Overall experience was very good. Have eaten here before, and depending on how busy, have always been able to get a table, even without a reservation. Will definitely continue to come back as we work our way through the menu.

I have been coming here for over 30 years usually before the SF Symphony. As always, the food is very good and the service is greater! And we always get to the Symphony lecture on time.

We make Absinthe our regular dinner spot before SF Symphony. It is very convenient to Davies Hall and the food and wine is excellent. Service is always impeccable. We were informed that there is new executive chef and noticed our favorite appetizer of mussels & clams was not on the menu. We did try the scallop appetizer and it was very good. Want to put a big plug to bring back the mussels and clams! Looking forward to our next visit.

Excellent all around.

One of our favorites. We will be back soon

Excellent service and the staff was very helpful with the menu. When leaving we needed directions and the hostess went on goggle map to show us route we should take.

Food too salty. Too few of highlighted ingredients in dishes. Waitstaff professional but noticeable in preference of male at the table Not what it used to be

The potato crusted salmon with an accompanied green salad was excellent as was the service. Our server was pleasant and attentive. Never had to wait for Wine or any additional requests. Excellent!

In the past, we have thoroughly enjoyed Absinthe and dine here quite often as it is close to the Opera House and the Symphony Hall. This was my 1st time for lunch at Absinthe and, unfortunately, the server was either quite new or not too swift. It took nearly an hour to receive our entrees - which were 1 simple salad and 1 small 'raclette'.

The hostess finally stepped in and we received our lunch which we ate very quickly and then needed to leave.

It was great. They split the food for us on separate dishes and everything.

This is one of our staple dining venues in SF. We love the bar and the variety of choices. The wine selection is excellent, and the sommelier is very knowledgeable and honest.

Staff were not at all attentive. Food used to be better. Seems tired.

1. I kindly requested a quiet table for business meal. We were put next to a 12 people birthday lunch party. We could barely hear our conversations.

2. I asked for an extra chair to put my bag, the staff & manager refused, citing that all the chairs are taken.

THERE OUT OF TWELVE TABLES WERE OCCUPIED DURING THE ENTIRE THREE HOURS LUNCH WE HAD.

RUDE.

It was a lovely dinner. Really lovely. I recommend this restaurant.

Wonderful meal and experience! We loved the creative menu and the atmosphere was excellent for catching up with friends.

Great Bloody Marys and variety of Brunch entrees to choose from. Very European in feel with excellent service and well prepared and interesting food. Would definitely recommend!

My wife and I have been coming here for many years and we have always left happy and satisfied. We love the classic San Francisco feel of the space; a place where you know you are in the City. The food was great as usual and the waiter was cordial but a bit rushed even though we were dining after 10:30 pm.

You can always come here and count on good food and service. There’s enough variety so everyone can choose something to please their palate.

Really enjoyed both the drinks and the meal. Wonderful selection of signature cocktails and the oysters were superb. I especially enjoyed the Pork Osso Bucco, a unique twist on a classic that was lighter and as tasty as the traditional beef or veal one, but with bone marrow to enjoy too. Great meal!

We have eaten at Absinthe several times and are never disappointed. The restaurant decor is reminiscent of being in France. Our seasoned waiter was very helpful and added some extra levity to my birthday celebration. We had ballet tickets and he was very good at gently making sure we left the restaurant in time. We shared the Cerviche (excellent), the very unique kale & apple salad, the Coq au Vin and the sauteed Broccolini. All quite good.

Always Wonderful! I eat there often, and it never disappoints. It is one of my favorite restaurants before going to the Ballet, Symphony, Opera or SFJAZZ. I recommend it!

We arrived at 5:30pm, about 15 minutes late due to traffic. The hostess was very gracious and took us right to our waiting table. There was a string of people hoping to be seated. Our server (a woman from Marin) was exceedingly helpful in particular by pointing out the restaurant was starting to get quite busy and if we wanted to truly relax and enjoy our meal before our 7:30 event we should order promptly. This turned out to be important. The server was very attentive, pouring wine as needed and folding napkins when either party needed to leave the table, but not obtrusive. Food service was excellent. All in all a nice visit with very good food (Really loved the pea soup!)

Excellent all around, as usual.

We had to wait 20 minutes for our 6:30 reservation , which was a little concern as we had ballet tickets for an 8 pm performance. However, our waitress was apprised of our situation and she facilitated getting our order placed promptly. The food was brought out quickly and were were finished in plenty of time to walk to the SF Opera House for the ballet performance.

