absinthe

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, the food choices 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 agoodand cozy reunion.

i would definitely go back!

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 the food was delicious with a simple, well focused menu. only complaint was that it may have been slightly overpriced, but still an all aroundgoodexperience 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).

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. the food was 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 verygoodservice. 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 the food and 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. the food must have been thrown out which is such a waste. it was ridiculous. i feel like if i ever go back and need to take the food to 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

prepare to not be disappointed. we took out a couple here for their birthday, and oh boy was it a great time. the service was exceptional, our waiter was extremely helpful and friendly. recommending somegoodmenu items, we all ordered the full course meal. started off with a cold leek soup, and yum! we all loved it! we then had the beef tartare and it was very unique followed by the steak. i would definitely recommend this place, however it is on the pricier side but worth it!

we were extremely satisfied with everything from the greeting, the service, the food and 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 enjoygoodfood and 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
.

good not great place, that was just missing a few things to make it a top-notch experience. i definitely feel like this place has potential, so i'll start with the good. a small menu with quality items that they do well. my cocktail was fantastic with great presentation! their cheese selections were to die for and probably my favourite part. it was my birthday and they brought me creme brûlée which i loved!!! however, the ambience was pretty lacklustre and i was a little disappointed in the wine selection. we ended up going with a bottle that was fine, but not sure if it was worth 75$. my duck was great, but my brothers steak came with two very visible hairs right on top and the server offered to re-plate it. he declined and just re-plated it himself by taking the hair off. all in all, it's agoodplace but with so many other restaurants in the area it wouldn't be the first place i'd recommend.

was here once before, in the summer and during the week. food tasty, 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 makegoodon 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.)

agoodattempt, 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.

my wife and i went here for the first time on our anniversary. cozy atmosphere, yet open and loud. if you are looking for a quiet place to eat, this is not it. that said, the place was buzzing and was full of energy which we liked. complimentary glass of champagne given to us for our anniversary.  we both had the steak, and it was better than steaks we've had at more expensive "steak houses". i like how they tell you it will be medium rare, which is how agoodsteak should be. our server was pleasant, yet at times seamed like a robot. her focus never really seamed to be on us, but more on what task she had to move to next. she would mumble something to us, while not making eye contact and scanning her surroundings. not a bad thing, but a server should be more interactive with their table.

overall, we were very pleased with our evening.

stopped in for lunch and were told to try the steak and frites. the food was great and the portions were just right. service was verygoodand friendly.will be returning for sure.

i was greatly disappointed. my sister had gone there before and it seems like they changed the menu because they had nothing from her last time there. anyway to keep it short and simple the food was way too salty and not in agoodway, it has this very upscale image but too me the food was mediocre at best. the beet 'salad' consisted of 1 small beet cut in quarters. the duck tartar was about 2-3 bites and was accompanied by this salty mess they call a salad, the fries...another salty undercooked mess the tuna carpaccio was the only decent thing besides the fact that i had to squirt a whole lemon on it. and the service was very cold and nonchalent. visit at your own risk.

we were a group of 4 people from toronto. we drove to ottawa for the winterlude and took the opportunity to visit the restaurant. we were unaware that some dishes changes according to the day and it turns out that what we went there for wasn't available for that day! we talked with the staff and they were very considerate and did the dish for us even though it wasn't on the menu for the day. the service was extremelygoodand the food was amazing, totally worth the money. thanks to the waitress erin and all the kitchen folks. :-)

ho this is a wow restaurant the food was sogoodand tasty and i say very tasty from the porc to the steak and the famous burger/poutine. the appetizer again verygoodthe charcuterie was excellent . ok for desert i had the cheese plate and again well presented so was the sugar pie and the profiteroles . not often i give a high rating they deserve it and thank you mike for the excellent service

highly recommend

nice evening and the food wasgoodand beautifully presented. quite a busy place but for some reason a bit on the loud side so not ideal for a tête à tête. will definitely go back.

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

let them feed you and take your money. this place has been a favourite of mine for a few years now. they never disappoint. two of us went there this past weekend and asked our server just to feed us the best of what they have on offer, complete with wine pairings. it was fantastic, and i'd definitely try this approach again. for each course we were given two different dishes - we opted to share everything so we got to taste it all. the mushroom soup was so flavourful it was almost unbelievable. they took pork, stuffed it with foie gras, breaded and deep fried it. i don't care who you are - that'sgoodeats if done well - and it was done amazingly well. every dish we had of six dishes was amazing, and expertly paired with delicious wine. go. tell them to just serve you what they want to serve you. pay your money and be thankful you did it all. in the end we paid $225. that's for 2 of us, 6 dishes, 6 pairings, 2 desserts, and 2 absinthe. completely reasonable for the excellence they're providing. well done absinthe.