I've been here half a dozen times. I've never had bad service or a bad experience. I love the duck wings appetizer. I've had several different entrees at Finch's, and the menu is seasonal, which means I've never had the same entree twice. The entrees I have had have ranged from good to excellent, and most of the difference in what I liked has more to do with personal taste than anything the restaurant failed to provide. My favorite desert in town is their chocolate tiramisu. They carry Delirium which is my all-time favorite beer, but on top of that they have a great beer and wine list. No liquor, which might be the only negative I can come up with.
(5)
Claire A.
Recipe for a quality evening: 1. Go to Finch's. 2. Order one of the fancy Euro or craft beers off the excellent beer list. 3. Get yourself a pizza ($15-16). I recommend the Dordogne, which comes with prosciutto, four cheeses, and truffle honey and is as sumptuous as it sounds. It doesn't really need it, but I doused mine in cheese and pepper flakes when prompted and I think it enhanced the experience. 4. Eat, drink, decompress. Yeah, it's a little disconcerting to think you've just spent 20 to 25 dollars pizza and a beer, but when the pizza's this good (they really do use high quality ingredients here) and the beer is among the best you can buy, the combination makes for an incredibly comforting dinner. It's the meal equivalent of a big, slouchy angora sweater. I should also make a note of the exceptional service - our waiter was down-to-earth, charming, and genuinely friendly.
(4)
Matt G.
We had an amazing dinner here awhile ago, I still remember it vividly. The atmosphere was intimate and cozy, with a warm glow emanating from the brick oven. Antique mirrors dotted the walls and an antique clock hung by the entrance. Food was top notch, and easily the best meal of the weekend. Margherita and the roasted chicken were both delicious. Charcuterie was excellent, especially the duck bacon. At the time, they had a traditional Gueuze on the beer menu, and also some great seasonal beers. I'd return here for dinner if staying in Bloomington again.
(5)
Charcy L.
the portion of lunch is not a lot, I ordered rabbit cacciatore, not enough for lunch, still feel hungry, but the environment is good, and the speed of food is very fast, only issue is the portion=_=
(3)
Ashley S.
I loved this place! It was my first time here - and new since I graduated from IU. If I was still in college, this would have been a restaurant you have your parents take you to (if you know what I mean). I had a pizza and it was fantastic! I ate every single piece - don't judge. They had a nice wine list. Some very good and unique menu options, too! HIGHLY recommend the pizza.
(4)
Cynthia C.
Had a lovely evening catching up with an old friend while in Bloomington. We loved that they have organic and local foods. We split a bottle of Pierre Jouet that was reasonably priced - I've seen it marked up much higher. My friend had the burger and said it was one of the best she ever had even with her requested gluten free bun. I had a white pizza with mushrooms and spinach which was very good. We shared a salad with a wonderful ramp vinaigrette. The best part was our waiter, Joe. He was friendly, helpful and funny. Great night and great place!
(5)
Dina D.
Finch's is one of the nicer restaurants in Bloomington, with attentive, excellent service. We started with the excellent calamari, which was mixed with fried banana peppers and olives, which gave an excellent contrast to the calamari. Their pizzas are excellent, and fired in their wood burning pizza oven. This time we had the Loire pizza, which despite having an interesting combination of sausage, shallots, apple and gorgonzola was surprisingly mild. We preferred the excellent Milano pizza, which is also a "white" pizza which has talleggio, figs, arugula and pears. The Brasserie Burger was excellent, although the fries are pretty standard. Save yourself the calories and go for the salad as a side instead. Overall, Finch's Brasserie has excellent pasta and pizzas, with enough variety to keep everyone in your party happy. A great more formal restaurant choice on Bloomington. Unfortunately, Finch's is closed on Sunday, so keep that in mind when making your weekend plans.
(5)
Jerome M.
Another very good Bloomington spot. Calamari et al....were very nice as promised by prior reviews. My lamb past was very very good....and I love it when I get to try something which my pallet has not experienced - and that's a 'good-experience' btw - high 4 stars to this place.
(4)
Stanley W.
Good meat entrees and soups. Salads have been a bit overwhelming, but the rabbit cacciatore is a well done dish and the burgers are well prepared. Their salads aren't as satisfactory, but then again the word brasserie doesn't exactly evoke salads. Nothing fantastic, nothing special, but the service is good for Bloomington, the soups de jours are almost a solid choice, and entrees range from decent to great. I don't think you can go wrong considering Finch's.
(4)
Robin K.
Went here for Valentine's Day late lunch. Fries were marvelous. Dipping sauces were gummy, but small in quantity. Speaking of, so we're the entire dishes. It was good, but elsewhere can get you more food, less price, and just as good service.
(3)
Melissa S.
This is my favorite place for dinner in Bloomington. The service is always on-point, the food is lovely, there's a warm and comfortable atmosphere, and the wine and beer selection are excellent. I've enjoyed the mussels, prepared several ways, wood-fired pizzas, and delicious cuts of meat, perfectly prepared. My go-to. Never pretentious, but sophisticated and delicious.
(4)
Scott H.
Cool location, expensive food, amazing fire cooked pizza! Wow - I'm glad I ventured inside, even the patio is packed with people and the interior was mostly empty. This is worth a try. I got the Raddicho salad with fish. Wonderful
(5)
Hannah G.
The food is delicious, and the flatbreads (pizzas) are the best in town, hands down. Service is great, ambiance is excellent, price is fair (expensive for the area, but better than average for the area as well. As I will continue to say a million times, you get what you pay for). If you're a beer or wine person, you have to go here! Extensive and fabulous beer and wine menu! I highly recommend The Roman Pizzetta, the bacon is delicious! Great calamari as well. Two staples on the menu, all seasons.
(5)
Liz K.
When I think of French food, I generally think of things one can cook at home paired with interesting meats. This place is that. Don't go if you don't like meat, a lot, it must be the star of the dish. Because as a vegetarian, I don't get why this has 4 stars. They have an interesting beer selection. I'm usually 1) surprised at how boring the menu is 2) happy with the dish I chose,but fully aware that it is red sauce, cream and roasted squash or whatever 3) disgusted by the check.
(2)
Sharon H.
Finch's is my favorite restaurant in Bloomington. They have a phenomenal menu that changes seasonally and a fabulous selection of Belgian brew on tap. The service is always top notch and the ambience is lovely. A great date spot or night out with friends. Fave eats: mussels of the day, duck wings, duck egg salad, gluten-free pizza, BLT's, pomme frites, soups, sorbets, pots de creme
(5)
Christy S.
Honestly, in Bloomington, this is as good as it gets. My husband and I went for Valentine's Day, and then returned with out of town guests for my birthday. Both times the service was exceptional, and the food was excellent. Pros: The lamb stew was incredible. The scallops and ravioli V-day special was to die for. The duck was cooked perfectly and the flavors were unique and worked well together. Arguably the least pretentious restaurant I've been to in Bloomington, though the food was definitely good enough that they could have been. Pretentious, that is. Cons: The 'Caesar salad' was kind of a joke. The steak was only okay. The by-the-glass wine list is very limited and the bottled wines are prohibitively expensive. Overall, easily the best dining experience in Bloomington. Certainly worth the price in a town filled with overpriced mediocrity.
(4)
Steven S.
This place was awesome. Excellent service and food. Alyvia was our server. Her recommendations were spot on. We had the pork loin and the duck two ways, both greatly exceeded our expectations. Also great value, the entree's included soup or salad. We both had the lentil/sausage soup, it was fantastic.
(5)
Cara K.
Love this place. The wood fired pizzas are amazing. I always split with someone when I go, so the prices really aren't that bad. The Dordogne and Loire are my favorite. I love coming here not just for the food, but also for the service and the atmosphere because it all works together so well.
(5)
Lawrenc S.
This place is unreal. I am sitting in the restaurant right now, and the food is so good I hate to write a review. I'm with a. Group of six, have tried everything we ordered, and everything is unbelievably good. So good. Some of the best food I have ever eaten. I can't say enough good things about it.
(5)
Kjirsten K.
The food is really good. The restaurant and bar are nice, comfortable, dimly lit, and there is a great patio for outdoor seating. The prices however, are a little over the top. $15 for a burger? Sure, the burger will blow your mind, but $15 is a little steep. The pizza, also $15 is quite good also.. The wood fired oven makes the light pizza crust perfectly crispy. There is a good beer and wine selection and both the menu and beer list feature local delights. Go for lunch if you want peace and quiet, they don't seem to get a big lunch crowd. Dinner is more busy and could require a reservation. Definitely worth the try if you're in the mood for Frites with truffle oil rather than fries with ketchup.
(4)
Michael F.
great restaurant, but it is difficult to find a parking spot!!
(4)
Will B.
Great service- had group of 24 people and not a single complaint from anyone. Food was also outstanding, duck wings were great.
(5)
Dalia M.
I've been here a few times since my first review. Food has been delicious every time. My parents loved it when they visited back in March from NJ. Service was good then. This last time, our server seemed overwhelmed and distracted but also very apologetic because she knew service wasn't going well. We could also tell something may have been going on because we were there 50 minutes before getting our entree. We came this time to try the pizzas for a date night. They were yummy. The Roman (fancy meat lovers) and the Dodagne or something (truffle honey and prosciutto). I really liked them both and had some leftovers for later! I'll come back because I think Finch's is the yummiest place in town and usually service is great.
(3)
Brendan I.
This is one of those places where the higher price is completely worth it. I managed to snag a reservation for graduation weekend for my group of four. Oddly, I had quite a bit of trouble getting a reservation for our 5:45 time but when we arrived and throughout our meal, the restaurant was mostly empty. Odd. Anyway, we were seated immediately and presented with the smaller graduation weekend menu (I was informed of this before making our reservation). The waitress was extremely nice and very attentive and checked on our table often. Our meal was served quickly and was well presented and delicious. They have a good beer and wine list. I've also been here for lunch and had a similarly great experience. Overall, worth every penny (unlike some of the other nicer restaurants in Btown). I will be back! This is what FARM could be if they got their act together...
(5)
Alicia F.
I really want to like Finch's. I do like Finch's -- I've been here several times, but it just seems a bit over rated and uneven. They have some really good stand out dishes -- cassoulet, the veggie papardelle, rabbit cacciatore, and the maple glazed duck wings -- but I've also been served some truly sad, awful dishes here. I've ordered steak and rack of lamb and had them come out hideously overcooked (all sad and grey, not even charred), and once, upon sending something back, I was then given an essentially raw piece of meat. We go here because my husband works at IU and they have some good things, but seriously, avoid the meat.
(3)
Jingo D.
I wanted to like this place, since the locals rave about it almost all the time, but the only memorable thing to me was the dried-up steak I had at my wife's (former) company Christmas party. I should've known better when the gentleman seated across from me told the server, "Nah, no steak for me. It was dry the last time I was here." I'm not sure if it's because they're not used to cooking for big groups of people, but it was enough reason for me to not go back.
