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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.
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.
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 that's 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 it's not crowded.
We came here on a Saturday night and made reservations and highly recommend that you do. When we first came in, it wasn't too busy but the restaurant was packed in about half an hour. They have a set menu and R and I decided on getting the appy and entree. For our appts, we got the scallop ceviche and duck breast and liver pâté. The bread they brought out was extremely fresh and loved the herb butter that it was served with. The duck/liver pâté and the scallop ceviche were not bad but definitely the stars of the meal were the two mains. The pan seared Nova Scotia scallops were so soft and just melted in your mouth. The duck leg confit was similarly fell right off the bone. I highly recommend the two mains and would love to have both of them again!
First time here due to the east side location but it's really good. Excellent price quality ratio in my opinion. Will definitely return for the classic French cooking.
A little hard on the wallet, but oh wow was I impressed! The salmon/tuna tartare and the duck breast were both elegantly plated and packed a punch with amazing but pure flavors. Keeping mindful -- the portion sizes are not fantastic. However, they do provide bread (+ flavored butter to-die for) and a side of fries with the duck, so I was able to be satisfied. Definitely one of the better meals I've had, and a really good place for dates!
WOW!! Hands down one of my favourite restaurants that I've tried over the last couple of months. We started out with some Saint Germain drinks which were fun, tasty, and refreshing. They also had some really cool absinthe drinks and cocktails (hence the name, duhh) but we wanted to take it easy for now. Their menus are prix fixed, but I love that they have the option of a 2 course meal (app and entree or entree and dessert) or the traditional 3 course, as I'm not a huge fan of dessert. By far by far their fried frog legs were the star of the night!! Juicy, crispy, and tasty YUM!! So so good!! We also tried the cured salmon, Arctic char, and lamb ravioli which were all delish as well! Even though their menu is quite small (3 options per course), I actually liked it, as the menu is seasonal and you know that each dish has been perfected! Also I would say this is definitely more of a restaurant I would go to once every few months (don't get me wrong pricing is very reasonable, but at the end of the day it's a nice prix fixed meal so is more pricey than the every day restaurant) so the seasonal menu is perfect!! One more note, they provided bread for the table and this AMAZING apricot chive butter!! I've never tasted anything like it!!! SO SO good!! I honestly wanted to ask for a little pot to take home!!!!
Cute restaurant with a decently private patio. Waitress was very pleasant , and considerate. I used a lime from my appetizer for my water and while sitting on the patio got cold she offered to move me and my date inside. When I left my water on the patio she brought my date and I new water and a lime on a little plate. I had a lovely experience here and my date who hasn't been to a French restaurant before got to experience a fine dining experience that was still laid back and comfortable. All of our food was delicious. We got the tuna tartare, ceviche, and grilled steaks that were larger than our hands, and for desert creme brûlée and a generous amount of rice pudding. Definitely one of my new favourite restaurants
A super quaint and nice spot this is. I've always enjoyed an open kitchen concept. The proprietors are genuinely friendly and care about their customers. We came last night and ended up taking up the entire restaurant thereby pissing off a couple of regulars, but they were good about it and chatted with us. After the majority of everyone arrived, a couple of us, me included, had an absinthe cocktail. My first time. I'm not into cocktails but hey, UYE!!!!!! Why the heck not, right????? It tasted fine to me. Licorice flavour similar to Ouzo. So the food, the main attraction: Salmon tartare. This was cleanly executed, but for some strange reason I did not taste much soy, as described on the menu. Maybe the absinthe covered the taste? Braised pork cheeks in apple cider sauce and scalloped potatoes. Very tender pork, fall apart on your fork, pork. Did I just make that rhyme? Personally, I would not order this again because it is similar in taste to what I can do at home. I prefer to have something different on my palate. It was still very tasty either way. I did not order dessert, but I had small samples of: Creme brulee - quite nice. One of the better ones that I've had. Raspberry sorbet - also quite nice. Very slightly tart but not enough for you to cringe. I also sampled the Chilled Spanish Tomato Gazpacho. Again, clean and well executed. I flushed this meal down with an E. Guigal Cote du Rhone, a blend of syrah and grenache. Medium body smooth and soft finish. It worked nicely with the pork. Once the menu rotates, I'll be back. Prices are very reasonable for this caliber of food. This was an excellent sit down UYE. Of course there were great conversations and a lot of laughs. Aren't most UYE's like this? Every UYE that I've been to!!!! Special thanks to Simon K. for getting this together. Did I hear you say another one coming in October? I'm all in!!!!!!
