Absinthe Brasserie and Bar - SF

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1. JR

   JuliaR

   Charlotte

   9 reviews

   5.0

   9 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Delicious food, my husband loved the French Onion Soup! Also loved the Absinthe presentation (be sure to ask for the spirits menu to see what is available). Great for date night.

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2. MR

   MROS

   San Francisco

   10 reviews

   5.0

   10 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Consistently great in every way.

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3. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   New York Area

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined 5 days ago

   overall2food4service1ambience5

   I don’t know what was more shocking. The mouse that ran across the bench seating after our meal wrapped up, or the indifference of the staff. Although my friends and I left with quite a story to tell, we certainly won’t be doing back!

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4. CS

   CathyS

   San Francisco

   36 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   36 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Absinthe never disappoints! Two of us were there for lunch and had a great table in the back by a window. The Petrale Sole was delicious and beautifully served with a tasty yet not overpowering sauce, as the sole has a delicate flavor of its own. A most enjoyable meal from cocktail to dessert. And we were not rushed through our meal.

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5. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Los Angeles

   19 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   19 reviews

   Dined on January 25, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Just another delicious lunch at the ever consistent Absinthe. Do not miss the onion soup! The fresh herbs on the salad that came with the goat cheese tartlet were startlingly delicious. Our server Emma was outstanding- we very much appreciated her old school professionalism with youthful warmth and hospitality. It’s a classy and classic restaurant- perfect for a romantic date or a lunch with Mom👍🏽

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6. RO

   RosemaryO

   San Francisco

   6 reviews

   5.0

   6 reviews

   Dined on January 22, 2023

   overall5food4service5ambience5

   Yesterday, my friend and I had a lovely pre- symphony brunch at Absynthe. It is my second time to dine there, and for the second time, I enjoyed the most delicious quiche in all the world. Kudos to the kitchen and the chef🤩 Thank you

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7. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Francisco

   6 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   6 reviews

   Dined on January 22, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   All the energy and great food we’re looking for!

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8. l

   luckypuppy

   San Francisco

   19 reviews

   5.0

   19 reviews

   Dined on January 22, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Shannon was our server, and we felt loved and well cared for. From the minute we sat down. The duck and lentils were outstanding. The celery soup was divine —- and Shannon, held it all together and made it perfect

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9. r

   rsheng

   San Francisco

   70 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   70 reviews

   Dined on January 21, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Wonderful meal and experience, as always.

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10. JW

    JuliaW

    San Francisco

    5 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on January 20, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Emma and all staff are so fantastic here. Love your reliably perfect burger and onion soup.

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11. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    7 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on January 19, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    A beautiful restaurant. Very comfortable seating. Food was excellent as was the service. Did get a little loud after a bit.

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12. J

    Jackie

    New Orleans

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 16, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great place to go for intimate meal. Food is thoughtfully prepared, cocktails are given excellent attention to, really nice wine list. Ambience is relaxed and very comfortable. Staff are relaxed but attentive. These places are few and far between in SF these days, where the emphasis is put on comfort and socializing of guests. Tables are not packed in creating privacy for each table.

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13. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Las Vegas

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 15, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    The best meal I've had in recent memory. The service was impeccable and the food and drinks were amazing.

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14. MK

    MichelleK

    San Francisco

    28 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    28 reviews

    Dined on January 15, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    This is a decades long favorite that still carries the old San Francisco vibe… And does it well. The bar is first rate, the wait staff and attention to detail is a rare pleasure in this fantastic white tablecloth bistro. They do a delicious take on petrale sole with a browned butter sauce delicately flavored with sage and capers, on a bed of perfect mashed potatoes and spinach, with matchstick crispy potatoes on top for some crunch. Yum! My guy had the duck breast on a bed of lentils and it was a delicious dish too. It was a rainy night and I had the celery root soup which was good to the last drop. I love that they always have a French Chablis or other white burgundy on their “by the glass” menu. Their entire small wine list is well curated. For our symphony or jazz nights, this will always remain a favorite.

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15. HT

    HughT

    San Francisco

    58 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    58 reviews

    Dined on January 15, 2023

    overall4food4service3ambience4

    Service was a little rough. Good service but waiter was a little short. His answer to questions did t seem correct at times.

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16. J

    Jeff

    San Francisco

    11 reviews

    4.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on January 14, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    Absinthe has been a go-to favorite for entertaining visitors to the City. The food is fresh, with daily offerings always having something appealing. Solid French cuisine that is well prepared and presented. It is where we go when we wish to treat ourselves.

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17. MB

    MelanieB

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on January 1, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience5

    We did not realize there was a special New Year's Eve menu when we booked and I would have preferred the regular menu, which is always very good. This one had very limited choices, especially for one of our group with a seafood allergy, and everything was smothered in cream. Would recommend this restaurant, but not for New Year's Eve!

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18. MC

    MelindaC

    San Francisco

    6 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on December 31, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Loved the onion soup, eggs Benedict and Bella vita for brunch!! Great service as well!!

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19. N

    Nathan

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 31, 2022

    overall3food1service3ambience4

    Used to love this place but the food was disappointing. The fried items (except the fries which were fresh) tasted stale and old - the chips that came with the tartare and whatever was on top of the scallops - almost inedible. The sorbet was not good either. French onion soup was good but $17 is steep.

