Absinthe Brasserie & Bar

03/01/2008 Posted by adams_eating

Absinthe leaves a lot to be desired. For the money, I had to deduct one star, otherwise it may have been a three star restaurant. First, the location is great. For Opera or Symphony, you could not have a better location. Make a reservation, as this is a very popular spot. Also, the staff is great, pleasant, and knowledgable. However, if not for the location and staff, the food would not drive me back here. The menu is odd. Some small plates don't seen to go together. There were very few protein/meat based small plates. The duck was good, and the caramelized onions were infused with lavender which made them delicious. However, for the most part the other dishes were odd and mismatched. For example, one of the small plates was roasted chick pea. Tasted good, but hard to eat (they roll off of a fork, so hands are necessary, which is OK if they were better). Pommes frites, just OK - not worth the calories. I liked the hamachi, my friends thought it was very very mediocre. Lots of carbs and fat, very little of anything else. The wine list is schizophrenic. One or two $30 bottles. A few $3,600 bottles. A few more $120 bottles. Not a good range in between. However, the dessert is to die for. The apple et eppoise tarte is beyond compare. All in all, a relatively expensive dinner (in relation to the quality received), and the menu was odd enough and food spotty enough not to go back anytime soon - unless you go just for dessert, in which case I'd give it the highest rating (however, bring your own wine!).

Pros: Staff is wonderful, location is first rate

Cons: menu is odd, with a few exceptions food is just so-so

09/24/2007 Posted by sovereign_joy

WE LOVE the selection of fresh ingredients on their seasonal menu. This year we had a perfectly picked Heirloom Tomato salad with a very tasty Balsamic Syrup that we have been duplicating for our family dinners ever since our visit. My husband had a beautiful Half Dungeness Crab w/ a White Truffle Garlic Butter. It was so tasty that he wanted to order another one! I had a NY Steak that was sooo tender and buttery it seemed to melt in my mouth. The side of Asparagus was very fresh and the chef let that freshness speak for itself by not killing it with a heavy sauce. When we ordered dessert, we were treated to a lovely "Happy Anniversary" chocolate sauce script on our plates. This year we had such a wonderful dinner that we returned for lunch the next day. The Cornbeef Hash was the best my husband has ever tasted and my BLT was anything but ordinary. It had those fresh Heirloom Tomatoes and Smoke-cured Bacon w/ a homemade Aioli sauce. My husband and I have been coming to Absinthe every year on our anniversary for about 4 years now. The service has changed with every visit. Sometimes the servers are over attentive and sometimes they are no where to be found, but for the most part the service is acceptable. I chalk this up to the ever changing servers that it depends on each individual personality. Overall we absolutely enjoy this restaurant and will continue to recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Pros: Large Dining Room, Nice Bar, Fresh Ingredients, Near Shops & Theaters

Cons: Changing Servers, Only Mildly Romantic

09/12/2007 Posted by modifiedfast

The bar its fun, the drinks are good, the food is good and the service is ok. The problem with Absinthe is the plentiful homeless that hang out in front of the door. They are agressive, obnoxious and not the greeting you want when you are out for dinner. It seems that Absinthe allows these people to congregate by the front door and around the outdoor tables. I brought the problem to the attention of the restaurant host who, for the most part, dismissed the issue and waved Hi to to bum! Its become a hassle to eat at Absinthe. There are a bunch of restaurants in the immediate area that don't have this problem (Paul K, Sauce, Hayes Grill, Breezy's, the Kebob place, etc...).

Pros: The bar

Cons: The homeless who are allowed to remain at the front door

03/29/2007 Posted by sf_delight

This is the first and only restaurant in SF where I wasn't asked if I had a reservation when there were clearly a lot of tables open. The hostess was so welcoming and the waitress was really wonderful. The food was absolutely wonderful. The prices match the quality of the food. We had such a wonderful experience, and my boyfriend raved that it was his new favorite restaurant in the city (and we eat out A LOT). The decor is warm and inviting. I really enjoyed my experience here and will be going back very soon.

01/15/2007 Posted by sev2108

I have to agree with most of the reviews on here. The food is mediocre. The oysters I had were very fresh, and very good, but the rest of the food was anything but spectacular, compared with many other of san francisco's restaurant offerings. (Try the Hayes Street Grill down the street) And the service was terrible. Maybe I want too much, but our waiter was hardly attentive, forgot to serve a dish and got a bit flustered (and didn't apologize) when we pointed it out. I will go back to the bar. The long, dimly lit brassy bar with more choices of scotch, bourbon, vodka and traditional cocktails was phenomenal. And you have to love bartenders who are taking shots of bourbon behind the bar. Fantastic. Excellent service!

Pros: the bar, the ambience (definitely a date place) and the oysters

Cons: service, food

12/20/2006 Posted by missyfirn

I went to Absinthe last night for a work dinner and had the worst service. The waitress didn't approach our table until 30 minutes after we sat down. She never explained the menu and took forever to bring us each entree. She never filled up our water glasses or offered to bring more drinks. The food is great, but the service made for a terrible dinner.

10/27/2006 Posted by becks23

Everyone seems to be raving about Absinthe and I think it's one of those places that people like to be "cool" so they say they like it. Not that the place is bad. Food is average, leaning more toward the good side. I ordered the halibut with clams - it was tasty but a bit too soupy. The soup base was green too which is a bit odd. Too green if you ask me - good thing it was dark! LOL Overall, the service was good, food was decent.

09/19/2006 Posted by internationalfan

Absinthe is such a classy restaurant, the ambiance is true to Parisian taste and culture. The service was prompt and polite, not overly friendly, just right! We had the most delicious oyster shooters, the sauce was perfect and the oysters so fresh! I am not a french fry fanatic, but this restaurant has the PERFECT pommes frites, authentically wrapped in paper, and acompanied by the most increadible ketsup, aioli, dijon and vinegar dipping sauces! THE FRIES ARE A MUST! We also had a superb arrugula salad, and a rib eye steak with the most delicious sacue. The flavour combinations were perfectly balanced, the portions were PERFECT. THE RISOTTO AUX CHANTERELLES IS OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! the best I have ever had! The chocolate creme dessert is another dish that really was superb. It is not very often that one goes to a restaurant and EVERYTHING that you order is cooked to such perfection! BEAUTIFUL DINNER, BEAUTIFUL PLACE!

07/20/2006 Posted by shalgal

This is a nice place, but any place that still only has a grilled portobello sandwich as their sole veggie option is kind of lame. Too many places to try in Hayes - I'm unlikely to go back since there wasn't anything particularly compelling. Service was average, prices are above.

07/01/2006 Posted by wolftag

Very overpriced and overhyped. Service was abrupt and cold. I ordered a vodka martini -- even called the name of the vodka -- and was brought a gin martini. Waiter argued for a moment before bringing me another drink.