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Absinthe Brasserie & Bar
Categories: Restaurants French Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Nightlife Bars French, Breakfast & Brunch, Bars [Edit]
398 Hayes St(between Franklin St & Gough St)
San Francisco, CA 94102
Neighborhood: Hayes Valley
(415) 551-1590
- Hours:
Tue-Thu 11:30 am - 12:30 am
Fri 11:30 am - 2 am
Sat 11 am - 2 am
Sun 11 am - 10 pm
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy, Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
2004 reviews for Absinthe Brasserie & Bar
Review Highlights
-
"I highly recommend the french onion soup as a starter." In 299 reviews -
"The chocolate pot de creme was heavenly." In 39 reviews -
"Pork Confit: incredibly tender and delicious." In 80 reviews
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- A Yelpy Insight: Vegetarians go nuts for this spot. See more places they like.
2004 reviews in English
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Review from Josie M.
5/24/2012
went here for brunch and wasn't impressed. went here for dinner and was blown away!
oysters were super fresh - beau soleil is where it's at!
country pate was perfect - not to salty and pretty mild
roasted beet & green apple salad - solid
the atkins ranch lamb sugo was what did it for me. one bite and i was already doing my little happy dance. noodles perfectly al dente combo'd nicely with the refreshing flavors of the fava beans and mint. i'd come back for that again and again.
opera cake with citrus notes was pretty yummy too. service was excellent. can't give it five full stars cause well, it aint' cheap! but certainly a fine fine meal!
4.5 stars! -
Review from Barb L.
San Francisco, CA
5/23/2012
Their food ranges from good to great....all depends on the day....overall, I'd say we really enjoy it....their oysters are great, onion soup (a little too savoury for my taste - but delicious otherwise), salads are lovely, the arctic char is yummy...burger is good and fries a little too skinny for my taste....
The only thing is that sometimes, the service is a little "interesting"....happened enough times for me to be unsure about eating there again...usually when we call for a reservation, they come across as though they are too busy for our business....hmmm....
I went in to make a reservation on a Saturday morning (for lunch on the same day) for me and my little girl for a special luncheon....the lady was nice and jolly, they have a table!!
Once we were seated....our waitress did not seem to know we were seated....managed to mention it to us...it took a while for us to place our order...I felt as though we were overlooked, I did not focus on that during the meal, because we were supposed to have a nice time....long story short...I was made to feel that we did not order enough main dishes...my perception...she was nice when I asked for the check....
I'd really like to give them more than 3 stars....but for their price point, their service is lacking....
We visit them when my folks are in town....there is a gentleman who's served us many times and he's nice....I'd gladly go back if he's there....
Oh well.... -
Review from Janice T.
5/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
I strongly recommend making reservations if you want to sit in the quieter part of the restuarant. It is super interesting, how the place is almost divided into three sections. The super loud and hustling bar section filled with beer fragances, the medium noised bistro sounding resturant seating section, and the quiet, more romantic dim lighting section.
We ordered:
*Snacks Soft Garlic Pretzels $8 (2 od 5) - was ok. I read other reviewers and they were disappointed. I guess I was pretty disappointed too. Garlic wasn't in baked in the pretzel. Just came out as finger sized pretzels. Nothing special other than it came with small tub of rich melted butter mashed with some garlic. And the garlic wasn't even that strong. I wouldn't recommend it. Try something else.
*Masami Farms Pork Osso Buco $27 (4 of 5) served with white bean stew, baby root vegetables, citrus gremolata, pork jus - was good. The pork meat fell off bone. I liked the tiny texture and taste details on the plate. There was a crunchy sprinkle of something that blended very well with the soft pork pieces. The white bean stew was soft, and also complimented the pork very well. I thought this dish was well-executed.
Green garlic mash
*10oz Rib Eye Steak $35 (3 of 5) served with green garlic-whipped potatoes, grilled asparagus, green peppercorn jus - Steak good but not a wow. The cut was thin, would have been nicer if it was thicker. Mash potato was made from green garlic and gave it a wonderful color. Again, plating was very pretty.
*Opera Cake $10 (4 of 5) espresso custard, chocolate ganache, almond jocande cake, orange - was superb. Layers of delicate flavors. Every layer had a different flavor and texture.
*Cinnamon ice cream (free because it was birthday celebration) (2.5 of 5) - was fresh and strong. Like eating a Big Red Stick of Gum. Creative but cinnamon is not my favorite.
Overall, I give a thumbs up to the main entrees and dessert. The pretzel listed on the 7X7 2012 Big Eat should be removed from the list. And make sure you have time to look for parking. It took me 20 minutes to find parking. -
Review from L S.