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20. JM

    JamieM

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 31, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Beautiful meal for pre new years celebration. Every bite was amazing and bartended makes a great pre dinner cocktail. Mellow but elegant ambiance- super cozy/romantic in the rain

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21. l

    loomzoom

    San Francisco

    27 reviews

    5.0

    27 reviews

    Dined on December 30, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Awesome dining experience and great starter to a performance evening in SF. The absinthe cocktail was delicious and the oysters fresh! Enjoyed the Foie Gras main course……back again soon

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22. L

    Loyalfan51

    San Francisco

    31 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    31 reviews

    Dined on December 30, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Very friendly and accommodating staff with guest with dietary restrictions. Food was excellent. Lovely evening!

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23. DG

    DivisaderoGuy

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on December 29, 2022

    overall3food3service4ambience3

    This oldtime favorite has come out of the pandemic with a reduced, more focused, more refined menu (while still maintaining a very broad range of tempting libations). Economics seem to have led to a reduced range of choices on offer. Somehow in our minds ithat's made it a diminished experience. We just don't go back as often.

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24. T

    Topskillet

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on December 24, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Excellent food and customer service!

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25. NF

    NapaFoodie

    San Francisco

    132 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    132 reviews

    Dined on December 23, 2022

    overall1food5service1ambience3

    Terrible experience. We heard a lot from our friends about Absinthe's outstanding food and service. The food did not disappoint but the service was atrocious. When the 4 of us arrived we were told that we needed to order quickly because there were 2 large tables coming in soon and, if we did not order soon, our meals would be delayed quite a bit. OK, that makes sense, so we ordered had some very good salads and mains. Later, our server asked if we wanted dessert or coffee and told us that we had 5 minutes to vacate our table because there were others waiting for our table. Now I don't know about you but we were there less than an hour and a half and were having a normal lunch (not talking for a half an hour, delaying ordering, reading the menu for an hour or sipping our wine for long periods of time). When I spoke with the manager about the situation, I was told that the Nutcracker was in town and that they had a lot of reservations (not an apology or anything that would make us feel like they cared for their customers, but basically "Tough Luck"). Extremely disappointed and cannot recommend.

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26. 1

    136ps

    San Francisco

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 23, 2022

    overall3food4service3ambience3

    Warm and cozy atmosphere, and located close to the Opera house and Symphony for a stop on the way to a performance. You are paying more for the atmosphere and proximity than service or food though…

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27. DW

    DebraW

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 22, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great first experience service outstanding, food delicious heart warming...Thank You for delivering a first excellent dining experience with Absinthe...Will return with family and friends 😃

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28. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on December 21, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    attentive service and excellent food.

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29. S

    Sausie

    New England

    47 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    47 reviews

    Dined on December 19, 2022

    overall4food5service5ambience4

    Great service , very welcoming , convenient to all the arts venues. Food is very good. Always an enjoyable experience.

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30. j

    jacqueline

    San Francisco

    12 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on December 19, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Everyone was friendly and so welcoming to my husband and I who brought our two young grandchildren. Service was attentive and quick . Food was delicious. Petrole sole was so perfect...husband loved the duck.

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31. RE

    RafaelE

    San Francisco

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on December 18, 2022

    overall5food5service4ambience5

    It took a minute to be served, but after that the rest of the time there was excellent, food and drink are delicious!

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32. SF

    SFHerc

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 18, 2022

    overall4food5service5ambience5

    Great service (the server's recommendations were spot on), did not feel rushed and most of the items we ordered were superb (skip the Black truffle burger). I can definitely recommend the Dungeness crab salad, the fries and the Creme Brulee.

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33. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on December 17, 2022

    overall2food2service3ambience3

    Food was very expensive & just okay.

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34. ME

    MEOD

    San Francisco

    14 reviews

    4.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on December 17, 2022

    overall4food5service5ambience4

    This old SF classic never fails to satisfy. Good food, great ambiance.

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35. e

    elizabethb

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on December 17, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    I had very tasty quiche and a really good cocktail and my friend had a tasty burger and tea. The atmosphere was very festive which was nice since we were going to the nutcracker ballet afterwards.

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36. SQ

    SuzieQ

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on December 16, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Perfect ambiance and food for a lovely holiday lunch with my hubby in the city.

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37. KK

    KimK

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on December 16, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Always a wonderful experience here. The service was top notch, although for a cold SF winter night, it felt like they had on air conditioning and it was so cold we asked to be moved to another table, and there were other tables complaining of the same. With that said, the meal was spectacular. You can never go wrong ordering French Onion soup and OMG the main entree of scallops ... your taste buds will be forever in your debt!

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38. BK

    BradyK

    Atlanta

    6 reviews

    3.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on December 15, 2022

    overall3food5service5ambience3

    Outstanding food and service. The restaurant is very cold however so this takes away from completely relaxing and enjoying the food.

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39. KK

    KennethK

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 15, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    I haven’t been here in at least 15 years. It has worn well and has the same vibe of walking into a brass Erie in Paris! Onion soup was perfect, I like the darker broth and it delivered. Oysters were shucked nicely and they tasted just like the sea. We enjoyed the Petrale Sole and a salad Lyonnaise. The sole was perfect and the mashed potatoes were nice and creamy, as the should be. The salad Lyonnaise was not traditional but it was delicious. Service was great, silver was down before the food came, waters looked after. Everything was coursed nicely. The wine list was very impressive and we enjoyed a 2015 Puligny~Montrachet that was drinking perfectly. The only downside was how cold it was when we arrived. We fid manage to adjust the floor heater on us so my 15 month old son warmed up quickly. Thank you Absinthe for delivering a wonderful lunch before the Nutcracker! We will be back.

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40. G

    Giovanna

    San Francisco

    37 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    37 reviews

    Dined on December 15, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Such great service, ambience, and delicious food. What more is there?

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