absinthe

great establishment. theatmospherewas nice, if a bit bland, but the music was nice. the staff was great, very attentive, pleasant and helpful. and the food was delicious with a simple, well focused menu. only complaint was that it may have been slightly overpriced, but still an all around good experience and i would go back again.


update: i've had staff ignore special instructions for an order (i expect better from a high end place) and as of my most recent experience, be downright rude. the server was standoffish to me and made me feel unwelcomed in the restaurant, took away my water away when she sat me, brought out my bread rather late with just oil instead of oil and vinegar and then took ages to bring me my bill (it wasn't busy and i saw her drinking and chatting with someone at the bar after i'd asked for my bill for about ten or fifteen minutes), she then took her tip when i asked her for change without asking me how much i'd like to tip her (i didn't notice this until after i left, so i ended up tipping her twice and she definitely didn't deserve the amount that she took in the first place).

an excellent destination. the cafe absinthe offers an appealing menu with a limited number of very fine choices. the presentation is very good. the staff is attentive without being overbearing. theatmosphereis very convivial and, most important, it is possible to have a pleasant conversation over a relaxed meal.

great restaurant! food was above all expectations, service was excellent andatmosphereitself was very lively. i just want to emphasis again that food (taste, presentation, freshness) was exceeding any expectations that we had. thank you for beautiful evening at your restaurant!

went to absinthe yesterday afternoon for lunch with friends.  each of had something different to eat and all of us enjoyed our meal.  i had a lamb burger and side salad and it was delicious.  would definitely order it again.  we thought that prices were reasonable for the quality.  service andatmospherewere very good.  would definitely go back.

we left before the food came! cannot comment on quality of the food, but the service was lacklustre,atmospherewas very stale and we didn't feel very welcomed. so glad we chose to leave and go up the street to wellington gastro pub.

we were fortunate to dine at absinthe this past weekend. it was one of the best meals we have had in a very long time. the tuna carpaccio and the beef tartar were both excellent. the tuna carpaccio had a wonderful texture, complemented by spicy elements and was beautifully presented. the beef tartar was the perfect presentation of a classic dish. the duck breast and arctic char, which followed were wonderful. the duck breast was perfectly cooked and delicious. the arctic char was moist and flavourful. the accompanying sides made both plates flawless. the meal ended with prifiteroles. the homemade ice cream, chou and chocolate sauce were scrumptious. 

although theatmosphereis relaxed, service is flawless and attentive. it was a great evening.

we went from toronto to ottawa on the weekend to skate on the rideau canal and to eat meat fondue which is so hard to find in toronto. so we searched on google a fondue place in ottawa and made a reservation at absinthe for saturday night. unfortunately the canal was closed and later we found out that the fondue night at absinthe was on mondays only!!!!! we were sad but we decided to eat there anyway as everything on their menu seems to be pretty yummy!! but when the servers learned that we were from toronto and we were there to eat fondue, they went to speak with the chef to accommodate a last minute fondue order for us!!! our server was erin and she was awesome, but all the staff that came to speak with us they were all so friendly and professional that made our night even more special.. we had the 3 course fondue meal - cheese, meat and chocolate and i can't find words to describe how delicious everything was... i can tell that made the 410km trip worth it! we were so impressed by their customer service,atmosphereand delicious food!!! just unforgettable!

service bilingue de grande qualité. menu inspirant, le contenu des assiettes à surpassé les attentes! nous avions choisi l'option table d'hôte avec l'accord des vins. cela nous a permis de faire de très belles découvertes.
nous le recommandons chaudement.
important à savoir: la salle est assez bruyante, j'éviterais si vous êtes à la recherche d'une atmosphère feutrée et romantique.

yes the burger is incredible but be ready for a rich flavourful delight the service is always good and their mains are nice and well balanced. side salads are always good and theatmosphereis comfortable and relaxing. been here many times.

absinthe review. had a brilliant meal at absinthe. the serving staff were great. theatmospherewas fun. the food was loaded with flavour. a great french restaurant with many token french flavours. will definitely go back - soon!

always a hit!. if you haven't tried absinthe cafe yet... what are you waiting for? it is always an absolute pleasure to dine there. upscaleatmospherewithout it being too fussy, amazing service and incredible food.

my husband and i went to absinthe for the first time and for my birthday... and we were so pleased that we did! the staff was so kind - they treated us to a lovely drink to celebrate when we were seated. and after dinner, they surprised us with a birthday cake as well! talk about amazing service - it was totally their initiative to do all of that. we had steak frites and it was delish! the ambience andatmospherewas just perfect. highly recommending this place to all friends and colleagues. we will definitely go back!

great food, excellent wine pairings.. y wife and i have been to absinthe a half-dozen times now, and it has quickly become our favorite restaurant in the city. theatmosphereis great the food is excellent, but it's the wine pairings above all that keep us coming back. the sommelier is second to none. if you haven't been already, it's definitely worth your time to check it out.

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). theatmospherewas 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!

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