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Absinthe Brasserie and Bar - SF, San Francisco, CA

Absinthe Brasserie and Bar - SF

4.7 (7449)
$31 to $50
French
398 Hayes Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

Make a reservation

2 people
7:30 PM
Booked 16 times today

About this restaurant

  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
We are currently accepting reservations for lunch, brunch, and dinner.


Effective 09/26/2022:
Outdoor seating will not be available.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    French, Californian
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–3:00 pm Lunch Wed–Fri 11:30 am–3:00 pm Dinner Wed–Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive chef
    Ian Begg
  • Neighborhood
    Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness
  • Cross street
    Gough
  • Parking details
    No valet. Street parking and nearby public lot located on Grove between Franklin and Gough.
  • Additional
    Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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What 7,449 people are saying

Absinthe Brasserie and Bar - SF reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • San Francisco

    French

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Absinthe Brasserie and Bar in San Francisco offers a "wonderful ambiance" with "delicious food" and "outstanding service." Known for its French bistro fare, the restaurant is perfect for pre-performance dining with a "great location" near cultural venues. Patrons praise its cocktails, desserts, and attentive staff, making it a "San Francisco classic."
7,449 Reviews
  1. mark

    Las Vegas2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Reviews Gluten-free options are not marked on the menu, but our server was very knowledgeable about what could be made safely for me. We celebrated my birthday here last night. Ethan took great care of us - very knowledgeable about the menu and gluten-free options. He made the night very special with gifts of dessert and espresso. Our wine steward, Francisco was also very kind and helpful. Francisco even gave us two glasses of Burgundy Pinot Noir after we mentioned the other wine we had didn’t pair well with the beef tartare. Thank you Francisco.The beef tartare, beef bourguignon, and duck were beautifully presented and delicious. =============

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  2. Isaac

    San Francisco Bay Area41 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food and drinks were all perfectly prepared. Serving sizes were large. Server's advice was correct.

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  3. Bobby

    Las Vegas4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We were is San Francisco for my wife’s birthday and a friend suggested we should visit this spot and we are very glad we did! The food was amazing and the staff was very friendly and helpful! Definitely will come back next time we are in this beautiful city!

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  4. Amy VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We had the steak frites! Delicious, well-seasoned and lots of frites with aioli.

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  5. Ramon

    Chicago / Illinois4 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on June 27, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    Ordered steak frites cooked medium well. It can rare. Sent it back and asked that it be cooked as requested. It came bank ten minutes later cold with a butter cube on top. The waiter didn’t check back. I ate the fries. The waiter must have said something because manager came to the table and offered to take it back to the kitchen to further cook the steak a third time. As he could see, my dinner partner had finished his main course. I was very annoyed and so I asked for the check. I’ve been eating at absinthe for some 10 years as a neighborhood restaurant I really enjoyed. Prices at yesterday’s dinner were not worth the price. $138 for an uncooked steak and a duck breast is a little more than one should pay for bad food and service.

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  6. Rudi VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always wonderful at Absinthe! Service, food and location! All excellent!

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  7. John VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area97 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 26, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    I had one of the best cocktails I've ever had. It is called Red Swan, and is an incredible combination of Bourbon and Thai Tea syrup. Somebody had a stroke of genius coming up with this one. Food was solid as usual and the chocolate ice cream was of very high quality.

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  8. Anne VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area38 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 25, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I had lunch here with friends. Business was light. We were not rushed. Food all around was excellent. I came back for dinner before opera with the hubby. Once again, food was terrific. Walter was our server and he was very attentive, knew we had a 7:30 curtain, made sure we were happy with everything and was wonderful in his quiet, helpful way.

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  9. Paul VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area25 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 23, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was very good if not outstanding. The service by Walter was excellent. All in all, a pleasant experience.

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  10. Tatiana VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Outstanding service and excellent food. Great place to have lunch or dinner before a performance.

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FAQs

Absinthe Brasserie and Bar - SF is rated 4.7 stars by 7449 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. San Francisco Bay Area
  4. San Francisco
  5. Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness

Make a reservation

2 people
7:30 PM
Booked 16 times today
Google Map for Absinthe Brasserie and Bar - SF

398 Hayes Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Gough
  • Neighborhood
    Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–3:00 pm Lunch Wed–Fri 11:30 am–3:00 pm Dinner Wed–Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    French, Californian
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    No valet. Street parking and nearby public lot located on Grove between Franklin and Gough.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Ian Begg
  • Additional
    Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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