Fin & Fino - Birkdale
Katina Washington
This was a last minute decision for us on a Friday Eve. When we walked in to look for a spot at the bar, we were told there was no room and they could make a 9:30pm reservation. Initially we saw that the bar was packed, but my husband found two seats. Once we sat down and throughout the evening, we noticed there were several high tops and dining tables available so not sure why the host seemed challenged with space. The acoustics are a bit challenging and the bartender, Katie, acknowledged the issue. On to the good stuff, the amazing food and drinks. Since this was our first time at this location, I ordered The Treatment. This is what they call a tasting tour of the menu. What a great way to go. Each dish was delicious and the timing of each dish was perfect. My favorite was definitely the scallops. They were buttery and creamy - absolutely delightful. My husband ordered the seafood salad and the Furikake fries. They were just as wonderful. I also ordered the call of the clam, allowing Katie to design a drink for me. I, and my neighbor at the bar, watched her intently develop the perfect drink. It was divine and I now have a signature cocktail from Fin and Fino. This was a lovely evening and we were so glad we chose Fin & Fino. I might be a good idea to make a reservation if you think about it ahead of time, but also just try to scoot in if youre being spontaneous.
Andi Montgomery
Opening night was a spectacular experience at the new Fin & Fino @ Birkdale. Most seats require reservationsincluding the high-top tables in the barand my husband and I chose to sit at a high-top table in the bar for our 5pm reservation so we could have our favorite bartender/server, Kevin. Weve been to the Uptown location of Fin & Fino, but I think their menu definitely has improved since the last time we ate at their Uptown location. We love the smaller portions usually found in tapas, and Fin & Fino Birkdale gave us some wonderful options. We ordered five plates: 1. Tuna crudo - A, The tuna was cut thicker and larger than we have seen in other tapas restaurants. This one was full of flavor and just phenomenal with the tiny orange slices. 2. Seafood salad - B+, There wasnt more than one tiny piece of octopus in the bowl but there was plenty of shrimp, and the flavors were bright and citrusy. 3. Roasted Beets with Whipped Feta and Pistachios - A, I dont usually like beets, but this one was astoundingly good. I had to scrape all the remaining feta/pistachio off the plate before Id let Kevin take it away. This is a must repeat for me. 4. Scallops with Butternut Squash Risotto- A, My favorite dish of the night, and a larger portion than you would expect, with three scallops and a large serving of risotto. The butternut squash paired perfectly with the creamy risotto, and the scallops were buttery and fork tender. 5. Hanger steak - A, This was my husbands favorite dish. The steak was a bit more rare than his ordered medium rare (but hell eat either). The flavor was incredible, and it paired really well with the parsnip pure. For our beverages, my husband had a Jack and coke, and I tried one of their signature cocktails, the Frances Myrtle Humphrey. It was both sweet and a bit salty, and was very good. As expected, our service was just perfect. Kevin always seemed to know when he needed to pick up our cleaned plates, and offered fresh plates and utensils throughout the meal. The dining room is bright and airy, and the bar seating has been expanded to include the area where the original Dresslers hostess desk was situated. (Its now just a small hostess stand to the left of the entryway.) They are adding a few elements to the dining roomlike sound-dampening on the ceilingbut we were there early enough (5pm reservation) that the noise wasnt an issue for us. All in all, we really enjoyed our meal, and definitely plan to return soon.
Tom Szelag
Off to a strong start! Already super popular and it's only been open a few days. Contrary to another review, reservations are not explicitly required, but you'll probably want to make one. I found a spot at the bar shortly after they opened; that is all first-come-first-serve. Vibe is upscale-ish without being too formal. Food is all small plates; if you're familiar with the area, it feels Kindred-ish both in that regard and the price point. There's also a raw bar menu, and an interesting cocktail menu along with a pretty respectable collection of liquor behind the bar. The scallops are an easy recommendation; really good. The oyster list isn't tremendous but there were ~4 good options, all clean and with the usual accoutrements. The tuna crudo was really good from a flavor and texture standpoint, though the tuna itself could have been a bit better quality and it was cut a little awkwardly large; easy enough to parse down with a fork though. Overall I'm impressed and I plan on being back!
Buddy Caldwell
Awesome food and service. Atmosphere is great. I ordered the seafood salad, mussels and scallops. All were excellent.
