Absinthe Brasserie & Bar
398 Hayes St. (Gough St.) 
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San Francisco, CA 94102
415-551-1590 | Make Restaurant Reservations
Cuisine
Open
Lunch & Dinner Tues.-Sun., Brunch Sat.-Sun.Features
- Romantic setting
- Full bar
- Reservations suggested
- Outdoor dining
- Open late
- Valet parking
- Casual dressy
Wine
Great Wine List* Click here for rating key
 Young chef Jamie Lauren is winning fresh fans to this already prized, casually elegant corner brasserie and bar in burgeoning Hayes Valley, where regulars in jeans make lively cocktail conversation with diners in tuxedos thanks to the Opera House down the street. Lauren’s smart, seasonal creations are snappy with color and texture and feature balanced playfulness---she shines at fish and seafood, slow-cooked meats and confits, but can wow a diner with a simple, pedigreed pile of mixed cresses tossed with toasted hazelnuts. Red beet purée and roasted fennel soup---like a bowl of wet paint---is served at just-right temperature. Her nightly crudo---maybe hamachi with a ramp purée, trout roe and a sea-salt crunch---is well worth straying from Absinthe’s oyster menu. We like the tender, fresh, spring vegetable risotto; the hunks of soft rabbit and wild mushroom over pappardelle; and the clean bite of her sugar snap peas laced with cream. Expert cocktail pairings from the venue’s famed bar are a fun alternative to wines. Service is smooth, patient and knowledgeable. Brunch is also a specialty here. |
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