Absinthe Brasserie & Bar Reviews

For a simple lunch, we chose garnished portobello mushrooms, which turned out to be a nice sandwich, but also their classic of the day, mussels. The latter consisted of big juicy, but essentially tasteless mussels, served in a creamy tomatoey sauce -with tepid fries on top, but getting soggy in the sauce, themselves topped with (?tarragon-flavoured) mayo.

Excellent food great drinks nice atmosphere. Had brunch here today and it was delicious can't wait to come back and try dinner another time.

Had lunch before heading to the airport at Absinthe. Really lovely decor and a comfy bar area as well. The lunch menu was excellent and I opted for the burger. One of the best I have had. Good beer and wine selection. Highly recommended.

We were lucky to get a table without reservation. This place seems to be very popular with local coming for after work drinks with friends and colleagues. Atmosphere is kind of French, hip and trendy. Service is excellent and dishes delicious. They prepared onion soup perfectly!

Here's the scoop: go mid-afternoon or be sure to have a reservation. We were fortunate to be seated when we arrived on a Friday about 3 p.m. and enjoyed a "lunch" in which we split croque monsieur with egg and grilled cheese and soup -- all delicious. It was a nice touch that the kitchen served each of us couples a separate plate and each croque got an egg. When we tried to return after seeing "Hamilton" matinee, it was too full and booked, but we returned on Sunday to try the French 75, a craft cocktail of gin and sparkling wine -- absolutely delicious. As it was our friend's birthday, when we ordered dessert it came with "Happy birthday" spelling out in chocolate -- and we did not even ask. Friendly service. MAKE A RESERVATION for after the show.

Fabulous meal. We had the steaks and they were cooked to perfection and so tender. Wine was very nice too and not overpriced forththe quality the quality

From the vegetables to the fries, everything was cooked with style. The burger was beautiful, juicy and tasty, and not overdone. The Pretzel Bites were amazing and recommended as a starter. Cocktails were well mixed and decent beer selection. Service was fast and friendly and being Friday evening, there was a nice buzz in the air.

Food was excellent! The service was slow, I felt like I was getting airplane service, it was very hard to get the servers attention, despite it not seeming very busy. The drinks were excellent. I would go back, but would likely get a seat at the bar next time, hoping to get the attention I need.

We had dinner here the other night. The food was extraordinarily good and we literally enjoyed every single item we ordered. And it was a varied menu. The service was omnipresent and we never lacked for anything. The drinks (especially the ones including absinthe) were fantastic (mine was the Sazerac.....as good as New Orleans). This place is definitely on our return list. Highly recommended.

I wanted to have a later dinner on Saturday night after a piano duelo bar and asked some restaurants tips for a local friend. Absinthe was one of them and we went for it. The restaurant was close - it was 10:30 pm and we had just the bar menu option (very restrict options). I was supposed to really eat and end up leaving hungry.

twoo blocks from the from the symphony , one hour before the concert , good kitchen , kind people serving your table the restaurant is full of people , and the waiters run all over with knowlege and efficiency , but fantastic mood , 15 minutes before the concert start empty , what a pleasure what a night , what a excelent dinner

There are many claims to best burger in San Francisco but in my opinion, as a burger addict, Absinthe takes a lot of beating. Nothing too fancy, a soft seeded bun, excellent meat, a sliver of red onion and a tiny piece of romaine lettuce. Fries in the French style complete the picture. Absinthe is my first port of call for my burger fix when I get back to San Francisco and tonight was my last burger before leaving for a few months. A happy memory....I needed to do a takeout as in the midst of packing, the restaurant was of course crowded because of Saturday night with Ballet, Symphony and the Jazz but the charming maitre d' ...Mark....managed to get an order in for me so I could have my fix before leaving. Really nice service. And of course it is really buzzy to dine there.. Bit noisy but that's what is so fashionable right now. All Absinthe Group restaurants have the formula for good food, fun environment and friendly staff. Nice work. Thanks, the burger memory will stay with me in my travels!

What a superb place. The wine and ceviche are unique. First rate. The cheese selection is solid. Excellent service and ambiance.

Everything here is great. I often eat here in the bar before the symphony. A hamburger and a perfect Manhatten.

This popular restaurant and bar on Hayes Street deserves its high reputation. The food is excellent, and the service is both highly professional and genuinely friendly. Theplace has an authentic San Francisco feel to it, hard to define but real.

A friend and I went for drinks and appetizers before the symphony. The food and drinks were wonderful and the staff was very accommodating to ensure we were on time for the show.

Master cocktail makers behind the bar, all hand made. Great menu and great wait staff. Loved it for lunch.

Beautiful restaurant with specialty alcoholic beverages to enhance a special event if you are in San Francisco.

Whatever you do PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE order the French Onion Soup even if your not in the mood for soup. It is worth Every Drop.

The waitress asked if we had a performance to attend and we did. The food came promptly and I was given my tasty requested off menu cocktail. The salmon with crisp potatoes on top was cooked to perfection. The mushroom side dish was dull. Nice surroundings and, blessedly, no loud music. The wait staff cleared a little fast.

We always make a stop at Absinthe before the ballet or symphony. The bar is very convenient to stop in and have soup,salad, cocktails and even caviar. It gets really crowded but the vibe is great and I always enjoy the time that I spend there.

Great service with Carlos and other friendly employés. The food was excellent . Loved the pretzel appetizers and the fresh oysters. We also had the osso boco and the potato encrusted salmon, lovely.

My husband and I visited Absinthe during our stop in San Francisco while exploring the West Coast. We were looking forward to relaxing and enjoying a meal after 10 days of hiking, and Absinthe provided an enjoyable experience. We started our meal with a steak tartare. It was a bit heavy on the oil for me but my husband really enjoyed it. I had a seasonal soup with tomatoes that was very good as well. For dinner, we both had steaks, which were cooked properly and served with delicious mashed potatoes and vegetables. We also shared a side of baked macaroni and cheese, which was good. We finished our meal by sharing the Chocolate de Creme, which was excellent - not too rich but sweet enough to finish the meal. The price was about what you'd expect for fine dining. The service was ok. The atmosphere was lovely and romantic. It's a great option for a date night!

We first went to Absinthe about 10 years ago. The food was not that good (mine was lousy, my husband's OK), and the service poor. We didn't go back for a few years but then friends wanted to go. That time the food and service were very good. We went back a few months later, again good, and then a few months after that, not. Waited a few more years and gave it another try. Once OK, then back to bad, really bad. We've been there for lunch and dinner and at both we've had both good and bad experiences. I suppose we will try again someday - other people do like it - but probably not until 2018.

We had dinner here before seeing the San Francisco Symphony. They seated us within minutes without a reservation and the service and food were top-notch!

A perfectly lovely SF iconic spot. Consistent food and the server who was a bit slow at the start was very engaging and attentive. The bar area is certainly most entertaining.

Artisinal tincture cocktails? Check. Moules frites? Check. Roasted chicken with root veggies? Check. Delicious? Check.

If you are seeing a ballet with the San Francisco Ballet - and you are looking to grab a bite after a show, Absinthe is a short walk from the theatre. French cuisine - and while we have lots of them in this city, I'd say this place is good and the portions are fair. Patrons love the burger, steak tartare and french onion soup. Service is fine - depending on the time of the evening you arrive. Open late.

So this is one my favorite drinking spots to people watch in SF. The French fries are really good. The food is ok, because the price is high, and the service is so slow. Which is the reason I sit outside and squat at a table for hours. That is the one time I could careless about service in SF. And SF is notorious for half baked service.

