absinthe

absolutely blown away! everything was perfect. service was stellar,foodwas impeccable! best evening out in years! thank-you! can't wait to return.

reserved for a special occasion as i have read many positive reviews about the place and the food. i was not disappointed.
first, their cocktails and drinks are nicely made
second, thefoodchoices are just amazing. we had a choice between a 5-course meal (to share) and a 3-course meal that included the steak/frites that everyone seems to be raving about.

i ordered my steak rare and it was just that - rare. it is very hard to get the perfect temperature and mine had been cooked at exactly that. it only shows the level of attention to detail that the kitchen has.

i finished the meal with their famous creme brulee which was just heaven.

i highly recommend absinthe, for a special occasion, a romantic supper, or just a good and cozy reunion.

i would definitely go back!

wow...what an evening. my wife and i went to absinthe last night for our anniversary, and our first date night since our daughter was born. the first thing i would like to say is that the staff were welcoming, friendly and knowledgeable.

with respect to the food,......"wow"!!!!! we each did the make your own table d'hote and what an experience, from the chacuterie and beef tartar starters, to the steak frits and steelhead trout mains, thefoodwas exquisite :)

thank you for making our anniversary evening such a memorable one.

great establishment. the atmosphere was nice, if a bit bland, but the music was nice. the staff was great, very attentive, pleasant and helpful. and thefoodwas 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).

my mom and i came here for dinner (both of our first times) on mother's day for dinner. thefoodwas phenomenal, as was the service. we each had the three course table d'hôte, which was very reasonably priced, and they were amazing. i would highly recommend absinthe (and already have) to anyone...excellent food, excellent dining experience!

double check your food. i was recently back to absinthe for lunch with a friend because the first time i went i loved it so i wanted to let her try it as well. she ordered the burger and i ordered the tacos. thefoodwas good. however, neither of us could finish our food. i had only ate one of the two tacos and some fries. the plate had the salad and the second taco untouched and some fries left. my friend couldn't finish her burger. we both asked the waiter to pack it to go. my friend had checked her take out box to make sure she had the right one (in case it was mixed up). i didn't bother checking mine because i trusted the waiter as he provided very good service. however, when i got home, i realize the only thing the waiter packed for me was the taco. the salad and fries were not packed and probably thrown out. it was irritating because 1. i had paid for thefoodand couldn't finish it and expected all of it to be packed away but i only received one out of the 2.5 items unfinished. 2. thefoodmust have been thrown out which is such a waste. it was ridiculous. i feel like if i ever go back and need to take thefoodto go, i would need to double check it. very disappointing!


-----27 jan, 2013-----

excellent service and food. i took my boyfriend there for his birthday and we both loved it! i had order the steak while he ordered the duck. they were both very good. the service was def. awesome as it was his birthday, the waiter gave him a complimentary dessert that said happy birthday. def. recommend it

overrated !!!. the staff was rude and arrogant. almost walked out before eating and it was my anniversary ! did not like my table. mike the waiter was excellent. thefoodwas ok. the wine pairing was not fantastic. i have had much better. the restaurant was very loud and i found it difficult being heard. the menu has not changed in forever. i will not go back since there are other restaurants which i have found to be much more enjoyable.

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

friday night, my girlfriend and i went to absinthe for dinner. we were not able to celebrate valentines day on the thursday because of work but i wanted to do something special. she had mentioned absinthe before and i checked out their website and read reviews. they did not disappoint! unbelievable food. phenomenal service and absolutely amazing atmosphere. our server was fantastic. they were quite busy, but he never forgot about us and always took a second to check in to see how we were doing. thefoodwas incredible. we both had the absinthe steak frites and arugula salad. both items were excellent. the chef at absinthe actually knows how to properly cook a steak medium rare, which is rare, no pun intended. the arugula salad was one of the best salads i've ever had! then there was the desert. absolutely amazing. we had the desert sampler and wow. if you're thinking of checking out absinthe, don't hesitate. by far one of, if not the best dinning experiences i've ever had.

thanks absinthe for making our valentines day great!

one of our favourite restaurants.  the menu isn't extensive but covers all the key areas (vegetarian, beef, fish, pork, pasta...) and seems to change regularly. thefoodis always amazing - the flavours, presentation, combinations.  we usually get the 3 course meal combo with wine pairing ($45 - $55 for 3 courses plus $40 for 3 wine selections.)  the service is excellent - friendly and efficient (no trying to get a waiter's attention.)  decor is pleasant, perhaps the only slight downside is it can be noisy when busy and the tables are fairly close together.  definitely need to book on popular nights. last night we both had steak frites, i had an amazing tuna salad (one of the best appetizers i've had in a long time!) and butternut squash soup first and my wife had a beet salad and an arugula salad.  with a cocktail before and a dessert after for both of us the bill was a little over $200 for 2.

ambiance is nice, if a bit loud (par for the course in restaurants these days); service was inattentive and did not take into account simple dining etiquette (when to take what order, and in order of service);foodwas acceptable, not noteworthy.

we were extremely satisfied with everything from the greeting, the service, thefoodand the special birthday acknowledgement for my aunt. everything was classy. even after we were finished our meal and paid, our server continued pouring water as we continued our conversation. we didn’t feel rushed and had a wonderful time. we enjoy goodfoodand are often not satisfied. however this time, everyone loved their meal and we each had a different appetizer and a different main meal. even the drinks (dirty martini) was the most delicious i’ve had.

we have never been to absinthe before but have a reservation for fondue and thought we’d try it on a regular night as my aunt lives close by. well there is nothing regular about absinthe – everything is exceptional and we are now looking forward more than ever to our fondue dinner
.

ate here on saturday night as part of a very large group. thefoodwas fantastic. i had the pork cheek main, and it was perfectly done melt-in-your-mouth. the staff were extremely accommodating as well. i brought my baby with me to meet the group, and while absinthe caters to an upscale crowd and may not have a change table, they made sure there was a table put in the washroom for us to use before i could even ask where the washroom was! thank you for the lovely evening!!

was here once before, in the summer and during the week.foodtasty, but service terrible. admittedly, a friday night, but myself and companions were seated at the bar despite there being empty tables. i was promised a table should one open up, however the hostess never came back to make good on that promise. the tables remained empty throughout my meal. this place is loud! it's impossible to carry on a conversation even when seated immediately next to someone.

prices overpriced on drinks ($12 for mediocre red; bartender underpours) with constant pestering by staff for up sells. (didn't get her name, but black and white striped blouse; despite being seated at the bar, she interrupted our attempts to have a conversation over the din, three times. when, in answer to her question, i described the meal as "fine", which it was, she became argumentative and i had to turn away from her to signal for her to go away. when i'm paying an average of $35 for a main, i expect to not be harassed while i'm trying to enjoy it.)

a good attempt, but given the horrible table and staff management (five tables open for an hour and a half and turning away patrons at the door), not sure how long they will stay in business. a shame really, because the concept is good, but as with many things, execution is proof.

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