Absinthe Bistro in Vancouver

Visited this place for a work event with a party of 20+ people. The food and drink were great. The highlight was the lady who was serving all of us. She was kind, gentle, and attentive, checking in with our drinks and empty plates at the right time every time for the entire night. I would give her 6 stars if I could.

Vomited in the car on the way home after a $650 dinner. Got food poisoning and was up all night vomiting. Presuming it may have been the raw tuna appetizer dish that was contaminated but unsure. I would expect a higher level of food safety especially at a relatively fine dining restaurant where we paid over S100 per person. Our reservation was 530pm and we arrived 5-10 minutes late, apologies for that. However we didnt get to order our meals until 6:20pm. I felt that was a long time to wait to order our food. The server had to be flagged down to put our order in. The food was fine, decent portions, but the duck was a bit dry. However, after getting food poisoning, I cannot rate the food favorable for that reason.

Vancouver is missing out! Fabulous menu, melt-in-your-mouth food.If youre not coming for dinner, then give (or ask for) a gift certificate for a great dinner out.

We love bringing friends to Absinthe. It was my turn to choose a restaurant for a girls night out and we all had a great time last night! My friends loved it! The food was delicious! The service was great! Thank you so much!

Always a delightful experience and lovely food. Highly recommended.

It was our first experience at Absinthe Bistro. We were celebrating my mother s 77th Birthday. Wow! The food was exceptionally good! We picked the 3 course menu. I chose Escargot from the options as I had never tried it before. It was absolutely delicious! My mother and my girlfriend had the mushroom soup, which they both loved. My mother and I picked the lamb shank for our main dishes. It was superb and simply melted in your mouth. My girlfriend had the scallops, which she said were great. For dessert we picked the poached pear, with mascarpone and ice cream. We also got the Creme Brûlée. It was by far the best I ve ever eaten! Creme brûlée is one of my favourite desserts, and I have eaten it many, many times! Nowhere has been as good as at this restaurant! Our server was so friendly and happy. We all thought it was a lovely touch when she brought the dessert to the table with a candle in it, and then took a Polaroid photo for us to keep as a memento of our dinner together. My mother loved her Birthday surprise of going to Absinthe Bistro for dinner. Thank you for everything. We will definitely highly recommend your restaurant to others.

My husband and I had a great experience here on my husband s birthday. Food is delicious, portion is great, a candle and happy birthday words from a staff. We had been many high end restaurants in Vancouver but some of them are just fancy looking on social media, food is mostly good or okay but customer service is not good as before pandemic. Many restaurants don t give customers celebration words for their special day any more. That made us start thinking not worth to eat out. However, Absinthe Bistro still delivers a great dining experience and we are so happy to choose this place. It s small place but great food, nice staff, clean and warm atmosphere. That s all we want from a restaurant!

Still my favourite restaurant.

We ve been coming here for over ten years and the food is always excellent. This little piece of France hidden on the Drive is one of Vancouver s gems. Food : 5/5

Casual eatery, offering cocktails & a rotating fixed-price menu. Says it all, really. Food

The food was at par. Expensive but not that appealing or tasty. Sorry. Also no parking in the back. Youll need to find parking somewhere on the streets. Food

Charming little bistro on commercial drive. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough, the ambiance almost transports you to France and the rich sauces emblematic of French cuisine are rarely found this side of the Atlantic. I was informed that the chef is classically trained under French culinary legends and has worked at Michelin star restaurants. Wish I could give this establishment more than 5 stars.

Some of the best food in town

Everything was top-notch--the food was great, and the service was friendly. Only a few comments: the table legs outside did not work with my long legs; I was surprised that the server did not check in more frequently (not much of a problem, but I did want another drink); the St. Germain&prosecco didnt seem to have much St. Germain in it at all (though the prosecco was good) I recommend the lamb.

Food was perfectly cooked, and the flavours were good. Very nice blend of French and west coast ingredients. The squid was delicious. Vegetarian options: Not Vegetarian Friendly. They do seem to have a vegetarian starter, but no vegetarian mains.

The dishes were well executed and met expectations. A nice meal, with a few standouts: Squid - perfectly cooked, amazingly tender Molten lava chocolate cake and poched pears are worth considering too! Overall, a good dining experience. Vegetarian options: Would not recommend for vegetarian. It is a fixed (limited) menu with no vegetarian mains when we went. Definitely no vegan options as the meatless items contain dairy.

I ve been here a few times with the girls and it never disappoints! I love their fixed price menu and how they re always changing it. Service is always lovely here as well. Hats off to the chefs.

Super nice place with really good food! Surprisingly great! Not sure why they have no one today! The food and are so delicious Almost origin Kid-friendliness: My children enjoy it very much Wheelchair accessibility: A bit narrow at the entry, but you are fine once you get in!

Fantastic dinner as always!

Cute family-run restaurant with a small menu of really great French food. Extensive wine and cocktail selection.

First return visit for a few years and liked the new location. Service was, as always., excellent and food very good value.

Discover a cozy place for French cuisine paired with lovely service. With a rotating menu every couple of weeks, each visit promises a new culinary adventure.

Excellent food and service

Fantastic meal and service. Not sure why it s super quiet here today. Everything was excellent. We will be back !

Yet another fantastic meal and experience last night at Absinthe - the food is incredible and we always know we will have a great night out here.

Meat was cold. Service ok. Small menu. Few options.

The drinks and slow braised pork cheeks were delish! Bread was not warm

Mercy

A lovely local spot for French food in a good neighbourhood and the space is lovely. Worth a stop if you enjoy absinthe. Not our thing but theres a good wine selection and the scallops were amazing. We were not as into the salmon Wellington although the menu is constantly changing.

No nonsense quality French bistro with an affordable prix fixe menu. Highly recommend this place. Highly recommend the ceviche, the scallops, the beef cheek and the poached pear dessert. Good cocktails too.