San Francisco, CA
5/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
Amazing food and service. Went on a Saturday night with a reservation and were seated promptly. The atmosphere is lovely - low warm lighting, rich deep hues, and upscale cozy.
We had the french onion soup (divine - better than Paris! ), beet salad (deeelish), french fries (crispy and perfect), coq au van (sublime) and osso buco (tender and flavorful). We also had an assortment of tasty and unique cocktails.
The food was truly fantastic, and the service made it that much better. Our server was kind enough to suggest the order of our courses and split the large french onion soup into two lovely, bubbling ramekins for my husband and I, as we planned to share. The evening went off without a hitch, each course and cocktail arriving at the perfect moment, and full water glasses all night. In addition, the server was there when you needed him, but in no way hovering. I can't recommend this place highly enough. -
Review from Anthony W.
Pacifica, CA
5/25/2012
Let's see.. Cute on the inside. Decent drinks. Could use more champagne on the list (by the glass anyways). We ordered an aged cheddar to start out with. Fantastic it was. The walnut bread was pretty awesome as well.
We ordered the cauliflower soup.. but it came about 30 minutes too late and by that time, I just wanted to get to the entree. Had to flag down a bus boy to find out what was going on with the soup and told the server we didn't want it. 5 minutes later it comes out and they practically try to force it on us. Talk about uncomfortable. Can't really fault the waitress since she was on her break, but her backup could have done something.
Oh, and no refill of water for the 30 minutes between the cheese plate and soup fiasco.. Good gosh.
The burger was.. not good. I don't understand how a burger is pink throughout and so horribly dry. I may as well add bland to that too. We also had the rib-eye. Pretty good in its own right though a tad over-sauced and a touch salty. At least it was cooked medium rare as ordered. Loved the potatoes and asparagus though.
The chocolate pot de creme was good. Better that it was free but it still couldn't right the previous wrongs.
Food 2.5. Service 1.5. -
Review from Mark N.
Bossier City, LA
Was hesitant at first since I'm not a huge fan of French food but I was pleasantly surprised. Martini's were top notch and the food was great. There's something weird about eating green mashed potatoes but they were wonderful.
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Review from Suz L.
San Francisco, CA
5/21/2012
It's been a long time since I've been and I need to go back to remember if I liked the food or not. I think it was pretty good but my notes are pretty neutral on food but the drinks were pretty awesome. 10/07
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Review from Shwhoa H.
New Orleans, LA
5/9/2012
The good:
-FOOD: The menu had the perfect amount of items; enough for a variety, and not too many that I sat there going O.O uhh what am I going to eat?? And as soon as I saw the Duck Confit Ragout arrive at a table next to ours, I KNEW that I just had to order it; and let me tell you, it tastes even better than it looks! Poached egg+duck+mushrooms+savory sauce+chive/potato cake = YUM CENTRAL! Five stars for food.
-SERVICE: This seemed like the PERFECT place for a nice Sunday brunch, and I'm so glad we arrived before the rush! We didn't have reservations, but we still got seated right away, and the service is SUPER nice! One of the girls in our little get together showed up an hour late, but we weren't rushed to order or give up our seats or anything, which I'm very thankful for ^^.
The not so good:
-DRINKS: I had the Absinthe lemonade, which was good, but nothing amazing... one of my friends had the Bellini, but she couldn't taste hints of peach at all, and neither could I when I tried it :/
Overall though, if I'm ever back in SF, this is definitely a top contender for brunch :) my tummy is very happy! -
Review from Brevin P.
Emeryville, CA
5/16/2012
I suppose you could say it was inevitable that a distinguished British detective like myself would end up at Absinthe. The place practically beckons for quiet mysteries whispered through dimly lit booths and I happen to be all ears, professionally so. I didn't expect to be there nursing a bloody shiner, though, drowning out the throbbing pain in my skull with a well-received Riesling. I have been booted from the force (see the Seasons and Moffitt Café case files) and am officially no longer on the Case of the Missing Papaya Diamond, but a chap like myself will still follow the clues when they present themselves. It just happened to be that the clues presented themselves in a street brawl with an organ grinder and his pet monkey. The organ grinder didn't appreciate it when I refused to drop a shilling or two in the monkey's little fez and how I went on to claim that their rendition of Moonlight Sonata was an uncivilized assault on the senses. One thing led to another and I found myself with a screeching monkey clawing at my head and a portly organ grinder attempting to jab me in the face, all accompanied to an organ's death cry as I was trying to smash it on the pavement. But the clue was there.