(2)
Diana G.
Really need to wait a long long time to be served with dishes...the service was nice though you always had to wait the waitress to come instead of calling her if you sat outside. But I think the food was not that good than I expected since I read the reviews before we went. All the four dishes we ordered were just so-so and there was none worthing recommending.
(4)
Jed M.
I only go here a few times a year, but every time I'm here, I always remember why I love it. We started off with an appetizer of fried calamari, always a favorite. They also have banana peppers in with the calamari and a delicious remoulade. Unlike other fried dishes most places, it's not greasy and just about perfect. We elected to sub their soup of the day for the salad. It was a black bean, pork and kale soup that was very delicious and well seasoned. As someone who likes stews more than watery soups, it suited me and was plenty hearty. Entree was hanger steak with frites and green beans. The steak had a special oil/herb sauce I can't recall the name of right now, but it complimented the steak very well. Steak came a perfect medium rare just as ordered. I always feel a bit guilty going to a nicer place and ordering frites, but Finch's make such good ones, I can't resist. The green beans were also well seasoned and crisp. Had a blackberry torte (again forget the name they called it) with coffee ice cream and whipped cream. I usually don't dig dessert much, but yet again this one hit the spot with the ice cream containing a ton of coffee flavor. We didn't have pizza this time, but I've had it several times before. It's my favorite pizza in Bloomington cooked in a real brick oven with visible spots on the crust. They have eight beers on tap as well as a cellar list. Also a nice wine list although we usually stick to beer. They generally have some unique offerings which is a huge plus although sometimes the choices lean a little too heavily toward non-sour Belgians. I ordered a Dieu de Ciel Solstice d'hiver (which I've never seen on tap anywhere else in town) and a Tyranena Scurvy. The lady ordered Six point apollo and New Belgium La Folie. Service was also great. The food was a tad slow from the kitchen, but not excessively so and our waiter was always attentive to our orders and water glasses were kept full. This in a nutshell is why I love Finch's. It's not the cheapest place in town, but considering how perfectly everything is done, it's well worth the price for an occasional splurge. On the plus side they've also been keeping their beer list up to date online daily which will lead me back here even more often.
(5)
Claire V.
Finch's is seriously underrated. Neither pretentious like Tallent nor hipster like Farm, and the food is better than either. I love a place that serves Lindemands, and Finch's has the finest burgers in town, served on ciabatta. Last time I had a vegetable pasta with lots of corn and a delectable savory broth. Unforgettable dish. Get a side salad with buttermilk blue cheese. Their tiramisu and cheese platter are outstanding as well! I must add, I had to laugh a little at a one star review here for Finch's. Who brings their own cake for dessert, and expects the restaurant to refrigerate it for them, and then serve it to them for FREE, on their plates and with their cutlery? Ludicrous. Who brings their own food at all, to a restaurant? Very bad manners.
(5)
K R.
I enjoy this spot so much that I made reservations here for my graduation dinner months in advance. The dinner and service were exceptional. The graduation menu is different than the everyday seasonal menu. But in general whatever I have ordered is phenomenal. Parking can be a pain.
(5)
Jay V.
Had a lovely meal there two weeks back during our trip to B-Town. Hoosiers! Enjoyable and very good for a college town. Great work all!
(5)
Lindsay S.
Another little gem in the Bloomington area! I walked in here hoping I could find something to eat after a long plane ride and boy did I find it! I had the soup and salad combo with the most delicious mushroom soup I've ever tasted and Bobby had the French Countryman's lunch which is absolutely to die for to this day on cold afternoons I crave this meal! He got mushroom chicken soup as well with goat cheese and crostini and apples. And we both had a glass of Pinot noir to compliment the food! When the waitress brought out the food she said since Bobby's soup cup was not filled to the rim because they ran out of that kind that they would bring him another bowl of their other soup on the house :). Friendly service, a beautiful french kitchen and a large brick oven it is a lovely place to dine and totally unexpected in a quiet little town. The food here was definitely worth the whole trip!
Expensive yes, but the only restaurant where I can proudly announce that I've eaten rabbit and fully enjoyed every bite of it. Oh how guilty I felt... about not feeling bad. So delicious, please try the rabbit cacciatore. You'll love and hate me for it. Oh, and AMAZING beer and cider selection.
(5)
Chris R.
Pretty great place. I've had the rabbit and the duck leg. Both were quite tasty. Plus the atmosphere is enjoyable. The location is great, generally in relation to the campus and specifically in relation to the law school.
(5)
Steven M.
Portions are small and overpriced. Best way to go is the pasta or you'll leave still hungry.
(3)
Mckenzie E.
Walking into Finch's makes you feel smarter. And hungrier. And thirstier. If you enjoy intellectually stimulating atmospheres, Finch's is the place for you. Professors, graduate students, young professionals, and the occasional undergraduate make up the majority of the clientele. There are a lot of regulars who dine there, so it's always fun to run into people. When you walk by tables you might over hear conversations about research projects, politics, environmental issues, and culture. Finch's rotates its menu seasonally to bring all of the freshest food to your table. They place great importance on the Slow Food Movement by providing locally & sustainably grown food. I really don't know where to begin about the menu items because they are all tasty in their own right. The wine and beer selection is also regularly on rotation to keep customers' taste buds in suspense. The bartenders are well-versed in the language of these artisan drinks, and will help you expand your pallet.
(5)
Galen C.
Great date location! Quiet, moodily-lit, with an always-interesting beer selection and tasty food options. I've been here many times and I've never had a problem finding something good on the menu. They've got a nice range of appetizers, and the entrees rotate on and off with enough frequency to avoid being boring. The steak and fish are normally done very well. The pizzas (particularly the Roman and the new sausage/onion/pepper/lemon one) are remarkably good, if a bit overpriced. Beer-wise, they tend to go hop-heavy, but also with some lambics and saisons mixed in for variety. Check out the third Thursday of each month, as they generally have great deals on off-brand craft and specialty beers.
(4)
Diana S.
Excellent meal, from appetizer to desert. Staff was knowledgable and honest. Great service. Worth the cost. Only criticism would be the interior should be a bit updated, nothing special, feels like a dimly lit higher end Denny's.
(4)
MsAnthro P.
This is my favorite of the nicer restaurants in town, and in my opinion is better at fulfilling the creative local food niche here than FARM ever has been. I have never had a bad meal or bad service here. All of the food is fresh and local when possible and they have an excellent wine and draft beer selection. Always something delicious I've never tried before. Dinners can be pricey, but you can get a pretty good lunch deal here. (Well, maybe an upscale lunch "deal.") For instance, whatever the special burger (all I've tried have been AMAZING) is will generally run about $14 and include soup or salad. (I still dream about the homemade Green Goddess dressing I had here once.) There are usually great vegetarian options as well. Delicious wood-fired pizzas. Rich, flavorful ingredients. Friendly, knowledgeable servers.Honestly, I don't know why I don't go more often. Perhaps tonight?
(5)
Britney L.
The food was decent, but I have to agree with others... It doesn't stand up to the price. My spinach/ feta turnovers were bland and I couldn't even SEE the feta, let alone taste it. Enjoyed the Bell's stout on tap, but the pear crisp was not warm and was so-so. Fresh ingredients and excellent beer selection. Disappointed by the wine by glass selection, though. Will go to Uptown next time.
(3)
Stacey P.
My favorite place in Bloomington! Have lived here 11 years and it's by far our fave. We go there once a week (try to!) and just love the food and the ppl that own and work there are wonderful. Mussels, steak of the day, all fresh food and their wine selection is always a pleasure! Beer on tap and if you are looking for that beer you had in Europe that one time, they may have a bottle for you!
(5)
Kristin B.
The best food in Bloomington, although it's not likely that you would see it walking down the street! This gem is masked by Campus Candy and Urban Outfitters, but the food will not disappoint. Although the tables are a bit close, the dim lighting and view of the pizza oven and the rest of the kitchen create a unique atmosphere. The food we had was delicious but very rich. A must try, especially when your parents are in town!
(4)
Tom H.
If there were a 3.5, I'd give it, but I'm erring on the side of two overall good experiences. The first time thru, we had pizza there, which is good. This is a genuine brasserie, and is noisy, fun, with pretty good service the pizza was pretty good-- which says a lot for a town where pizza competition is fierce. The prices here are high, but the quality of food and wine is good. The second time around one of us had the mussels in wine/garlic sauce, and the other had their vegetarian pasta. We also had a wine, an Argentine Malbec, which was very reasonable. The mussels were just a tad overdone and very slightly mushy, and the accompanying fries while good, were oversalted and it's reasonable to say that the fryer temperature was too low-- they were busy and I could see a lot of orders going thru. However, they made things right. I also had their scallops, but can't recommend their preparation method. Tasty butter-ish sauce, but mine were crusty on top (not bad) and almost cold on the bottom. The service is very good, and it's fine dining, meaning genuine cloth napkins and such. The prices are high; expect to pay about $30+ per person (if not eating pizza) without liquor. With a few beers, or some of their wines (very good wine list), even more. They also serve tea, coffee, and expresso-based drinks as well.
(4)
Danielle B.
Great food great atmosphere and excellent service. My husband and I ate here for our anniversary and was really blown away. I tried the house filet paired with a beautiful pinot noir which was recommended by our server. The steak was perfectly cooked and the mussels were literally out of this world! Great place for date nite but be prepared to spend some money this place isn't cheap!
(4)
Nate S.
Finch's does not soar, but neither is it a park pigeon. I had the moules frites, so you might say, "Uh, dumbass, you're in Indiana, maybe shellfish ain't your best bet." But it's a French brasserie! I reply. Well, the frites were fine, and the mussels were, well, just not all that muscular. I give them props for breaking away from the white wine and garlic treadmill, but their tomatoey, olivey approach is heavy handed. So, three stars for me and my mussels, but there's definitely a star in reserve for the rest of the menu.
(3)
Melissa M.
Lovely outdoor seating and affordable organic food - my favorite! We decided to eat here on a trip to Bloomington to check out the university. It is very close (walking distance to campus). The owner was very kind and let us wait at the bar while a table outside opened up. I had barbecued chicken, fresh corn with green beans and a polenta cake. My husband had pumpkin soup and a lamb dish. We both enjoyed our meal very much. It was great place for people watching and the service was good.
(4)
M L.