The food was tasty, nicely presented, and servings were abundant. The hostess had provided us with a complimentary glass of champagne while we waited and had our server bring some spicy roasted nuts to the table because of the unexpected wait for our table....a nice touch.

We had 7:30 dinner reservations, but it was so cold outside---they made our table ready at 7:05! We got our drinks super quick and the waitress even talked us out of our original drinks because neither one of us liked lickerish. The food also came fast and almost all at once, so we had a really nice meal out of 4 shared appetizers. The atmosphere was really lovely, i LOVE Absinthe and always have a good time there, whether just stopping for a drink or a full meal. The service is always friendly, but without being overly sweet or fake.
We paid $80 bill for 2 ,including drinks, which i find VERY reasonable.
They also have the best bread!

Absinthe is one of my absolute favorites. As always, the ambiance and service were perfect. The menu is varied enough for everyone. As a vegetarian, I always find options. In particular, their soups are almost always vegetarian (not vegan) and there's always a beautiful vegetarian entree.

The Two Apples/Kale salad was both beautiful and delicious. For dessert, I've usually gotten the lovely chocolate Pot de Creme, but I had the Vacherin "Creamsicle". Oh my goodness, it was brilliant. My friends all tried a bite and said it was one of the best desserts they'd ever had. A beautiful mix of ice cream, sorbet and crunch in a perfect meringue bee hive.

Absinthe is a very favorite place of mine!! Each time i’ve been there has been GOOD!! Am plotting when can next add another evening @Absinthe to my calendar....

Grilled cheese with a fried egg on top -- great menu item!

We had a great experience. The food was excellent as was the service.

Made attempts to make the meal special. Went for lunch since dinner reservations were not possible. Love to return.

I took a child to Absinthe for lunch before a symphony concert. Over all, everything was good, but the waitress called me sweetie and darling and I found that off-putting. Also, her accent was so thick I could hardly understand her. However,the one thing I didn’t like was, when I said the child and I wanted to share a $13 salad, she gave us two smaller salads at $9 each. Thus I paid I paid $5 more than I would have. I don’t like things like that, it makes the waitress seem as if she wanted a larger bill and thus a larger tip. I think her name was Emma and next time I go there, I will ask to avoid sitting in her station.

Absinthe is a fave when I'm in SF for lunch before a ballet performance. The streets in Hayes Valley are all torn up right now, so when we were there the whole place was vibrating due to the street construction outside. Made for an interesting meal. Food was great, service was great. Will be back.

Atmospheric restaurant with good food and friendly service

Absinthe delighted me and my not-so-foodie partner! The "Secret Garden" absinthe cocktail was outstanding, the oysters heavenly and the entrees, mine the octopus and my partner's the osso bucco, inspired my partner to swear our first-born child to our wonderful waiter Robert. (We're in our late 40's with no plans to try to produce offspring, but it's the thought that counts, right?) Overall, a blissful dining experience.

It was our first time going to the symphony and we got stuck in traffic and arrived late (we did call ahead to warn them). However they were still able to seat us and Erin even expedited our order so we wouldn't be late for the concert. Excellent service!

I've loved this place for years and keep coming back. The room(s) are beautiful, the food delicious, whether for lunch or dinner.

Great food, great service, took a friend for a Birthday dinner, an excellent place for a special celebration. Friend said it was one of the best meals she’s ever had! We had raw oysters, English pea soup (superb), she had the mac and cheese and I had sautéed cod with mushrooms. Everything was delicious, including the cocktails and desserts. Waitress was knowledgeable and helpful, attentive. Enjoyable experience all around.

Our evening was terrific!! Great food! Great service! Great atmosphere! Overall noise level low enough that we 4 could easily have a good conversation too!
😁😁😁😁

We dined here on a Sunday evening before a Davies Hall event. The restaurant was packed and seating was close together .... so the many pleasant conversations created a noisy environment but not so noisy you couldn't talk yourself. Vibrant. It was an enjoyable dinner. Service was above and beyond. The food was fresh, nicely presented and very good. My only slight knock was the room was slightly too warm. Would definitely go back.

Nice spot, not over-the-top amazing food but solid. The duck pate and pretzels were delicious, the coq au vin flavorful and satisfying.