During the scuffle my peripheral caught sight of the blonde bird (as reported in the Trace case file), disappearing into Absinthe. No mere man can forget a woman, nay, a lady, that stunning. The lead in my case. The dame in distress. A shapely embodiment of great genetics and a gentle motivator for myself to attempt a treadmill again. In that brief moment of distraction I received the bloody shiner. A lucky strike I suppose, but we'll just tell the mates at the Yard that it was something more chivalrous than a barbaric slaughter of Beethoven that brought this on.
So there I was, hid away in a booth at Absinthe, scouting the room for the lady who know haunted my thoughts. It was at this point that the server gave me the menu, I saw the word "steak", and promptly forgot why I was here in the first place. It was a splendid meal, indeed. To start, I received what can only be called the best gourmet pretzels ever graced on a plate, accompanied by a melted cheese that the chef must have loved making as much as I loved eating. The steak was accompanied by perfectly prepared asparagus and creamy mashed potatoes, a statement of side dishes done right for future generations of self-entitled youngsters trained by reality cooking shows. At some point during the meal, the server handed me a note, saying it was from a Southern, blond lady with important information. The note must have served as a napkin, as I found it stained with gravy at the end of the meal. She was since long gone, but on the note, or what was left of it, was what I needed to see.
Bangers! -
Review from Piper W.
Griffith Park/Los Feliz, Los Angeles, CA
5/20/2012
Great cheese plate! Highly recommend the cheese pairings. The fruit spread, nuts and acacia honey were all divine! This came with a homemade walnut bread that was very nice but wish they'd included baguette as well. Great service. Will be back to try an entree!
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Review from kien m.
The main reason I came here was to knock the garlic soft pretzel with vermont cheddar mornay (#36) off the big 100 eats list. I didn't have a reservation on a Saturday night but was able to grab a table in the bar area.
The pretzel was well over-priced, $8 for 5 small pieces. Don't get me wrong, it's good but I rather have a bigger pretzel from Auntie Annes or Wetzel Pretzel for less than half the price.
Another item on the menu that gets rave reviews is the french onion soup. Yea, it's good but not out of this world.
The wife ordered the shellfish stew. This had very good value because the prawn was huge and stacked with mussels and clams. It's kind of like a cioppino but no fish.
My dish was the burger with the fried egg. I order it medium rare and I guess it came out right but my main problem is that it wasn't hot and the patty didn't seem charred enough. Also, my fries were all stuck together in a ball.
Can I say OVER-YELPED. -
Review from Erin G.
Berkeley, CA
4/28/2012 1 photo
What I ate: Pot de creme
Visit date: April 11, 2012
First time? Yes.
This place is classy. I definitely want to come back for food and drinks; this visit was strictly for dessert! The pot de creme was smooth and sweet, but not too rich. It had a hazelnut/macadamia essence. This place has great service and the waiter made jokes -- he's ok by me! -
Review from Ying F.
Nice, fancy, classy ambiance. I came here for brunch on a really nice sunny day. The restaurant has that old "cheers" bar decor. I wanted to order the Pretzel bites because that was the dish that made the 7x7 list and they don't serve it til 3pm! DARN IT!
Oh well. My friend and I still had an awesome brunch and ordered a delicious DUNGENESS CRAB OMELETTE which has hen of the woods mushrooms, spinach, garlic, Meyer lemon. Great portions.
The service was flawless. My coffee and water was always full. Can't wait to come back there to try the 7x7 dish for dinner or late snack. -
Review from Saminda W.
San Francisco, CA
4/15/2012
I've loved this place since first trying it almost a decade ago when I moved here. I still remember that first French Onion soup, it was amazing. And even after my expectations for the restaurant scene have risen over the years, Absinthe continues to maintain its status as one of my favorites, as evidenced by me still loving that soup years later!
The restaurant service here is solid and the food is always good to very good, there's rarely a disappointment on either end. I recommend their filet mignon, it's solid.
Their cocktails are famous and there's a reason, I even have one of their cocktail books at home. The bartenders are phenomenally skilled and professional, and its a labor of love for them to create every cocktail as a little work of art. You just have to be a little patient for them to not rush their craft. -
Review from Becca I.
San Francisco, CA
4/16/2012
Food was really good! Had their steak. Portions are good for me. Plate was clean. Their desserts were pretty tasty as well. We tried three different desserts.
The 4 stars are purely based on food.