3.5 stars propped up to a four because of great service by the manager. Four of us came here, and although the starters and beer selection was really promising, the mains failed to deliver big time. We had the pork belly starter with duck egg, and the mussels for starters. Mussels were fat, juicy, fresh, and cooked well. The former was not bad, a little small, and the glorious, sumptious duck egg, with its massive yolk, certainly saved the day. The batons of crouton that came by the side were buttery and decadent, but they charge for extras?! Take my suggestion and ask for the free focaccia to mop up the delicious briny sauce. For mains, two of the cassoulets, a rabbit papardelle and rib eye steak. Sadface. Cassoulets are hard to come by in the US, and good, authentic cassoulets are even more rare.My friend and I were sooo excited to have this again! We've had this in France on different occasions, and he in Toulouse, where this is a specialty of the region. Unfortunately, the beans were either mushy or still hard verging on crunchy, and the overly-salted duck confit leg on top did nothing to grace the meal. Skin wasn't crisp, either. So sad, given that the beans were flavorful. I couldn't eat much of it because of the varying textures. Rabbit was far overdone. With such a lean and delicate protein, it cannot afford to to be in the hot pan for very long. Dry, tasteless, rubbery.. Poor rabbit; you died in vain. Papardelle pasta was delicious though. Great flavor and bite. I'd say they make it in house fresh, judging from the texture. Rib eye was expensive, but flavor was off the charts. you can tell it was grass fed and carefully finished. Unfortunately, my companion ordered it medium....... So i cannot say much about the texture. For 3 out of 4 mains to have come out below par really hurt. So much that we did not bother with desserts. Hagen Daaz at home it was. Reason I'm bumping the rating up to 4 stars instead of 3 was because of the attentiveness the manager showed when he came over to ask us for our suggestions. He also took two mains off our bill on his own initiative, which was nice. Maybe i should give their Cassoulet another chance.. I mean, I've been craving it..
(4)
Matthew P.
This place is awesome! I have been a few times and have been blown away by the selection and quality. Just a stone's throw away from campus, Finch's serves locally grown food with an outstanding selection of microbrews and Belgian-style beers. There is also a great wine selection. I particularly enjoyed the rabbit cacciatore and the pork osso bucco paired with a fine La Chouff. MMMMM!
(5)
Mister M.
Been here a few times now and not impressed. What comes to mind when I think how to describe this place is "lack of taste". One time I had a burger which was ok. It was just something you'd expect a friend to grill up at a park maybe. Not really restaurant quality burger. It was how you say in French "dry and tasteless" so not really too much to rave about there. Kind of surprising since it was a "recommended" dish by the waitress. Another time I had a pasta dish with green peas. The peas were cold and honestly must have been from a can and the pasta was bland. I don't think there was any salt on it and there might have been some garlic seasoning. I had to season it myself asking the waiter to bring different spices. It's not terrible, but it's not restaurant quality food especially not something you'd expect from a "fine dining" restaurant. Maybe their pizza is good but I wouldn't know anything about that.
(1)
Megan M.
Went to Finches with a group of colleagues after a day of training. I had heard and read a lot of rave reviews so expectations were quite high. This place has a nice selection of beers on draft and an extensive list of bottled. As a starter the table split a number of pizzetta's and muscle. The Dordogn is the one worth mentioning! With 4 cheeses, truffled honey and prosciutto, this was an amazing combination of flavors. For an entree, I had the Braised Rabbit pasta. This was the first time I had rabbit and I thought the meat was cooked quite well. It was served in a pasta with a mustard herb sauce and a medley of ingredients (carrot, bacon, greens, ect) . While I liked the rabbit, the entree wasn't my cup of tea.
(3)
J C.
I'm giving the French-inspired Finch's 5 stars because of my firm belief -- based on many trips here -- that it's the best restaurant in Bloomington. Of the finer dining options here, Finch's is far superior to the mediocre Farm and Malibu Grill with respect to food and service, and yes, I think it is much better than Tallent. They have many wonderful beers on tap that rotate seasonally. I regularly order the dordogne pizza, which is cooked with proscuitto, four cheeses, honey and truffle oil. It's decadent, and one of my favorite things to eat in town. They always have mussels which I like to order too. The preparation is different every time I go, and I've had some that I loved and some that I rather didn't. Other of my favorites are their macaroni and cheese gratin for lunch and their roast chicken. I don't know how often I would come here if I had a number of other good dining options in town, but despite what a crappy, pretentious dick it might make me sound like (I've seriously pissed off some people who defensively feel the dining options here are very good and learned to keep my mouth shut), there are honestly NOT many places in Bloomington I regularly want to pay money to eat at. But I think what makes Finch's such a winner for me is the consistency in the quality of their food and service. They always use genuinely good, fresh ingredients which is enough to make their food much better than other options alone (never a limp romaine/iceberg salad here). Although it isn't cheap and I ain't a rich man, I enjoy it enough to splurge every couple of months.
(5)
Tim M.
Great restaurant on a street of great restaurants. Sat at the bar and had a great steak frites. Cooked perfectly. Very knowledgable bartender. Served up some great beer and match a great red with my steak.
(4)
Sarah R.
In short: YUM. I appreciate a locally owned restaurant that cooks well with local ingredients. Finch's hits the trifecta for me: awesome local menu, kind and knowledgeable staff, and a killer beer menu. I've been twice and loved it equally both times. The menu changes according to the season, reflecting both the seasonal produce and cuisine associated with the weather. The staff was attentive and just generally sweet; they seem to really believe in Finch's vision. For the beer lovers out there, this place is incredible and has a brew for every palate. Granted, this restaurant isn't meant for a night of frugality, but it's a gem for a nice dinner with friends or family. Call ahead, as it gets pretty busy on the weekends.
(5)
Tristan S.
Pure relaxation & deliciousness. Comfy environment: warm colors; sound baffling on the ceiling to keep everything at a good, conversation-quality noise level; a welcoming staff. My first and favorite spot to sit is next to the big fire oven and the wood bar. (Sounds like a dangerous combination but it's not.) Split mussels and a cheese plate with my wife and our friends: all was great. Pizza was perfectly done, variety of draft beers was good, and the dessert sounded amazing - if only we weren't so stuffed. Was a great place to spend 3 hours of food, friends and conversation. Looking forward to going back.
(5)
Greg L.
I took my wife to Bloomington (her alma mater) for a day trip prior to a wedding we attended in Indianapolis. After walking around the campus she was ready to walk through the shops, but I was mostly ready to sit down and have a beer. Finch's is just across the street from campus and offers both outdoor and indoor seating. The patio was nice, though don't plan to have a private conversation because your neighbors aren't far. The bar has dozens of microbrews either on tap or in bottles and the selection sounds like it changes seasonally. Though we did not eat, the tables around us were busy and all of the sandwiches and pizza's smelled and looked delicious. If we had more time, I would have gladly sampled 1 or 2 of the offerings. My only complaint is slow service. I am not sure if this is typical of this establishment or if we were ignored because we weren't eating, or maybe it was an off server or any number of other situations. It certainly did not ruin my experience.
(3)
Kelly H.
I finally tried this place out for dinner after passing by several times & was pretty disappointed w/the quality & prices. I usually try to look for locally grown/produced eateries (esp for meats) & found Finch's as one of the best reviewed). My tax return called for a steak dinner, so I dragged a hungry friend & he ordered the Seafood Stew ($30). My steak was a ribeye ($28). This ended up being $62 w/tax. Down to the nitty gritty: *Both entrees were served with pretty standard mixed green salads. I took mine w/orange vinaigrette & my friend went w/lemon cumin vinaigrette. *We had to wait awhile (at least 30 mins) - we were starving!!! Steak - Although my steak craving was satisfied, I could have personally purchased a slab of meat from the local farmers market and cooked up some fingerling taters w/it. It was medium and tasty, but the quality wasn't what I paid for. The taters were pretty bland (had to soak them in my friends stew to get a little flavor). Goodness! I sound like a food snob! Seafood stew - (2-3 Scallops, 2 pcs of shrimp, 8 mussels, 1 pc of fish w/sliced potatoes & a pc of bread) - friend said, "Boring." I agreed. The broth was slightly under flavored & thin, but the leeks were delicious! The good thing was the ambiance/decor & the waiter was nice. Maybe I'll have to try the lunch/brunch...until then, no more dinner. It's too pricey for what you can make at home (if you cook:-) Happy Dining!
(3)
Stan F.
Exceptional food and services. The food is a gourmet delight.
(5)
James C.
The food was average-to-good (steak frites was good but salad was pretty bad) and the service wasn't great and the menu was confused (red and white wines have a price listed but when you order them you end up specifying a varietal which has a different price). The reason this gets 3 stars is the price. On a good day this is an above average restaurant I suspect-- but the prices don't match the quality. I believe this place can get there once they work out the kinks though.
(3)
Gregg S.
Atmosphere 4, Service 5, food 4. I find the menu here a little restrictive and I find it usually channels me toward the pizza which in all fairness are quite good. Ditto for the wine list. Tallent, it is not, but a good choice if you want something a little lower key.
(4)
Katie G.
The food is good, the service is good, the beer is good. This is the kind of place I can take my mom and she can order something that she can pronounce and the waitress is patient with her. Very unpretentious with a right to be.
(5)
Marc B.
Went here for dinner on a hot summer night. Polished off two bottles of wine as we slowly ate outside on the patio. Really good, knowledgeable service. They have a seasonal menu but it seemed off because we went there on the day before the first official day of summer and they had what I would consider a mostly fall-themed menu. For example, among their items that seemed autumnal were a pan-seared duck breast with wild rice and a mushroom herb sauce, a wood-roasted beet salad and a heavy cream soup. Our waitress was attentive and friendly. We ordered three courses: the mussels with chorizo in a white wine broth, lightly breaded calamari and banana peppers (which was the next best to my own personal recipe) and wood roasted halibut -- all were superb. I would have preferred the wood roasted halibut to have been browned a little more on top but was still very light, flaky, moist and tasty. Romantic and intimate. They have an interesting-looking mid-day-only tapas menu that I might like to try sometime. Another reviewer last year said their menu was confusing but they must have changed it - I thought it was fine.
(5)
Katie B.
This is a cute little place and very pretty inside with white tablecloths, a nice bar and well dressed servers. But honestly, it's very overrated. The menu changes often, in line with the seasons and local food availabilities, but it's just not that good. Don't get me wrong, our food wasn't terrible, it wasn't even mediocre, it just didn't fit the restaurant. Why would I pay all that money to sit in a pretty little upscale bistro and then eat food that was more miss than hit? I wouldn't and you might think about not doing it either. I really wanted to like this place, but our meals were just very lackluster. The best part? Going upstairs to the candy store afterwards.
(3)
Puja G.
This is officially my favorite place to eat in Bloomington. Though place can get a bit loud at peak hours, the quality of food can't be beat! I love the cozy feel of the place; nice patinated mirrors, warm oven, and wood paneling all make this the perfect place for a dinner date! If you are looking for quality food at a cheaper price; they have pizza specials on Wednesdays. This truly reminds me of authentic Belgian brasseries. Well done! Bonus: They have a wonderful terrace; perfect for enjoying a small bite while people watching on a beautiful spring day!
