Absinthe Brasserie and Bar - SF

I had a very nice time at absinthe. The food is still very good for how long the restaurant has been around which is always amazing. I would say the service is so so, having to ask for water constantly and then not anticipating certain needs (ie wanting to order another drink, etc) they also charged .50 cents for a little ramekin of fresh horseradish which I thought was a little ridiculous because I work in the service industry myself. Why not charge for ketchup then. The thing that got me the most though was they forgot to do something for my boyfriends birthday which is why we went there for the first time. I know they do something because 1.) they are definitely a special occasion restaurant and 2.) I saw another table get a candle for a birthday. I mentioned it to the host and she was very apologetic and friendly, did offer me a gift card which was nice. Overall it was nice and iwouldreturn

The main attraction of this place is the location,( for pre symphony dining, the bar, and the ambience if It is your thing,
Our server was excellent
I have always found the food to be passable
Not exceptional. The octopus/sausage main
Was mediocre.
They do have however an excellent Fr Onion
Soup and a very good burger.
Will go again at some point pre symphony

Another wonderful dinner at this classy restaurant. We both had the beef tartare and loved it.

My bill had a $50 overcharge. The server’s response that these things happen. The food was much better in the past. i still like the. Location and the ambience but it has slipped.

As always, the food was excellent. I'll zero in on the French onion soup this time. Classic. If it's something you like, add a cup. Osso Bucco and Rigatoni also fine.

I've always loved Absinthe over the past years. However, it was disappointing for the 4 of us dining before
a Symphony. The menu is very limited and hasn't changed - we also felt the quality of the food was not up
to par as in the past. Noise level was high - I may be looking at other nearby restaurants. Not a great value.
Service that night was not great either. Maybe they should rethink their menu options.

Servings are very small and there are not too many options on their brunch menu. Food is fine but nothing outstanding.

We love Absinthe. It's always our number 1 pick when in Hayes Valley. We have never left disappointed. Wonderful, cozy restaurant with great food and excellent ambiance.

Absinthe needs to change it up. The menu hardly ever changes, and the food has become boring and mediocre. Our service the other night was really bad. Even our simple cocktails came out wrong and had to be sent back. There are many better restaurants to try at this expensive price point. We’ve been coming here pre and post symphony or opera because it’s so close to those. I feel similarly about Jardinere. Time to branch out!

Very friendly and considerate service. Nice menu.

Our first time at this restaurant was for lunch and we were very pleased with all aspects. We were promptly seated at a comfortable and quiet corner booth. The ambience was quite nice with sunny, open spaces with French and SF decor. The music was traditional and hearable without impinging on conversation. The waiter was polite and attentive throughout the meal. Both the gem lettuce salad and French onion soup were delicious as starters, as were the beef brisket “French dip” and the Absinthe hamburger with fries for entrees. We finished the meal with delicious cups of coffee. We shall return!

Always a good meal here but nothing blew me away

Slow service
Not attentive

Love the chili Bloody Mary. Ricotta French toast was decadently delicious.

Excellent service. We had a great table right by the window. Very nice morel mushroom pasta!

Dinner at Absinthe is always an enjoyable experience. The menu has enough variety that there's something for everyone. The food is fresh, well presented, and creative. The Tomato Bisque and the French Onion soup are both excellent. If you like salmon you can't go wrong with their Potato Crusted Salmon.

Great dessert options. We tried the coffee ice cream and it was possibly the best we've had. The wine list is so extensive you could probably spend an entire meal perusing it.

Food sucked.

the waiter was quite a neophyte. didn't asks if cocktails were up or on the rocks. couldn't figure out the intermittent draft which was quite distracting.

This is one of my favorite restaurants. Usually the food is perfect. This time I had to send my burger back twice because it was raw. They took it off my bill. Best French 75s ever!

Been here a number of times and love it. Had our wedding here in their Private Dining Area and return for our anniversary. Excellent service, nice atmosphere, amazing food. Overall exceptional experience. Have recommended to a number of friends who all agree it's a great place.

First time eating dinner for about a year food was fair romaine salad had no taste main dish was good service was fair. coffee was cold we paid corkage for our wine was not opened properly. it was so noisy we could not carry on a conversation . will not be back Kb JD

Have eaten here many times. Quality and service are always excellent. The table we had (a reservation) was wedged between two other tables which was a little uncomfortable, but I did not take away a star. Highly recommended. Everything I have tried on the menu is excellent. Great for Sunday brunch before a performance. Book early as it is very popular.

Always good food, menu changing with the seasons, innovative choices and reliable stand bys.

Food was great. Ambience is more romantic than casual.

Consistently excellent food and vibrant atmosphere

We had a rough start to our trip to SF but as soon as we arrived at the restaurant things got better. Everyone was professional and courteous and the food was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! We ill definitely be going back!

I love this restaurant. My husband and I have been here three times—always good. Our waiter was superb and the food was perfect! I love the banquets and beautiful murals.

The only other comment has to do with all restaurants anymore and that is this: people show up in baggy shorts, t-shirts and beat up sneakers! However, many patrons were dressed in business attire or business casual when we were there last Tues (9/25/18). I really wish lovely places such as Absinthe required a dress code. I don't care if you are a tourist, don't come to a nice place dressed as though you were in an In and Out burger. Surely you brought with you a pair of slacks and a decent shirt. Thank you!

Had a great time and great food. Our server was very patient and knowledgable, thoughtful wine recommendation. All around fabulous time :)

Limited menu. Especially good spot for wine and cheese. Excellent service.

If you're vegetarian, your only choice is pasta. But if you like pasta, you won't be disappointed.

Great oysters and wonderful service from our waiter Robert
Perfect for before the opera on a lively Saturday night.
Only negative is that the banquette seat needs to be re-upholstered. It has lost its "stuffing"

Service and food are excellent. Grilled octopus perfection in presentation and taste. Small menu, each an excellent choice.

Love Absinthe for everyday and specialty dining.

Excellent restaurant - food and atmosphere. Whitney is a wonderful server who made the experience that much more enjoyable.

I had a surpringly delightful meal at this classic bistro style restaurant. The steak tartare was delicious and the salmon prepared perfectly. Don't skip on the chocolate pot de creme! Service was excellent in a great environment.

wish it wasn't so noisy...because the food, service and ambience are great.

Wonderful food from Joel and service from Martine. Wonderful food from Joel and service from Martine.

Better than ever! One of our favorites. The pork osso bucco was amazing.

We had already experienced the great cocktails available at the bar, but this was our first time dining in. The food (and the service) did not disappoint. For appetizer, we got the pretzels and cheese (which was basically a poor-man's escargot because of the butter sauce they're drenched in). And for the main course, my girlfriend ate the salmon with a thin (and delicious) potato crust, while I had the octopus and sausage entree. The portions were well sized and well priced (for a date night dinner). Service was great as mentioned at the beginning and they were very conscious of our show time later that night. Definitely recommend this restaurant!

My brother and I usually meet at Absinthe for lunch..he loves the restaurant. I recently went with my sister, visiting from out of town and my son. I only remember 1 other time I ate here for dinner. I remembered having a lovely muscles dish but it wasn't on the menu. My son had the Osso Bucco, my sister had the rigatoni and I have the grilled octopus dish.
My son loved his, so did my sister but I found my octopus to be under seasoned, not grilled long enough so that it was too tender, and basically the sauce was really bland. I ate most of it anyway but even had my son taste it and he thought the same thing.
I've had grilled octopus at other restaurants and it was much better. Maybe chef should rethink the execution of the octopus and the sauce.
Otherwise, iconic location, great service, we were there for about an hour and a half to talk and our waiter was very patient.