The ambience is good, albeit a bit loud and crowded. Great location for dinner before the symphony or opera. It is pricey but the food is always good. There is a limited menu. The beet salad is pretty as well as delicious. All other dishes were tasty as well.

Service and food are outstanding. Love the muraled walls. Some interesting drink combinations that included absinthe, naturally.

Absinthe is in a great location for dining before the Symphony or SF Jazz. Waitstaff is friendly, knowledgeable, attentive and will note your performance time in order to move you out the door on schedule. Try these fun Cocktails: the Ginger Rogers, Pretty in Pink and the Non-Alcoholic Absinthe Lemonade. Starters: French Onion Soup is hot, rich and with generous amount of Gruyere' cheese over the floating crouton. Caesar Salad has a wonderfully thick, classic Caesar Dressing, lots of Parmesan and large enough to easily share. Entre's: Roasted Chicken and Niman Ranch Cheeseburger are beautifully prepared but again can be shared so you don't worry about doggie bags at a performance.

All three of us had the coq au vin, which was tasty but heavy. You need to like that strong taste, rather than a delicate chicken flavour. Service was very fast – they really seem to want you in and out to get the next diners in.

Our research into the better restaurants a short walk from the Orpheum Theater paid off. Everything was great, from the greeting and service, creative cocktails (some with absinthe), appetizers, main dishes, and desserts. All the dishes were creative with very tasty ingredients. For appetizers, one example is the CAULIFLOWER SOUP with roasted grapes, pomegranate, brown butter croutons, and micro arugula. For main dishes, both beef offerings were perfectly prepared and delicious. On the more hard to find side are these: GRILLED SPANISH OCTOPUS lemon-chickpea puree, almond-romesco, grilled zucchini, and chicory salad. BACON-WRAPPED MONKFISH butternut squash puree, Swiss chard, trumpet mushrooms, and red wine vinaigrette. Again, all desserts were good. I really liked the toffee pumpkin cake with housemade ice cream and praline paired with a semillion based sauterne. Hope to go back at least one time.

We were six lively friends for dinner. After drinks in the bar we were seated at a nice circular table facing the street. We ordered several appetizer to share such as tartar with a quail egg and a couple of dishes with ceviche. The bread and the chips were very good. For dinner I ordered the local cod. It came with a good size piece of delicious fish and some young root vegetables. I liked it. Our server was outstanding - I wish I remember his name. We sampled several bottles of both red and white wine. I was happy with a flute of kava. A great beginning for a night at the theater.

They have a standard cocktail list, and another list of cocktails with absinthe as an ingredient. My wife had a Sacred Heart and liked it so much we went back the next night so she could have another. Great service both nights. The grilled portabella/cheese sandwich is the best grilled cheese ever!

Every dish is impeccable. The service is spectacular. We had just moved to San Francisco and went to Absinthe for our anniversary. It could not have been more perfect. We were almost completely silent (which is rare) because we were mesmerized by the food.

We were with a large group and we were treated very well, We had a delicious pear salad, it was lovely to look at and just as good to eat. My entree was chicken over polenta and it was excellent. Everyone at the table was served at the same time and the food was plated beautifully. You could tell that this restaurant cared how we were create even if it was a large group. Deserts were delicious . I would certainly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting the San Francisco area.

I have been invited by one of my friends for my birthday at Absinthe. I am French and I was curious to try this restaurant. I had the duck rillette but it was too fat, oily. In a real rillette you should see the meat. I was starving so I ate that. The salmon was good. My friend has the cesar salade which was really good. She had the burger. They forgot to put tomato. The burger looks blah. Fries were obviously frozen. But the worst was the service. Our waitress was a lady who looked very authoritative and bossy. We asked her to stop pouring our champagne in our glasses because it is not the way we like to drink our champagne. She looked annoyed. During our dinner, she kept wanting to deserve our plates before we finished our meal. She has a terrible attitude. My friend told the maitre D, our waitress and our busboy that it was my birthday. We were expecting a candle on my desert. Nothing!!! There are many more "trendy" places in SF where you can have good food, good service and good experience. Don't recommend this place. You won't impress anyone if you go there for a date.

We had a nice meal before a show at the Sydney Goldstein Theater. The service was fantastic. Our meals were tasty and well prepared. The pineapple upside down cake was an excellent dessert choice.

Classic French style bistro with some American twist. The food is good but the cocktails are awesome.

Ambiance lovely, service excellent and professional, but every “savory” course was sweet, and they tried to salt the sweet ones. Onion soup tinged with sugar, steak tartare sweetened so much I could not taste the umami of the meat. The pot de creme was supposed to come with salt on it, but we nixed that and it actually tasted great. Good wine selections and caviar (which came in a jar and was not sprinkled with sugar) plus the excellent service, ramped this up from one star. Savory dishes should be—um, savory. I don’t know what this is, but it is not French food, which I have eaten often. It’s as if the chef gave in to Americans’ penchant for sugar and just sprinkled it on everything. Will not return.

My husband and I recently had an early dinner here before attending a play in the theater district. The ambience was very nice and our waitress quite attentive. She recommended a wine for my husband, which in the end, he did not care for. She readily replaced is order with one of his choice. Due to the location, we were expecting higher than normal tourist prices, but we were unprepared for the small quantity of food. My husband ordered the Bristol Bay Dayboat Scallops with Anson Mills polenta, Tokyo turnip, snap peas for $38. It arrived with 3 scallops, 4 small pieces of turnip, and 3 snap peas. My entrée was equally meager. We have never paid so much for a meal only to leave the restaurant feeling hungry. We enjoyed the wine, but it too was quite pricy for the small quantity provided. Taking into account our total experience at this restaurant we did not feel it was not a good value.

Went for lunch and the food was first rate but the service was poor. Have gone many times for lunch and during the past year have noticed that their service has declined.

We enjoyed the restaurant - quirky and cool place in San Francisco Chickpeas and burgers were all fantastic! Loved the mixed drinks too :)

We were at Absinthe last week before the SFSymphony. We had scallops with a bed of English peas cooked to perfection as a starter and a salad with a lovely vinegrette. The coq au vin was delicious. The only complaint was the dessert list. Not many choices so we got a melon sorbet that was tasty but we wanted something French.

Would have given it 4 stars but the prices put the kibosh on that! Decent burger and fries. Hmmm. What else? Nothing that comes to mind. Its old and probably needs a makeover.

In a place like this one cannot escape an absinthe cocktail. Strong and straight. The menu has interesting dishes and traditional ones like a burger with gorgonzola and mushrooms as extras. Farmers market salad is a good compensation for that burger if you share!

This is my favorite place to have a nicer dinner before seeing performances at the War Memorial Opera House or Davies Symphony Hall, and I know a lot of other people for whom it is their go-to restaurant for this purpose. Delicious food and drinks. Cozy and elegant French-bistro atmosphere. We've brought our children here, and they enjoyed it too.

Great atmosphere and server was friendly, but absent after we placed our order. Cocktails were original and delicious but filet was not cooked to order and the quality of meat was sub par. Seems to be a popular pre theater place for seniors.

Stylish restaurant with a fun atmosphere with a good menu in a great location. I've never had a bad meal here.

If you want incompetent service and you to wait 35mins for the second half of the meals to arrive after 2 of your 4 person table already received their food, come to absinthe! Where the prices reflect high dining but the service reflects a burger king drive thru. After 20 years as a restaurant they have obviously lost their way, I've been coming here for 11 years and this place just downright sucks now. Which such a great array of restaurants around now in Hayes valley I will never waste another dollar here at this aging lackluster restaurant even though they comped a bowl of soup on the $107 bill for their lack of service. Sorry absinthe there is too many other good restaurants out there than to bother giving you a second chance.