Seeing that this was a new restaurant, and needing to surprise my partner, we ventured to this part of town, not known for "French" style cuisine, we came here. I was simply impressed by the whole meal after it was all done, and the transformation of this little place that used to be a breakfast joint called 'Theresa's'. If you frequent the drive, you will remember a small little greasy breakfast place that used to sit here. Now we have a new kid on the block, who is not bringing what everyone else on the drive is offering, which is French food. How things have changed, and it's a great 'character' looking place! From the newly tiled floor, to the open kitchen concept, with all the shiny new equipment you see from your table. The dark wooden chairs and tables, and the simple settings, we were excited to see the menu once we were seated! I hear that the menu changes quite often, as they are new, and experimenting new ideas and dishes - This is from the chef himself, whose name is Corey. You can either go a la carte, or go a two course, or the full three course, which gives you quite a bit of options. On this night me and my partner both decided to go for a two course meal, mine - appetizer, main, hers - main, dessert, and we were very surprised at the size of the servings. Obviously I was taught to look at French food as a pettite sized dinner, so the portions for the mains were 'happily' surprising, but I will get back to that in a second. We started off with my appetizer by ordering the 'Foie Gras Torchon served with Maple Syrup and Balsamic Vinegar Reductions'. I usually do not eat first, and observe my partner and her reaction to the food being placed before us. When you see a moment of silence, a then a hint of a smile, while you know teeth are moving from behind that smile, you know it is good, and the foie gras was just that, rich, creamy, fine, mixed with the balsamic reduction, and you had a sweet and savoury mixture that just worked. Served along with some bread at our sides, and butter, we enjoyed these well placed pieces, slowly slicing small subsections, and spreading the foie gras on the bread. Then the main course arrived....My order was the 'Slow Braised Pork Cheeks, Apple Cider Sauce, Potato Puree, and my parnter had the 'Oven Roasted Chicken Breast served with Red Cabbage and a creamy curry sauce'. These dishes were nicely set, but the size of them was definitely a positive. In the words of the chef himself, I don't want the people eating here feeling 'ripped' off, and to give it good value! For the quality of the food here I can say you are getting great value, especially if you have a bigger appetite. I can tell that my partner was having a great meal, describing the perfectly crisp skin of the chicken, and the tenderness of the white meat, while I was slowly carving at my pork cheeks, allowing them to shred (like pulled pork) and combining each bite with some apple and sauce. Sometimes silence is golden, and it was this way throughout our meal. We then had our dessert served to us, with some good time to digest the food that just went down our mouths. We had ordered the chocolate lava cake, and later on we had the creme brulee. First with the chocolate, it was moist, filled with chocolate, but the ice cream they used was really tasty, and different. This isn't some dairyland bucket ice cream, but stuff that is made here, it just evaporates in your mouth, and is just so smooth and creamy your going to have to try it to understand what I am saying. The creme brulee was a shocker on size alone, this thing was at least double (if not bigger) than the ones you have anywhere. You can taste the fresh vanilla bean once you dig your spoon in. We had to stay for coffee, as our stomach's were happy, yet they were stuffed to the brim. I can't wait to come back again to see what different menu items will change, and to see how French food kicks off on the 'Drive'. If you do get a chance, and you have never been here, they do have pictures of how the place used to look like, and the work and effort (elbow-grease) they did to make it look like how it looks now!
Great little restaurant in The Drive area. Very cozy and comfortable restaurant and the owner was very friendly. The bread and the butter was so good. Prix fixe menu had reasonable price and the food was excellent. Great last dinner before heading home.
Came here for a party, where the host rented out the place and gave everyone a set menu. Parking isn't the best here, but there are some spots on the side streets. The inside is classy (yes, it does look similar to places in France) and very cozy, with maybe 30 seats at most. They're really focusing on quality over quantity here, as evidenced by their extremely short business hours too. The food quality is definitely there. However, this also means most of their dishes are snack-sized. Something to keep in mind. Appetizer bread - great whipped butter. Nice and fluffy. Tuna marinated with lemon and horseradish - The tuna was shredded, and served with some kind of melted sugar flake (looks like the top shell of a creme brulee). The lemon juice was there but no physical slices. The horseradish was actually little blobs of green paste. Roasted stuffed rabbit loin with mustard sauce and potato puree - actually quite tasty. The rabbit loin is a solid chunk of meat. Beautiful. Not sure what the stuffing was made of. The mustard sauce was a dark brown, and the potato puree is a finer version of mashed potato. Served with a few cut up beans. The staff as well as Cory (who also owns the place) was very cordial, and made sure everyone in the group had a good time. The service really does shine here. A good time we did have. Overall I was quite happy with the experience, other than that I left a bit hungry. But for dining of this calibre, this was somewhat expected.