Service was pretty bad. The guy forgot about one order and mixed up a drink order. He hardly checked up on us. I would only suggest going here on a weekday evening when it isn't so packed.
We left to go to another bar, but it was too packed. We ended up going back to Absinthe. The bartender was not very kind. They have an extensive drink list though.
Service was 1 star for me. -
Review from Annie L.
4/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
I have eaten here twice. Once for dinner. Once from brunch. Learn from me.
1 = Dinner:
* I dressed very nicely as it was dinner in a French style spot.
* I had the coq au vin. Exquisite.
* I had an Absinthe Sazerac cocktail. I was the waking dead the next day, of course the half bottle of red wine with the meal had nothing to do with it. Of course.
* I had an obnoxious self important waiter. He irked me so much with his hoity toity carry on, who's the guest chump? He deserved a kick up the arse with my nice shoes, but I was too scared I might damage his head.
2 = Brunch:
* I dressed in my sweats because I had a long haul flight straight after and I believe in dressing like an incognito bloated Hollywood star that is falling from grace.
* Upon entrance the Maître d greeted EVERYONE except me. He simply looked me up and down and rolled his eyes. Feck off. Seriously feck off. It's feckin 10am. Also you have UGLY SHOES, but did you see me roll my eyes?
* The waitress and the hostess were so sweet, so attentive and did not baulk at me.
* I had the crab omelet and she had the granola I think. Mine was delicious. You simply cannot fault the food in this place.
4 stars overall as the self important idiots get balanced nicely against the very good natured waitress and hostess, and of course the food.
I dare you to dress in a shell suit with slippers on your feet.Listed in: Food in San Francisco, Brunch In San Francisco
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Review from Brill S.
San Francisco, CA
4/14/2012
'Covetousness is both the beginning and the end of the devil's alphabet - the first vice in corrupt nature that moves, and the last which dies,' wrote Michel Montaigne in fluent french, in a real life french castle with french maids and everything.
Alas, I covet the French Onion soup here, even in dreams. Desire. Long. Ache for.
I could ramble on about the cozy location in the undead gentrified core of Hayes Valley-- dark wood and black-clad waitstaff-- the green neon of the sign reflecting off rainpools in the street. But, the soup.
The first act is foreplay, anticipation: Each serving arrives in a baked tureen, a golden lid that crackles slightly as it gives under your spoon. Carmelized onions rush into the curved void in a lucious blend of three stocks. (I asked the waitress, she would not be more specific than there are three.)
Before you can control yourself, you're wrapping long strands of Gruyère around your spoon, savoring the rich unami hit of carmelized onion proteins as they hit your brain.
And it's one of the most reasonably priced offerings on the menu.
I've had a selection of their entrees and all are in the good-to-great class; The place is packed with intimate chatter and dates-in-progress all weekend.
But, when I wake up at 3 AM, starving and well...covetous... it's that soup that's on my mind. -
Review from Christy L.
San Francisco, CA
4/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Absinthe has something for everyone - late night theater revelers, early dining elderly, date focused lovers, bar fly munchers, etc.
I've occasioned Absinthe as a 'date focused lover' and a 'late night theater reveler' and found myself quite pleased on both occasions!
Dinner in the main dining room can be very romantic, depending on the table you get. We had a cozy booth where we could sit next to each other and look out over the rest of the diners in the room.
Service was exceptional and we were well taken care of through our whole dining experience.
You can't go wrong with the steak (rib eye...yum!) and they have the most wonderful fries!
Dining in the bar area is also fun, and a different experience. We shared a burger and fries along with some spicy fried chickpeas and garlic pretzels. They were open late enough for our visit after seeing a show at Davies. The burger is delicious!
Wonderful drinks, and a nice heavy pour!Listed in: SF Chron Top 100
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Review from Colin C.
San Jose, CA
4/22/2012
This place had me intrigued from the get go, After a couple of weeks I finally decided to make a reservation there. They serve food late, which is always a plus, and were able to accept my reservation at almost 11pm
The cocktails are exotic, delicious, and a definite must have.
I would recommend the French onion soup, and beef tartare as starters.
All the beef they serve is extremely delicious, and grass fed. So good.
We were too full to sample their dessert menu, even though it looked quite tantalizing and delicious. -
Review from Paige E.
Berkeley, CA
5/15/2012
I was mostly impressed with this restaurant, with only one minor downfall. I brought my boyfriend here for dinner on his birthday and all of the food was absolutely delicious (and great for a vegetarian like myself.) and we loved the drinks (their Sazerac was amazing).