Nice romantic vibes. Good for date nights with the partner

Amazing ambience, food and service. Each dish was crafted perfectly and presented beautifully.

My top 5 for dinner. Everything delicious! On the current menu I am addicted to the Red Wine Poached Pear, not sure how long it will be on the menu for as it is somewhat of a winter dish. I also kept coming back for the Salmon Wellington! Food

Reasonable pricing, good food, great service, will return.

The menu is pretty small, which I like, and all the dishes we tried were absolutely perfect. Id highly recommend it

I visited this restaurant last night with friends. A lovely friendly welcome, superb food and excellent choice of reasonably priced wines. Well worth a visit

Absinthe Bistro on Commercial Drive is a quaint dining spot, offering a cozy and intimate atmosphere. Nestled in the heart of Vancouver, its warm ambiance and thoughtful decor create a delightful culinary escape. The restaurant offers a diverse and pleasing culinary experience. In total, we ordered the prawn and scallop ceviche, the esgargot, pork cheeks, lava cake, and poached pear. The ceviche, a highlight, is a testament to freshness and impeccable preparation. The seafood was perfectly medium rare and thus retaining a pleasant bite, while the overall acidity and flavors of the ceviche is well-balanced. The escargot we ordered was also cooked well with the garlic butter, but we thought that it was under-salted. The pork cheeks had a great balance of acidity, tartness, sweetness, and fat. The pork, tender and succulent, harmonizes seamlessly with the concentrated wine sauce, and the sunchoke purée introduces a starch element, enhancing the overall composition. The poached apples provided the necessary tartness, sweetness, and acidity to balance the fattier cut of meat. For dessert, the lava cake, while adhering to the conventional expectations, left room for improvement in achieving a more molten interior. However, I appreciate the use of dark chocolate and reduced amount of sugar. The vanilla ice cream added the touch that was needed for the dessert to have the perfect balance of sweetness and bitterness. Lastly, I really enjoyed the poached pear. The pear was poached to perfection and was not too sweet. The basil really brought out vibrant and tropical flavors. The red wine reduction had a rich, robust and slightly sweet profile with hints of acidity and bitterness. This really complemented the basil and the pear Overall, Absinthe Bistros culinary offerings reflect a commendable commitment to quality and flavor, with minor refinements promising an even more delightful dining experience.

The food is very delicious, the service in the store is also very good, and the price is affordable. We had a wonderful meal with my friends and hope to have the opportunity to dine there again in the future

Very good food with this price. They change part of the menu every two weeks. Check out website for the most up to date menu. Love the red wine pear dessert and miso mussels!

Awesome food and customer service

We have been to Absinthe Bistro a few times and always enjoyed our visit. This restaurant contrasts with all the other restaurants on Commercial Drive for the quality and type of food they offer. The atmosphere allows guests to have conversation without overwhelming music or ambiant noise. Great service!

Very nice place to go out for great French dinner.

The online indicators make absinthe look super affordable and highly rated French food. We left feeling misled. When the butter showed up on the table in a plastic container we got suspicious. Absinth appears like a place where food is shipped to, the dough is baked in house but not made in house. Its a fine clean restaurant, I think you will enjoy the food, and the presentation. The price is high for what is served and I dont see great food, innovation, or something new and different coming from Absinthe Bistro.

I had my birthday dinner at Absinthe tonight and it was a lovely experience . You might not have so many options of food but it is guaranteed that everything they serve tastes amazing. Very nice and friendly staff. They took a picture of us with an instant camera and gave it to us!

Middle of the road French restaurant. Service, music, atmosphere, and food all mid. The absinthe is definitely exciting and worth the trip if you are into that. I would not go back, simply because my $ will go farther at places that will offer a more elevated experience overall.

Cute, fun and tasty. The menu was well constructed, and the extra details of the pageantry of the absinthe was entertaining. I particularly liked the creme brûlée and duck.

I loved the vibe of the restaurant and the tastiness of the food. The fois gras, the duck confit and crème brûlée were among the bests I have had anywhere.

Decent food but limited menu

Very nice, cozy dinner out. The food was very good, as was the service. We tried the French onion soup, salmon tartar, duck, and seared scallops. All were excellent! It was quiet at the earlier Friday seating, but filled out a bit as the evening went on. Therefore, it seems not a problem to get a table without a reservation!

My Fiancé and I dined here in celebration of our 1 year anniversary and my birthday. We met in France while studying, and dining here allowed us to re-live the French dining experience in such a sweet way! The staff were professional, but friendly. The food was incredibly tasteful and you can tell they made sure to present it as such. We especially enjoyed one of the side dishes which was grapefruit with cracked pepper shockingly delicious! At the end of the night our server took a Polaroid picture of us to keep! We used it to document the experience in our date journal

Fabulous food, quiet restaurant, good service. I ll definitely be back!

Food and drinks were super yummy!

I organized a dinner celebration with my family and friends at Absinthe and it s a very enjoyable experience. The food is delicious and consistent. Great wine and ambience. Definitely will come back again. Thank you chef and team for the great service and dining experience.

Should just have a cashier and put a number on your table & hire a food runner. Food was fine.

My gal pals and I had an amazing meal. They have a set menu fixe prix menu 2 or 3 course. I chose the crab cakes starter, duck confit main and chocolate cake. Michelan quality presentation, generous portions and amazing ingredients. I would highly recommend this restaurant for foodies. Had a taste of scallops, foods grois, halibut, creme brulee from my friends. All very delicious! Friendly service, cute decor with absinthe vintage posters & chandelier patio seating. Ill be back for a special dinner. Thanks Absinthe!

I have really great memories about this place, so this restaurant has a special place in my heart. Their ever-changing set menus, absinthe, and crème brûlée are elite.

fixed manus make the orders are simpler , good food and service, likes to support those young chefs with inspiration for cooking.

