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.
[schema type=”review” url=”https://www.facebook.com/FinniansPub/” name=”Finnians Irish Pub” description=”403 F. Calderon, San Juan, Metro Manila” rev_name=”For inquiries, call (02) 750 2654″ author=”Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco” pubdate=”2017-05-07″ ]
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