Although it is an up-scale restaurant, you can still manage to have a dinner for two with appetizers, drinks and dessert for under $100, which is quite less than I was expecting to spend.
Unfortunately, the service was not as impressive as the food: I had made reservations and it still took them 45 minutes for them to seat us even though a handful of people walked in and were sat immediately. It wasn't until my boyfriend asked how much longer it would be that they finally sat us.
I'm not sure if it was because my boyfriend and I are in our 20's and he thought we weren't going to tip well, but our 'waiter' was completely inattentive and kind of short with us. It took him at least 10 minutes before he even got to our table and when he did he never even came to check up on us or see how we liked our food.
Overall I guess I would say the food and drinks are well worth the price but don't expect to get adequate service if you are young and middle class. I'll probably still end up going back because the food was delicious. -
Review from Marcia M.
3/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
Fried chickpeas?
Hell. Yes.
Located in the heart of Hayes, this charming dining experience was a highlight of my trip to San Francisco.
Although there was a bit of a wait for a table at Absinthe, the hostesses were a delight and helped us score some seats at the bar instead for our impromptu dinner. Not a bad seat in the house!
We gulped down delicious glasses of Grenache while noshing on the new love of my life, fried chickpeas, tasty salads, mini-pretzels, and comfy french fries. This broad was stuffed!
Wait service was efficient and professional yet not overly friendly.
Prices were fair as our bill came out to around $75 for two! -
Review from Monica H.
San Francisco, CA
4/24/2012
Food is amazing! Drinks are hit or miss.
-Drinks: The 21 hayes and galapagos were okay but the sacred heart though came out very nicely.
-Pretzels: super yummy and I love garlic, great chewy texture but still light
-Arancini: again great flavors maybe a little greasy
-Burger: always good, perfectly executed, but its a burger
-Duck breast with coffee etc... super tasty, perfectly cooked, well balanced flavors
-DESSERT: the meyer lemon tart came with a delicious basil meringue that overall made it very intriguing and kept me coming back for more.
The atmosphere is great and there service is really fantastic I have to say-not that I care too much about that, but it just makes the overall experience more pleasant. -
Review from Chad S.
3/30/2012
I've always been curious about Absinthe during seven years of living in the city and I finally quelled my interest over dinner on a Saturday night.
We had a dinner reservation as the place is extremely popular at night and sat at a two-top in the dining area behind the bar. We passed the owner of the Boxing Room on our way to the back - he must give Absinthe a thumbs up as well because it looked like he was loving his soup.
The list of cocktails is extensive but our waiter helped me decide on an absinthe drink called the Sazecar (I think that's the name). It was good and strong. The Citron Lemonade is also good, light and fresh.
Our appetizer was the delicious soft garlic pretzels (also on the 7x7 Big Eat SF list). For $8 and five little bite-sized pretzels, they are probably the most expensive pretzels around but with the melted Vermont cheddar on the side they are nearly to-die-for.
We then shared Roasted Beet and Green Apple Salad. Well done and I recommend.
As for entrees, the Coq Au Vin (chicken) and the Pork Osso Buco are musts. Both were devine and I would eat again.
Absinthe won me over and except for the loudness of the bar feeding into our meal, I will go again. -
Review from Earl G.
3/11/2012 1 photo
Five years ago this week, Absinthe once again became legal to sell stateside.
The herb-infused liquor was banned in countries worldwide due to the supposedly hallucinogenic effects of the wormwood, one of it's main ingredients.
Celebrated the occasion by starting at this landmark Hayes Valley bar for a guys night out pub crawl. The crowd for a Thursday night was Marina-like without the attitude. Pretty loud at the bar but you could still hear. Even though it's classy looking while being a little dressy, the atmosphere was unpretentious. The dining area did look a little more "business".
I liked how the hand-shaken and stirred absinthe cocktails weren't too herbal-y or menthol-ish. Who wants the taste of a ricola and coke or mouthwash and tonic?
Their sacred heart ($11) made with tequila, limoncello, lime was refreshing. The sazerac ($9), a classic and essential New Orleans cocktail, was good too. Here, expertly crafted precision trumps a heavy pour.
None of us had any hallucinogenic effects but I'm sure anyone after drinking several of these would suffer from a case of beer goggles.
(http://www.yelp.com/bi...)Listed in: Happy Hours and Lounges
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Review from Lorrie M.
3/13/2012
Along with many others, I think I was expecting something grand considering the number of reviews this place got and the average number of stars. Maybe they all came during brunch, or ... I don't know, happy hour. I'm not sure, but the dinner experience was far from good and far more expensive than I would ever pay for a place like this and food of this caliber.