This restaurant has a nice French bistro feel . The Hayes Valley area is lively and a great place to visit. Absinthe was busy but the staff found us a nice quiet table. Its a bit pricey especially for the smallish size of the meals. I had a delicious pasta dish with Morels, but it certainly needed a side of vegetables to make it be full meal size. My partner had potato encrusted salmon and salad, which was a bit plain and un-interesting. Also it was surprising to see burgers on a French bistro menu! Overall OK but nothing special.

The Absinthe is a kind pf French brasserie. We had fantastic food - the typical French onion soup and different types oysters. Also the cocktails are outstanding. Service was extremly friendly. The atmosphere is very pleasant. Highly recommended!

It was a great dinner , we started with a dozen oyster and for the entree we had octopus and ribeye. The oyster was so good so fresh. The octopus was so tender and light. I love it. The steak was great too. The server was very attentive and very helpful . We had a great experience. Thank you

Absinthe is a tried and true local favorite - anchoring what was the up and coming Hayes Valley (back in the day). However, the neighborhood has grown up - and there are a plethora of choices now. My brother is visiting from San Jose so I've been dragging him around to some of our favorite San Francisco places. Absinthe was on the list as I wanted something in the neighborhood after showing him the Smuggler's Cove rum tiki bar a few blocks away. Lately, my visits to Absinthe have been for brunch, but you sort of feel that they should up their game for dinner. We arrived for our reservation and seated in the main dining room, as I had requested. We were given menus and my brother got up to use the restroom - at which point our waiter appeared and asked me what we wanted to drink. Hey - slow down cowboy - can you not see that my dinner companion is not present? And we literally just sat down? I ordered the hearts of romaine (which was overdressed) followed by the coq au vin (which was way too hot to eat for quite awhile because it's served in a cast iron skillet). My brother went with a corn soup and Osso Bucco. Of the two of us, he made the better choice. And again, during the meal we experienced the rush from the waiter. In the middle of our appetizers, he was already laying down the utensils for the entrees. Hey - it's one thing is you are asked - "are you attending an event tonight?" - as the restaurant is near to the Opera, Ballet, and symphony. It's another thing to be stuck on rush mode with your guests. Absinthe needs to better train its staff and keep an eye on its food preparation to regain some of the lost polish.

We typically visit Absinthe during the holidays - especially during the ballet/symphony season. This place is so festive around the holidays. They decorate it beautifully and it is a great place to get a bite to eat before and after the performances in the area. The vibe is very lively especially in the bar area. This time we had the pork and foie gras ($17) (which was so good), french onion soup ($7) and caesar salad ($9). The soup and salad are always great starters - consistent and delicious. We also like to get the caviar dish - they do a beautiful presentation and it is delicious as well. Their burger is terrific - cooked the way that you want it. The servers are efficient and friendly - if you tell them you have tickets to an event you just let them know the time and they will make sure that you are out of the restaurant in time for your performance. In the summer on a warm day, they have tables outside where you can sit outside and enjoy!

Excellent spot for drinks and a quick bite before a concert nearby at SFJAZZ. We enjoyed great onion soup and wines. Attentive and friendly service.

Restaurant was fairly empty but sat at the bar anyway. The menu was decent for lunch but decided to have dessert for lunch instead. The desserts were so good we had two. Would definitely go back for more.

The restaurant I had a reservation at had to close that night due to electrical outage and they recommended Absinthe around the corner. I have eaten there before and the cuisine is always excellent. The hosts knew about the other restaurant problems and had my name and reservation. I was seated immediately and brought a glass of sparkling wine. The staff was very busy, they had their own reservations plus the reservations from the other restaurant, but were so professional as to not let the stress show. My dinner was superb, well presented and quite healthy! I had salmon which was delicious and it came with a very tasty salad on the side. The wine list is very well done with many choices, and their cocktail menu is interesting and the drinks are great. I enjoyed my evening immensely!!!

Absinthe Restaurant here is as near to a French restaurant as I've experienced in Paris! The decor and bar serving a wide assortment of cocktails lends an authenticity of a true French ambience! Green Beast absinthe cocktail is a refreshing drink that I recommend! Food is delicious with a variety that will please many palates! Staff is superb and attentive! I always look forward to returning to Absinthe Restaurant!

This review is long overdue for a wonderful dining experience on Mother’s Day at Absinthe Brasserie & Bar. My husband was looking for a nice restaurant to go to while visiting San Francisco for Mother’s Day, which is known to be one of the busiest days of the year to dine out. I thought the restaurant did an amazing job. We had a reservation, and were pleased that we were seated within a few minutes of arriving at the crowded restaurant. The hostess escorted us to a beautiful round table in a quiet corner by the window in the back room, which was a perfect spot for our party of five. The service was excellent. The waitress was patient, attentive, and efficient. Someone came around to refill our water glasses frequently, which I always appreciate. I was concerned that not everyone in our party wanted to order a full meal (one person ordered only soup). The food was served promptly, and we were able to eat leisurely without feeling rushed on such a busy holiday. My dish, the croquet monsieur, was delicious! And others enjoyed their selections as well. I have always found that if you are a party of five, it is a much better experience to be seated at a round table. And this particular table was perfect for our family of five Mother’s Day celebration!

For 3 of us ladies to eat, including a starter each, main courses, dessert each, and 3 alcohol drinks, it was over $300 with tip. This was no where near a $100 per person meal. There was not one thing I had that is memorable. Again, I am not saying it was bad, it was a decent meal - just not worth it. See image of receipt on what we ordered. Cheese plate was a huge waste of money. Shirley temple was not even free refills...what!? Sorry, but I cannot recommend this place.

We fell in love with this place on a visit some years ago so raced back when we were in town again. Not disappointed. They make a perfect hamburger, and their French onion soup is the best I have eaten - and I've tried a lot! Dense, rich and deeply satisfying. The confit duck we tried two days later was spot on perfect, served with a delicious mash and sautéed brussel sprouts with bacon.

Our group of friends have been in this restaurant quit a few times, and we keep coming back, because we like the food there. Like the vibrant location of Hayes street. Great atmosphere. Great food.

I enjoyed my lunch here. I have no complaints about the food or drinks and the atmosphere was nice. Service was good, but expected at this level of restaurant. The food was French for the most part, but missing some signature dishes. The selection was a little limited with about 8 or so entrees. You should check the menu if you have your heart set on anything specific. Overall, I enjoyed the experience.

I think this is the first time in my life that we left a restaurant hungry! My boyfriend got the octopus, and it was served to him while I was talking to our friends, then I turned my head to see his plate. "You already ate your dinner?" I asked. "We haven't been served yet!" He said "This is my dinner!" He was stunned. It looked like the amount you might leave on your plate when you're done. My bowl of pasta was seriously about five noodles in the middle of a very large bowl of sauce. It took me two minutes to eat dinner. We asked for bread to sop up this enormous bowl of sauce (which is not how pasta should be served) and we were told it would be $3 each. My boyfriend stopped at Burger King on the way home. When you're paying $30 to $40 per plate, you should at least get satiated. Never again!

We stopped here for lunch and everything was superb. I had the French onion soup and shared the croque monsieur with my date, and it was the perfect amount. Service was top-notch.