(5)
Eric E.
I've been here a number of times and I'm never disappointed. Fair prices for high quality food. The beer and wine menu is always fresh and the service is decent. I always try their mussels
(4)
Frank T.
Excellent overall experience. The ambiance, beer/wine selection, and staff were all top-notch. However, the star of the show was the menu and food. Most of their food is locally grown, organic, and all of it is approachable to everyone, even vegetarians. Not only did they use delicious ingredients, but their preparation of the dishes made for a not-soon-forgotten meal. When dining here, eat slowly; the food here is an experience, not just a place to fill your belly. Of note: the waitress/ kitchen forgot to bring out our cheese & almond appetizer, so they brought those out at the end of the meal for free! One suggestion to the management: make the vegetable special from 4/9/11 (vegetable turnover with carrot ginger sauce) a regular item on the menu. It was one of the best dishes I have ever had.
(5)
Kai W.
very nice place to go to. this has been a spot for exquisite eating (previously trully bread), and that's probably a good description for the restaurant. the crowd is generally older people with a few tables of college students. the main reason is probably the price, which may be a tad high for college students, but is probably in a reasonable price range for the type of restaurant Finch's is and the food that it serves. I had the Amish Chicken while my girlfriend had the vegetable pasta (w/o the scallops) - both taste fabulous; i have uploaded some pictures of them. And unlike other restaurant of the same class in other cities, we felt full. good place, but might be a once-in-awhile kind of place. and perfect for dating, i think.
(4)
Nicole J.
I went here for a late dinner with some friends while out one night. The food was awful- just awful. I ordered mushroom/leek soup as an entree- it was so flavorless I would've preferred a can of Campbell's soup. I also had a lackluster salad for an insane price- just greens and a few slices of cucumbers. My guests ordered the pizza's which were reccomended as a great quick bite- both were boring and unremarkable. Both friends had to ask for spices to add themselves. Don't be fooled by the look of Finch's- the atmosphere may be upscale, but the food certainly IS NOT.
(1)
John M.
On a recent long weekend in Bloomington, we decided we'd do one "nice" dinner while exploring the culinary offerings of the IU area. Finch's, located literally steps from the campus and in the midst of a mess of collegiete drinking and shopping, is a bit out of place. That said, this is my favorite type of restaurant - not terribly fancy, but offering upscale, well executed options that I can enjoy in a pair of jeans if I so choose. Sure my wife and I (and our 18 mo. old - to whom they were very friendly and accomodating - thank you!) can drop a bill with tip, but based on our experience it was well worth it. Also a win in regards to having a kid's menu alongside more upscale fare - thanks for making us parents feel less welcome. When we arrived we were greeted by the very helpful and friendly host, who promptly asked if she could take our stroller and bring it out when we were leaving - yes please and thank you! We were seated and we were on our way - we started with a pork belly and sweet potato hash, along with an order of mussels du jour - both were great. We actually steered away from the entrees as the pizzas looked so interesting, plus watching the chef work with the wood fired oven was enough for me to want to try one. We opted for the Merguez and the Dordogne - the first with local sausage, onion, piquillo pepper, manchego, and preserved lemon, and the second with prosciutto, truffle honey, and a cheese blend. The Merguez was really fantastic, as every now and then you'd get a pop of the preserved lemon, such a unique flavor profile overall. The Dordogne was more straight up but not any less tasty, the sweet, rich flavor of the honey coming through in a subtle but lovely way. The wine list is thorough and provides a range of options from affordable to splurge worthy, so we went with a couple of glasses in order to try a wider range which is always fun. Dessert was also excellent. My wife loves tiramisu, so we opted for their chocolate version, and we both like rich and creamy, so we also chose the espresso pot du creme. The pot du creme was powerful, rich, and so close but not quite too much - even though it was about 3 oz. It begged for coffee, and we couldn't finish it - intense would be another word. The tiramisu was off the map - I don't usually care for tiramisu and never order it - had we not we would have missed one of the best desserts I'd had in a while. Really fantastic and talked about still. Service was friendly, accommodating, and helpful, and just as promised, before we even got up from the table the host was approaching with our stroller. It's a bit loud inside, but not so much that we couldn't have a pleasant conversation, and we enjoyed talking with our neighbors as our kid is always making friends. If you're in Bloomington and looking for something nice but not over the top - this is it.
(5)
Dea A.
Formerly known as Trulli Flat bread, the same owners revamped the menu and gave it a new name -- Finch's Brasserie. What makes this place unique and fabulous? The beer menu. The beer menu is just amazing. The taps and bottles -- seriously, this is a beer menu made by the gods. The menu is a little confusing, particularly on the entree section. I honestly don't like being responsible for creating my own dinner (I don't like those Mongolian BBQ places for the same reason). What to get? A sophisticated and delicious version of pizza and beer. The pizza is made in the wood burning oven and you can smell this wonderful oven from down Kirkwood. What beer to have? It depends on your mood, Orval, Duvel, Westmalle, Gumballhead Wheat, Hoegaarden... the options are all good!
(4)
Elizabeth S.
Let me start with a positive note. Everyone in our party enjoyed their food. Now let me explain why i will never return. I have eaten here a few times before for department celebration dinners and dates, and my meal has been fine. Tonight, I had the rudest, most inattentive, childish service I have ever experienced. This time, I dined with a party of 12, predominantly international students, and our entire party was treated very RUDELY by our server. The server was snide from the beginning, and then when we asked him to refrigerate a cake for our birthday guest,he quickly shot back that it would be an additional $15 cake serving fee! I joked that it was a little funny to ask guests to pay to serve someone's favorite birthday cake, and he said "all restaurants do it." Then he came by later and said he saw someone waive him over (when noone did) and asked if we were ready to order. We were not so he very replied in a mean, condescending way, "I saw someone waive me over, so Im gonna leave now, and when I come back you better be ready to order." I tell you, this was not sarcasm, or an attempt to joke, he was serious! A normal reply would have been to ask whether anyone needed a drink or starter. Then when we asked the specials, he said he didnt know, and we should have papers with them. We did not, so he disappeared and returned with them and just laid them on the table. He never asked how the food was after it was delivered, and I had to track down another server to grab our cake after he gave us the bill!! I asked to speak to the manager when I had to ask for someone to get our cake after our bill was closed out, who eventually said he "would talk to him", but honestly I will never return to a place that allowed one snide person ruin a person's first birthday 1000's of miles from home. If it had not been a birthday dinner, I would have left before ordering. If anyone from Finch's reads this, please know we went to another place, The Tap, to serve the cake, ordered 2 drinks each, and they gave us free plates and utensils. We also did not have to pay a cake serving fee! If our Finch's server had not made us feel so unwelcome, we would have stayed and finished our celebration there.
(1)
Anna P.
I went here for a romantic weeknight dinner with my boyfriend, and we both really enjoyed ourselves. On a quiet Tuesday night, we had almost the entire place to ourselves. As it was getting chilly out, it was very kind of the host to sit us next to the open brick oven. They have a nice size selection of Belgian beers and Belgian style American craft beers. We were both happy to see options that we can't get anywhere else in Bloomington. We went all out with three courses and never once felt rushed. Our server was friendly and attentive but let us enjoy our date with minimal interruption. We started with scallops and a cheese plate. I absolutely loved my entree, the rabbit cacciatore. The flavors were so rich and comforting. My only disappointments were our scallop appetizer. I felt that the portion was very small for the price (only 2 small sized scallops). Though they were prepared nicely, I'm certainly glad we got the fantastic cheese plate as we came hungry. And I also felt the dessert could have been a little bit more flavorful. It was a fruit crisp that was a little on the bland side. And I know it's been said by other reviewers, it is certainly one of the pricier restaurants in the area. However, we both had a great evening. And I will certainly keep Finch's Brasserie in mind as an option for a fancier dinner.
(4)
Vox V.
Finches not only has an excellent just-off-campus location, but it has great food and a friendly staff. I've been there several times and sat both inside and outside - each time the experience was very pleasant. The menu has a wide selection from pricey to very reasonable. The beer selection was quite good as well. I wish more restaurants in Bloomington were like Finches. This is the perfect place to have a bite outside on a sunny day or to enjoy the nicely decorated and cozy interior when the weather is less agreeable. It is also perfect for larger groups or conversely for a more intimate meal.
(4)
Anna W.
Dave and I went out Friday night in search of food. EVERYWHERE was packed!! We finally came here, which was also very busy, but we were able to grab a seat at the bar. I really like the atmosphere- cozy, quaint, inviting. The wood fired oven in the middle of the restaurant definitely helps. Their beer list is pretty impressive, too. I'm a huge Belgium beer fan and was happy to see all the offerings. As for the food- super reasonable and super good. I got a 10 inch pizza with broccoli, spinach, zucchini, pesto, and goat cheese for $12. Dave got the macaroni and cheese, which was phenomenal. I would love to come back and try their mussels because our bartender really sold them when she was telling the specials.
(5)
Mak J.
I had my college graduation dinner here. The rabbit cacciatore was a great reward for my years of hard work. Good mussels too. And the service was good, even on this very busy afternoon. I would go here again positively.
(4)
Marcie F.
I really love the food at Finch's. More than the food, I love the beer list at Finch's! The prices are very reasonable for what you get. However, I've been here about six times now. I've only had a decent server once. Last night, I went with a few friends to celebrate something. It was taking a while to get out drinks, but we didn't mind. A hostess (who was super nice!) stepped in and asked what we ordered so she could hurry and get our drinks for us. Our server watched this, however, and I assume she thought we were complaining. We got the most passive aggressive experience with her for the rest of our dinner. We left to get drinks/dessert elsewhere just so we could avoid the awkwardness. I'm not sure what it is. I feel like even when the restaurant is dead, I'm constantly waiting. It takes a long while to get the first drink and you're likely to sit with an empty glass for a good while before you ever see your server again. tl;dr: Awesome food, bad service.
(3)
Jane T.
Hands down my favorite restaurant in Bloomington. The food is always incredible, and they change up the menu enough to keep things interesting. The beer/wine menu can't be beat. The entire staff is warm, friendly, and very helpful.
(5)
Bootleg R.
I sat outside one afternoon and it was nice. Server was knowledgeable and nice. My boyfriend got the mortadella sandwich and lentil soup. The sandwich was very flavorful and included pickled carrots, the bread was nice and chewy. The lentil soup had lots of pork, pepper and onion it was more like a chili with a few exotic flavors. I had the rabbit cacciatore which I enjoyed. It was basically a rabbit stew over noodles.
(4)
Jeff R.