We arrived as a group of 6 and were seated after 30 minutes of waiting despite having made a reservation and not going during "peak" dinner hour. We were seated in the back room and the hostess came to hand us our menu's. After that I think we didn't see anyone for at least 15 minutes while we were waiting to order some drinks.
After the drink orders were in, we ordered an appetizer and some food. The appetizers came quickly, but it took almost 30 minutes for our food orders to come. Two orders were wrong, one order had cheese for someone who was lactose intolerant even though it was specified for that dish to have no cheese and one pasta dish was cold.
It took another 20 minutes to resolve the issues and by this time our dinner party had been at Absinthe for almost 2 hours before we even really started our meals. There was just so much waiting.
I think this place is overhyped, unfortunately and the bar needs to be set a bit lower. Our total bill came out to be $90 per couple and all we ordered were two drinks, two entrees and split an appetizer. That's pretty outrageous. -
Review from Ghengis G.
San Francisco, CA
5/13/2012
Our favorite après-opera stop. Signature cocktails with a cheese plate and nice fries. Great atmosphere. We have had supper here twice and it was a nice experience and all in all, worth the price.
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Review from M B.
San Francisco, CA
4/5/2012
We were married last year at City Hall and then held a small, elegant reception in the private dining area at Absinthe.
Our contact, Vanessa, was very helpful and she made the process painless. They were very flexible and allowed us to create the event that we wanted. We brought in a cake from a neighborhood cake maker and our guests were served hors d'oeuvres and champagne.
The space was perfect for us- initimate and classic. Our guests were comfortable mingling at tablets and sitting on the settees.
It goes without saying that the food was wonderful. We had food that ranged from seafood trays, to sliders, to chick peas. I think our sliders were a little undercooked but when we complained they were immediately replaced with fresh, adequately cooked sliders.
I will keep Absinthe private dining in mind for future events as our experience was a positive one. -
Review from Amelyn C.
San Francisco, CA
4/7/2012
We have loved this place for years for the food and atmosphere. Dining is casually elegant here, and you don't have to spend a fortune (but you can if you want). They have THE best pomme frites and the pretzel appetizer is also very special. As far as reaturant burgers go, they have one of the finest. (For big home cooks as we are, hamburgers like pancakes and stir-fry are best made on a commerical, high BTU stove.). The service is usually good, but back in January, we had one of the most excellent wait-staff service experiences ever (and we've dined at places where they have three to four guys in Armani attending each table)....
It was a perfect balance of attentiveness and graciousness, without any of that intrusiveness that afflicts many a foodserver : Carlos, our waiter, was right there just at the moment that we needed more refreshments or the next course...we truly, truly felt like we were his only table (and this was a Friday evening during the dinner rush before ballet and symphony performances...). Bravo! -
Review from Vera W.
Came again, but this time for the drinks. The bartenders are a bit haughty... But, once you strike up some sort of convo with them, they melt a little bit (less cold). Their cocktails are delicious and freshly made! Get the Palermo, one of the house specialties. It's delicious! Like a Moscow Mule but more fruity. Oh, and the fries were pretty yummy, too.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/8/2012
I can't really rate this place with justice. I got the warm garlic pretzel with Parmesan cheese dip… Read more »
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Review from Racky W.
San Francisco, CA
4/25/2012 4 Check-ins Here
Amazing !!!. The food is getting better. I came here a few times. The food was just so so for the last 2 or 3 times. But last night I ordered the same food, Black Angus Bistro Filet, it was just tasted totally different. They must changed the recipes, or they changed the chef. Anyway, I love it. Good service too.
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Review from Linda T.
3/22/2012
Nice bar. Nice ambiance.
Got the burger w caramelized onions, mushrooms and fried egg. Egg was perfect with runny yolk that popped as I held onto my burger for a big bite. Burger was perfectly med, juicy and red! Fries were okay, they were skinny fries.
Huge drink menu. Tried "sacred heart" which tasted like licorice...hmm not to my liking..
Also had some lemony cocktails. Strong cocktails, indeed. I was wobbling walking out of the restaurant.
Meatballs were yum and garlic pretzels were okay.
Parking can be tough around this neighborhood.
Fun place! -
Review from Richard F.
Austin, TX
4/8/2012
Ah, now, where to begin?
The Woman in My Life, a chef trained at the Cordon Bleu in Paris back when women were just starting to fight their way into the kitchens, has WAY higher standards than I do about this sort of thing.