Me and my frd came to Absinthe Bistro for my birthday. We had their set menu which offers good selection of meat and vegetarian dishes. I picked the foie gras as appetizer, it was rich and flavourful and thats what u would expect from foie gras from most places. Beef tartare was well seasoned, it was smooth and fragrant. The lamb rack was good in portion, a little too raw for my liking but I know authentic French lamb rack suppose to be medium rare. I likely asked the server if they can cook them for me for a little more, she gladly took it in and it came back perfectly cooked to my liking with beautiful grill marks. When the server became aware of my birthday she offered to take a Polaroid pic for us. Super cute and personable service. Ambiance was simple and open. I like how tables were well spaced out so its not crowded.

Ive been waiting to eat here since they opened several years ago. Finally got there and it was worth the wait. French cuisine cooked to absolute perfection (fois gras, roasted halibut). Charming place on ever-colourful Commercial Drive, super-friendly staff. Would go again without hesitation.

Chef Cory is one of the Finest Chefs Vancouver has to offer!

Wow. What can I say? This little quaint, unassuming bistro with a patio in the front on The Drive is AMAZING and not enough words can describe how much I love this place. This was my first time here and hands down the food was perfectly executed and some of the best I ve ever had!!! Portions are very generous (especially the foie gras and the tuna tartare), and everything was delicious from the crunchy outside warm soft bread, to the very cool prep of the absinthe with the water drip and sugar cube (FYI the psychedelic jelly absinthe is 73%!!), and all dishes were soooo good from starter to entree to dessert. The halibut was very moist and a large piece while the rack of lamb was so tender and perfectly charred. Lava cake was so chocolatey and we were given extra ice cream for my little daughter - thank you Absinthe! The service was also too notch; as we dined with friends from out of town and wanted photos, the owner server lady took photos for us AND used her instant camera to take two photos for us; one for each family - very very thoughtful and kind. At the end, when we left and drove away she called us back to the restaurant. We thought our payment didn t go through but actually they said we over tipped (they automatically added gratuity and we tipped on top of that); they ended up giving us back our added tip. Wow - I was so blown away by everything, including their integrity. What a fantastic restaurant run by amazing humans that make delicious French food. I would highly highly recommend Absinthe Bistro and I ll be coming back regularly too!

Cory is Definitely one of the Best French chefs in Vancouver!

Parking: Great Food

Came to Absinthe Bistro for our anniversary. Its a French boutique restaurant on Commercial Drive. Restaurant is spacious, open and very comfortable. Atmosphere is great and staff, in particular Shirley was amazing. She was friendly, helpful and very courteous. Menu is very simple, they only provide option of 2 or 3 course dinner. 3 different options on starter, main and dessert. We just about left because I wasnt to crazy about the limited menu option but glad we stayed. Food was amazing and large portions. Wer had the 3 course meals. The mains we picked was the 12 oz steak. It was a huge and cooked perfectly for me..rare. Steak just about melted in your mouth. Came with an amazing red wine sauce that was thick and paired well with the steak. And Roasted Halibut. Cooked perfectly as well. We also tried their Absinthe drip 1 oz drink called Psychedelic Jellyfish. Its 73 percent proof. Very strong! But they serve it with equal parts water. The water is poured from a statue thats placed on your table with 4 taps sprotting out. Ive included the picture. Its an interesting drink thats very strong. Great little restaurant and pricing reasonable considering the portions. Definitely a restaurant everyone should try at least once!

A beautiful French meal with my husband for our wedding anniversary. The wine was superb; the tuna tartare was generous and delicious; the scallops were sweet and perfectly seared; the chocolate lava cake was irresistible. I highly recommend this gem of a restaurant. Im already planning a return trip.

What a great neighbourhood gem this place is! Delicious French dishes, great cocktails, and a good selection of wine! Great service and excellent food! Our server was friendly and attentive which was amazing since she was the only one working the front of the house tonight!

This place is great. We havent been in in ages. You choose between appetizers and Entree or Entree and dessert or can have all 3 set menu. You can also order ala carte. The new location is lovely. Lots of space. Food was delicious. Portions large. Seems to be a 2 person team. The herb butter was AMAZING! and the bread was delicious. I have to say this since most restaurants dont give bread any more. Scallops were perfect. My husband and I had a great time here on a Friday after work. Would definitely recommend

Food was absolutely delicious! service was great and so was ambience. We will definitely be back.

Came to celebrate my birthday due to the high reviews but such disappointment! Service and food were terrible! Told the waitress no parsley and green onions but still was brought with them in my foods. Never had duck confit so tough in my life! I gave up after 2 bites. Told the manager and waitress, neither were not apologetic about it. We left the place still feeling hungry. Ate subway after.

My food was soooo delicious that Im telling everyone! Ill be back whenever Im in the area (not often enough). Dietary restrictions: Really appreciated the list of food allergies and/or intolerances posted when making a reservation.

Wow... it has been a long time since I have been that amazed by a restaurant. The food, service and wine were all amazing. Had escargot, the rib eye and the lava cake, everything was amazing and cooked perfectly. Had the opportunity to taste some of the other menu items my friends had ordered and they were all equally amazing. The most shocking thing was how reasonably priced everything was. Will definitely be coming again! Thank you Absinthe Bistro for the wonderful evening!

Highly over priced. The steak was gross it had about 6 ounces of fat and maybe 4 ounces of meat. The place is dull and service was slow. They do not offer vegetarian. Disappointment after waiting month to get a table.

Favourite restaurant on the Drive. Service and food are always excellent.