Great place to eat....you can't go wrong here. Everyone's meals looked and tasted great. Brick hearth pizza oven is a cool touch and PBR snuck into the list of microbrews which shows a sense of humor. The only negative thing about finch's is that they replaced a La Bamba mexican joint in the upper level and the Discount Den on the main level, but those are just fond burrito and CD buying memories from the past now.
(5)
Jamie P.
This was my boyfriend's favorite place to go in Bloomington when we were in college because of their awesome craft beer list and delicious food! We often got the calimari and a pizza. We never left disappointed-- and we were there a LOT! The bartender Andy was awesome and always took great care of us.
(5)
David F.
Just wanted to comment about a recent experience at Finch's. Ordered several of the flat bread for a few of my staff and loved them. Great taste, crust was perfect, and the ingredients clearly fresh. Owner's are sincere and don't over do the whole local thing. The reality is that we live in the middle of Indiana and not everything people choose to eat could possibly be local yet the restaurant does not try to suggest otherwise. There are no illusions here - just honest, sincere, and really great food (local when possible). What more can you ask for?
(5)
Roger G.
My first review of this place mysteriously disappeared. Lousy service, pretentious menu, extra charge for bread with an Italian entree, no offer of compensation or even an apology from the server when it took way too long to get our mediocre food. The owner did respond to my review, saying she was sorry, but again offered no explanation or invitation to try again. Overrated and expensive, won't be back.
(1)
K V.
Wow - this place was waaay overpriced for some mediocre food. Not much else to say, really. The environment was upscale and kind of uppety. I'd stay away from this place if you value your time and/or money!
(1)
Renee D.
Love Finch's. It's our regular Saturday lunch place. Food is always wonderful (great mussels) and like that the menu changes seasonaly. Also, the staff is always friendly and knowledgable. Can't be beat in Bloomington.
(5)
Tema K.
I have only been to Finch's twice, but that is because of the price. It is well worth it for a celebration dinner or your folks coming in for a visit. Their menu is seasonal and uses very fresh ingredients. I would say their food is upscale American dining with a European twist. I adore their duck wings. That is right! Instead of chicken wings they have duck wings in an orange glaze. And the wait staff is very professional. Some of the best I have ever encountered. Also they are willing to adjust dishes for dietary constraints.
(5)
Matthew W.
All in all, this is the best restaurant in Bloomington. It's very reasonably priced. The food is always good. The fries are delicious. Wednesday has beer specials on their always interesting and rotating tap selections. Also, their oven kicks ass.
(5)
Ryan D.
Great, French-inspired food from local farmers, prepared by local culinary talent. Finch's has the best atmosphere out of all Bloomington restaurants. Their beer selection is also the most thoughtful in town. It is expensive, but you get what you pay for. Great for date nights.
(5)
Chip C.
Great food and service. The meat loaf sandwich was huge. I had the vegetable pasta and broiled scallops, and they were excellent. Hot food is something I am a real stickler about-and the pasta was homemade in a mushroom garlic sauce with fennel. Not to mention the scallops, which were absolute heaven. Nice vibe, great hostess. Well worth the money, within easy walking distance of campus. Went upstairs to the candy store for a nice treat afterwards. Great local find in Bloomington.
(4)
Bob F.
They now have their very own Fetty. Doesn't get much better then that.
(5)
elizabeth b.
Almost always good food. I'm a sucker for the rabbit cacciatore. To be fair, the food is worth four stars in my rating universe -- it really is good. But Finch's presents itself as a "nice" restaurant, and it's NOISY. Really noisy (and sometimes cold, too). If I wanted to go to a bar, I'd go to a *&^%ing bar. There are lots of them, and I like french fries and beer as much as the next girl. But I come here for good food, not to feel like I'm in an over-priced sports bar. If you go on a date, be prepared to holler at your honey.
(3)
Meagan B.
Great place. Sit at the bar eat slowly share the mussels and a thin and crispy pizza. Enjoy the extensive beer selection. You really cannot go wrong here!
(4)
Leila V.
Excellent place. The food is always on point and the seasonal menu gives an element of surprise to each visit. Great kids menu!
(5)
Gazooby X.
First time I've given Finch's a less than stellar review. This is a good lesson in how hard it is to maintain high quality over time. A week ago, I would have called this my favorite restaurant in town. But my last meal there left me asking for more. We all shared bites, so I am reporting on numerous dishes. The ribeye I ordered was thin so came back overcooked (medium instead of the rare I asked for). But it had a great smoky flavor, and the fries were terrific. My companion's dinner special was a vegetarian pot pie encased in phylo with a parsnip sauce. Out of the this world; the highpoint of the table. Another dish, a shrimp appetizer was so-so quality shrimp and oversalted. Another dish, the rabbit cacciatore, had a lovely smoky flavor and nice chewiness to the pasta but the sauce was not well balanced and tended too strongly toward tomato. Finally, our old standby, the calamari appetizer, was mushy rather than crisp. I'll be back, but hope that Finch's keeps working as hard as the day they opened.
(3)
Greg W.
Great environment. Great food. Great drink specials (and nice selection). Great service.
(5)
M. C.
This is the restaurant my husband and I tend to choose when we have a rare night-out or want to celebrate an event with a great meal. The menu is always full of difficult-to-decide-between entrees, the food quality is consistently top-notch and the service has always been attentive and friendly. Finch's uses local food. Keep up the great work!
(5)
Caroline W.
Great Nicoise salad!! Comparable with the Nicoise salads I've had in France. Very good pasta, nice outdoor patio. Simple and fresh.
(4)
Claire G.
Oh Finch's... can I convince you to up and move to the west coast to follow me? I swear I'd be faithful... Finch's is an outstanding place that shines above every other restaurant in town (including a wannabe elitist institution that begins with "F")! Lunchtime is extremely reasonably priced (I dare you to spend less on lunch at Noodles across the street...gross) while being filling and delicious. I love the salads and dressings, especially the lemon toasted cumin vinaigrette, as well as the pomme frites with truffle aioli. Oh yeah, and the duck wings are so good I want to lick the harissa sauce off the plate, every soup I've tried has been delicious, and I could go on and on. Also, the wait staff is competent and friendly, not stuck up like many other places in Bloomington. Please go there often and I'll be savoring the memories of all the wonderful meals I've had there.
(5)
Richard H.
This is a very pleasant restaurant with a friendly, attentive waitstaff. But the menu is rather small, and although the food is quite tasty, almost everything is extremely overpriced. The pizza, however, is absolutely delicious.
(3)
Thomas B.
Our family of 4 ate at Finch's for lunch on a Saturday of a home football game. We walked right in and were greeted by a very pleasant, engaging hostess who was our waitperson. 2 of us had the hamburger, which was generous and as per request served medium-rare. French fries were first class. Most of the menu was locally produced meats and veggies. I had the falafel on grilled pita bread which came with a salad and a cup of lentil/mushroom soup, and the 4th person had baked mac & cheese gratin. Another person had the clam chowder: excellent. Everyone loved their meals, the service was perfect, the atmosphere is casual but the menu, the china and flatware were all elegant. Salad dressing are all interesting and homemade. Nice field greens salads came with all meals. $65 before tip for 4 people at lunch with one beer and one coffee ordered. We each commented that we would be delighted to return.
(4)
Jon R.
My favorite place to eat in Bloomington... hands down. Since Andy the bartender left, it has been a lot less enjoyable, because he is the best bartender ever. But still, the food and beer list is incredible. Duck wings or calamari to start, depending on what beer I choose, followed by a dordogne pizza and orkney skullsplitter scotch ale is what I always have. Occasionally I'll do a mussels in place of calamari or the wings, and I do so because they have Saison Dupont on draft!
(5)
Jen P.
I was so excited to eat here after reading the other reviews, but was definitely a little disappointed. Atmosphere was cute, but service was unattentive and food was mediocre. Ordered a caesar salad and server specifically asked us if we wanted the anchovies on top. Grateful that she asked, we replied no. The salad showed up with the anchovies on top--ick. The dressing flavor was so mild that you could barely tell it was caesar. Few croutons so felt like it was just a bunch of iceberg with tasteless dressing. Then our burger came, which was actually pretty good, although we had asked for the bleu cheese on the side and it was on the burger. I did enjoy the portabella topping and the meat was of good quality, I would guess by the taste. Server was never around when we needed her and drinks were not refilled or asked for refills...and the place was nearly empty since we ate at an off time of day. A bummer because I had high hopes for this place.
(2)
J. S.
Fairly tasty eats and the beer selection was good.; the food was overpriced. My husband and I split a beer, two appetizers, a main dish, and two desserts and walked out for under $70. Service was ok, our server was nice but she only came around infrequently and was often nowhere to be seen. It was also much too noisy and when I asked if we could be seated upstairs, we were told that it was closed. We were also told that the only available table outside was broken(!). My lentil and mushroom soup was outstanding and the charcuterie plate with crostini was good. The crostini were few and did not last for the whole plate so we asked for more. They arrived about 20 minutes later after we had concluded that we would not be getting them and had finished the plate. We were also not warned that there would be a $1 charge for the additional crostini. We split the duck breast entree which was billed as confit but was not confit at all as it was not cooked in oil nor was it tender, especially the outer portions of the breast. The veggies on the side, asparagus, oyster mushrooms, and fresh pearl onions were good, better when freshly served than when they had cooled on the plate. The wild rice side was gross. Wild rice mixed with chopped chicken and overcooked veg, breaded and deep fried. Yuk. I only ate a little. The meat inside was unexpected and unwelcome. The chocolate tiramisu was ok, but the mascarpone was not light and fluffy, the chocolate layers also too dense, and overall the dessert tasted overwhelmingly of Mexican chocolate, which I think was sprinkled on top and was also in the chocolate mouse layers. It was a disappointment and again I did not finish my half of the dessert. I never leave dessert behind! For California prices in the midwest, I certainly expected much better service and outstanding food. We got neither. It was merely decent.
(3)
Cary G.
A real find in Bloomington. I had a delicious grilled pork chop with a potato cauliflower gratin an grilled apples. The have an excellent selection of craft beers, and there deserts were excellent, as well.
(5)
Colleen M.
OH my goodness!!! I love, love, love this place! It can get kind of pricey for dinner but that's because they use the freshest ingredients! Lunch is always great, the only complaint i have is that since they use fresh ingredients they often are out of things and don't change the menu/don't tell you. I have been here more times than I can count, used to go almost twice a week for lunch, and then Wed for their $2 beers... that CANNOT be beat!!!! However, on two occassions I was THOROUGHLY disappointed because once the sandwich was missing something because it wasn't in season, even though it was on the paper menu and our waitress said nothing, and once the sauce for the calamari had been switched up since the time before and again, no mention of it (and I was not a fan of the new calamari sauce). They also have no ketchup and I"m a ketchup freak, so that's sad. Whatever though, this place rocks!!! The scallop salad is absolutely to DIE for, I never liked scallops till I came here. The beers and the bartenders are great. Loveee the selection of beers always! I watch this place like crazy for seasonal beers and make sure to stop by EVERY time I'm back in town. Man do I miss you Bloomington/Finches!!!
