We were in Dauin for two nights and came to Finbar twice for dinner. That's a good sign in my books…read moreas I don't go to too many places twice, especially while traveling. It's located right on the corner of Washington Street and the National Highway.
We dropped in on a Friday and Saturday evening. Both nights were chill (Saturday had live music; a two person band). Service is friendly and laid back. You order food and drinks at the bar then it's brought to your table.
The food menu is up on the wall. There's specials, snacks, burgers, pizzas, wings and dessert. They even offer massages (pricey ones).
Trip #1
- Sweet n' honey honey ale (160 PHP) - decided to try out a local beer (locally made from Birdie Num-Num Dumaguete). Not too sweet but nice tones of honey.
- Fried calamari (160 PHP) - with mansi, aioli and salad. Not really a salad; more like a few pieces of lettuce. That being said, calamari is perfectly breaded and lightly fried.
- Haloumi bruschetta (160 PHP) - with tomato & olive salad. Decent but the haloumi doesn't taste like cheese back home.
- Chicken halang-halang (180 PHP) - cooked in coconut milk soup with local vegetables and served with rice. A bit too soupy/watery for my taste buds. The broth was lacking punch and vigour. Probably would get another special next time.
- Spicy pork pizza (160 PHP) - eggplant, onion and chili. This was one bud's favourite dish. Excellent dough, good crust and actually reasonably spicy. You get 6 small slices but it's easy to share.
- Hot & spicy chili sauce wings (180 PHP) - the sauce wasn't hot or spicy. It was more sweet and kind of made the wings soggy. Needed to be crispier.
- Peanut butter & jam pizza (120 PHP) - surprisingly, this worked out well. Just like a p&b sandwich but on a pizza instead!
Trip #2
- Ginger beer (90 PHP) - this had more ginger zip and zing to it than I expected. Pretty decent for the Philippines. Can't say I've seen ginger beer anywhere else.
- Fried calamari (160 PHP) - we got it again as my buddy M liked it that much.
- Seared tuna with achara (290 PHP) - came with fresh vegetables and rice in a sweet chili sauce. They asked how we wanted our tuna; we went with rare. The piece was HUGE and perfectly cooked rare. Best fish I've had in the Philippines. Super impressed.
- Stuffed chicken wrapped in bacon (320 PHP) - came with potato cake and buttered vegetables. Chicken was brilliantly stuffed while the bacon wasn't greasy at all. They gave us three big pieces too! The potato cakes were heavenly. Vegetables was a mix of cauliflower, green beans, carrot and (potentially) kohlrabi.
Great food, cheap drinks and chill vibes. Perfect hangout spot once you're done scuba diving for the day.