Really beautiful meal, everything was cooked perfectly and tasted amazing, especially the steak. Generous portions. Highly recommend this little place. Dont forget to try the absinthe

The best french cuisine restaurant

Amazing food and value $65 3 course menu. Great portions

Honestly the best restaurant French restaurant. Every year we come to Vancouver we make sure we come to this place. Amazing value and the food is top notch. We live in Australia and still talk about this place when reminiscing on our trips. Maybe there s hope absinthe will come down under ;)

Loved this place. Phenomenal experience. Staff are very attentive, friendly and professional. Awesome atmosphere. Amazing food and very reasonably priced! The whole experience from start to finish is great. Highly recommend Absinthe Bistro.

Great food and service. We had the set menu which included 3 courses. The dining room and food made for an awesome date night

Awesome Service and food! I happen to be a vegetarian, and despite not seeing a veg item, the Waitress and Chef went out of their way to present an amazing meal for me! Bravo to the Team - fabulous food and atmosphere! Thanks to All at the Restaurant!

This place is cute, it s a very casual and relaxed venue. Our server was nice, she answered all or questions in detail and checked on us plenty. We just wanted a snack so we each had the salmon tartare appetizer, it s was great. This place is certainly not fancy as far as French dining goes, but the food is good and the wine selection is decent. I would recommend it for a casual weeknight dinner out! Dietary restrictions: Gluten free options

Without a doubt the best restaurant on Commercial Drive. The food compares very favourably with a certain Michelin starred eastside restaurant. Highly recommended.

Definitely our favourite Vancouver restaurant. The small menu is such a great idea, especially as it changes frequently. The food is always wonderful and the drinks are reasonably priced. Always a friendly greeting. Hard to pick out the best dishes from our November visit, but what a good French onion soup and the scallops were as delicious as ever.

Cream ala cream...

Very nice service and foods are fresh Dietary restrictions: Foods are fresh and delicious tasty Food : 5/5 |

Great small French bistro with fixed price menu. Food is excellent quality and good French cooking,

It was our staff Christmas Dinner. We had always wanted to try Absinthe Bistro so what better way than inviting all of my staff. The restaurant was nicely decorated. My friend wanted to buy one of the crystal like Christmas trees on display. The menu was easy to navigate. We all ordered the trio of an appy, entree and dessert. I got to try everything and have to say everything was delicious. The french onion soup, salmon tartare, and mussels were all tasty. The serving sizes were generous. The scallops were medallion size and cooked to perfection. The meat fell off of the lamb shanks. The sable fish had crispy skin and the sauce amazing. The poached pear dessert was beautifully presented and tasted amazing. The lava cake decadent. The creme brulee perfect. The drinks were good too. I had some bordeaux and Absinthe Cocktails. Overall the atmosphere was great and service exceptional. The food comparable to our Michelin awarded restaurants in town. Highly recommend!

Folks, perhaps my palate is just too simple for the culinary sophistication that is Absinthe, maybe I want to walk away feeling satiated after spending $55+ for a three course meal plus a drink, or possibly, I simply dont get it. But whats the fuss about? Five tablespoons worth of a barely-warmed pureed mushroom soup (weird grainy texture), three chunks of pork in a sugary Asian-esque gravy with ice cold pickled....er....noodle thingies? The espresso was good. This, Ill concede. But for the price tag and the flavors? I recommend checking out some alternative finer dining in the area. Absinthe is all style and little to no substance. I knew going in what I was likely getting myself into, with the try-hard decor that was ostentatious in its attempts at elegant minimalism, and its conspicuously simple (have I mentioned way over priced) menu. For my expectations going in, Absinthe, sadly, did not disappoint. Guys, Im off to Belgian Fries. Who is with me?

We had a wonderful dinner experience at Absinthe Bistro. Terrific and friendly service, excellent food and good wine selection. We tried the set menu option and it didnt disappoint. The highlights for me were the carpaccio, sea bass, and lava cake. Will definitely be going back!

Delicious food, great vibe, friendly staff

The food and service were excellent The menu changes every few weeks, so will definitely go back.

l Iove that restaurant, very friendly staff, fast service and delicious food

Very friendly restaurant with delicious creme brulee.

Ordered the Arctic char with potatoes and truly, the portion size must be for a particularly diminutive child.

Everything was amazing. Its not cheap, but impeccable service, interesting delicious food, and great people.

Amazing food (set menu) and cocktails. Loved the fact that they educate their customers on how to drink absinthe and adds to their unique vibe. The food is very delish! Must go, cannot wait to get back!

We recently celebrated a friend s birthday with dinner at Absinthe Bistro and really enjoyed it. Our meals were absolutely delicious! The set menu choices offered great value for the cost as well as incredible flavour and presentation. Additionally there was a good range of interesting pre-dinner cocktails to choose from, including a number made with absinthe, and an excellent wine list. The restaurant has a great atmosphere, somehow managing to be casual, friendly and elegant, all at the same time. I d highly recommend it!

From a start of absinthe down to each bite of each dish, every bit was deliciously memorable. Great service and the ambience was excellent.

Exceptional experience - we had the Foie gras, the Sirloin, the lamb shank and the saumon. Every dish - starters, main, desserts were tasty, well presented and the right amount to devour and enjoy. The menu changes every few weeks, always a good reason to go and find out what the team has prepared. The ambiance is perfect and service was stellar - it felt very personal.

highly recommend this authentic french restaurant. our 3 course meal was delicious and service was amazing! the menu changes regularly so check before you go

Decided to bring my mother, a fine dinning Industry veteran, here. It was such a lovely meal! Every course was so good and thoughtful. I may have taken my herb butter home with me, I couldn t bare to waste any. Chef Corey has such a great energy with his guests, it really made the night. I would recommend this to anyone. Will absolutely come back

We knew it would be good when the bread & butter was amazing! (Id like a vat of the butter.) We both had the rib eye & salad. The steak was cooked perfect and was so tender. The salad dressing was different yet very tasty. And even the little side of fries we got were awesome. I had the chocolate lava cake, which was to die for. And my husband had the creme brulee, which he inhaled. Well definitely go back.

