Absinthe Brasserie & Bar San Francisco

Absinthe Brasserie & Bar sits at 398 Hayes Street. It holds a Wine Spectator Excellence Award and serves French, classic, and farm-to-table cuisine.

The room runs smart, feeling more formal than the casual, quick-turnover spots that populate the rest of the block. You choose this venue for the wine list. While a ten-minute walk from the SFJAZZ Center makes it a stop before a performance, the kitchen’s commitment to classic techniques is the actual draw. It offers a structured, deliberate pace that is rare in this part of the city.