absinthe

not impressed ... especially for the price. service was great, the server was very attentive and explained every course in great detail

frog legs
- frog legs were good, good batter crisp but bland
- the accompanying celeriac and kohlrabi slaw tasted like soap and very bland; incredibly under seasoned

beet salad
-very tasty with good flavor under seasoned also
- almost too much going on here

arugula salad
- best part of the meal with the combination of toasted pumpkin seeds, parmesan, and the vinaigrette - very enjoyable. seasoned well

steak frites (recommended to me)
- steak was served blue rare; far from medium rare
- burned, beyond charbroiled actually no one in the party found it enjoyable (as they all tried as it was recommended)
- frites/fries seasoned well
- horseradish aïoli; not a fan at all
- green beans were my favorite part out of the main course

wow!. tonight was our second visit to absinthe and it reiterated our first terrific experience. the cocktails were interesting and delicious. and while the food - beet salad, chacuterie, and mushroom tortellini may sound like regular fare, each offered its own unique twist and was superb. the unexpected delight was the"burger and poutine" that puts to shame anything else that tries to use these terms. on top of all the excellent cuisine was our first rate server whose attention, expertise and friendliness rounded out a fabulous meal.

oh mon dieu.....yes. i could only 'like' this resto, what a shame. i adore this resto. when you save up that discretionary spending money, put it in a jar labelled 'absinthe'. there's nothing i can say bad about this wonderful restaurant/experience. the apps, the mains, the desserts, the wine.......i especially loved the beet salad: goat cheese, rosemary tart, apple cranberry jelly, smoked and pickled beets, goat cheese sherry vinaigrette. that was my favourite dish. scrumptious meals, elegant service, warm atmosphere. a huge yes.

excellent food, creative menu, great wine and beer, friendly service and wry nice relaxed atmosphere.

amazing service. i went out to this restaurant with a small group for a birthday party yesterday and i was absolutely blown away by the impeccable service, beautiful decor and delicious food. what really amazed me was that, as a vegan i was fully prepared to eat the basic house salad, but the server suggested the chef could prepare something special for me. the chef then whipped up a delicious vegan alternative for me. the entire experience was excellent. i will certainly be back!

just absolutely wonderful!. 3 of us went for dinner on thu 5 dec for our friend's birthday and the evening could not have been better. apetizers were wonderful (soup, beet salad and escargot) and the main course were just absolutely full of flavour (pork, burger with poutine and the duck). the atmosphere was very nice, cozy and not too loud even with all the tables full. the price was very reasonable especially with all the food and drinks we ordered. the evening was topped with our wonderful waiter - friendly patrick. the evening could not have gone any better!

superfantastic. wow our experience at the absinthe cafe was super. the food was delicious: flavours were unique and creative..amazing. service was second to none. one of the best dining experiences we have had in ottawa. thanks patrick!!!

amazing burger...cold steak?. i ate here for the second time this past week. rarely will i order the same meal twice in a restaurant where i have not experimented with the menu yet, however their benevolent burger is an exception. so. freaking. good. my boyfriend on the other hand ordered their steak frit which is suposed to come "medium rare". not even a touch of red, the steak only had a pinch of pink, at the keg this would be considered well done. the flavour was still nice, however it was served cold. overall great service, will def return...just won't be ordering that steak anytime soon.

great first experience. went to absinthe last night and it was a very good experience. i did the three course meal. escargot, soup and then the bison. everything was very good.
the service was fantastic they made you feel very comfortable.
i will go back.

excellent steak and frites. my husband and i were practically fighting over it. we also enjoyed duck the ways. the atmosphere was lovely and the service was impeccable.

soo délicieux, j'étais bourré. j'ai adoré le magret du canard.

love it!. the food is soooo good! service was amazing. only complaint is the lighting is a bit bright.

it was really, really good. the restaurant has a “men’s club/cigar room” feel – black leather arm chairs, mahogany finishings etc. the food was outstanding – particularly the korean bbq quail. one of the best dishes i’ve ever had.

j'aime beaucoup ce restaurant, lorsque l'on veut manger à une bonne table. j'y suis allée 3 fois environ dans les 2 dernières années. il n'y a qu'une fois où le service était vraiment très lent, et j'aurais aimé avoir un geste commercial de leur part (genre apéro gratuit), mais il n'y en a pas eu. grande sélection d'absinthe et surtout le personnel parle très bien français.

the wait staff must be family.

i have been to absinthe 3 times in the past year. i love the atmosphere, decor, wine list, presentation and the food is top notch. kudos to the kitchen staff.

my issue is the servers. not only have i witnessed them being rude to and engaging in confrontations with other customers, but one in male server (tall, dark spikey hair, light eyes) is particularly intimidating and confrontational. he unfortunately served our party each time and left me feeling that he was just waiting to go off on us or another table. i shouldn't have to walk on eggshells or be humble to avoid my waiter's unwarranted tumultuous mood.

my only theory is that at least one, if not more, of the wait staff is related to the manager/owner. why else would they still be employed after repeatedly treating customers with disrespect (i've read the other reviews). they need to deflate their egos and refocus on the meaning of a server. if a customer rubs a server the wrong way, they need to suck it up and carry on, not confront them in front of the restaurant.

please tell me, manager/owner of absinthe, if i am wrong and that none of the staff is related to you?

fortunately, there are other great restaurants nearby where waiters are trained to cater to customers and make them feel comfortable and that there business is appreciated, like allium and supply and demand.

unless i'm informed of a change in wait staff, i won't be spending my money at absinthe.