Café Absinthe is the quiet, elegant eye of the storm in the hectic maelstrom that is Six Points. Although housed within a high-ceilinged, exposed brick space reminiscent of a sound stage, Café Absinthe isn’t nearly as noisy as many of the holler houses down on Division Street where the ear-shattering din seems part of the ambiance. Heavy brocade drapes absorb much of the sound and an atmosphere of calm presides, even though just outside Six Points is thronging with the usual Friday night party crowd.
Relax at a table where flickering candlelight imparts a gauzy romantic aura to your dining experience. Spread your elbows. Unlike many restaurants in the area, you are not sitting in your neighbor’s lap. The waiter appears promptly and treats you with a refined deference unusual these days where a more casual “let-me-join-you-while-we-discuss-the-menu” attitude prevails. Café Absinthe has class.
Start with the Hudson Valley fois gras; you will not regret it. Accented with a mission fig puree and bathed in a port wine reduction, this is possibly the best appetizer I have eaten all year. Warm, rich and delicious, perfectly complemented by a glass of Simi Cabernet, I would return just for it. The roasted beet salad is another winner, a mélange of light and cool flavors, shrewdly combined and expertly balanced.
For the main course, the herb marinated rack of lamb is above reproach. Accompanied by sautéed watercress, shallots and cured tomatoes, and touched up with a perfectly pitched rosemary lamb jus, the flavor of the meat stands out, underscored, not masked by its seasoning. The Chilean Sea Bass rises not so high, the spinach and horse radish cream sauce tend to overpower the flavor of the fish and the whole thing comes off just a bit too rich.
While Café Absinthe is sophisticated, it is never stuffy. Contemporary rock music plays softly in the background and the vibe is relaxed and welcoming. Other sites have characterized Café Absinthe as a gay and lesbian restaurant but that unfairly limits it. I don’t even know what that means in this context. Fine dining is fine dining regardless of the sexual orientation of ownership or clientele, and it’s not as if Café Absinthe is trying to cater exclusively to gays. Quite the contrary, generosity is everywhere in evidence. Not only is the room spacious and the staff helpful, the portions at Café Absinthe are more generous than what you get at a typical fine dining restaurant. Café Absinthe strives to accommodate.
Taken altogether, Café Absinthe is a superior dining experience in the heart of Wicker Park / Bucktown, an island of restrained elegance amidst the cacophony of Six Points, and a place where quality ingredients and skillful cooking transcend all else.
Café Absinthe
1954 W. North Ave.
773-278-4488 / Reservations Recommended
Hours: M-Th 5:30pm-10pm; F-Sa 5:30pm-11pm; Su 5:30pm-9pm
Vibe: Romantic
Avg price of a meal for two including drinks and tax $160
Website: www.cafeabsinthechicago.com
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