Was taken to Absinthe Bistro for a surprised dinner and loved every minute of it. The last time I visited Absinthe Bistro was years ago at their old location also on Commercial Drive. Been wanting to go back (guessed I mentioned it too many times so got taken!). Absinthe Bistro is my favourite French Restaurant in Vancouver. Love this family-run restaurant and the chef has no qualms coming out from the kitchen to serve, checking on his guests or clearing plates. Down-to-earth, home like vibes here which is so reflective of small Bistros in France. Food is amazingly delicious, portion size is excellent, and offers fixed price menu which I recommend. As there were three of us, we ordered 3 fixed price menus. We got to sample three dishes in each section of the starters, mains and desserts. Loved it all but my favourites are chestnut mushroom soup, escargots, pork cheeks, AAA steak, lemon tart and chocolate lava cake (it's their classic and been on the menu forever!). Reservation recommended, pay street parking out front but there is free side street parking if you come early to look. read more
1 year ago
Don't let the nondescript exterior fool you...this bistro's interior decor, food and service will delight you at every turn. Based on prior Yelp reviews, my companion and I had high expectations...and they were exceeded with every course. The food was elegant and incredibly delicious without being fussy. We both proclaimed our starter to be "the best seafood chowder ever"...and we are in our mid-60s! Our choices of French wines (by the glass) paired perfectly with our entrees (halibut and lamb shank). The lemon tart and creme brulee provided a sweet ending to an extraordinary meal. All of this goodness served with casual elegance by our very attentive, gracious and graceful waitress. Might we suggest a simple and easy transition from paper to cloth napkins to elevate this dining experience from a 9.9 to a full 10. Thank you for a lovely and memorable evening! read more
Absinthe Bistro, oui, oui, oui Monsieur! It's good to have friends who every year, get a copy of 'Canada's Top 100 Restaurants' & tackle several of those spots every year without hesitation. An excellent recommendation indeed after my reservation at Elephant was cancelled the night before. I practically live on Commercial Dr year round (see my recent Italian Day 2024 pix) but especially in the summer & how on earth did I sleep on AB!?? Now that I've come out of the dark, I truly feel awakened by this experience - French food never tasted so superbe! Bravo! Oui, get here Asap & experience one of the top French restaurants in Canada. The atmosphere is very Paris chic - the lighting, decor & music = magnifique! Our host was friendly, warm & attentive. We started of with an amazing bread & butter. Gosh this butter was so tasty I could have eaten it all evening. Then came the appetizers - Escargot with garlic & parsley butter Rockfish & Shrimp Ceviche - Avocado, red onion & parsley. The main dishes - Pan Seared Scallops - sautéed spinach, potato puree, beurre blanc. Roasted Sablefish - celeriac root puree, sunchoke fondant, coconut salad (this salad looked kinda simple sad - however, to my shock & awe - it was one of the best salads I've ever had!). Dessert - of course I had to go for the crepes - Crepes Suzette with house made Vanilla ice-cream & the Classic French Vanilla Crème Brûlée. FANTASTIQUE!!! Bravo chef bravo - my body was trembling with each bite! AB is definitely one of the best French restaurants I've ever been to in Metro Vancouver. You can taste the passion in the food & you just know the chef absolutely came to slay! He don't play no games when it comes to his dishes - French dishes done suprêmement! Please note that the menu changes frequently, so you may not get to try my exact food experience when you do pop in. Tough. LOL. Bon appétit. read more
9 months ago
I was there with family and friends for a small celebration. The food and services were great. It was fine dining with a casual atmosphere. Highly recommended. read more
3 years ago
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. read more
7 months ago
3 years ago
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. read more
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 that's 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 it's not crowded. read more
We came here on a Saturday night and made reservations and highly recommend that you do. When we first came in, it wasn't too busy but the restaurant was packed in about half an hour. They have a set menu and R and I decided on getting the appy and entree. For our appts, we got the scallop ceviche and duck breast and liver pâté. The bread they brought out was extremely fresh and loved the herb butter that it was served with. The duck/liver pâté and the scallop ceviche were not bad but definitely the stars of the meal were the two mains. The pan seared Nova Scotia scallops were so soft and just melted in your mouth. The duck leg confit was similarly fell right off the bone. I highly recommend the two mains and would love to have both of them again! read more
4 years ago
First time here due to the east side location but it's really good. Excellent price quality ratio in my opinion. Will definitely return for the classic French cooking. read more
A little hard on the wallet, but oh wow was I impressed! The salmon/tuna tartare and the duck breast were both elegantly plated and packed a punch with amazing but pure flavors. Keeping mindful -- the portion sizes are not fantastic. However, they do provide bread (+ flavored butter to-die for) and a side of fries with the duck, so I was able to be satisfied. Definitely one of the better meals I've had, and a really good place for dates! read more