(5)
Perry G.
Great place, nice atmosphere, menu is seasonal
(4)
Matt D.
Loved everything I have had here ... Except the rabbit pasta ... Found a small bone in it
(3)
Michael L.
I'm not sure why so many people rave about this place. The food was adequate, but not that special for what I paid. Maybe its the hip wait-staff? In this price range, I'd opt for Farm.
(3)
A B.
Great food, nice ambience and excellent attentive staff. Had the wood burning oven pizza which was really good !
(4)
David F.
Just wanted to comment about a recent experience at Finch's. Ordered several of the flat bread for a few of my staff and loved them. Great taste, crust was perfect, and the ingredients clearly fresh. Owner's are sincere and don't over do the whole local thing. The reality is that we live in the middle of Indiana and not everything people choose to eat could possibly be local yet the restaurant does not try to suggest otherwise. There are no illusions here - just honest, sincere, and really great food (local when possible). What more can you ask for?
(5)
Roger G.
My first review of this place mysteriously disappeared. Lousy service, pretentious menu, extra charge for bread with an Italian entree, no offer of compensation or even an apology from the server when it took way too long to get our mediocre food. The owner did respond to my review, saying she was sorry, but again offered no explanation or invitation to try again. Overrated and expensive, won't be back.
(1)
K V.
Wow - this place was waaay overpriced for some mediocre food. Not much else to say, really. The environment was upscale and kind of uppety. I'd stay away from this place if you value your time and/or money!
(1)
Renee D.
Love Finch's. It's our regular Saturday lunch place. Food is always wonderful (great mussels) and like that the menu changes seasonaly. Also, the staff is always friendly and knowledgable. Can't be beat in Bloomington.
(5)
Tema K.
I have only been to Finch's twice, but that is because of the price. It is well worth it for a celebration dinner or your folks coming in for a visit. Their menu is seasonal and uses very fresh ingredients. I would say their food is upscale American dining with a European twist. I adore their duck wings. That is right! Instead of chicken wings they have duck wings in an orange glaze. And the wait staff is very professional. Some of the best I have ever encountered. Also they are willing to adjust dishes for dietary constraints.
(5)
Matthew W.
All in all, this is the best restaurant in Bloomington. It's very reasonably priced. The food is always good. The fries are delicious. Wednesday has beer specials on their always interesting and rotating tap selections. Also, their oven kicks ass.
(5)
Ryan D.
Great, French-inspired food from local farmers, prepared by local culinary talent. Finch's has the best atmosphere out of all Bloomington restaurants. Their beer selection is also the most thoughtful in town. It is expensive, but you get what you pay for. Great for date nights.
(5)
Chip C.
Great food and service. The meat loaf sandwich was huge. I had the vegetable pasta and broiled scallops, and they were excellent. Hot food is something I am a real stickler about-and the pasta was homemade in a mushroom garlic sauce with fennel. Not to mention the scallops, which were absolute heaven. Nice vibe, great hostess. Well worth the money, within easy walking distance of campus. Went upstairs to the candy store for a nice treat afterwards. Great local find in Bloomington.
(4)
Bob F.
They now have their very own Fetty. Doesn't get much better then that.
(5)
elizabeth b.
Almost always good food. I'm a sucker for the rabbit cacciatore. To be fair, the food is worth four stars in my rating universe -- it really is good. But Finch's presents itself as a "nice" restaurant, and it's NOISY. Really noisy (and sometimes cold, too). If I wanted to go to a bar, I'd go to a *&^%ing bar. There are lots of them, and I like french fries and beer as much as the next girl. But I come here for good food, not to feel like I'm in an over-priced sports bar. If you go on a date, be prepared to holler at your honey.
(3)
Meagan B.
Great place. Sit at the bar eat slowly share the mussels and a thin and crispy pizza. Enjoy the extensive beer selection. You really cannot go wrong here!
(4)
Leila V.
Excellent place. The food is always on point and the seasonal menu gives an element of surprise to each visit. Great kids menu!
(5)
Gazooby X.
First time I've given Finch's a less than stellar review. This is a good lesson in how hard it is to maintain high quality over time. A week ago, I would have called this my favorite restaurant in town. But my last meal there left me asking for more. We all shared bites, so I am reporting on numerous dishes. The ribeye I ordered was thin so came back overcooked (medium instead of the rare I asked for). But it had a great smoky flavor, and the fries were terrific. My companion's dinner special was a vegetarian pot pie encased in phylo with a parsnip sauce. Out of the this world; the highpoint of the table. Another dish, a shrimp appetizer was so-so quality shrimp and oversalted. Another dish, the rabbit cacciatore, had a lovely smoky flavor and nice chewiness to the pasta but the sauce was not well balanced and tended too strongly toward tomato. Finally, our old standby, the calamari appetizer, was mushy rather than crisp. I'll be back, but hope that Finch's keeps working as hard as the day they opened.
(3)
Greg W.
Great environment. Great food. Great drink specials (and nice selection). Great service.
(5)
M. C.
This is the restaurant my husband and I tend to choose when we have a rare night-out or want to celebrate an event with a great meal. The menu is always full of difficult-to-decide-between entrees, the food quality is consistently top-notch and the service has always been attentive and friendly. Finch's uses local food. Keep up the great work!
(5)
Caroline W.
Great Nicoise salad!! Comparable with the Nicoise salads I've had in France. Very good pasta, nice outdoor patio. Simple and fresh.
(4)
Claire G.
Oh Finch's... can I convince you to up and move to the west coast to follow me? I swear I'd be faithful... Finch's is an outstanding place that shines above every other restaurant in town (including a wannabe elitist institution that begins with "F")! Lunchtime is extremely reasonably priced (I dare you to spend less on lunch at Noodles across the street...gross) while being filling and delicious. I love the salads and dressings, especially the lemon toasted cumin vinaigrette, as well as the pomme frites with truffle aioli. Oh yeah, and the duck wings are so good I want to lick the harissa sauce off the plate, every soup I've tried has been delicious, and I could go on and on. Also, the wait staff is competent and friendly, not stuck up like many other places in Bloomington. Please go there often and I'll be savoring the memories of all the wonderful meals I've had there.
(5)
Richard H.
This is a very pleasant restaurant with a friendly, attentive waitstaff. But the menu is rather small, and although the food is quite tasty, almost everything is extremely overpriced. The pizza, however, is absolutely delicious.
(3)
Thomas B.
Our family of 4 ate at Finch's for lunch on a Saturday of a home football game. We walked right in and were greeted by a very pleasant, engaging hostess who was our waitperson. 2 of us had the hamburger, which was generous and as per request served medium-rare. French fries were first class. Most of the menu was locally produced meats and veggies. I had the falafel on grilled pita bread which came with a salad and a cup of lentil/mushroom soup, and the 4th person had baked mac & cheese gratin. Another person had the clam chowder: excellent. Everyone loved their meals, the service was perfect, the atmosphere is casual but the menu, the china and flatware were all elegant. Salad dressing are all interesting and homemade. Nice field greens salads came with all meals. $65 before tip for 4 people at lunch with one beer and one coffee ordered. We each commented that we would be delighted to return.
(4)
Jon R.
My favorite place to eat in Bloomington... hands down. Since Andy the bartender left, it has been a lot less enjoyable, because he is the best bartender ever. But still, the food and beer list is incredible. Duck wings or calamari to start, depending on what beer I choose, followed by a dordogne pizza and orkney skullsplitter scotch ale is what I always have. Occasionally I'll do a mussels in place of calamari or the wings, and I do so because they have Saison Dupont on draft!
(5)
Jen P.
I was so excited to eat here after reading the other reviews, but was definitely a little disappointed. Atmosphere was cute, but service was unattentive and food was mediocre. Ordered a caesar salad and server specifically asked us if we wanted the anchovies on top. Grateful that she asked, we replied no. The salad showed up with the anchovies on top--ick. The dressing flavor was so mild that you could barely tell it was caesar. Few croutons so felt like it was just a bunch of iceberg with tasteless dressing. Then our burger came, which was actually pretty good, although we had asked for the bleu cheese on the side and it was on the burger. I did enjoy the portabella topping and the meat was of good quality, I would guess by the taste. Server was never around when we needed her and drinks were not refilled or asked for refills...and the place was nearly empty since we ate at an off time of day. A bummer because I had high hopes for this place.
(2)
J. S.
Fairly tasty eats and the beer selection was good.; the food was overpriced. My husband and I split a beer, two appetizers, a main dish, and two desserts and walked out for under $70. Service was ok, our server was nice but she only came around infrequently and was often nowhere to be seen. It was also much too noisy and when I asked if we could be seated upstairs, we were told that it was closed. We were also told that the only available table outside was broken(!). My lentil and mushroom soup was outstanding and the charcuterie plate with crostini was good. The crostini were few and did not last for the whole plate so we asked for more. They arrived about 20 minutes later after we had concluded that we would not be getting them and had finished the plate. We were also not warned that there would be a $1 charge for the additional crostini. We split the duck breast entree which was billed as confit but was not confit at all as it was not cooked in oil nor was it tender, especially the outer portions of the breast. The veggies on the side, asparagus, oyster mushrooms, and fresh pearl onions were good, better when freshly served than when they had cooled on the plate. The wild rice side was gross. Wild rice mixed with chopped chicken and overcooked veg, breaded and deep fried. Yuk. I only ate a little. The meat inside was unexpected and unwelcome. The chocolate tiramisu was ok, but the mascarpone was not light and fluffy, the chocolate layers also too dense, and overall the dessert tasted overwhelmingly of Mexican chocolate, which I think was sprinkled on top and was also in the chocolate mouse layers. It was a disappointment and again I did not finish my half of the dessert. I never leave dessert behind! For California prices in the midwest, I certainly expected much better service and outstanding food. We got neither. It was merely decent.
(3)
Cary G.
A real find in Bloomington. I had a delicious grilled pork chop with a potato cauliflower gratin an grilled apples. The have an excellent selection of craft beers, and there deserts were excellent, as well.
(5)
Perry G.
Great place, nice atmosphere, menu is seasonal
(4)
Colleen M.
