Fina — Restaurant in Cebu City

Fina @ Nustar Restaurant Review by Jay Leyson

Fina, an homage to Filipino culinary heritage, invites patrons to savor a selection of time-honored classics and regional favorites. Here's a nuanced reflection on our visit:

Food Quality: Delving into Fina's repertoire, we sampled the Beef Kare-Kare and Adobong Pusit. The Beef Kare-Kare impressed with its tender beef and succulent tripe, though a tepid serving temperature detracted slightly from the experience. Meanwhile, the Adobong Pusit showcased a harmonious blend of flavors, albeit marred by a slight overcooking of the squid. Despite these minor shortcomings, both dishes boasted quality ingredients and familiar yet satisfying taste profiles, warranting a commendable rating of 7 out of 10.

Service: While the service staff exhibited a commendable blend of warmth and professionalism, occasional lapses in promptness, particularly regarding drink refills, were noted. Nevertheless, against the backdrop of Cebu's dining landscape, the overall service garnered a respectable score of 8 out of 10.

Ambiance: Fina's ambiance exuded an air of refined elegance, with tasteful decor and subdued lighting setting the stage for an immersive dining experience that complemented the culinary offerings. 8 out of 10.

Value for Money: At approximately 1,200 pesos for two, inclusive of beverages, Fina presents a compelling value proposition, balancing generous portion sizes and commendable food quality with reasonable pricing. 8 out of 10

In summary, Fina beckons diners with a culinary journey that celebrates Filipino gastronomic heritage, albeit with minor areas for improvement in service and temperature consistency....

My experience dining at FINA, the Filipino restaurant located in NUSTAR Hotel, was a mixed bag. While the food was undoubtedly delicious, showcasing the rich flavors of Filipino cuisine, other aspects of the dining experience left something to be desired.

Let's start with the positives. The food at FINA is great. From classic dishes like adobo to innovative takes on traditional recipes, each dish was expertly prepared and bursting with flavor. Whether you're a fan of seafood, meat, or vegetarian fare, there's something on the menu to satisfy every palate.

However, where FINA falls short is in the service and atmosphere department. While the staff were polite, the service felt a bit lacking in attentiveness and efficiency. It wasn't terrible, but it certainly didn't match the level of service one might expect from a restaurant located in a 5-star hotel.

Similarly, the atmosphere of the restaurant was average at best. While the decor was pleasant enough, it didn't quite exude the upscale ambiance one might expect from a dining establishment in a luxury hotel. With some improvements in lighting, music, and overall ambiance, FINA could elevate the dining experience to better match its surroundings.

In conclusion, while the food at FINA is undeniably delicious, the overall dining experience could be improved with better service and a more inviting atmosphere. It's worth a visit for the tasty Filipino cuisine, but don't expect a truly exceptional...

Our overall experience was more than disappointing.

There was no food that we ordered that had no issue. We ordered two servings of Fresh Lumpia (at P250 per serving and 3 pcs each serving) and my daughter ate two pieces of them. We brought home the rest only to know that they were already rancid. So all the while my daughter was eating those rancid Fresh Lumpia! The Ginisang Mongo had no lean meat but all pork fats and chicharron while pricing it at almost P300. The Bam-I was so dry - the noodles still looked very raw and stiff. The pork meat in the Sinigang appeared to have been frozen for years (they looked so old!). We ordered Calamares, waited too long and we could hardly make a follow-up because there was always no staff near our table. We eventually forgot about it only to know later on that they charged it to our bill. We ordered a bottomless iced tea but we could hardly ask for a refill because no staff was around to refill it. We had to wait for long to have a refill.

The service was so bad because there was so much difficulty asking for assistance. Most of the staffs would simply ignore us. There was only one staff that was kind enough to always assist us but only when he got near our table as he was also busy assisting other customers.

It's a pricey restaurant but not worth every penny. I will never eat in that restaurant again. It was my birthday and I truly regret bringing my...