WOW!! Hands down one of my favourite restaurants that I've tried over the last couple of months. We started out with some Saint Germain drinks which were fun, tasty, and refreshing. They also had some really cool absinthe drinks and cocktails (hence the name, duhh) but we wanted to take it easy for now. Their menus are prix fixed, but I love that they have the option of a 2 course meal (app and entree or entree and dessert) or the traditional 3 course, as I'm not a huge fan of dessert. By far by far their fried frog legs were the star of the night!! Juicy, crispy, and tasty YUM!! So so good!! We also tried the cured salmon, Arctic char, and lamb ravioli which were all delish as well! Even though their menu is quite small (3 options per course), I actually liked it, as the menu is seasonal and you know that each dish has been perfected! Also I would say this is definitely more of a restaurant I would go to once every few months (don't get me wrong pricing is very reasonable, but at the end of the day it's a nice prix fixed meal so is more pricey than the every day restaurant) so the seasonal menu is perfect!! One more note, they provided bread for the table and this AMAZING apricot chive butter!! I've never tasted anything like it!!! SO SO good!! I honestly wanted to ask for a little pot to take home!!!! read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
Cute restaurant with a decently private patio. Waitress was very pleasant , and considerate. I used a lime from my appetizer for my water and while sitting on the patio got cold she offered to move me and my date inside. When I left my water on the patio she brought my date and I new water and a lime on a little plate. I had a lovely experience here and my date who hasn't been to a French restaurant before got to experience a fine dining experience that was still laid back and comfortable. All of our food was delicious. We got the tuna tartare, ceviche, and grilled steaks that were larger than our hands, and for desert creme brûlée and a generous amount of rice pudding. Definitely one of my new favourite restaurants read more
3 years ago
A super quaint and nice spot this is. I've always enjoyed an open kitchen concept. The proprietors are genuinely friendly and care about their customers. We came last night and ended up taking up the entire restaurant thereby pissing off a couple of regulars, but they were good about it and chatted with us. After the majority of everyone arrived, a couple of us, me included, had an absinthe cocktail. My first time. I'm not into cocktails but hey, UYE!!!!!! Why the heck not, right????? It tasted fine to me. Licorice flavour similar to Ouzo. So the food, the main attraction: Salmon tartare. This was cleanly executed, but for some strange reason I did not taste much soy, as described on the menu. Maybe the absinthe covered the taste? Braised pork cheeks in apple cider sauce and scalloped potatoes. Very tender pork, fall apart on your fork, pork. Did I just make that rhyme? Personally, I would not order this again because it is similar in taste to what I can do at home. I prefer to have something different on my palate. It was still very tasty either way. I did not order dessert, but I had small samples of: Creme brulee - quite nice. One of the better ones that I've had. Raspberry sorbet - also quite nice. Very slightly tart but not enough for you to cringe. I also sampled the Chilled Spanish Tomato Gazpacho. Again, clean and well executed. I flushed this meal down with an E. Guigal Cote du Rhone, a blend of syrah and grenache. Medium body smooth and soft finish. It worked nicely with the pork. Once the menu rotates, I'll be back. Prices are very reasonable for this caliber of food. This was an excellent sit down UYE. Of course there were great conversations and a lot of laughs. Aren't most UYE's like this? Every UYE that I've been to!!!! Special thanks to Simon K. for getting this together. Did I hear you say another one coming in October? I'm all in!!!!!! read more
Seeing that this was a new restaurant, and needing to surprise my partner, we ventured to this part of town, not known for "French" style cuisine, we came here. I was simply impressed by the whole meal after it was all done, and the transformation of this little place that used to be a breakfast joint called 'Theresa's'. If you frequent the drive, you will remember a small little greasy breakfast place that used to sit here. Now we have a new kid on the block, who is not bringing what everyone else on the drive is offering, which is French food. How things have changed, and it's a great 'character' looking place! From the newly tiled floor, to the open kitchen concept, with all the shiny new equipment you see from your table. The dark wooden chairs and tables, and the simple settings, we were excited to see the menu once we were seated! I hear that the menu changes quite often, as they are new, and experimenting new ideas and dishes - This is from the chef himself, whose name is Corey. You can either go a la carte, or go a two course, or the full three course, which gives you quite a bit of options. On this night me and my partner both decided to go for a two course meal, mine - appetizer, main, hers - main, dessert, and we were very surprised at the size of the servings. Obviously I was taught to look at French food as a pettite sized dinner, so the portions for the mains were 'happily' surprising, but I will get back to that in a second. We started off with my appetizer by ordering the 'Foie Gras Torchon served with Maple Syrup and Balsamic Vinegar Reductions'. I usually do not eat first, and observe my partner and her reaction to the food being placed before us. When you see a moment of silence, a then a hint of a smile, while you know teeth are moving from behind that smile, you know it is good, and the foie gras was just that, rich, creamy, fine, mixed with the balsamic reduction, and you had a sweet and savoury mixture that just worked. Served along with some bread at our sides, and butter, we enjoyed these well placed pieces, slowly slicing