Absinthe Brasserie and Bar

Pros: Romantic atmosphere of an era gone by
Cons: Uneven service

I actually sought out Absinthe after reading several glowing reviews of it here at Epinions. While the food is satisfying, it is the atmosphere of this brasserie that I find the most charming.

THE QUICK STORY
• Intimate French...

Pros: A beautiful interior, willing staff, and and some fine seafood dishes.
Cons: Often in American-French restaurants, dishes don't satisfy due to lack of native French ingredients.

Since I first wrote this review of ABSINTHE, it has become a major destination restaurant in the burgeoning Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco. Everything I said originally remains true, only more so.

The Absinthe Brasserie and...

Pros: Best Manhattan I've ever encountered. Great bartenders.
Cons: The bar can get over-run with yuppie scum on weekends.

Absinthe is my favorite restaurant in San Francisco. The food is yummy. The ambience is swell. But the best part about this place is the bar: stocked with an incredible array of the finest stuff, it makes me feel like the proverbial kid in a candy store:...

Pros: Great food, great service, great atmosphere
Cons: I didn't find any

(Okay, you can stop groaning at the pun...) Absinthe is a wonderful French brasserie on the corner of Hayes and Gough. I visited on the recommendation of a friend who'd spent months raving about nothing but one of their desserts, and dining there was...

Pros: Great food, good service, hip neighborhood
Cons: None to speak of

I have been to Absinthe Brasserie and Bar in Hayes Valley at least a dozen times and have come to depend on it for great atmosphere and delicious food.

I usually make last minute dining decisions, and therefore don't always make reservations...

Pros: Everything was "correct." Absinthe is a destination restaurant. I look forward to my next visit.
Cons: The worst I can say is that we had to ask for the check.

We flew in from Massachusetts, checked into The Archbishop's Mansion (great little hotel), walked to the Opera House, and, after The Peal Fishers, went on a search for a restaurant nearby. A woman locking up the first place we came to said to go around the corner to Absinthe. What a gem! What luck! The wild smoked salmon with toasted capers and creme fraiche was heavenly, not salty or over-smoky. Of special note is the cheese menu with suggested wine pairings. It is worth coming to this beautiful restaurant just for that. The lavender scented creme brulee was perfect. Our spoons made that satisfying "crack" on the top and the creme underneath was indeed smooth, creamy, with a hint of lavender, as promised.

The ambience couldn't be better. We sat facing a charming mural. When I asked the waiter about it, he brought a book about absinthe in art to the table to show us some of the inspiration for the mural. The service overall was friendly and helpful regarding menu questions, without being obsequious or hovering. We did not have a reservation, but we were seated right away and at a beautiful, romantic table.