We came up from Santa Cruz to attend Dan Hicks' 70th Birthday Party at the Davies, and while I chose the hotel, she chose the dining, although with an upturned eyebrow I must say. Through Open Table we could get only a 5 o'clock reservation but because of the Good Friday quasi-holiday we made good time, checked into the Hays Valley Inn and walked across the street to Absinthe, arriving about 5:03.
They were still setting up the dining area, but we had cocktails and were seated around 5:15 in a very interesting room toward the back of the restaurant.
Our server presented perfect combination of deference and attention.
We both ordered coq au vin, and it couldn't have been more classical, nor more wonderful!
I see things through the prism of being a musician and when I hear a player who has enough respect for American jazz music to learn and to allow his or her style to be reflected by that knowledge, I am duly impressed.
So it was with my coq au vin. Classical style presented with a it of a unique twist, but RESPECT for the history of the dish. Although I am just starting to educate my palette, as long as there are restaurants like this one in the neighborhoods of northern California I feel like I'm in good hands. The memory of this meal will be with me for a very long time. -
Review from Bubba C.
Oakland, CA
3/12/2012
Not bad at all!
I went for brunch and I had blueberry pancakes-which I thought were seriously amazing, and an omelet...forgot what was in it :0)
I also had the absinthe lemonade and it was actually very bitter and sour, not sweet at all. The food came in a timely matter and hardly anything was noticeably bad.
BUT I had to park far and there's a convenience store close by with homeless people outside asking for change. One of them tried to scare me to and from absinthe :\ not cool.
Oh and for anyone who doesn't quite know how to say absinthe in the french tongue , it's pronounced "ab-sont" -
Review from Jon W.
Fremont, CA
4/6/2012
The really nice thing about Absinthe, for which you need reservations to eat in the restaurant proper, is that you can also eat dinner at a table in the bar section. My friend and I were lucky enough to be able to walk right up and grab a small copper table by the front window and enjoy the ambiance with less than 15 minutes wait (on a Saturday night at 6pm, no less. I suspect that is rather unusual, but so it went).
My friend had the French Onion Soup which smelled delicious, but was probably not vegetarian. There are very few vegetarian dishes offered, but I had the mixed local greens salad which was really good.
Likewise my friend had the Dungeness crab which he seemed to enjoy while I really liked the the Roasted Baby Beets and Quinces, quite good!
I don't really recommend this place for hardcore vegetarians or vegans, but for a mellow, dairy-vegivore like me it was great! -
Review from Joyce C.
San Francisco, CA
3/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
My boyfriend and I spontaneously walked in for brunch on a Sunday at noon. I was surprised to be seated immediately despite the crowd.
We had:
- Great Hill Blue cheese with honeycomb
This came with their house-made walnut bread slices. This was SO GOOOOOOOD. I am totally in love with the honey walnut bread.. I think I can eat it all day every day. Great appetizer!
- Scrambled eggs with potatoes, toast and sausage
Standard breakfast plate with an extraordinary quality. The eggs was perfectly fluffy and perfectly seasoned. Potatoes were lightly crisp on the outside and wonderfully warm and soft on the inside. I recommend you dip the sausage in their almond-maple syrup.. soo tasty! *drool*
- Brioche French Toast
Not only is it pretty to the eye, it is so extremely kind to your tastebuds.. AHHH!
Absinthe has become my brunch spot of choice. I can't wait to try their dinner menu! -
Review from Kevin W.
Mountain View, CA
3/6/2012
The cutie hostess seated us immediately - the table was ready 5 minutes before our reservation time. The nerve of that hostess: seating us early before we can get drinks at the bar! The server was attentive without being overbearing throughout the meal, although she wasn't that friendly.
The oyster shooters come as a DIY - fresh oysters on ice with the tomato juice and vodka in separate shooters on the side. The pate was just alright - I grew up on chicken and pork liver, so I've had it all before including high-end pate in France. The garlic pretzels were exactly that - garlic pretzels, which obviously led the dinner conversation towards how Wetzel's and Auntie Anne's are a better value. We are classy like that.
The entrees ($25-30) were hit-or-miss. (We shared food because we're also classy like that.) My Coq Au Vin was just ok - the chicken was moist, but the sauce reminded me of dark brown Thanksgiving gravy rather than lighter red wine sauce. Mike L'.s Pork Osso Buco was too citrus-y - uh oh, he's going to write a scathing Yelp update! The lady friends had the 7-oz Bistro Filet and the Duck, which was "stringy." The wild rice hash and spinach, which came with the duck, were the highlights of the meal.