This is a wonderful French café near the Opera House and Symphony Hall. It seems to be very “hip" as most of the patrons were young enough to be our kids. We ate brunch there and the food was very good. The French onion soup was very tasty. We shared the croque monsieur and the duck confit ragout. One would have been enough for us. Service was attentive but the kitchen was very slow. The bloody marys were awesome. We would definitely eat there again.

I have been coming here for several years and it never fails to impress me. The food is always prepared with attention to details, and the service is always impeccable. Great job you guys!

Good for dinner or drinks and apps with friends. The pretzel bites were delicious and my personal favorite, the french onion soup was loaded with croutons and baked on cheese.

Delicious, Coq au vin one of the best we've eaten, excellent onion soup, nice presentation. Excellent, friendly and fast service. Highly recommend.

Absinthe went WAY DOWNHILL in the past couple of years. Will not be going back. The recent reviews of Absinthe are real- DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY HERE. Bad service, bad food, unpleasant atmosphere. Bartenders are awful too.

RECOMMENDED to us by one of the stores we shop at!! It matched up to her praise!! We lunched there, great staff, check out their Whiskey List!! A NEW Noble family favorite, every dish that was served looked Delicious!!!!!!!

Walked in without a reservation for a late brunch on Sunday afternoon after the Van Gogh Immersive Experience. I felt like I was transported to Paris, minus everyone speaking English. The food was superb: steak tartare was the best I've ever had, the French Onion soup was filling enough to be a main course after sharing the tartare. The quiche was also very tasty, though somewhat overshadowed by the wonderful Brussel sprout slaw that came with it. Swoon unit cocktail had just enough bitterness to cut through the soup. I will definitely return!

Average, boring, so so. Its not bad but it is not really stellar either and San Francisco has stellar restaurants. Much better places to eat nearby. Again not bad but not great either.

Our family chose Absinthe for a late lunch before a recent performance of Hamilton. The restaurant is perfectly located for before-theatre food or drink, and it has a friendly, fun atmosphere that we always enjoy. Our group enjoyed a selection of perfectly made cocktails at the bar, including a martini that I found to be particularly tasty. I had the hamburger, which I believe to be among the very best available in San Francisco. Other dishes tried by our group were the steak frites, mussels, steak tartare and - of course, french fries. All were delicious, although I do miss the thinner french fries of years past. Our waitress was very friendly and competent. All the food arrived together, despite the large size of our group, including 2 children. Absinthe is definitely worth a stop any time you find yourself in the area.

We had dinner prior to a show at the SF Jazz Center, which incidentally is just a short walk from the restaurant. The French onion soup was great as was the osso boco. For dessert we shared profiteroles which were just so so. The restaurant has wonderful ambiance. Service was slow and luckily we planned for plenty of time ahead of show time.

We had missed this restaurant when we were here in December, so we made sure to have a meal this time. Met our expectations completely, comfortable, great food.

Thanks to a friend who frequents SF and lives in NYC told us to eat here. We were lucky to book (essential) and get a table The service in arrivals was efficient The waitress was great. The mussels and clams starter was so tasty and seriously excellent My husband had the 7oz steak ( superbly cooked) with smooth tasty mashed potatoes, and I had the pasta that was light and flavoursome Great wine Sardinian cheese and port and dessert wine - all excellent Jealous we don't live nearby to visit again. A must visit and close to tourist hotels ($10 can fare plus tip)

If you are going to the symphony or opera this is The Place. The drinks are so amazing. The ambiance and food are great. Super sweet and wonderful. Love it. Very romantic and upscale. Super good. Class act to the max.

My wife and I had brunch on a Saturday, around noon. My wife had a green salad with roasted chicken added, and I had the lox-ster roll, which is sort of like a lobster roll, but with lox. The lox-ster roll was served with fries, both of which were tasty, but the quantity of lox was disappointingly small. I'd rather have had traditional bagel and lox. My wife's salad was just okay, with the oil & vinegar dressing being almost entirely oil, and the amount of chicken was quite small. So, the meal was okay, but just okay. Probably not going back. If you go for brunch, I'd recommend ordering what you want, even if it's not on the menu, and see what they say. I saw someone order scrambled eggs and salad, not on the menu, and it looked like the waitress was fine with that.

Title says it all. Went in Monday arvo for a quick bite There was a cockroach in the wall So big that it was so disgusting and other patrons took a photo! So disgusting! I left before I could throw up!

French -American restaurant who serves French style dishes .We had dinner there last Thursday , the place was half empty at around 8 pm . However, we wanted to try it out . The food is very mediocre and definitely don’t worth the money they charge for it.

While exploring Hayes Valley, I stumbled upon this cute spot. I was thirsty for a delicious beverage and some delicious bites. I sat at the bar since I was traveling solo. The bartenders were really friendly and attentive. I had a lot of fun watching them make all the cocktails. The started out with a delicious Corpse Reviver and the Seafood Ceviche. The drink was stiff and made very well, and the Ceviche was on point. I had heard their Steak Tartare was amazing, so I knew I had to try that as well. Delicious! I wish I could have t tried more food, but I was by myself. I loved this neighborhood spot, and I'll be back for sure! This restaurant would be great for a date night, night out with friends or a special celebration. What a nice find.

This establishment has been reviewed often and well by our fellow travellers. We concur with the assessment that the food and service is generally good but the noise level is deafening. Management should consider getting some professional advice on noise abatement. Some textiles on the tables and walls might help. The food... was very good. The beet salad and the coq au vin got the highest marks. Desserts were not a strong point however. While the raspberry sorbet was deemed excellent, the Tarte Tatin was small and its pastry rather soggy. The chocolate creme pot seemed a little bitter. The service was alright. While our server, Nadia, was pleasant and attentive, our escort to the table seemed stern and the other table staff rather detached in manner. The sommelier seemed quite unusual. She seemed to consume a lot of wine in her service and time with some diners seemed quite excessive. All in all, the experience was judged worth having but there is certainly room for improvement.

Ate here twice for brunch on Saturday before ballet. Get there at 11:30-11:45 with a reservation. Order classic Bloody Mary, fruit scones or cinnamon bun, dungess crab scramble or French toast, and super coffee.

2nd visit with 12 months between; feels like 4 weeks. You can hardly get more French outside of France than Absinthe. Cool interior, attentive and professional waiters plus the food classics you never get tired of. I will be back next year.

The four of us went pre-Ring and had a great table in a window alcove. Had to make the opera but it didn't seem rushed and everything was smooth. Pate and appetizers terrific and fish and meat dishes were great. Best of the bunch around the Opera.

It’s always very disappointing to go to a nice restaurant and then have bad service. It wasn’t as if the restaurant was even full. Our waiter was just not there. I got out of my seat and went to reception and asked for our waiter. When he didn’t come I returned to reception and asked again. When he did come he said that he had left us alone as we were talking. San Francisco is full of good restaurants that offer good service. I’ll go there next time.

This is a cut above the good surrounding bars and restaurants, albeit with prices of wines on the high side. We each had an outstanding burger following excellent cocktails . Good selection of desserts . Very friendly service and a good atmosphere.

I ate here prior to one of the Ring Operas. I had made a reservation here because it is located close to the Opera and looked good on Trip Advisor. What a great choice. First, I had made a reservation for 5:45. I hit a timing snag getting from a seminar back to my hotel and then to the restaurant. As a consequence, I was running about a half hour late. I called to let the restaurant know -- and they were so nice and said they would hold my table for me, which they did. I felt badly about being so late, but my waitress was great! She (seemingly) effortessly served me my order of Steak Tartare, Hearts of Romaine salad, and a glass of wine with plenty of time left to order some ruby port for dessert and still make it to the 7:30 opera on time. I never felt rushed. Secondly, my food was really good. The menu contains all sorts of wonderful dishes -- coq au vin, some seafood dishes, beef dishes, pasta, hamburger, even Osso Bucco. I would like to come back sometime, stay longer and enjoy some of the other menu items. DRESS: I ate there on an opera night, so most all the guests were going to the opera and dressed accordingly.

