Absinthe Brasserie and Bar - SF

Name: Absinthe Brasserie and Bar - SF
Address: 398 Hayes Street, San Francisco, CA, United States, 94102
Telephone: (415) 551-1590
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.7

4.7 (7424)

$31 to $50

French

398 Hayes Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 13, 2025

11:30 PM

Booked 29 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
(415) 551-1590
Website
http://www.absinthe.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive chef
Ian Begg

Location
398 Hayes Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
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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Popular dishes

Soupe à L'Oignon$17.00
Onion Soup Gratinèe
Celery Root Soup$16.00
Bacon, Apple, Celery, Chive Puree
Roasted Beet & Apple Salad$17.00
Crispy Goat Cheese, Chicories, Pomegranate, Walnut Vinaigrette
Mixed Greens Salad$12.00
Pear Vinaigrette, Fines Herbs
Dungeness Crab Salad$29.00
Avocado Mousse, Creme Fraiche, Ruby Grapefuit, Tarragon

Plats Principaux

Quiche Lorraine$17.00
Bacon, Leek, Gruyère, Mixed Greens Salad
Pain Perdu French Toast$18.00
Pineapple Brulee, Brown Butter, Maple, Chantilly Cream
Eggs Benedict$23.00
Pain De Mie Toast, Spinach, Bacon, Crispy Potatoes
Salade Lyonnaise$21.00
Duck Confit, Soft-Cooked Egg, Mushroom, Frisee, Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
Petrale Sole Meuniere$37.00
Capers, Butter, Lemon, Turmeric, Potato Purée, Crispy Sage
Absinthe Black Truffle Cheeseburger$32.00
Half Pound Niman Ranch Beef Patty, Pt. Reyes Tomatruffle Cheese, Garlic Aioli, Grilled Onions, Chicories, Pommes Frites
Steak Frites$52.00
Grilled New York Strip Loin, Haricots Verts, Mizuna, Bordelaise, Bearnaise

Garnitures

Pommes Frites$12.00
Aioli, Ketchup
Warm Acme Roll$3.00
Whipped Butter with Sea Salt
Roasted Root Vegetables$15.00
Persillade
Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes$12.00
Duck Fat
Fruit Plate$12.00
Seasonal Selection of Fruit

What 7,424 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

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

San Francisco
French

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Absinthe Brasserie and Bar in San Francisco offers a delightful dining experience with "wonderful food" and "fine personable service." Many guests praise its "upscale ambience" and "delicious" dishes such as duck and sole. Though some noted high prices and occasional service lapses, most reviews emphasize its "perfect French fare," "creative cocktails," and "friendly, attentive staff." Ideal for pre-performance dining, this classy bistro remains a favorite for its consistent quality and charming atmosphere.

7,424 Reviews

P
Pretty VIP
Atlanta1 review
1.0
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 4
I was waiting for my order while the rest of the party had their food already for about 10 minutes only for the server to come out and tell me that they don’t have the salmon for my salad. So instead of asking if I want to pivot he said I would get the frisée and beets only. What? No option given? Also charging me for it? Like what kind of service is that…mind you I had been sitting there waiting for me meal…did you not know there wasn’t any salmon? Like why is that still on the menu? Poor service and to add on…he didn’t even come back to check on the table at all…we had to get up and leave to pay for our bill. Just awful. This place has lost it…no thank you.
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I
IngerMarie
San Francisco Bay Area1 review
5.0
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
It was a magical evening of sumptuous food and delightful wine. The service was impeccable
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A
Andrea
San Francisco Bay Area10 reviews
5.0
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We enjoyed a delicious early dinner before the opera last evening. Absinthe is our favorite pre-show restaurant because the food and service are always outstanding. The newly redecorated dining room was gorgeous in its new color scheme.
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D
Deanna
California Central Coast4 reviews
5.0
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great choice for a celebration or dinner before a performance!
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B
Bernard VIP
San Francisco Bay Area2 reviews
1.0
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 1
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
Cons: - mouse scurrying in the restaurant. When notified, the staff feigned to be surprised, and the manager laughed it off, saying that it’s a battle but with the doors open, rodents get in. (So now I need to empathize with this man?!). PS: the doors are NOT open. - I had notified the restaurant that this was for a birthday celebration. I had to remind the wait staff. Didn’t make the occasion feel special. They did comp a dessert. - prices have gone up significantly. Pro: - the food was good. - the place is quiet. This place had symbolic significance for us but this experience was subpar. I really want to support SF businesses and I know this review will be damaging but I can’t see myself ever going back there.
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R
Risa VIP
San Francisco Bay Area26 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 5, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Absinthe is a wonderful restaurant with delicious food and fine personable service. While it’s a bit on the expensive side, I gladly pay for the upscale ambience with table cloths and a moderate noise level. Eating here is always a nice experience.
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R
Reynette VIP
San Francisco Bay Area44 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 5, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We stopped in for an early and light dinner. We ordered several smaller plates and a salad for sharing. Two cheese plates, two “bar bites”, and salad lyonnaise. The Eggs and Toast plate was fabulous as was the Birds of a Feather pate. All delicious and we would order these dishes again. The service was also wonderful, we’ve had the same server before and he is engaging, helpful, and very polite. We were sat in a way back corner which was a bit cramped for a party of three.
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C
Charles VIP
Hawaii150 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 5, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We have been here several times, and the food was outstanding and so was the service.
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B
Bill
San Francisco Bay Area7 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 2, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Classy French Bistro without the airfare. The duck in all forms is excellent
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T
Tatiana VIP
San Francisco Bay Area4 reviews
4.0
Dined on June 1, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Great service and excellent food. Great lunch before going to SF Opera or SF Symphony.
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FAQs

Absinthe Brasserie and Bar - SF is rated 4.7 stars by 7424 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 13, 2025

11:30 PM

Booked 29 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

Website
http://www.absinthe.com/
Phone number
(415) 551-1590

Featured in

West Coast Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

Absinthe Brasserie and Bar - SF

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

West Coast Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

Salade Lyonnaise

Eggs Benedict

Petrale Sole Meuniere

Fruits de Mer

Tsar Nicoulai Caviar$75.00

Oyster Selection$5.00

Chilled Mussels a L'Escabeche$15.00

Patisserie

Pistachio-Blackberry Croissant$9.00

Apple & Quince Poptart$8.00

Plats Premiers

Soupe à L'Oignon$17.00

Celery Root Soup$16.00

Roasted Beet & Apple Salad$17.00

Mixed Greens Salad$12.00

Dungeness Crab Salad$29.00

Plats Principaux

Quiche Lorraine$17.00

Pain Perdu French Toast$18.00

Eggs Benedict$23.00

Salade Lyonnaise$21.00

Petrale Sole Meuniere$37.00

Absinthe Black Truffle Cheeseburger$32.00

Steak Frites$52.00

Garnitures

Pommes Frites$12.00

Warm Acme Roll$3.00

Roasted Root Vegetables$15.00

Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes$12.00

Fruit Plate$12.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Absinthe Brasserie and Bar - SF restaurant rated?

Is Absinthe Brasserie and Bar - SF currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information

Featured in

West Coast Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day