It’s been a long time since we last visited San Juan to discover and try new restaurants in the radar. Finnians Irish Pub invited us for dinner, and we thought we’ll have a great time chowing on a decent shepherd’s pie and then washing it down with cocktails. Finnians Irish Pub in Little Baguio (operating hours: 7PM to 3AM, except Mondays) is a cozy, non-nonsense pub where you can grab yummy food and wind down with casual beer. It’s best to go with up to three other people and indulge yourself in a variety of things on the menu.
Review of Finnians Irish Pub (Little Baguio, San Juan)
Ambiance:
Sick of the same casual restaurant you dine in over and over? Finnians Irish Pub will get you out of your rut. The atmosphere was pleasant and laid-back, and overall vibe was not stuffy, not too old, and not too young. It’s a nice haven where you can have a good catch-up with friends. Irish tunes were on the background and the volume was kept low to allow guests to keep up with conversations. Completing the Irish pub ambiance were: a wall-mounted TV playing sports, a nice bar area on the center, textured tiles, simple wooden tables, and comfortable benches and stools with no policy on seating arrangement.
Food:
Finnians Irish Pub is a good place to hang for drinks, but the menu is more than fish and chips. It serves a fusion of Filipino and Australian comfort food favorites, which otherwise does not exist in too many dining places around here. Food takes on tasty flavors. We started with Shepherd’s Pie (PhP 275), which is always a good choice when you’re in an Irish pub or restaurant. After a weekend of revelry, there’s nothing better than digging into a bowl of warm, meaty pie topped with buttery mashed potatoes. It’s worth ordering and not just a waste of calories.
Garlic Buttered Chicken (PhP 240) was one of our favorite items on the menu. Even without gravy, it was spot-on delicious, with the right level of salt and not a hint of excess greasiness. The chicken was juicy (loved that), and the garlic and butter combo didn’t fail to make the flavor better.
Cordon Bleu (PhP 245) was another crowd-pleaser. It’s got substance and something that’s a little bit fancy about it. The oven-baked fried chicken was wrapped around with ham and cheese and topped with rich white sauce. We hardly paused to breathe between bites.
Finnian Irish Pub’s Fish and Chips (PhP 175) was served as a classic dish of fried battered fish and golden-brown fries. It nailed all the essentials: crisp, thinly-cut chips and fish that retained plenty of succulence and an appealing creaminess underneath a golden fried exterior. We got two orders for the group and enjoyed every bite.
The Honey Bourbon Ribs (PhP 340) consisted of melt-in-your-mouth baby back pork ribs smothered with flavorful honey bourbon. The meat was tender with a nice smokiness to it. The sauce was sweet, thick, with an acidic tang and a discernible fruitiness. It’s a must-order.
For drinks, we tried the Melon Ball (PhP 125) which was made with a concoction of melon, vodka, and pineapple juice. It’s refreshing, not too sweet, and a pretty awesome upgrade from the usual flavored cocktails. Our other friends on the table were happy with the Blue Lagoon (PhP 125) (vodka, blue curacao, sprite) and Tequila Sunrise (PhP 125) (tequila, orange juice, grenadine).
Price for Value:
Finnians Irish Pub has a special ambiance and charm subtly put together, where people can come to relax and be themselves. Prices are affordable and very reasonable. The servers were warm, hospitable, and really looked like they were on top of their game. Start your night here and enjoy a great meal, listen to music, and take part in the art of conversation over a few pints. Help yourself with Guinness beer.
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
This sounds like a great place to sample some great food and spend time with friends. The cocktails look amazing. A very big range of dishes available on the menu so perfect for everyones taste.
We do not drink alcoholic drinks, so we probably pass up on this if we pass by. However, looking at the Shepherd Pie and the Garlic butter chicken you featured, I think we may stop by one of these days.
Oh how cute. I love little Irish Pubs. I especially like seeing how they differ in every country and how every country likes to bring in their taste of the Irish Pub. I’ve never had any drinks, as i’m not big on drinking but the food is delicious!
I love Irish pubs! I haven’t been to one in so long, but this post really made me crave some good pub food!
The pub’s facade is fanciful and the ambiance is very inviting. The power lines in the window view ruined it.
I must try visiting this Irish pub when I want to wind up
This reminds me so much of the place my husband and I go every weekend. Shepherd’s pie .. onion rings do die for .. fish and chips .. and fun drinks. We always spurge a little too and order the bread pudding. It wobbles and it’s wonderful!
I would probably meet friends here to just try the food while they did their drinking. The Filipino and Australian comfort food sound favorable to my taste buds. Shepherd’s Pie is always a win with me.
What a fun venue. This looks like a great place to just hang out with friends and enjoy the evening. Plus the food looks AMAZING!! YUM! I would lvoe to visit San Juan one day.
When it comes to pubs, there’s none better than Irish! The cocktails look so colorful & yumm. The ambiance looks interesting too!
Oh wow, Finnian’s looks like an amazing little place! The food and drink both look delicious. I don’t think you can beat a good Irish pub – the atmosphere is always fantastic 🙂
I like the chill atmosphere at Finnians. It would be nice to have a Guiness there and party like an Irish.
This all looks so good! I would love to try the Shepard’s Pie! Meat and potatoes are always such a comfort food and so darn delicious, if they are done right!
Looks like you had a pretty great experience at Finnian’s Pub. I love exploring the food and drinks of these little pubs. The food was definitely classic pub fare. I love how they put the little bit of green coloring on the fried foods, very festive.
This looks like a similar place i visited in Cebu back then and it was also an Irish pub. I like these pubs, they offer a chill place to enjoy a glass of beer.
We have some local Irish pubs near me that we love to frequent. There is something about experiencing authentic food and drink that my family enjoys. If we are ever in the area, we will definitely check them out.
Finians with its fun interiors, laid-back atmosphere, lip smacking food and smashing cocktails sounds heavenly for an evening out with friends. The Melon ball sounds delicious and I would love to try it 🙂
The Garlic Buttered Chicken definitely looks like something that I would eat…and good to hear that it didn’t come with gravy…I’m not a fan of gravy. Honey Bourbon is a good flavor for ribs. I have a soft spot for food and drinks that incorporate bourbon…I think it really enhances edibles.
Wow, this beanery will surely make its name known because of their fresh concept and how they balance everything. You have written a very nice review on this restaurant and your photos really speak. The food looks so tempting and luscious. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
I love Irish Pubs! I remember my first one that I visited was in Dublin, so it was a REAL one – but the atmosphere in every one I’ve ever visited has been the same; chilled out and friendly! Glad you enjoyed it, love your photos!!!
Loved the colors of those drinks. I feel like going there NOW and chill with my loved ones.
oh my, the food looks delicious. cordon bleu is always a crowd pleaser. i haven’t had one in ages