We went to Absinthe with some of my daughter's friends for dinner. It was very busy for a Tuesday night so make a reservation. The food was delicious especially the French onion soup! The service was impeccable and we had a great evening.

The hostess at the reception desk ignored us when we told her our reservation time. Then the host told us to move out of the way to let the servers through. Very unwelcoming. Cocktails were good but martini olives had pits. Very expensive wine list. Coke farm salad and onion soup were very tasty. The monkfish wrapped in bacon and the grilled octopus were absolutely succulent. Service was okay except our wine wasn't poured often enough. Overall good food but lacking in reception and service.

Oh my....this place surpassed my expectations from the moment I walked in the door. Being an Absinthe lover, I had to go in before the heading to the Opera House...so glad that we did. The service was fast, friendly...and engaging, not the usual, 'what do you want' type attitude. We sat down at the bar, were handed menus and greeted so nicely. They had just reopened after a renovation, but of course being my first time...had no idea what had changed, it's charming with a great location. Being in the customer service business for over 40 years...I was blown away! Our bartender, Josh, was AWESOME...cannot say enough about this man, except that I will be back....WOW! We did not have much time, but when I saw pretzels on the menu with a warm cheese sauce...it was on!! They were out of this world!! OMAZING... could have done 3 orders, seriously, LOL! I cannot wait to go back and try some of their other specialties....Thank you Josh for making our evening!!

Our family had a fantastic meal here, from onion soup gratinee to coq au vin, salmon, and cheese plate, amazing all around. The top-notch service matched the top-notch food. Fun people watching too!

We typically visit Absinthe during the ballet season and it is a very nice place to dine before or after the ballet. Since this was a matinee performance we tried to get a reservation for 5pm and was unable to get one until 6pm so we chose the 6pm slot. We thought we would try to 5pm since the restaurant was pretty empty. They were able to seat us in the rear of the bar area at a table for two next to some loud and rowdy patrons. We asked for the table next to us which was in the corner and the hostess said “I need to check because everyone is requesting that table”. Mind you, there was nobody sitting in that area the entire time we dined!! Anyway, the food is still good – we ordered the bread ($6 I’d skip this next time as the bread was not very good), onion soup ($14) and their version of frisee au lardon ($19) but instead of lardons they have duck confit. Both were excellent choices and very filling. We ordered a bottle of wine and asked for the wine list. The sommelier said he was in the process of updating the wine list and the only choices he had were on the back of the menu. We said there was a Gruner Veltliner and he stated that if we liked the Gruner, he would recommend a substitute and he was right. (They should put more effort in updating the list) Our server was great – kept on top of things and made sure we were taken care of. All in all, the food is still very good and the atmosphere great after or before a performance but good luck in getting a reservation!

The food here is good, and so is the atmosphere and service. The drinks were all craft cocktail quality!

There is so much great food here. The pretzel bites, the burger, the croque monsieur, it is all delicious. Service is good but not great and it can get a little pricey. But it is an excellent choice with a fun atmosphere.

I have walked past Absinthe a few times so decided to book when GF arrived for a visit. First thing to say it’s well laid out, so you don’t feel cramped at all. Quite expensive, but then again this is SF....total bill for 2 with wine was $172... food was very acceptable, service was fine, waitress a bit auto response, but hey didn’t put us off our food. Will return, worth a visit.

We have been dining here intermittently for the past 15-20 years. It is one of the originals, along with Hayes Street Grill, in Hayes Valley. Most often we dine here for weekend brunch or pre-theater (book well ahead). It has remained consistently good through all that time which is remarkable in itself. The location cannot be beat for the cultural events around the Civic Center. The service is always pretty good and friendly. It has evolved into more bistro fare over the years which produces a much shorter menu than the old white table cloth days. But the dining scene has evolved into a more bar-centric vibe everywhere. The cocktails were good (not fabulous) and there were specials offered such as seasonal fish. The service was great (changing to black napkins, replacing correct silverware and waiting for all diners to complete their meal before removing plates). They can get you in and out for the show if that is your goal. Beware, it is quite a boisterous place, especially in the first room where the bar is located.

I went with my family for drinks after a City Hall wedding. The staff was friendly, drinks were great and we had a fantastic time. Will go again next time I am in the city!

We hadn’t been to this restaurant in more than a year but decided to revisit it. We were pleasantly surprised that it continues to have good food and good service. It is a bit crowded and noisy, but it served our purposes well as we wanted a good meal before a performance. The location is perfect for that.

Great, vibrant establishment with very attentive and Courteous staff as well as knowledgeable regarding the dinner and drink menus .. The cauliflower soup was beyond great .. I can still taste it and want more ! It is vegetarian based as well. We were too full for dessert .. darn .. other options we devoured were the butternut squash ravioli .. yum .. calamari and the cod. The cheese plate was very tasty and the mashed potatoes too! There were enough sides to offer vegetarians if they chose not to order the pasta. The bread they serve is excellent as well .. I would go back in a heart beat !

When we walked in the hostess, with messy curly hair that is half grown out blonde at the bottom and brown at the top, looked my daughter up and down and pulled a rude face at her. Then pulled another rude inappropriate face. We couldn't believe it! She showed us to our table and thankfully our waitress was nicer as we were discussing leaving the place. We enjoyed the food. But there was red lipstick around half the edge of one of the teacups on our table - it was SO obvious we couldn't believe the lack of attention to cleanliness. We won't return.

We had a wonderful dining experience at Absinthe before attending the symphony. We enjoyed all our dishes and found the Rigatoni Pasta and Chocolate Pot De Crème to be particularly delicious. We received incredibly warm, friendly, fun, and professional service from Erin and Eddie, as well as great help from the sommelier, Gretchen. They also did a great job pacing our meal so that we got to our event on time, without feeling that the meal had been rushed. We highly recommend Absinthe and are looking forward to returning for another great evening!

After a soul lifting Jazz performance at SF Jazz - Absinthe on Gough Street is the place to retire for a romantic evening. Fine entrees, wonderful appetisers and great wine. Practically everything on the menu is great and one is spooky for choice. Go for sole or the duck - you won’t be disappointed.

We went there mainly for the drinks. We'd had a big lunch that day and had only soup and salad for dinner. The French onion soup is amazing, and so much more filling than it looks like it will be. The salads are also very generous in size. The stars are the drinks. We tried absinthe, of course, and had a variety of other creative cocktails. Our bill was very high, but that was because 75% of it came from drinks. The atmosphere is very nice and service was good. California had just lifted its mask mandate when we were there, but this was the only restaurant that asked for proof of vaccination to sit indoors. We didn't mind that at all.

Nice restaurant walking distance from our hotel We were able to walk in without a reservation, though we were early. Great decor reminiscent of turn of the 20th century. Food and service were top notch. My wife enjoyed her hamburger and I loved my pasta dish. Would recommend

Short walk to SF Jazz venue performances. Tables near jumping, locally active, bar scene are deafening making so-called "fine dining" an impossibility. Onion soup terrific and featured Petaluma raised duck over wild rice very tasty albeit a small serving for huge price. Huge wine list is rediculous with virtually all selectons above $200/bottle up to $5,000. Few, local, California wines offered in low to mid-price range. Very limited entree menu, with odd mix of a featured hamburger to Duck rubbed with coffee for chrispy skin treatment. Drinks served quickly but costly for a standard martini etc. Go early before SF Jazz but be prepared for noise and expense.

