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Absinthe Brasserie and Bar - SF, San Francisco, CA

Absinthe Brasserie and Bar - SF

4.7 (7444)
$31 to $50
French
398 Hayes Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

Make a reservation

2 people
11:30 PM
Booked 13 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
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive chef
    Ian Begg
  • 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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What 7,444 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

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • San Francisco

    French

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Absinthe Brasserie and Bar in SF offers a delightful dining experience with "wonderful food, wonderful service, wonderful ambiance." Highlights include "great cocktails & food" and the "funniest help people and service superbe!" The menu features standout dishes like duck, pea soup, and Petrale sole. Perfect for pre-performance meals, this brasserie combines "extraordinary French food in an elegant, yet comfortable setting" with fantastic service and a welcoming atmosphere.
7,444 Reviews
  1. Ramon

    Chicago / Illinois4 reviews

    1.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    Ordered steak frites cooked medium well. It can rare. Sent it back and asked that it be cooked as requested. It came bank ten minutes later cold with a butter cube on top. The waiter didn’t check back. I ate the fries. The waiter must have said something because manager came to the table and offered to take it back to the kitchen to further cook the steak a third time. As he could see, my dinner partner had finished his main course. I was very annoyed and so I asked for the check. I’ve been eating at absinthe for some 10 years as a neighborhood restaurant I really enjoyed. Prices at yesterday’s dinner were not worth the price. $138 for an uncooked steak and a duck breast is a little more than one should pay for bad food and service.

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  2. Rudi VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always wonderful at Absinthe! Service, food and location! All excellent!

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  3. John VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area97 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    I had one of the best cocktails I've ever had. It is called Red Swan, and is an incredible combination of Bourbon and Thai Tea syrup. Somebody had a stroke of genius coming up with this one. Food was solid as usual and the chocolate ice cream was of very high quality.

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  4. Anne VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area38 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I had lunch here with friends. Business was light. We were not rushed. Food all around was excellent. I came back for dinner before opera with the hubby. Once again, food was terrific. Walter was our server and he was very attentive, knew we had a 7:30 curtain, made sure we were happy with everything and was wonderful in his quiet, helpful way.

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  5. Paul VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area25 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 23, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was very good if not outstanding. The service by Walter was excellent. All in all, a pleasant experience.

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  6. Tatiana VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Outstanding service and excellent food. Great place to have lunch or dinner before a performance.

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  7. Julie

    San Francisco Bay Area1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everyone took very good care of me and. my guest, moving ms from one table to anothher and both of us to another yet. Food was delicious.

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  8. Janet VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We eat there often. The food and the service are always excellent. We don’t always order dessert, but when we do, it’s usually their pot de crème. It’s absolutely delicious. This time we had their Black Forest cake. It was worth every single calorie! Yum!

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  9. Peter VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area16 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Ethan is a great waiter in the classic European style

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  10. Margaret

    San Francisco Bay Area9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Absinthe has the best food, , the funniest help people and service superbe! I would like to live there in the window like a cat and watch the world go by over my kir royale and onion soup!

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FAQs

Absinthe Brasserie and Bar - SF is rated 4.7 stars by 7444 OpenTable diners.

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

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. San Francisco Bay Area
  4. San Francisco
  5. Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness

Make a reservation

2 people
11:30 PM
Booked 13 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
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