small subsections, and spreading the foie gras on the bread. Then the main course arrived....My order was the 'Slow Braised Pork Cheeks, Apple Cider Sauce, Potato Puree, and my parnter had the 'Oven Roasted Chicken Breast served with Red Cabbage and a creamy curry sauce'. These dishes were nicely set, but the size of them was definitely a positive. In the words of the chef himself, I don't want the people eating here feeling 'ripped' off, and to give it good value! For the quality of the food here I can say you are getting great value, especially if you have a bigger appetite. I can tell that my partner was having a great meal, describing the perfectly crisp skin of the chicken, and the tenderness of the white meat, while I was slowly carving at my pork cheeks, allowing them to shred (like pulled pork) and combining each bite with some apple and sauce. Sometimes silence is golden, and it was this way throughout our meal. We then had our dessert served to us, with some good time to digest the food that just went down our mouths. We had ordered the chocolate lava cake, and later on we had the creme brulee. First with the chocolate, it was moist, filled with chocolate, but the ice cream they used was really tasty, and different. This isn't some dairyland bucket ice cream, but stuff that is made here, it just evaporates in your mouth, and is just so smooth and creamy your going to have to try it to understand what I am saying. The creme brulee was a shocker on size alone, this thing was at least double (if not bigger) than the ones you have anywhere. You can taste the fresh vanilla bean once you dig your spoon in. We had to stay for coffee, as our stomach's were happy, yet they were stuffed to the brim. I can't wait to come back again to see what different menu items will change, and to see how French food kicks off on the 'Drive'. If you do get a chance, and you have never been here, they do have pictures of how the place used to look like, and the work and effort (elbow-grease) they did to make it look like how it looks now! read more
5 years ago
Great little restaurant in The Drive area. Very cozy and comfortable restaurant and the owner was very friendly. The bread and the butter was so good. Prix fixe menu had reasonable price and the food was excellent. Great last dinner before heading home. read more
Came here for a party, where the host rented out the place and gave everyone a set menu. Parking isn't the best here, but there are some spots on the side streets. The inside is classy (yes, it does look similar to places in France) and very cozy, with maybe 30 seats at most. They're really focusing on quality over quantity here, as evidenced by their extremely short business hours too. The food quality is definitely there. However, this also means most of their dishes are snack-sized. Something to keep in mind. Appetizer bread - great whipped butter. Nice and fluffy. Tuna marinated with lemon and horseradish - The tuna was shredded, and served with some kind of melted sugar flake (looks like the top shell of a creme brulee). The lemon juice was there but no physical slices. The horseradish was actually little blobs of green paste. Roasted stuffed rabbit loin with mustard sauce and potato puree - actually quite tasty. The rabbit loin is a solid chunk of meat. Beautiful. Not sure what the stuffing was made of. The mustard sauce was a dark brown, and the potato puree is a finer version of mashed potato. Served with a few cut up beans. The staff as well as Cory (who also owns the place) was very cordial, and made sure everyone in the group had a good time. The service really does shine here. A good time we did have. Overall I was quite happy with the experience, other than that I left a bit hungry. But for dining of this calibre, this was somewhat expected. read more
Here's what I didn't like: -Small portion sizing on the appetizer which consisted of four thinly sliced pieces of roast beef with four capers and drizzled with some kind of mustard sauce. -Set menu pricing of $28 for groups of eight or more with the standard 15% tip -The two hour limit the restaurant gave our group of 15 to order and finish our meal -The $2 per person charge if you wanted to bring your own birthday cake Here is what I liked: -My main course of lamb with potatoes sent me to heaven! OMG, it was amazing! -My server and Julia were very attentive in the service, constantly checking if we wanted to buy more drinks or order dessert. -limited menu selection made choosing my meal easier. What I found interesting: -the way they would try to keep up-selling us. Ie: would you like the sparkling water or tap water? Only one in your group ordered dessert. Would anyone else like it. Their business process was very clean and polished and I think that's going to make this place survive here. -Very interesting decor. The gold framed mirrors contrast with the white walls, and brown accents and large wood clock. The chandeliers match the tables and floors and if you look up, the ceiling is painted white! I haven't seen that in a long time, usually everywhere else I've been going lately has black ceilings. It's an interesting style. -I also thought the Absinthe fountain was very cool and an interesting sight. All in all it was a positive experience. It is a very classy upscale restaurant along the drive and they've done a very good job with it. read more
8 years ago