Very good food and excellent drinks. I had the coq au vin and it was excellent. Service is a bit slow.

We arrived at 5:58 for our 6 pm reservation and we’re greeted horribly. The blonde woman with bright lipstick who seated us stalled for 3-4 minutes, apologized, then seated us (or tried to seat us) at the worst table in restaurant. Not sure why she treated us so poorly as we have dined here dozens of times in the past and we’re always treated well. The servers were wonderful and the food was good but this person left my date and me with an overall unpleasant experience at Absinthe. With so many good restaurants in the area, i will not return to Absinthe.

Not cheap ... We paid 10 dollars for a Sambuca. But an excellent place to people watch and see the real way of serving absinthe.

Today. Today was my wedding day at SF City Hall. We had one hour before our dinner reservations at Ruth Chris and so we decided to pop over to Absinthe for a cocktail before dinner. IT WAS A COMPLETE DISAPPOINTMENT. They were busy, yes. Today was Christmas Eve Eve, yes. But, this was our special day. I was in a full length wedding gown, my amazing groom was in a tuxedo, and my brand new step sons were in full on suits. I get that you're busy but there's no room for rudeness. The hostess was rude and short with us. The bartender, whom I was later told was named Tia, was incredibly rude. I sat at the one seat at the bar with my three boys standing around me for quite a while before I said 'We're ready to order.' She turned to me and said very coldly 'Well I'm not ready for you. You're going to have to wait.' This was not the worst of it. My 17 year old very shy, introverted step son, while standing awkwardly at the bar, stopped a server and asked her 'Do you have a bathroom?' The server gave him instructions and that was all good. But then, Tia says to the same server 'No, we don't have a bathroom, we pee on the street.' I was fuming! My stepson is an introvert. He has just recently gained the confidence to speak to a complete stranger to ask for what he needs. He was polite. He was respectful. This ignorant, disrespectful person decides to ridicule him. I was so upset. The next time she was at our end of the bar, and while he was still in the restroom, I said 'You know, my stepson was just kindly asking for where the restroom was. He's shy and didn't really know how to ask.' She responded 'Well I was just making a joke. I didn't mean anything by it.' Really? Really??? Is this how you treat people? Is this how you treat a young man? It was not a good experience. Not by a long shot. I have been coming to Absinthe off and on for 15 years. I won't be returning. I don't know what has happened to the management here but it is not good. I do not recommend Absinthe at all.

A weeknight spontaneous trip to SF and to this lovely establishment. As my first time at Absinthe after living in the Bay Area over a decade, my girlfriends were surprised that this was my first trip to the renowned restaurant. As we walked in, it seemed we were transformed into another place. The restaurant was abuzz with music and chatter. The smell of various spirits and waves of decadent dishes were enticing. We chose the caviar canape starter as well as the spicy chickpeas to get us started. The caviar was a just a few bites, so we ordered two for our table of four. The bites were decadent and a perfect start. The main dishes came just in time and did not disappoint. The fish was cooked perfectly and sides that accompanied were divine. Everything was cooked to perfection. We sat in a corner table so we had privacy but the mirrors above made the small restaurant look larger, with the ambient buzz of music and background conversations creating the perfect city atmosphere. Precisely what we needed.

What a fun place enjoy an evening with excellent... and I mean, EXCELLENT, service and food. The oysters were fresh and delicious. The steaks were tender and well cooked with excellent potatoes and aus jus. Try the cod dish also - it was outstanding with jalapeno-corn pudding, fingerling potatoes, sugar peas, fennel, sundried tomato relish. What a combination of flavors! One of our group enjoyed the burger with bacon and gorgonzola. This Hayes Valley spot is definitely a candidate for a return visit.

Continues to deliver great food , our server , Amanda , did a great job ! Took my daughter and son in law for a Holiday Dinner . All enjoyed ! I tried the raclette for the first time and really enjoyed , other dishes , all good , were steak , hamburger and a vegetarian choice . Profiteroles for desert followed by Nonino Amaro capped a nice evening . Great oysters also

We went here last night for the Valentine’s Special Dinner with wine flight. The champagne was great with the oysters. The white burgundy/ Chardonnay was perfect with the very fresh shrimp. My husband loved a Grenache blend, and jotted down info to get more. The chocolate mousse was intense. Service was excellent. The waiter said we could manage the special and make it to our 7:00 show. We did, but we’re panting a bit when we got to our seats.

Love this special classic spot I. San Francisco! Tradition with our family for lunch before nutcracker—-however a gem not to be missed by locals or visitors

I was pleasantly surprised by the relatively inexpensive pricing compared to good quality of the dishes. The environment was a bit noisy but overall nice ambience. Parking is tricky so recommend the $15 valet parking.

Food was pretty good but quite pricey for what it was. The drinks are quite good and the service was extremely attentive and knowledgeable.

Absinthe is great! Great location, lively atmosphere, friendly and attentive service, and delicious food! The fried chickpea appetizer is something simple, yet delicious, that I've never seen anywhere else. It's also one of the more reasonably priced offerings. Absinthe isn't cheap, but from what I experienced today, it's worth the money.

Among the city’s most beloved and longest-running dining institutions since 1998 Absinthe is located on the corner of Hayes and Gough in what is now one of the city's premier neighborhoods. The atmosphere is casual and evokes turn-of-the-century France with dark wood, maroon velour accents and recessed mood lighting. The food is brasserie fare and although on the pricey side is always very good with impeccable service. Absinthe is always very busy for the pre-theater/symphony/opera/ballet crowd but otherwise walk ins are usually accommodated in a timely manner.

Famished after our drive to the city. Stopped by for a snack and a drink. Had the melted cheese in a iron pot with toast. Delicious. Good martini and wine. Nice bar and will go back for a real meal.

Nice Hayes Valley establishment. Interesting cocktails and excellent small bites! Can also, get entrees. Friendly service.

This restaurant has a very kind atmosphere, little noise and good painting. The cooking was good, even if the menu was not very innovative. If you want a typical traditional dish of what was France, this is the place.

Pretty space. Nice waitstaff. Bread was very good. Cabernet by the glass was good. Caesar salad was very good. Soft pretzels under-delivered. Pasta and burgers were solidly OK. Nice place, maybe we ordered wrong, but it didn't live up to the hype.

We are long time San Franciscans who eat out on many occasions and are not adverse to sending money on good food. We also know that the price of food in the city has increased, but give me a break! We spent more than 150 bucks on brunch and none of us drink alcohol. We had the French onion soup which was lovely, but that was it for starters. Two of us had the crab scramble which was crab in name only. Another had a grilled cheese and portobello sandwich, lackluster, and, finally, the fourth had the French toast. The last dish was the only one worth paying for. We paid for all the coffees refills and they were just drip coffee, not barista drinks. But we had to beg to get service. The wait staff was very polite and friendly but I have to say that for the price we shouldn’t have had to wait 5 minutes to even get their attention. We were extremely disappointed and do not recommend the restaurant.

My wife and I had a late, leisurely lunch here and it was thoroughly enjoyable, with excellent food and great, attentive service, with no pressure to get us out. It's a large, warm space and one could easily imagine oneself being in Paris. We walked by the bar area on our way in and out and it looked like the kind of space I could easily spend a few hours in. If I lived in this area, and could afford it, this would be my neighborhood restaurant...