OH my goodness!!! I love, love, love this place! It can get kind of pricey for dinner but that's because they use the freshest ingredients! Lunch is always great, the only complaint i have is that since they use fresh ingredients they often are out of things and don't change the menu/don't tell you. I have been here more times than I can count, used to go almost twice a week for lunch, and then Wed for their $2 beers... that CANNOT be beat!!!! However, on two occassions I was THOROUGHLY disappointed because once the sandwich was missing something because it wasn't in season, even though it was on the paper menu and our waitress said nothing, and once the sauce for the calamari had been switched up since the time before and again, no mention of it (and I was not a fan of the new calamari sauce). They also have no ketchup and I"m a ketchup freak, so that's sad. Whatever though, this place rocks!!! The scallop salad is absolutely to DIE for, I never liked scallops till I came here. The beers and the bartenders are great. Loveee the selection of beers always! I watch this place like crazy for seasonal beers and make sure to stop by EVERY time I'm back in town. Man do I miss you Bloomington/Finches!!!
(5)
Matt D.
Loved everything I have had here ... Except the rabbit pasta ... Found a small bone in it
(3)
Michael L.
I'm not sure why so many people rave about this place. The food was adequate, but not that special for what I paid. Maybe its the hip wait-staff? In this price range, I'd opt for Farm.
(3)
A B.
Great food, nice ambience and excellent attentive staff. Had the wood burning oven pizza which was really good !
(4)
Jason R.
I've been here half a dozen times. I've never had bad service or a bad experience. I love the duck wings appetizer. I've had several different entrees at Finch's, and the menu is seasonal, which means I've never had the same entree twice. The entrees I have had have ranged from good to excellent, and most of the difference in what I liked has more to do with personal taste than anything the restaurant failed to provide. My favorite desert in town is their chocolate tiramisu. They carry Delirium which is my all-time favorite beer, but on top of that they have a great beer and wine list. No liquor, which might be the only negative I can come up with.
(5)
Claire A.
Recipe for a quality evening: 1. Go to Finch's. 2. Order one of the fancy Euro or craft beers off the excellent beer list. 3. Get yourself a pizza ($15-16). I recommend the Dordogne, which comes with prosciutto, four cheeses, and truffle honey and is as sumptuous as it sounds. It doesn't really need it, but I doused mine in cheese and pepper flakes when prompted and I think it enhanced the experience. 4. Eat, drink, decompress. Yeah, it's a little disconcerting to think you've just spent 20 to 25 dollars pizza and a beer, but when the pizza's this good (they really do use high quality ingredients here) and the beer is among the best you can buy, the combination makes for an incredibly comforting dinner. It's the meal equivalent of a big, slouchy angora sweater. I should also make a note of the exceptional service - our waiter was down-to-earth, charming, and genuinely friendly.
(4)
Matt G.
We had an amazing dinner here awhile ago, I still remember it vividly. The atmosphere was intimate and cozy, with a warm glow emanating from the brick oven. Antique mirrors dotted the walls and an antique clock hung by the entrance. Food was top notch, and easily the best meal of the weekend. Margherita and the roasted chicken were both delicious. Charcuterie was excellent, especially the duck bacon. At the time, they had a traditional Gueuze on the beer menu, and also some great seasonal beers. I'd return here for dinner if staying in Bloomington again.
(5)
Charcy L.
the portion of lunch is not a lot, I ordered rabbit cacciatore, not enough for lunch, still feel hungry, but the environment is good, and the speed of food is very fast, only issue is the portion=_=
(3)
Ashley S.
I loved this place! It was my first time here - and new since I graduated from IU. If I was still in college, this would have been a restaurant you have your parents take you to (if you know what I mean). I had a pizza and it was fantastic! I ate every single piece - don't judge. They had a nice wine list. Some very good and unique menu options, too! HIGHLY recommend the pizza.
(4)
Cynthia C.
Had a lovely evening catching up with an old friend while in Bloomington. We loved that they have organic and local foods. We split a bottle of Pierre Jouet that was reasonably priced - I've seen it marked up much higher. My friend had the burger and said it was one of the best she ever had even with her requested gluten free bun. I had a white pizza with mushrooms and spinach which was very good. We shared a salad with a wonderful ramp vinaigrette. The best part was our waiter, Joe. He was friendly, helpful and funny. Great night and great place!
(5)
Dina D.
Finch's is one of the nicer restaurants in Bloomington, with attentive, excellent service. We started with the excellent calamari, which was mixed with fried banana peppers and olives, which gave an excellent contrast to the calamari. Their pizzas are excellent, and fired in their wood burning pizza oven. This time we had the Loire pizza, which despite having an interesting combination of sausage, shallots, apple and gorgonzola was surprisingly mild. We preferred the excellent Milano pizza, which is also a "white" pizza which has talleggio, figs, arugula and pears. The Brasserie Burger was excellent, although the fries are pretty standard. Save yourself the calories and go for the salad as a side instead. Overall, Finch's Brasserie has excellent pasta and pizzas, with enough variety to keep everyone in your party happy. A great more formal restaurant choice on Bloomington. Unfortunately, Finch's is closed on Sunday, so keep that in mind when making your weekend plans.
(5)
Jerome M.
Another very good Bloomington spot. Calamari et al....were very nice as promised by prior reviews. My lamb past was very very good....and I love it when I get to try something which my pallet has not experienced - and that's a 'good-experience' btw - high 4 stars to this place.
(4)
Stanley W.
Good meat entrees and soups. Salads have been a bit overwhelming, but the rabbit cacciatore is a well done dish and the burgers are well prepared. Their salads aren't as satisfactory, but then again the word brasserie doesn't exactly evoke salads. Nothing fantastic, nothing special, but the service is good for Bloomington, the soups de jours are almost a solid choice, and entrees range from decent to great. I don't think you can go wrong considering Finch's.
(4)
Robin K.
Went here for Valentine's Day late lunch. Fries were marvelous. Dipping sauces were gummy, but small in quantity. Speaking of, so we're the entire dishes. It was good, but elsewhere can get you more food, less price, and just as good service.
(3)
Melissa S.
This is my favorite place for dinner in Bloomington. The service is always on-point, the food is lovely, there's a warm and comfortable atmosphere, and the wine and beer selection are excellent. I've enjoyed the mussels, prepared several ways, wood-fired pizzas, and delicious cuts of meat, perfectly prepared. My go-to. Never pretentious, but sophisticated and delicious.
(4)
Scott H.
Cool location, expensive food, amazing fire cooked pizza! Wow - I'm glad I ventured inside, even the patio is packed with people and the interior was mostly empty. This is worth a try. I got the Raddicho salad with fish. Wonderful
(5)
Hannah G.
The food is delicious, and the flatbreads (pizzas) are the best in town, hands down. Service is great, ambiance is excellent, price is fair (expensive for the area, but better than average for the area as well. As I will continue to say a million times, you get what you pay for). If you're a beer or wine person, you have to go here! Extensive and fabulous beer and wine menu! I highly recommend The Roman Pizzetta, the bacon is delicious! Great calamari as well. Two staples on the menu, all seasons.
(5)
Liz K.
When I think of French food, I generally think of things one can cook at home paired with interesting meats. This place is that. Don't go if you don't like meat, a lot, it must be the star of the dish. Because as a vegetarian, I don't get why this has 4 stars. They have an interesting beer selection. I'm usually 1) surprised at how boring the menu is 2) happy with the dish I chose,but fully aware that it is red sauce, cream and roasted squash or whatever 3) disgusted by the check.
(2)
Jingo D.
I wanted to like this place, since the locals rave about it almost all the time, but the only memorable thing to me was the dried-up steak I had at my wife's (former) company Christmas party. I should've known better when the gentleman seated across from me told the server, "Nah, no steak for me. It was dry the last time I was here." I'm not sure if it's because they're not used to cooking for big groups of people, but it was enough reason for me to not go back.
(2)
Christy S.
Honestly, in Bloomington, this is as good as it gets. My husband and I went for Valentine's Day, and then returned with out of town guests for my birthday. Both times the service was exceptional, and the food was excellent. Pros: The lamb stew was incredible. The scallops and ravioli V-day special was to die for. The duck was cooked perfectly and the flavors were unique and worked well together. Arguably the least pretentious restaurant I've been to in Bloomington, though the food was definitely good enough that they could have been. Pretentious, that is. Cons: The 'Caesar salad' was kind of a joke. The steak was only okay. The by-the-glass wine list is very limited and the bottled wines are prohibitively expensive. Overall, easily the best dining experience in Bloomington. Certainly worth the price in a town filled with overpriced mediocrity.
(4)
Steven S.
This place was awesome. Excellent service and food. Alyvia was our server. Her recommendations were spot on. We had the pork loin and the duck two ways, both greatly exceeded our expectations. Also great value, the entree's included soup or salad. We both had the lentil/sausage soup, it was fantastic.
(5)
Cara K.
Love this place. The wood fired pizzas are amazing. I always split with someone when I go, so the prices really aren't that bad. The Dordogne and Loire are my favorite. I love coming here not just for the food, but also for the service and the atmosphere because it all works together so well.
(5)
Lawrenc S.
This place is unreal. I am sitting in the restaurant right now, and the food is so good I hate to write a review. I'm with a. Group of six, have tried everything we ordered, and everything is unbelievably good. So good. Some of the best food I have ever eaten. I can't say enough good things about it.
(5)
Kjirsten K.
The food is really good. The restaurant and bar are nice, comfortable, dimly lit, and there is a great patio for outdoor seating. The prices however, are a little over the top. $15 for a burger? Sure, the burger will blow your mind, but $15 is a little steep. The pizza, also $15 is quite good also.. The wood fired oven makes the light pizza crust perfectly crispy. There is a good beer and wine selection and both the menu and beer list feature local delights. Go for lunch if you want peace and quiet, they don't seem to get a big lunch crowd. Dinner is more busy and could require a reservation. Definitely worth the try if you're in the mood for Frites with truffle oil rather than fries with ketchup.
(4)
Michael F.
great restaurant, but it is difficult to find a parking spot!!
(4)
Dalia M.
I've been here a few times since my first review. Food has been delicious every time. My parents loved it when they visited back in March from NJ. Service was good then. This last time, our server seemed overwhelmed and distracted but also very apologetic because she knew service wasn't going well. We could also tell something may have been going on because we were there 50 minutes before getting our entree. We came this time to try the pizzas for a date night. They were yummy. The Roman (fancy meat lovers) and the Dodagne or something (truffle honey and prosciutto). I really liked them both and had some leftovers for later! I'll come back because I think Finch's is the yummiest place in town and usually service is great.
(3)
Will B.
Great service- had group of 24 people and not a single complaint from anyone. Food was also outstanding, duck wings were great.
(5)
Brendan I.
This is one of those places where the higher price is completely worth it. I managed to snag a reservation for graduation weekend for my group of four. Oddly, I had quite a bit of trouble getting a reservation for our 5:45 time but when we arrived and throughout our meal, the restaurant was mostly empty. Odd. Anyway, we were seated immediately and presented with the smaller graduation weekend menu (I was informed of this before making our reservation). The waitress was extremely nice and very attentive and checked on our table often. Our meal was served quickly and was well presented and delicious. They have a good beer and wine list. I've also been here for lunch and had a similarly great experience. Overall, worth every penny (unlike some of the other nicer restaurants in Btown). I will be back! This is what FARM could be if they got their act together...