Very very good food, including side dishes like bread (from Quebec) and butter! We ordered scallop crudo as starter, steak and halibut as main courses for each person and chocolate lava cake as dessert, absolutely amazing! Scallop was super fresh, nicely seasoned. Steak has this charcoal flavor to it, nice dressing and tasty salad. Halibut was moist and flaky, nice match with purée! Wine and beer were also good. Nice interior design too, interesting chair and lamp at the entrance. We are so happy we tried this place in our short visit to Vancouver!

Definitely one of my all timr favorite restaurant. One of my best friend took me here and I usually visit them every 2-3 months once. Cory and team is awesome! They made you feel at home, treats you like a family and most importantly, the food are all really delicious. Haven t had anything bad here. They changed their menu every 2-3 months once. Very reasonable price too for a 3 course meal, definitely nothing like absinthe!!! Go check them out and support local if you ve never been and you will not be disappointed!

Wonderful dining experience The steak is a delight a lovely charcoal grill and very generous portions. The menu is stellar Cozy warm atmosphere and inviting! Service was fabulous. An intimate place to celebrate birthday anniversaries you name it

Service was great. Pate and creme brulle waas good, the lamb wellington so so

Our party of 4 went to dinner at Absinthe to celebrate my moms birthday having read great Google reviews. We wanted to book a party of 5 but the system only allowed four so one of our guests couldnt come. To our surprise, the restaurant was very vacant and remained so (only 3 tables occupied) throughout the two hours we were there. The prix fixe menu was a good idea as we dont have to deal with too much decision making. However, the food from presentation to taste was utterly disappointing. Two of us had bouillabaisse which was just some bland seafood soaked in a thick canned tomato sauce. In the couple days leading to the dinner I was fantasizing the bouillabaisse that I had in southern France. So even more disappointing with that in mind! My husband who had the lamb wellington struggled to finish the dish but failed. My sister who had the beef said its okay (not great) but its cooked medium well+ rather than the medium that she wanted. The pate (starter) was huge and generous but not elegantly or tastefully done as in french style. I totally regretted taking a leap of faith to try this French restaurant instead of going to our regular french-fav, especially on my moms birthday. There was hardly any service with just one waitress and I dont even mind that as long as the food is decent. Oh, last but not the least, dont even attempt the creme brulee. Its stiff and powdery. I make much better creme brulee than this supposedly French restaurant (sigh!). Wonder where all the good reviews come from??!! If its so good, why is the restaurant so vacant. You be the judge!

Different chef than usual on Sunday.

Had a celebratory dinner here on Saturday and it was a delightful experience. Every dish tasted delicate and refined - all the flavors, textures and variety were simple, yet well thought out and well-layered. Although the bill for two was on the high end, the value and worthiness is there. Kudos to the owner, server and kitchen team!

I want to say I understand, but what can i say these day with service. I can even understand wanting to close early because cost of running a restaurant is high but telling me the chef is not feeling well, might be sick is a terrible excuse when the chef already cooked for a shift. If the chef is really sick should he even be in ? what about the group of customers the chef just cooked for.

My third time here and I loved my experience as much as my first. Friendly staff. Intimate atmosphere (limited capacity indoors and outdoors so be sure to make a reservation). Very clean. Most importantly: a rotating menu. Their high-quality ingredients are apparent in every bite. On this visit, we received complimentary French fries, which were DELICIOUS!!! I did not expect them to be SO tasty otherwise I would ve taken a photo of them as well! Can t wait to see what the items on their next menu will be!

If you re looking for a French eatery and enjoy a rotating fixed price menu, try Absinthe Bistro. Like all restaurants on commercial, the foods pretty good. I would recommend the fixed price option over a la carte because it s more worth it and a better experience. I d say the 2 course fixed meal for $58 is enough food as they give the table bread and butter to start, while their portions are a decent size. We ordered Pate en Croute Lamb Wellington Seafood Bouillabaisse Creme brûlée I m a huge seafood fan so I really enjoyed the bouillabaisse. The flavour was good, generous on the seafood and got some bread to balance it off. The pate en croute was okay, I would ve preferred it to taste creamier, found there was a bit too much pork. Creme brûlée was great, as expected. We also tried the absinthe and that was a great experience, so you need to of course try that at the absinthe bistro! Overall, it was a good dining experience, especially on the patio. However, I m not sure if the food was fully worth the price. If you really like French food it s worth it, but that s my take on it.

wow its amazing

Picture 1 The duck leg is so tender and tender that you can bite it with almost no effort. The lava cake is also super delicious. The most delicious thing is the free bread because they make the butter themselves and it tastes so good.

Cozy place for delicious French food. The menu consists of 3 options for each of appetizers, entrees, and desserts. You can get combo them as you like. Meals always start with warm bread and their homemade apricot and chives butter. We love the butter! Love the options and had a great chat with the owner everytime we visit.

Food was great, service was a bit slow but understandable as there was only one server.

Delicious food, everything was well prepared and balanced, wines were pleasant as well. Not a hip place, but great for relaxed date night for foodies.

We come here for birthdays/anniversaries in the past years and have always loved the experience here. Last year I even left a 5-star review for the great food. Unfortunately last nights birthday dinner was very disappointing. I totally understand the raised price as everythings much more expensive now, but the avocado appetizer was literally just some mashed avocado and a slab of goat cheese. Rice pudding with caramel sauce was mediocre, like something you would get from Save-on-Foods. The thoughts they used to put into every dish are no longer there. There was only one main server serving the entire restaurant during dinner time and when she came by our table to take orders, there was no warmth, not even a hi or how are you doing, she just appeared and stared at us in an awkward 5-second silence, then uh are you ready to order? Not saying that she didnt serve us throughout the night, but just not the most pleasant feeling dining there. For example, she just slammed down another basket of complimentary bread (which we didnt ask for and do appreciate) while she walked past our table without a word. I just dont expect this type of service at a French restaurant with a $75 bill each person. I got better service than this at a dim sum restaurant last week.

