Absinthe Brasserie & Bar

"It’s not just the opera crowd that pushes into Absinthe, still dazzling after over 20 years in business. Step into the warm and welcoming brasserie, and belly up to the bar for craft cocktails and a croque. Or make a reservation and sit down to griddled country paté, beef tartare, French onion soup gratinée, and petrale sole meuniere." - Dianne de Guzman, Eater Staff

"Nothing like classic French fare to make lunch feel special and at this Hayes Valley institution, Parisian vibes rule with quaint decor and a menu that delivers hit after hit. The onion soup is a must, but so is the warm Salad Lyonnaise, the buttery sole Meuniere, and the steak frites. While here, a glass of wine at noon makes perfect sense." - Flora Tsapovsky

"If you live around Hayes Valley, you’re pretty much out of luck in the martini department because most places around here are best suited for drinking punch bowls or hanging outside for long stretches of time. Then there’s Absinthe. This French restaurant is huge with multiple rooms stretching back to take up nearly half the block, but you’ll usually find us sitting at the bar in the front. Obviously, this place has a good-sized menu of absinthe drinks, but we’ll happily order a martini and eat some pate at the bar while we decide if we want to join all those people sitting outside by the weird sculpture on Octavia." - will kamensky

"Absinthe, the stylish French-style bistro in Hayes Valley, celebrates 25 years in business this year with chef Ian Begg rolling out a new menu to mark the occasion. There’s also a fresh cocktail menu to go alongside, and it offers classic drinks with small twists to make them special. For example, the Bent Third combines brandy, rye whiskey, absinthe, green Chartreuse, and watermelon, while the Tone Row marries stonefruit-infused mezcal, amaro, vermouth, and Empirical plum liqueur." - Lauren Saria

"We love falling into a red velvet booth at this Hayes Valley spot and admiring the mural, which shows painted diners eating off of white tablecloths like they’re an extension of the dining room. The French brasserie has a seafood and meat-heavy lunch menu that highlights dishes like salade lyonnaise with duck confit, steak frites, and oysters—basically, the kinds of things that complete the experience of eating in a buttoned-up space. They also make great cocktails, both with and without absinthe. " - julia chen 1