With an extensive wine list and drink menu, the cocktails were good all around. Of course, I had to try the absinthe (Lucid Absinthe), but it just wasn't my thing. Classless, I am indeed. -
Review from Alexandra D.
Berkeley, CA
3/8/2012
I have quickly been making my way through all of the best rated restaurants in the Bay Area. When I friend was visiting from out of time, I thought taking her to Absinthe would be a lovely treat. I knew it wasn't particularly veg friendly, but the vegetarian option looked too good, as well as some of the appetizers.
While the abidance is nice, it isn't knock your socks off. It looks a little outdated to me and kind of oddly laid out.
We started with the garlic pretzel knots with the cheese dipping sauce. Now, those were very delicious. I know go there just to gnosh on those.
The vegetarian option as a "market vegetable platter." Now, I REALLY REALLY love the creativity that went into this dish... it's just that the flavors weren't spot on. It all just sort of blended together... nothing popped. There was no acid, no salt... and it all had kind of a mushy consistence. Was it good? Absolutely. Just a) not worth the price and b) I could totally make better at home.
Per Yelp recommendations, I had the chocolate pot de creme for dessert... which was luscious and yummy, but got a little bit too sweet by the end.
All in all, I probably wouldn't go back, especially not with all the better restaurants SF has to offer. -
Review from Luke M.
San Francisco, CA
2/27/2012
The food here is fantastic. But I think this is a $$$$ dollar sign place and not a $$$ when you're being honest. Even paying corkage fees instead of buying bottles of wine we didn't escape for less than $80 a piece on the bill...all said and done.
But the food is amazing. This weekend I had the Coq Au Vin and my date had the duck. Amazing, especially the duck which involved BIG hunks of duck breast. I didn't think there were ducks big enough for what was on the plate. So...yeah I want more. And it was so savory, like the beef of poultry.
Our server--Kimberly--was awesome! And I told her I'd call her out by name. She was helpful, knowledgeable, conversational, and cool. I like it when servers are cool.
Some of the tables here are really spacious and put in a lovely and quite back space while others are jammed up by the front door--so that may make eating here a bit of a crap shoot. If the chefs found a way (other than ordering a burger) to bring the price point down to a real $$$ instead of $$$$ I could call it a go-to spot for once or twice monthly nice meals, but as it stands it's a little pricier than some of my existing favorites.
This is all personal preference though...you should absolutely go to Absinthe for yourself.
P.S. Get dessert. I'll be in for drinks and dessert again soon, even if I space dinners farther apart. The yogurt panna cotta & orange sherbet parfait with pistachio crust is hella good. -
Review from Ninica c.
San Francisco, CA
5/8/2012
Absolutely love this place! Perfect location, perfect for people watching, amazing food and great service. Their Croque Monsier is the best in the whole wide world.
-
Review from Stefi C.
2/23/2012
I could literally eat their soft garlic pretzels all day EVERY DAY. Imagine the butter and toppings that come on your typical garlic fries, except now they're smothered all over five mini pieces of warm pretzels, paired with a side of vermont cheddar mornay..a warm and gooey cheese sauce. For $8, Absinthe will be my go to for bar snacks and quality mixed drinks. Try the 21 Hayes, it's refreshing and goes down like water (dangerous?).
Rest of the Apps:
- Meatballs- only ok, nothing too special--I'd skip them next time.
- Poke- nice, fresh flavors and I liked the crunch of the macadamia nuts too.
Entrees:
- Duck with coffee crust,wild rice hash, parsnips, spinach, huckleberry jus- so moist, so tender! I honestly forgot about the coffee crust until writing this review, so clearly the coffee flavor was not very apparent. The duck skin was crispy and the sides were good, but nothing to write home about.
- Burger- didn't get to try the actual burger but my friend said it was awesome. You can add on a bunch of toppings (fried egg, caramelized onions, gruyere, etc.) and it came with a big side of fries (mm, carbs).
Dessert:
- Meyer lemon tart- not very tart, and the basil meringue was an odd topping. I wasn't too much of a fan of the pairing, but the tart itself was good.
- Winter squash cake- the cake itself was not very sweet, but the brown butter ice cream added just the right amount of flavor. I enjoyed it!
- Vanilla cheesecake- actually went very well with pineapple. We couldn't taste a hint of the cilantro mentioned on the menu, but it was okay. To be honest, I'm not very much of a dessert person so I'd probably skip on the course the next time I come.
I'll be coming back just for those pretzels!! Well deserving of their 7x7 spot.Listed in: 7x7 Big Eats!