Really enjoyed my dinner here. Love the prix fixe menu.

I simply cant recommend this resto enough! Our party of 3 enjoyed their 3-course menu which was WELL worth the fixed price! We each enjoyed a different appetizer - butternut squash, foie gras pate and mussels. All 3 were superb, although I do admit that the foie gras requires an acquired taste. Two of us had the lamb shank and the other had duck confit. The lamb shank was divine, but the duck was just out of this world amazing! As soon as I put the duck in my mouth, I knew that it was fantastic. The dessert - chocolate lava cake and creme brulee- was also wonderful, although by that time we were all so full that we kinda had to force ourselves to eat it. Nevertheless they were both excellent ends to our meals. Overall I thought the whole experience was superb and we will definitely come back!

Absolutely divine.

Delicious

The food is not the greatest, bad service and price doesnt justify the foods amount

Good food, great ambience, friendly professional staff

Recommend Pork Cheeks vs Rabbit Leg. Dont leave before chocolate lava cake

Always delicious and love the relaxing atmosphere and quaintness. Food offered here rotates often, so you always get to try something new. Owners mariana and cory are a dynamic duo, knowledgeable of the food, kind and attentive, its like being dinner guest at a friends. Some of what we had this evening include a roasted rabbit leg with gnocchi, and an grilled octopus starter. Both simply but well done.

Overall cute little French restaurant that offers traditional French food. The food was amazing, but I must say the Creme Brulee was not as good as at The Faux Bourgeois, and the menu was too simple compared to The Faux Bourgeois. Overall though it was a nice touch to have the chef come bring you your food.

Every plate I had this night was simply delicious. From appetizer right through to dessert. Scallops cooked perfectly, and the pork cheeks leaves a taste in your mouth that you keep remembering. The host, and I believe owner, is very friendly and kind to explain things through dinner. I highly recommend. You really need to try to understand what I mean.

High expectations but underwhelming delivery. Best thing we ate was the bread with chive butter.

This is the best chocolate lava cake in Vancouver. Oh but wait what about blablabla no. Come here. The owner is fantastic, the vibe is friendly and this cake is FANTASTIC.

Host was super entertaining and liked to crack jokes. Food was good and not overly salty. The lava cake is a flavor bomb and one of the best Ive had, but a tad too sweet as I prefer savory foods to sweets.

Easily some of the best food Ive had in Vancouver. The menu changes often and its always a treat. During pandemic times, theyre doing patio dining and takeaway appointments. The service is always impeccable and friendly. My partner and I have been coming to Absinthe for our anniversary for seven years now and well keep coming back.

We ve been coming to Absinthe for years, and it is always a fantastic experience. Corey is an exceptional cook, and he always makes an effort to connect. Hands down the best restaurant on the Drive!

Friendly service..great food. Relaxing atmosphere

The food was very good, presentation was excellent, and the staff worked very hard to keep up quality service. Would definitely recommend this restaurant though it is a tad pricey.

Awesome decor! And just really good vibes

Very good atmosphere, food, drinks and service!

Unfortunately, a disappointing dining experience. Food was quite good; however the service was subpar at best. Server was cold and hurried. Never once were we asked how the food was. Its not like it was busy - there were only 2 other tables! She was attentive to the other table next to us though. One example was that when their fries (complimentary, seems like everyone got them) were served, they were asked if they wanted ketchup or other condiments, while for us, she pretty much just dropped the fries on our table. Not sure what we did to offend her. :/

Dont like the service

Perfect French cuisine! Don t let the limited selection on the menu fool you every dish is fantastic and tasty! Highly recommend!

The owner gave an excellent service and the way they serve the absinthe was unique and the food was amazing. Weve been treated very well. I would definitely recommend this place!

Such great food ... Amazing even, Super friendly service Such a fun night @ this bistro Thank you !!

Dinner service felt calm and relaxing. Food was delicious; especially the sea bass with roasted pepper sauce. Only nitpick was that the portions could have been a teeny bit bigger. The 2/3 course menu is still a decent deal (even with the price increase).

Had a great meal with my friends. The food was fantastic and the service was good. Would go back again for sure.

We had a great dinner tonight. Corey was great overseeing our table and recommending a great wine. We enjoyed one of everything on the menu between the three of us. First time for us at the newest location. We are full and enjoyed our experience. We definitely come again next time in town. Great to see you again Corey. Thank you from Shannan

Very good food. We had the duck breasts on wonderful sliced potatoes on a superb sauce. Fantastic bread with delicious apricot and chive butter. Nice they dont charge for the bread. I had the Pavlova, my husband had the lava cake. Id go for the lava cake next time. A couple of negatives: 1) Like so many restaurants, I find the price of glasses of wine outrageous, their cocktails are pricey, too, so I ordered a Cappuccino for $5. I found it watery and only half the cup was filled! Really? You couldnt pour in just a bit more cheap coffee? 2) I found the service very amateur. I ve heard that good, experienced people are hard to get now with places re-opening after the worst of Covid, so it s understandable and they were very busy, but I think before opening, it would have helped if the manager had done a bit to a lot more training considering the prices people pay here. e.g. Warm greeting by wait staff, someone asking how the food is, asking permission before taking our plates away, not practically throwing our dessert spoons at us, perhaps wiping down the table connected to us when food had fallen on it. Again, Im sure theyre short on staff, it was busy and everyone looked harried, but at least train the staff you have by doing some role plays or something.