The food is really good (not amazing, but pretty darn good). I just don't know what's up with the people here, they all just seem miserable, and it seeps into the customer interactions.

Absinthe has become a regular go-to for me now that I work in the area. It has a great bar, you can always get a reservation, the service is friendly and attentive, and the food is fresh and very well prepared. We are always greeted by a friendly hostess and/or bartender. If we have a reservations, we usually get seated promptly. The staff is aware that many patrons may be heading to the ballet, opera or symphony and always ask to ensure that you will make it out in time. I tend to order from the specials, usually seafood, and it's always cooked to perfection. Other diners rave about the burger and fries. Prices are on the high side but the food is well worth it. Highly recommended!

Bar tend puts on a pretty good display. He certainly takes charge of his space (peacockesque). Has a repertoire of cocktails and 🍻. First time I’ve tried a black lager (quite an aniseed flavour) and a white negroni. Very interesting.

The menu contains classic French dishes like steak tartar and oysters, and healthy options like salmon and vegetarian dishes. The restaurant is willing to accommodate food allergies and has gluten free items on the menu. Good food, good service.

Met a friend of mine who is a regular at Absinthe for a few drinks before head to the airport. We had a lovely time. The restaurant/bar is dimly lit and was certainly very busy when we were there (around 6pm). We just had snacks but the menu and food looked really good.

Good and service were very good we had a lovely window table. They were very nice about the requests our daughter made for our 7 year old granddaughter. My husband and I. shared the escargot, a salad, and the duck. We were very pleased with our selections

Our review of this “Brasserie” on Hayes street, SF, would have rated 5 stars had we not made reservations and come back for post concert nosh. Pre concert cocktails and cheese plate at the bar was outstanding, real attentive bartenders, my wife’s champagne last of a bootle not up to standard, replaced no problem. Post concert dinner was altogether another experience. Attitudinal server, oysters as well as the beet salad were excellent, my wife’s coq sure vin, chicken was good but sauce tasted like it was pre made and frozen. My hamburger was horrible, Luke warm fries. My wife ordered coffee and waiter left without asking me if I wanted to order. Coffee was like warm. My macchiato was good.if this place wants to pass itself off as a French Brasserie , it should serve warm milk or cream with their coffee, much like all BRASSERIE’S do in France. If I went back it would be for cocktails at the bar.

I made a reservation for 8 of us a few weeks before our night at the symphony. It was a little difficult doing so, as the first two individuals I spoke to indicated they don't make reservations for more than 6. The hostess was pleasant, and we were seated promptly. Two additional friends were allowed to join us, and the staff was accommodating in setting places for them. I enjoyed my caesar salad and shoulder bistro filet. Absinthe is a popular place, especially on show nights. Be prepared for crowds and some noise.

After years of driving by, decided to try this before a nearby SFJazz performance and am mad at myself for missing so many years of great food! We had the brussels sprouts salad, filet and salmon entrees, all outstanding in flavor and preparation. The server was friendly and efficient, asking immediately if we had a theater time (since it's also near the Opera House and Davies Symphony halls), timing his attentiveness to easily get to our show. With its charming French bistro atmosphere and lively bar, I can see clearly why it's been a mainstay of Hayes Valley for so many years.

I lunch downtown SF pretty often for business meetings, and with one party needing a "fast getaway" to the airport, we decided to come to Hayes Valley. It was perfect location. A feel for the "upscale hipster" side of San Francisco, but still a professional atmosphere appropriate for a business lunch. Plentiful open tables for a Friday lunch. Our party ordered various hot sandwiches that were good-but-not-great, yet the "designer drinks" were spot-on.

After the matinee performance, we decided to return to Absinthe for an early dinner. This time the gentleman that greeted us upon arrival was completely different. He was extremely accommodating and gave us a wonderful table off the bar area in the corner. The restaurant was empty when we arrived but filled up quickly once the theater crowd let out. Loved the frisee au lardon with duck this time had more lardons in the salad. We then ordered and split the petrale entrée which was so delicious. The fish was cooked to perfection and was plated beautifully. We ended the meal with a wonderful glass of Limoncello. Nice experience this time and will return!

Nice reataurant in the french quarter and with a french ambience. It could be a brasserie in France but with very good service which they have not usually. The meat of the burger was just wonderful. Did not fancy the baked mac and cheese. The chocolate pot delightful. Not expensive the total was 47.60$. Recommended

We had a superb three course dinner. We had the tartare and onion soup for starters - amazing! For entrees we had the duck and the salmon. For desert the raspberry and passion mango sorbet, which tasted homemade. Very attentive and nice staff. If you’re in San Francisco you just HAVE to have yourself a meal at Absinthe if you’re into French cuisine.

This is a very nicely presented French bar and restaurant, consisting of bar and casual dining area at front and also more traditional restaurants at the back so you can pick which style you prefer. We have visited here on three occasions, twice for lunch and drinks and once in the evening for just drinks. Very good vibe on all occasions. Staff are very good and friendly, a little bit pricey but well worth return visits.

7/30/22 Absinthe Brasserie Definitely need reservations Super nice hostess Good venue for opera and symphonies; older crowds Overpriced e.g., house bread is $6! Wines by glass are spendy; chard was served COLD (not cool) Ethan was an awesome food server; the bus staff were great Petrale sole entrée was underwhelming; lots of mashed potatoes Hamburger was good with lots of fries Dessert selections were too cutesy Ice cream was the best

I stopped in and had a drink and some food at the bar. The bar staff was friendly. Great bartenders! And the food! I had a shaved brussel sprout salad and pretzel bites. The salad was a work of art, and delicious. The pretzel bites were great too, Fancy cheese seems to be a specialty of the house, as both dishes had cheese elements. My quick bite was great. Hope to go back for dinner some day.

Lovely atmosphere, great service and above average food at fair prices. The salmon was excellent. Butterscotch pudding not as butterscotchy as it might be, but still very good. Large pours for champagne by the glass. Although it gets busy, the noise level is not annoyingly loud as in many restaurants.

Hayes Valley is full of restaurants and we've been wanting to try Absinthe for awhile. Walked in early on a Saturday night and put our name in (30 min. wait). The place cleared out when everyone left to go to the theatre - and we had a table in less than 30 min. The bartender suggested the Soft Garlic Pretzel bites - oh my!! What doesn't taste good sitting in garlic butter and dipped in Vermont Cheddar Mornay??? We stuck with the Absinthe Classics and ordered the Coq Au Vin. Came out pipping hot in a cast iron skillet. Rich wine sauce, root vegetables, bacon, mushrooms, and moist chicken that literally falls off the bone. So So Good! Hearty, Cozy, Warm - delicious! Pop in on a cold foggy night in SF and order this!!! Yum!! We will be back for this dish!

Great service and wonderful lunch. Everything had great and innovative flavors. Loved my Confit, the soup and the pasta. Good value and charming place.

My sister and I have been eating lunch here after seeing the 11:00 Nutcracker perform and we have enough doing this for 20 years, or so. We love the ambiance and the French fare. As always, we had great service. I hade the croque Monsieur and she had the soup a l'ongion. We ordered a couple of other sides and the fries. The latter were a big disappointment this year. They have always been true French frites, shoestrings. The chef has decided the new mundane fatter fries are "better". They are not! Please bring back the frites.

We had dinner here before attending a concert at SFJazz - we loved it. The artichoke bisque, which was the soup special of the night was amazing. The restaurant is know for it's signature chicken dish (I cannot recall the name, since I don't eat chicken). The service was courteous and timely. I highly recommend the Absinthe Brasserie.