****This is going to be an in depth review of one of the best dining experiences of my life.**** This weekend I took a day trip to Vancouver BC And was surprised with a dinner date at easily top 5 best restaurants I have ever been to. The Absinthe Bistro is ran by a power couple one being the chef and the other running the entire dining space and I saw 1 other friendly person helping the chef. The Absinthe Bistro was a small restaurant with about 6-8 tables that is reservations only. It is a 3 course French cuisine menu. What was really cool that I feel every business should have was a social media counter for Instagram and Facebook on how many likes and followers the restaurant has. I started the dinner with a glass of Absinthe which was my first time ever having. I'm not the biggest fan of anything that tastes like black licorice but I did enjoy the experience of Absinthe. To eat I ordered the Fish and Mussle Soup as my starter which was delicious, the chef brought out roulle if I wanted the soup to be thicker which was surprising. For my main course I ordered the Wrapped Rabbit Loin. This was my first time having rabbit and it was delicious. Rabbit is very soft and in comparison tasted like chicken or turkey. Even the Molten Lava cake was baked perfectly and tasted incredible. Not one thing came out of the kitchen not done perfect. Readers, you are probably waiting to hear why it was such an amazing dining experience and the only way to put it in to words is I felt love in the food, the atmosphere and the service. I highly recommend reading up the back story of the couple but the owner that served us the entire night was very sweet, helped recommend things on the menu, and made sure our experience was great. The chef brought food out to tables with a smile on his face and made sure all guests had everything they needed. One of the owners said they are soon moving locations. The restaurant was not far from downtown Vancouver and I truly feel it's a must try and perfect for a date night. read more
2 years ago
This is one of my absolute favorite restaurant. It's family owned and the owners - Corey and Juli are simply awesome! We have become close friends and I have never been disappointed each time I'm here. Been here soooo many times and each time gets excited about the menu. Tonight I started with the 1. Amazing Kir Royale, followed by 2. Potato Onion Cream Soup, 3. Sous Vide Filet Mignon Medium Rare and of course ended with ... 4. Café Al Alicé + Crémé Brûlée. Not only the food amazing, service, presentation, all above and beyond and most importantly you will feel the warmth of this family. So if you are ever in Vancouver, you don't want to miss this place.... read more
My gal and I planned to out for dinner on Friday nite. However, we have to avoid the downtown and yaletown area due to home game, concert, iron man on show and etc. Eventually, my friend picked Absinthe Bistro for causal French dinner. It's a hidden gem amongst the plethora of restaurants that line on Commercial Drive. It's small and cozy vibe. The servers were friendly and service was excellent. The menu is short and changes weekly. Back to foods, we had 3-course meal at $35 - Very reasonable price! I should give them 4-star but the food I had... only for 3 star (limited selection, price = food quality, taste fair enough) Appetizer: Crab cake - Unexpected big portion and taste fabulous. Tuna tartrate - Just a bit disappointed, the tuna was so fishy and bland. I hope it was real tuna i/o escolar. Haha.. Entrée: Halibut - the tiny piece of halibut was perfectly cooked. Duck leg confit - it's so delicious and full flavour. Desserts: Lava cake - I love it!! It's fresh baked lave cake. Apple tart - few layers of apples slices and delicious. I would not hesitate to recommend this restaurant to anyone for causal French. read more
This place is super cute! Good food, love the staff; wonderful people who actually care about the customers and enjoy what they do. The menu seems to change regularly which is a nice surprise The only thing I didn't like was that we were seated in the patio on the busy street of commercial so we would often be smelling cigarette smoke but that isn't the resto's fault, however they did say they would try and move us inside once a table cleared but they seated other people instead. They were really busy though so it was understandable. Would definitely come back to this place to try different foods once the menu changes again! read more
9 years ago
To start off: words cannot express my experience I had at Absinthe Bistro, just gleeful utterances of pure enjoyment and consistently exclaiming "yum"! I went with two friends and we decided to each order something different in the menu and it was an amazing decision because we got to try everything. The beet gazpacho was amazingly fluffy with creaminess from the goat cheese added. The tuna carpaccio was delicious and the cauliflower purée complemented it very well. I ordered the duck confit for the main course and the duck was amazingly tender and the blueberry sauce that went with it was to die for. The sauce on the sablefish was unique to say the least. For dessert, the crime brûlée was simply the best I've had outside of France. The chocolate lava cake was perfectly molten when served and the coconut ice cream was an added treat to it. With the menu changing often, we will keep on coming back to see what the chef has in store and to taste his amazing creations! read more
8 years ago
7 years ago
My husband and I ate at Absinthe last night for my birthday dinner and it was one of the best meals I have ever eaten, That is saying a lot as I am a 67 year old (as of yesterday) retired chef from California and have done some great dining there and in other spots in the world. From the minute we entered the hospitality was evident. We were warmly greeted and seated. We decided to start our meal with the Absinthe experience and ordered a couple of ounces of a good Absinthe and the waitress brought out the fountain and spoons and we were on our way. My starter was the octopus and artichoke salad which was absolutely delicious, the octopus tender and served also with lovely lardons which were perfectly rendered and mushroom with a tasty vinaigrette dressing. My main course was duck confit which was perfect and the scalloped type potatoes were a joy to taste, even the cabbage was the best I had ever eaten, very delicate and tender. I finished with chocolate lava cake with homemade vanilla ice cream which was decadently wonderful. Seriously, there was not one item I was not happy with. My dessert came out on a special occasion plate which was identical to the plate my best friend has served me food on for special occasions which was a happy coincidence! Alicia was our server and was excellent, even running out to the street to flag us down a cab and getting him to wait while we gathered our things after finishing. During the meal we were checked in on by the owners who were very attentive, the chef/owner Cory bringing our entrees to us and greeting us and the wife Juliana making sure everything about our experience was perfect which it was. I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough and I predict that dining here will be one of the highlights of our trip to Vancouver, read more