A delicious 3 course menu with great attentive service. Started off with a prawn and avo salad, then had the duck, followed by the creme Brule. Good food and a greet evening

Corey, the owner, was very welcoming and hospitable. I liked the previous location. This venue is even better. Very calm and attentive staff. We enjoyed the gazpacho, tuna & salmon tartare,sea bass with a delicate sauce. The duck was very good. I think the server should ask how the guest wants ithe duck cooked. Mine was arrived quite rare but I didnt mind. The creme brulée was delicious. Another review said the portions were small. We found the portions were just right. Essentially we liked everything. Corey was very helpful in suggesting wines. Service was relaxed and we did not feel rushed. The Mexican server was reserved possibly due facility with English. The other server was outgoing and friendly. We will definitely come back another time.

Went in for a nice dinner without the kids. Small concise menu which makes it easy to choose. I skipped a starter but my partner had the tuna options and she enjoyed it. I had sea bass entre and it was delightful. For dessert I had the lava cake with house made ice cream. It was so rich but was exactly what I needed. Also the staff were friendly and attentive. Will return for dinner in the future.

Hard to explain just how bad it was. The whole experience. Start to finish. It was our 5th year anniversary dinner and I cant even explain how underwhelming it was; we honestly just had to laugh and shrug the whole thing off at the end. It was far and away the most expensive bill Ive had in 2021 for the worst dining experience of 2021. Very unfortunate. Without having said anything, I wouldve expected something to be comped given how bad it all was (the insanely long wait for the dishes on a SET MENU with only 3 options lol - like 60+ minutes for the mains to come out, only for it to be the chewiest rubber tire duck with zero taste whatsoever); and the server body language indicated they understood (not even one person asked how everything was haha - they knew). It just left a really sour taste to have spent so much for absolutely nothing - Note: the desserts took so long (30+ minute wait for a creme brule after asking them for a rush lol) that we actually had to ask them to cancel them all-together haha - literally the one saving grace was going to be the dessert but it took so long we had to actually cancel them. Really, just hard to express the overall disappointment on such an important night, but whatever. No comps, no enjoyment, just a poor experience all-around. I never even write reviews but it was just that bad lol.

Food and drinks were great! Friendly service.

Looking so good on the dishes and taste is so delicious, services also so nice, should go again when we have times.

This is my favourite French restaurants. Love love all the main entries

Great restaurant with a seasonal menu. You get to pick from three from appetizers, entrees, or desserts. The best were the scallops and pavlova dessert. The cocktails were also very well done. I recommend coming here and it s bit fancier than I anticipated as well.

Food and service are good. Will recommend my friends to try.

Flew in from Montreal for business. While in Vancouver had time to dine at Absinthe with a local friend of mine and had an exquisite dining experience. Food was on the mark, wine selection was great, and service was flawless. Add to that a very cosy ambiance and reasonably priced. Met the owner and he was extremely personable and accommodating. Plan to return :)

Another excellent meal at Absinthe. Love the simplified menu, changing regularly. Great service and atmosphere.

Great friendly service and amazing food. Ambiance is a 4 out 5 but they tried hard with the limited space that they have.

This is my first time writing a review, I just couldn t let it slide and everyone I spoke to encouraged me to share it on here. I came here for my boyfriend s birthday dinner. I ve never had French cuisine before, so I m not very well versed with the dishes, but I have never liked cauliflower (in any cuisine). My boyfriend ordered the cauliflower soup and forced me to try a sip even though I insisted that it wouldn t be my cup of tea. He kept insisting so when I tried a sip just so he would stop asking me, expectedly, I didn t enjoy it and made a face privately to him at our dinner table to let him know see, I don t like it . Immediately after, the owner of the restaurant said aloud in front of everyone in the restaurant, did you really have to make that face? Is it really that bad? I studied Hospitality and worked in the industry for years, so I understood that that behaviour is absolutely unacceptable and unprofessional, to shame a customer for their own palette and personal preferences. Completely understandable if I was a rude customer to have ordered something I knew I wouldn t like and made a fuss and complained about it openly to everyone, but this wasn t even my dish that I ordered, and it was between my boyfriend and I s private conversation at our table. If he truly wanted my feedback and constructive criticism (which again, has nothing to do with their soup, I m sure anyone who enjoys cauliflower would drink it), he should have came up to our table to ask if there was something wrong with soup instead of openly saying that in front of all the other customers and employees, bluntly shaming me in a condescending manner. I hope the owner will know that not everyone has the same palette, and everyone is allowed to have their own preferences as long as they re not openly bashing it to everyone in a rude manner. Safe to say that it was a truly disappointing birthday dinner, we went home without eating anything else and ended the night with a bitter taste in our mouths. Truly hope that no other customer will have to go through what we went through that night.

An exquisite experience. Everything was delicious, the service was awesome and the place is beautiful! Highly recommended, if you are visiting the town or if you are local, you cannot miss the experience of coming here.

A pretty comfy place. Excelent place to have a warm and peaceful dinner, loved the food and the service. A really really good place to go.

Such a really good restaurant! Lovely food, the owner is really kind and all the service was awesome. Seriously, if you are in town and you are looking for a really good experience, this Bistro should be on the top of your restaurants to go list

The food was just okay. Went in for dinner with high expectations from seeing all the 5-star reviews, however our experience did not match that. Not sure if it was just an off day on their end but we probably won t be coming back to find out.

Was actually let down a bit after seeing so many great reviews. My tuna starter was bland and didn t really taste of anything but a slight hint of horseradish. The lamb shank was my highlight of the meal but it sat on a bed of overly sweet caramelized onions that were basically mush. Nothing wrong with the lava cake but personally I wish it didn t have the crumble as I d be taking a nice smooth bite and then my teeth crunch down on what feels like sand. Maybe I expected too much? The conciliation however was that they didn t charge me for my starter (I took like 2 bites and said nope) and I thank the staff for that. I m sad cause I really wanted to like the place but I don t think I ll be coming back for now. Their menu changes so maybe it was just bad timing for me.

