Absinthe Brasserie & Bar

Lovely French restaurant in the heart of Hayes Valley. Ambiance is very chic and lively. Service is attentive and watchful. Our waiter was observant of when to "interrupt" conversation to get our orders and when we needed another cocktail or when it was time for dessert. In the beginning he kindly served us drinks while waiting for our friends to park. Food was beautiful and delicious. The french onion soup was outstanding. One of the best I've had. The cauliflower soup was also a stand out. For the main we enjoyed the Sole Meunier and Beef Bourguignon. The dessert was pretty. But just ok IMHO. Maybe it was thr chestnut I wasn't fond of... Overall we had a magnificent Christmas celebration dinner with our friends.

So glad we finally tried Absinthe. We just walked in without reservation in a Saturday noon time, get a great seat right away. The food is amazing and feel so different from other restaurants, from the bread they use, to the sauce taste like. It's indeed out of the world. Love our waiter, very friendly & give out best suggestions. Dessert didn't surprise me, but love all the food we ordered and the cocktail is top-notch.

Absinthe is a lovely place to have a quiet lunch or romantic dinner. The service and hospitality are excellent; atmosphere is very nice; food and drinks are great. However, it is incredibly expensive—even by SF standards—and not worth the price you pay. They would have a lot more business (and profit) if the prices were not so inflated. I will return—when they have more reasonable prices.