7 years ago
Such a gem on the drive! We've lived here for a few years and never went to this restaurant until it was recommended. It's a small, intimate place but you can really feel the love and care that they put into it as soon as you walk in. We were warmly greeted at the door and had the same service throughout. I really love the menu as you can choose a 2 course or 3 meal. And reasonable price too. My husband got a appie and a main and I got a main and a dessert. Both meals were so delicious! My husbands liver starter was a little to hearty for me tho. He got a trout which was wonderful and I had the soy glazed cheek lasagna. It was rich and satisfying. The wine we paired it with was very good too. The dessert I had was just the icing on the cake! A dark, rich, delicious chocolate lava cake to end the night was just what we needed! So fresh, I want to come to this restaurant just for this dessert! All and all we will be coming here much more often from now on read more
7 years ago
I have eaten at Absinthe Bistro more than several times and have always experienced a warm welcome and delicious food. No one does scallops better! The restaurant is small and quiet. Reservations are important as quite frequently they are booked up for the evening. read more
There's a new French restaurant in Vancouver. It's located on Commercial, which isn't known as the district for French cuisine. I came here for an UYE dinner event organized by Simon K. Since it's a bistro, I wasn't expecting a fancy décor, but the ambiance felt a little classy and casual at the same time. I just wish they had some vintage French posters in the dining area. The starter dish was chilled Spanish tomato gazpacho with lime marinated prawns. Normally, I'm not a fan of cold tomato based soups, but this one worked well with the prawns. The tomato gazpacho with lime was very refreshing and light. I would definitely order this on a warm summer day. The main dish was the pork cheeks with apple cider sauce served with scalloped potatoes. It was very well executed. The pork cheeks were very tender and the apple cider sauce worked perfectly with the pork and scalloped potatoes. In short, it was simple, clean, and classic. The dessert was molten chocolate lava cake with vanilla bean ice cream. The lava cake came out nice and warm, not too sweet, but very chocolaty. The inner chocolate lava burst into liquid after I broke the outer layer. The vanilla bean ice cream was freshly house made, and I could really taste the fresh vanilla. This dessert was excellent. The chef was Cory and the server was Juliana. Both of them did an amazing job for us! read more
Love makes everything better. Thanks to Simon K for organizing a UYE here. With a good turnout we ended up having the entire place to ourselves! The owners, Cory (chef) and Juliana (chief of hospitality) are as welcoming as could be. The whole time it felt like we were being hosted in their home. Detecting a non-French accent, I asked Juliana how they met and her story would make anyone go 'awwwwwwww'. They met at French class in France and at the time didn't speak a common language (she is from Columbia). 6 years later made it back to Canada, married, and just opened this place. Before sitting down, Juliana gave us a history lesson on Absinthe and used a traditional Absinthe fountain that dilutes the drink with water and a sugar cube. Though I don't like Absinthe (liquorice taste isn't my thing), it is a really cool piece. I started with the herbed goat cheese terrine. Goat cheese anything is good, this was no exception. Smooth and spiced just right. Main was the slow braised pork cheeks with apple cider sauce and scallop potatoes. Super tender, I could've used a spoon. The slight sweetness of the apple sauce melded beautifully. Potatoes were well executed. I was stuffed at this point (only $28 for 2 courses!), but my fellow table mates ordered dessert. I unreluctantly agreed to help finish their desserts. The classic vanilla creme brulee was more gooey than I've had, but I much prefer it. The star though was the molten chocolate lava cake. Absolutely perfectly executed and fresh out of the oven. Got a hot date? Bring them here. The love is contagious. Merci beaucoup Juliana and Cory! read more
9 years ago
I really enjoyed the experience at Absinthe Bistro. The restaurant is on the small size, which gives it a very intimate vibe. And the fact that the kitchen is in full view only adds to the intimacy factor. The service is exceptionally good and exceptionally friendly. And of course, most importantly, the food is excellent. They do their menu in an interesting way. It consists of three starters, three mains and three desserts. I had the Foie Gras, Braised Beef and Molten Chocolate Lava Cake. My wife had the Beet Gazpacho, Bouillabaisse and Rice Pudding. Everything was fantastic and wonderfully presented. Highly recommended. read more