The absolute best place for absinthe in this city. Youll be delighted to find great local selections and even absinthe cocktails tailored to each particular variety. The food, although expensive, is worth every bite. This is a must-try!

Excellent, all three courses!

They have a fixed course menu, changed regularly. We enjoyed prawns and scallops.

We were very disappointed with our experience. First of all we found the servers seemed absent and didn t bother to make any kind of connection with us or show any excitement for the food. Which I could understand when I tried the food, all of which was bland and seemed like frozen food that was just warmed up and plated. We are shocked at how high the reviews for this restaurant are given the poor experience that we had. We will not be returning.

Went there today to celebrate my Birthday. I loved the food, service and care I got. We chose from the fixed menu and each dish was carefully crafted and tasted out of this world. I will go back again and enjoy the tranquil ambiance and excellent food. You must go and try the food there. They do change the fixed menu, so there is always something new for the tastebuds to enjoy. Merci beaucoup Chef!

Good ambience, lovely set up and decor. The food was good, though when we received our dishes they were lukewarm. Couple of things (octopus) were a little too salty, but still decent. The service was friendly, but really quite slow. They seemed understaffed - the chef served us the food herself. Would return again to try something new.

Fantastic meal at a great price. Friendly service and a great atmosphere. Would highly recommend this great restaurant.

Nice atmosphere with delicious foods

The owner s service was rude. We had a bad experience at the restaurant. We had a reservation on Saturday at 6pm for a birthday celebration with a requirement of having a table close to the window. When we 5 minutes late,we gave the restaurant a call to let them know that we were going to be another few minutes late. We were late because of a train crossing the railroad tracks with was just 2 minutes away from the restaurant. When we arrived at the restaurant, the table that was supposed to be beside the window had already been occupied, and the owner said that table is occupied because we were late. We accepted another table far from the window. We ordered starters, entree, dessert and drinks for 4 people of a total of around $300. The delivery time of the starters, entree and dessert was unacceptable. We always had to question when our food would be arriving. There was only one waiter, which was the owner, for the whole restaurant service and all the tables have been occupied. We brought a birthday cake with us to the restaurant and we were planing to eat the cake after dessert. We also gave the cake to the owner to put aside for us. After dessert, the owner just gave us the bill and we told him that we did not even start eating the cake. The owner did not even prepare plates, forks, knives for us to eat the cake yet. He also told us that someone else was waiting for our table and the owner blamed us that we arrived at the restaurant late. So then, he quickly grabbed only plates for us to eat the cake without forks. But the fact is that the delivery time for our food was just unacceptable as I mentioned before. Towards the end of the dining, the owner was more rude, in terms of his service. In the end, we didn t have enough time and felt rushed and unhappy. We still paid tips, but we felt like it was not worth it. We would not recommend this restaurant nor we would come back.

Stunning . Food and Service. Highly recommended

The food was good but the service was so bad I felt like Ashton Kutcher was going to jump out tell me I d been punk d. Arrived for our reservation at 8 and were shown to our table straight away so all good there. The waiter came over and told us about the menu and said he s be back for our orders. Then he seemed to vanish into the ether for half an hour which I put down to the understaffing issues (some of the kitchen staff were running to tables too) which is fair enough in my books and slow service isn t really an issue given the current COVID climate and all. The problem came when the restaurant had cleared out a bit but the waiter seemed to be doing everything possible except coming to our table - focussing instead on one single diner and then a larger table which I assumed to be owners or at least friends based on one of them letting themselves in behind to bar at one stage to grab something. That felt a little strange but things got really out of hand around 9:30pm when the waiter pulled up a chair and started having a glass of wine with the aforementioned larger table leaving us to our own devices for the rest of the meal. It s a shame because the food was good but I don t think there s many dishes out there that are worth the embarrassment of having to walk across the restaurant to ask the waiter if he d mind taking a break from his wine and conversation in order to get our bill.

The food tasted great, the kitchen staff were very quick to bring it out and were very attentive. The reason we wont be going back is that I wish I could say the same about our server. We didnt see him much for during meal, except when it was time for our bill! My partner needed a few minutes to decide on his drink, but after he brought me my beer he never came back to take his drink order, nor did he offer me another drink or ask us if we were doing ok even once during the entire meal. We could see him chatting away to other tables and it wasnt too busy, so we definitely left feeling neglected.

What a truly phenomenal restaurant. The food was absolutely top notch. I had the crab cake, the sablefish, and the lava cake and it was all perfect. The bread was super fresh as well with a really unique apricot and chive butter. The atmosphere was very romantic with really nice mood lighting from candles and chandeliers. It was much nicer than the photos which was a pleasant surprise. Couldn t recommend this place anymore highly.

Great service and unique experience. Delicious 3 course meal!

Went there with my wife for her birthday. Everything was perfect. Pate en croûte is second only to my fathers one. My wife had the lamb shank and was really happy about it. I had the scallops and prawns with the excellent sauce au beurre blanc. The lava cake was also just perfect. Service was the perfect balance between attention and privacy. And you could feel the staff was smiling behind the mask! Highly recommend!

Great food!

Went there for my birthday (October 4th) and it was absolutely delicious.. I am originally from France and I can really say this restaurant and the owner have definitely the sense of hospitality and reception. Service was incredible, after 2 years in Vancouver, its the first time we felt so good, almost like at home! AND the food quality is excellent! We will come back for sure!

Love the new location, a lot larger, tables are spaced out nicely... The food was absolutely amazing and the service was impeccable! I highly recommend! We also need to support all the small local businesses... Enjoy!

Fantastic restaurant serving French affairs on Commercial. The apricot and chive butter was a surprisingly delicious combo and every course we had, we enjoyed. I would recommend going earlier as they do get busy around 7pm.

I like the place has neighborhood style that fitting Commercial Dr. area. The menu showed good French food variety but the food delivered without French presentation style. Food quality was average.