My daughter and I had dinner before seeing Hamilton. It is quite convenient to the Orpheum Theatre on Market Street, being about a 3-block walk. It's also convenient to the Civic Center Garage on Grove. We split their apple/greens/raisin salad and a burger. I feel like the salad was missing some its advertised ingredients, but was tasty nonetheless. It was also a very large serving, easily shared by the two of us. We ordered the burger medium rare , but it was very rare. A little too rare for either of us, but we didn't complain and ate it due to time constraints. We both felt the Gryuere was a little on the game-y side and the beef also had a strong flavor. Not necessarily bad, but not what most restaurant's serve. The buns, homemade on the premises, are excellent. We each had a cocktail, mine with their signature Absinthe; my daughter's without. They were both very good, but quite tart. Be prepared if you're looking for something sweet, you'd better ask. I also tried a gin and tonic with their house specialty and it was one of the most flavorful gins I've ever had. Definitely artisanal with herbal and spicey notes. Their menu describes it quite well. I will say that it rather overpowered the tonic, but tasted good. Cocktails are about $13/each. The total bill came to about $100, plus tip. But the service was excellent, the timing was good and we enjoyed ourselves. It is a bit loud on a Friday night, and you definitely want to make a reservation if you're coming in after about 5:15. The place is small but feels intimate except for the noise level. Still not horrible. Overall, a pretty good downtown spot with an excellent bar.

We had brunch across the street at Chez Maman and wanted to take a look inside this restaurant. We decided to have a drink at the bar since it was an hour wait to get a table.I looked inside the dining room and decided that I must come back here for a meal some day. It looks fabulous! The pictures online do not do it justice. The drinks we had were substantial and not too high for the area. The bartender was very nice and funny.

This is a rather unique place. You need to read up on how absinthe is to be imbibed properly, with the little sugar cube and absinthe fountain. The main courses are excellent, especially the sole. They should consider serving dover sole rather than petrale. The oysters are superb. The pot de chocolat is really wonderful. Walter the waiter is very knowledgeable on the entire menu. The ambiance: romantic. It is pretty pricey. A very special place.

I love cheese but I had never heard of any of their cheeses. But they each have a description so we chose three different kinds. Each paired with a sweet like honey comb. Served with a slightly sweet, nut and fruit bread. Delicious. I love trying new foods and wines. We had a bottle of a French sparkling rose also excellent. Cute, very French cafe.

This restaurant is outstanding, some of the best food we found over a 6 day stay. Right up there with what you will find in Paris; make sure to get reservations as it fills up quickly at lunch and in the evening. You will not be disappointed; the servings are generous but might fool you as the food is very rich, but clean. It is also located is a great area, walking distance from City Hall, one of the few areas in San Francisco’s downtown that is not over run with homeless and drug addicts, some great shops too.

Randomly showed up in this neighborhood, and asked where to go...and looked up some reviews. It led us to this place. Very happy that it did. the service was great, the food was delicious, and the wines were yummy. We had lunch outdoors, but the room inside was gorgeous. The highlight for lunch was the duck ragout. So, if you get the chance, visit this great place. Lunch for two (three drinks, two appetizers, and a shared entree) was $83 before tip.

Very good service, nice ambience, popular place for drinks and dinner (separate quiet room). Delicious food, served in a timely manner but we never felt rushed. Loved the roasted beet salad and butternut squash ravioli. Perfect pre-Opera destination.

The meal was excellent - beef - and the gluten free bread (5$) was outstanding. I found seating against the wall a bit low for the table but acceptable. Talking was a bit difficult but also acceptable. The ambiance of the restaurant is outstanding. The birthday dessert was not charged, a very nice aspect as most restaurants charge now. This was not my first experience with Absinthe, and I plan to return and ask for a table that is a bit quieter.

Absinthe is an unabashed homage to Paris Brasserie, resplendent with cloth napkins, rich bread, attentive wait staff, and knowledgable wine service, nice stemware. This was our first trip to Absinthe since their revamping. I, for one, didn't notice any difference, that is to say that all that we have enjoyed out Absinthe is still there. The quality of food is still very good, as is the service. We had a mix of selections; soup, salad, meat, fish, entrée, appetizer, drinks, and wine. Everything was satisfactory (plus we loved the bread). Service was subtle, yet very attentive. We took our time, enjoyed quiet conversation, and even lingered over dessert and port. Our reservation was for 5pm on a Friday, and they won't let you sit in the dining room before 5pm sharp, so there's no need to get there early. However, then it filled up pretty quickly. The bar is lively and there seems to be a cadre' of regulars, including many engaging friendly faces. The have some cafe tables in the bar, as well, and I saw a couple of families feeding their children better, I must say, than I ever ate as a child. Lucky ducklings! It's a tough area to park in, as the neighborhood has really become a shining star village. Getting to the area early will help with parking (if fossil fuels are your thing), but then you can walk around and decide where you'll have dessert after dinner, if you didn't already have one of the delicious sweet choices at Absinthe... (and some Port!)

Absinthe Brasserie & Bar lives the heart of San Francisco’s charming Hayes Valley neighbourhood and is among the city’s most beloved and longest-running dining institutions. It features a creative menu of French brasserie fare, along with an inspired selection of classic cocktails. With lively, informal décor that evokes turn-of-the-century France, Absinthe’s warm, convivial atmosphere has romanced locals and visitors alike since its founding in 1998.

In April, we celebrated the marriage of our oldest son and wonderful bride in San Fran! Since we were coming in from the East Coast, Our son had planned out a delicious wedding brunch at Absinthe for the families. Everything was beautifully laid out when we arrived. They had printed special menus including children' menus with choices for each course. The cocktail, beer and wine choices were bountiful and varied to match every taste. The staff was gracious and attentive. The courses came at a relaxed pace allowing time for conversations and toasts. Choices for courses included: 1st - French onion soup or Caesar salad, 2nd - Chicken with sautéed broccolini, Monsieur Croque and Salmon over mixed greens salad, 3rd - Pot au Chocolat or Mango sorbet. The children' choices were Hamburger/Cheeseburger w/fries, Pasta or Chicken. Their choices were on the level with our meals for preparation, taste and satisfaction. Can't wait to get back to San Fran and Absinthe!

I used to live in Hayes Valley and this was one of my favorite places to eat and bring out of town guests. Now 17 years after I left SF and returned for a visit, I am so happy to see this restaurant still thriving and providing excellent service and food. Hayes Valley was trendy when I lived there , but even more so now without being too commercialized so the area is one of the more unique neighborhoods in SF. I had the coq au vain which was very good and enjoyed the classic cocktails. The wait staff was excellent. I had no reservations on a busy Friday night but me and my friend were provided a table nevertheless the bar by the gracious host.

I loved it and would recommend it! Tasty food and refreshing cocktails, great service, quiet, yet not too quiet

I highly recommend this place for cocktails- fresh juices and creative bartenders. We had already eaten but popped in for a cocktail and even though it was Christmas Eve and they were closing early, we never felt rushed. My “pretty in PINK” cocktail was delicious!

My friend and I had a nice meal a few nights ago at Absinthe but to be honest it was nice but certainly not great. The steak and duck were nicely plated and flavorful but hardly memorable given the price. Our team of servers were unusually friendly but did not seem to respond to my comment that the steak and potatoes were not warm. I got a shrug. The good news - the room and atmosphere is very fun. The bar area and drinks menu would be my recommendation for Absinthe as a before or after evening visit. For the money, there are just way too many options with incredible food to match the atmosphere.