Absinthe is a small little bistro that stays true to their beliefs!! There's maybe 10 tables so a reservation is a must!!!! We chose the 3 course meal that absolutely did not disappoint. My boyfriend and I chose different appetizers and entrees so that we could try as many menu items as possible. Be mindful that they change the menu often so if you ever see something you want to try, I would go sooner than later. Our server checked up on us frequently and our food came out at the perfect time. It's an open kitchen so it's pretty cool to see the chefs at work. We ordered raw tuna and ceviche cod for appetizers, lamb shank and sablefish for entrees, and the creme brûlée for dessert. The dessert was to die for! They use real vanilla beans and you can really taste the difference. 4 star for service and food. The ceviche was a little to salty for me but my boyfriend enjoyed it! read more
12 years ago
This is my very first experience going to a French restaurant. I don't know why it took me this long to go! The restaurant is small and open concept with the kitchen. A simple decor but an intimate feeling with the lighting. The staff is welcoming and friendly as soon as you walk through the door. Attention to detail was also spot on. Water and bread was always being refilled. The bathroom was interesting as they have pictures of when the owners went to Paris and also of the construction of the restaurant. The menu is based on a three course meal and small French portions. I didn't think the portions were really small at all as I was so full when we left. FOOD: Tuna Tartar with french bread - Delicious! So tasty. Chicken liver terrine with french bread - Very good all the flavors work and not overly livery tasting. Braised pork cheeks with penne gratin - The cheeks were so tender and good but I think the pasta was too much. Pan seared scallops with mash potatoes - So amazingly good and cooked perfectly. Creme brule - Licking the bowl when your done amazingly good! Chocolate lava cake and vanilla bean ice cream - Hot and cold sensation all at once. Creamy and chocolaty. DRINKS: Absinthe drip - Not overly powerful tasting of liquor mostly taste like licorice. Absinthe citrus martini - Very good and refreshing. Be sure to make a reservation as the restaurant was packed and people couldn't get a seat as they walked in. Great for a date night! read more
I wanted to give this place 5 stars, I really do. Here's a little tale of my dining experience. My lady and I arrived on a Saturday night about 7PM. The place was half full, mainly because of a small wedding celebration in the back. Seated instantly. We opted for the three course menu for $35 per head. It's a pretty good value for the quality of food you receive, with decent portions. French food is known for quality vs. quantity, and I didn't leave the restaurant hungry. Here's what I ordered: First off, I need to mention that the bread was FREAKIN' FANTASTIC! I seriously could've eaten a whole loaf for dinner and been satisfied. I do note that I wish they had regular salt that wasn't placed in a simple shaker. It would be cool if they had fleur de sel or lavender rock salt. #pretentious First course I had the Fresh Herbed Goat Cheese Terrine. Arriving with pickled beets, it was bit too rich for my taking and I ended up spreading the terrine on the bread. I had a bite of the Salmon tartare with crushed avocados, and I highly recommend that! It's basically great sashimi. Main course was the Duck Leg Confit with mashed potatoes and zucchini au gratin. The zucchini took the plate here! It was perfectly baked and had just the right amount of cream sauce. Enough to flavour the zucchini thoroughly, but didn't leave a pool of cream at the bottom of the bowl. Mashed potatoes were as expected,with the duck leg having a crispy skin, and sufficiently fatty to keep the meat moist. It was consumed with vigor, and the slightly sweet citrusy gravy. Had a bite of the scallops, and they were one of the best scallops I've ever eaten. Worth it. Dessert was a fabulous crême brulée. Just what I expected, and enjoyed it. For drinks, we both had an Absinthe Martini and a glass of red wine. The martini was done well, and left ice cubes in the glass to sweeten the absinthe as they melted. I preferred it if they left the ice in the shaker. The red wine was appropriate for the meal, and at $12 per glass they are generous pours. Good enough to last two or three courses. The main thing preventing me from giving the place 5 stars was the service. It was friendly, but forgetful. Both of our dishes were mixed up, and the waitress forgot to bring the wine. After a reminder, she brought the wine but the wrong bottle. It was a simple mix-up, but I took notice because a) the resto was half full, and b) I expected better service for the price of the plate. Will I be back? You bet, the food is too good not to notice. It's a welcome addition to the Drive. read more
This gets a high rating. The atmosphere is small yet open. A friend and I had reservations for 7:30 on a Thursday, which was a good time to go because it's not too busy at this time. Great because this place apparently gets very busy. The food was great. I tried the tuna appy along with the crab cakes, which I especially liked. It comes with a basket of bread & perfectly made whipped butter. For the entrees, a friend had the lamb & I had the scallop & potato dish. It was so satisfying & delicious. The scallops were seared to a perfect texture with a sauce that made them taste even better. The lamb fell off the bone as it should; however, it's on the heavier side. To accompany this, I had the absinthe margarita, which was unique. The service is great, and I would love to return to try their other dishes. read more
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More info about Absinthe Bistro
952 Commercial Drive
Vancouver, BC V5L 3W7
Canada
Grandview-Woodlands, The Drive
Directions
(604) 566-9053
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http://www.bistroabsinthe.com
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