge on traditional American food. It’s not only an escape, it’s an adventure.

John Batchelor is a freelance contributor who has been reviewing restaurants for more than 25 years. You can reach him at P.O. Box 20848, Greensboro, NC 27420, or send e-mail to john.e.batchelor@gmail.com. To find his recent columns, visit GoTriad.com.