Absinthe Brasserie and Bar - SF

As always, we had an excellent meal at Absinthe that we thoroughly enjoyed. We are always impressed by the highly professional service. The restaurant can be noisy because it is popular and often crowded, but we lucked out and got a quiet table this time -- last time as well! -- and that always makes for a more pleasant dining experience.

The tomato soup is awesome! The burger and fries are the best!!

Having enjoyed Absinthe many times in the past last night was major disappointment
NOISY.
Sat with empty water glass..

As always ... good food, good peeps and great ambiance

The Coq au Vin never disappoints—complex, deep flavor with perfect texture contrasts, the ultimate sophisticated comfort food! Service was a major disappointment—extremely long wait for cocktails & appetizer and salad was brought at the same time.

An elegant menu in a welcoming setting, served by kind and capable staff. We felt very much at home chz Absinthe.

Coq au vin was excellent

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.

Excellent - from start to finish! Enjoyed the Absinthe Cocktails, winter salad, and burgers!

Delicous trout was the highlight although pineapple upside down cake was fun. The service was friendly yet correct. We have had some unpleasant experiences in San Francisco restaurants in the past few years which seem due to our being old. Absinthe is full of young people but we were nevertheless treated well.

While the dinner menu is limited, it is good that they occasionally change it.

This was a nice, very french-feeling cafe. We enjoyed a nice lunch that was exactly what one would expect from a French cafe. I'd go back. Next time I would try the Croque monsieur.

Good experience.

lovely Parisienne atmosphere and super attentive staff plus excellent food!

Delicious food, friendly staff and fun decor, not to mention a great bar with a huge selection of lovely Gin options.

I am never disappointed at Absinthe! The food is delicious and they have great cocktails. Service at Absinthe is always first-rate - professional, welcoming, friendly. We were in most recently for a pre-theater meal. I had a brussel sprouts salad with grilled chicken - sounds simple, but it was perfection! Their crowd-favorite coq au vin is worth the raves when you are looking for something more substantial. I have eaten at Absinthe at least a dozen times over the last decade and never had a bad meal or experience. They also have a great party space and did a fantastic job for a recent birthday party.

Wanted a 5:30 reservation but should have called in sooner. Arrived way ahead of our 7:15 reservation. Were able to be seated immediately. Great. But we were in the bar—crowded and noisy. Next time I’ll call farther ahead of time

Mark Manager, and Sylvia Server were the absolute best.

The food was well overpriced and not up the high standards. They seem to be specialists in fries.

Everyone was very accommodating, and service went above and beyond. The food was excellent too -- it's so hard to find a simple but delicious French onion soup (because there's so much hipster food around these days), but Absinthe has it!

An excellent spot for pre-opera brunch on Sundays, with creative food, friendly waitstaff and decor reminiscent of Paris.

Not as good as it used to be. Everything is a little tired and dated, food is very average. Wine prices are ridiculous.

Another lovely lunch. Fantastic steak frites - highly recommend - and G&Ts. Our server, Sara, was also highly professional and quite fun! As much as I love Absinthe for cozy dinners, I love it even more on a sunny day in Hayes Valley! Thank you!

Food was really good. Everyone enjoyed what they got and cocktails were perfect! Will definitely come here again.

I could have had everything on the menu. The trout was very fresh and flavorful. If you have never had absinthe I recommend you come here, they have several mixed drinks for you to try with it in it. A 5:30 PM reservation was perfect for the 8 PM symphony.

One of my favorite SF restaurants, Absinthe never disappoints! From the crispy chickpeas to nibble with an artisan cocktail, to the selection of oysters, to seasonal soups and salads and imaginative mains, the food is delicious and the service is usually excellent. With a buzzy vibe and beautiful surroundings, Absinthe is great for a pre-show dinner or a special date night.

We had the Wagu steak as our main and shared oysters and a salad. I love how they split a dish so graciously and well. Outstanding before concert meal. We sat in the side dining room and quiet but not t as fun as where we usually sit.

Great service as usual. Plump, buttery oysters. Try the Pisco Power cocktail if you like something unique and dry.

This is usually one of our favorite Hayes Valley restaurants but missed the mark tonight. The great ambiance was there but our favorite romaine salad came out over salted. Before the last bite was eaten the next course was at the table and our plates were being removed. The meal was over in 35 minutes including cocktails. Certainly not a great date night since we hadn’t wanted a fast food meal

Wonderful, As Always! I eat there often when going to musical performances in the SFJAZZ Center, Davies Symphony Hall, War Memorial Opera House, Herbst Theatre. The food is delicious, the service good and the ambiance nice.

I"ve been coming to Absinthe for years and I still love it!

Always a fun spot for lunch before the opera matinee!

We love going to Absinthe after the opera, for dinner if early enough, or drinks and dessert. It has a great vibe, always busy/buzzy and friendly, helpful service - it's one of the closest to a French brasserie that we know of. The food is very good - salmon, steak and French fries, coq au vin - and really good bread; also nice desserts and a cheese plate option. My husband enjoys absinthe (the drink) and the extensive menu at Absinthe. People-watching is fun, a lot going on. We have a great time - it makes us feel young(er) to be there.

Fun place to go after the opera. Great ambience, great service, delicious food. Serving dining room menu until 11pm!

Great dinner to celebrate our anniversary. They gave us a complimentary glass of champagne.

Great service!

Been going to absinthe for 20 years because I like the food atmosphere and location. The food and the service have had their ups and downs and right now it is as good or better than it’s been at any time in the past. Understand there’s a new chef who brought new energy and also has lighten the menu up a little bit with some very welcome vegetable base dishes.

Very expensive for what it is. Food was mediocre. Oysters were the highlight. From there it went downhill. Bouillabaisse was way too spicy, the duck sausage had pieces of duck meet mixed in the garnish, so the whole dish felt like Thanksgiving dinner leftovers. The icing on the cake was the waiter not knowing what "espresso with lemon wedge" is. The wine was good, but overall the place is not worth $250 for dinner for two.

Great service
Very convenient to all the surrounding entertainment
Too much salt in the otherwise very good food
Very noisy

Always a great place to eat. Especially accommodating prior to SFS concerts.