(5)
Alicia F.
I really want to like Finch's. I do like Finch's -- I've been here several times, but it just seems a bit over rated and uneven. They have some really good stand out dishes -- cassoulet, the veggie papardelle, rabbit cacciatore, and the maple glazed duck wings -- but I've also been served some truly sad, awful dishes here. I've ordered steak and rack of lamb and had them come out hideously overcooked (all sad and grey, not even charred), and once, upon sending something back, I was then given an essentially raw piece of meat. We go here because my husband works at IU and they have some good things, but seriously, avoid the meat.
(3)
Diana G.
Really need to wait a long long time to be served with dishes...the service was nice though you always had to wait the waitress to come instead of calling her if you sat outside. But I think the food was not that good than I expected since I read the reviews before we went. All the four dishes we ordered were just so-so and there was none worthing recommending.
(4)
Jed M.
I only go here a few times a year, but every time I'm here, I always remember why I love it. We started off with an appetizer of fried calamari, always a favorite. They also have banana peppers in with the calamari and a delicious remoulade. Unlike other fried dishes most places, it's not greasy and just about perfect. We elected to sub their soup of the day for the salad. It was a black bean, pork and kale soup that was very delicious and well seasoned. As someone who likes stews more than watery soups, it suited me and was plenty hearty. Entree was hanger steak with frites and green beans. The steak had a special oil/herb sauce I can't recall the name of right now, but it complimented the steak very well. Steak came a perfect medium rare just as ordered. I always feel a bit guilty going to a nicer place and ordering frites, but Finch's make such good ones, I can't resist. The green beans were also well seasoned and crisp. Had a blackberry torte (again forget the name they called it) with coffee ice cream and whipped cream. I usually don't dig dessert much, but yet again this one hit the spot with the ice cream containing a ton of coffee flavor. We didn't have pizza this time, but I've had it several times before. It's my favorite pizza in Bloomington cooked in a real brick oven with visible spots on the crust. They have eight beers on tap as well as a cellar list. Also a nice wine list although we usually stick to beer. They generally have some unique offerings which is a huge plus although sometimes the choices lean a little too heavily toward non-sour Belgians. I ordered a Dieu de Ciel Solstice d'hiver (which I've never seen on tap anywhere else in town) and a Tyranena Scurvy. The lady ordered Six point apollo and New Belgium La Folie. Service was also great. The food was a tad slow from the kitchen, but not excessively so and our waiter was always attentive to our orders and water glasses were kept full. This in a nutshell is why I love Finch's. It's not the cheapest place in town, but considering how perfectly everything is done, it's well worth the price for an occasional splurge. On the plus side they've also been keeping their beer list up to date online daily which will lead me back here even more often.
(5)
Claire V.
Finch's is seriously underrated. Neither pretentious like Tallent nor hipster like Farm, and the food is better than either. I love a place that serves Lindemands, and Finch's has the finest burgers in town, served on ciabatta. Last time I had a vegetable pasta with lots of corn and a delectable savory broth. Unforgettable dish. Get a side salad with buttermilk blue cheese. Their tiramisu and cheese platter are outstanding as well! I must add, I had to laugh a little at a one star review here for Finch's. Who brings their own cake for dessert, and expects the restaurant to refrigerate it for them, and then serve it to them for FREE, on their plates and with their cutlery? Ludicrous. Who brings their own food at all, to a restaurant? Very bad manners.
(5)
K R.
I enjoy this spot so much that I made reservations here for my graduation dinner months in advance. The dinner and service were exceptional. The graduation menu is different than the everyday seasonal menu. But in general whatever I have ordered is phenomenal. Parking can be a pain.
(5)
Jay V.
Had a lovely meal there two weeks back during our trip to B-Town. Hoosiers! Enjoyable and very good for a college town. Great work all!
(5)
Lindsay S.
Another little gem in the Bloomington area! I walked in here hoping I could find something to eat after a long plane ride and boy did I find it! I had the soup and salad combo with the most delicious mushroom soup I've ever tasted and Bobby had the French Countryman's lunch which is absolutely to die for to this day on cold afternoons I crave this meal! He got mushroom chicken soup as well with goat cheese and crostini and apples. And we both had a glass of Pinot noir to compliment the food! When the waitress brought out the food she said since Bobby's soup cup was not filled to the rim because they ran out of that kind that they would bring him another bowl of their other soup on the house :). Friendly service, a beautiful french kitchen and a large brick oven it is a lovely place to dine and totally unexpected in a quiet little town. The food here was definitely worth the whole trip!
Expensive yes, but the only restaurant where I can proudly announce that I've eaten rabbit and fully enjoyed every bite of it. Oh how guilty I felt... about not feeling bad. So delicious, please try the rabbit cacciatore. You'll love and hate me for it. Oh, and AMAZING beer and cider selection.
(5)
Chris R.
Pretty great place. I've had the rabbit and the duck leg. Both were quite tasty. Plus the atmosphere is enjoyable. The location is great, generally in relation to the campus and specifically in relation to the law school.
(5)
Mckenzie E.
Walking into Finch's makes you feel smarter. And hungrier. And thirstier. If you enjoy intellectually stimulating atmospheres, Finch's is the place for you. Professors, graduate students, young professionals, and the occasional undergraduate make up the majority of the clientele. There are a lot of regulars who dine there, so it's always fun to run into people. When you walk by tables you might over hear conversations about research projects, politics, environmental issues, and culture. Finch's rotates its menu seasonally to bring all of the freshest food to your table. They place great importance on the Slow Food Movement by providing locally & sustainably grown food. I really don't know where to begin about the menu items because they are all tasty in their own right. The wine and beer selection is also regularly on rotation to keep customers' taste buds in suspense. The bartenders are well-versed in the language of these artisan drinks, and will help you expand your pallet.
(5)
Steven M.
Portions are small and overpriced. Best way to go is the pasta or you'll leave still hungry.
(3)
Stan F.
Exceptional food and services. The food is a gourmet delight.
(5)
Galen C.
Great date location! Quiet, moodily-lit, with an always-interesting beer selection and tasty food options. I've been here many times and I've never had a problem finding something good on the menu. They've got a nice range of appetizers, and the entrees rotate on and off with enough frequency to avoid being boring. The steak and fish are normally done very well. The pizzas (particularly the Roman and the new sausage/onion/pepper/lemon one) are remarkably good, if a bit overpriced. Beer-wise, they tend to go hop-heavy, but also with some lambics and saisons mixed in for variety. Check out the third Thursday of each month, as they generally have great deals on off-brand craft and specialty beers.
(4)
Diana S.
Excellent meal, from appetizer to desert. Staff was knowledgable and honest. Great service. Worth the cost. Only criticism would be the interior should be a bit updated, nothing special, feels like a dimly lit higher end Denny's.
(4)
MsAnthro P.
This is my favorite of the nicer restaurants in town, and in my opinion is better at fulfilling the creative local food niche here than FARM ever has been. I have never had a bad meal or bad service here. All of the food is fresh and local when possible and they have an excellent wine and draft beer selection. Always something delicious I've never tried before. Dinners can be pricey, but you can get a pretty good lunch deal here. (Well, maybe an upscale lunch "deal.") For instance, whatever the special burger (all I've tried have been AMAZING) is will generally run about $14 and include soup or salad. (I still dream about the homemade Green Goddess dressing I had here once.) There are usually great vegetarian options as well. Delicious wood-fired pizzas. Rich, flavorful ingredients. Friendly, knowledgeable servers.Honestly, I don't know why I don't go more often. Perhaps tonight?
(5)
Britney L.
The food was decent, but I have to agree with others... It doesn't stand up to the price. My spinach/ feta turnovers were bland and I couldn't even SEE the feta, let alone taste it. Enjoyed the Bell's stout on tap, but the pear crisp was not warm and was so-so. Fresh ingredients and excellent beer selection. Disappointed by the wine by glass selection, though. Will go to Uptown next time.
(3)
Stacey P.
My favorite place in Bloomington! Have lived here 11 years and it's by far our fave. We go there once a week (try to!) and just love the food and the ppl that own and work there are wonderful. Mussels, steak of the day, all fresh food and their wine selection is always a pleasure! Beer on tap and if you are looking for that beer you had in Europe that one time, they may have a bottle for you!
(5)
Kristin B.
The best food in Bloomington, although it's not likely that you would see it walking down the street! This gem is masked by Campus Candy and Urban Outfitters, but the food will not disappoint. Although the tables are a bit close, the dim lighting and view of the pizza oven and the rest of the kitchen create a unique atmosphere. The food we had was delicious but very rich. A must try, especially when your parents are in town!
(4)
Tom H.
If there were a 3.5, I'd give it, but I'm erring on the side of two overall good experiences. The first time thru, we had pizza there, which is good. This is a genuine brasserie, and is noisy, fun, with pretty good service the pizza was pretty good-- which says a lot for a town where pizza competition is fierce. The prices here are high, but the quality of food and wine is good. The second time around one of us had the mussels in wine/garlic sauce, and the other had their vegetarian pasta. We also had a wine, an Argentine Malbec, which was very reasonable. The mussels were just a tad overdone and very slightly mushy, and the accompanying fries while good, were oversalted and it's reasonable to say that the fryer temperature was too low-- they were busy and I could see a lot of orders going thru. However, they made things right. I also had their scallops, but can't recommend their preparation method. Tasty butter-ish sauce, but mine were crusty on top (not bad) and almost cold on the bottom. The service is very good, and it's fine dining, meaning genuine cloth napkins and such. The prices are high; expect to pay about $30+ per person (if not eating pizza) without liquor. With a few beers, or some of their wines (very good wine list), even more. They also serve tea, coffee, and expresso-based drinks as well.
(4)
Danielle B.
Great food great atmosphere and excellent service. My husband and I ate here for our anniversary and was really blown away. I tried the house filet paired with a beautiful pinot noir which was recommended by our server. The steak was perfectly cooked and the mussels were literally out of this world! Great place for date nite but be prepared to spend some money this place isn't cheap!
(4)
Nate S.
Finch's does not soar, but neither is it a park pigeon. I had the moules frites, so you might say, "Uh, dumbass, you're in Indiana, maybe shellfish ain't your best bet." But it's a French brasserie! I reply. Well, the frites were fine, and the mussels were, well, just not all that muscular. I give them props for breaking away from the white wine and garlic treadmill, but their tomatoey, olivey approach is heavy handed. So, three stars for me and my mussels, but there's definitely a star in reserve for the rest of the menu.
(3)
Melissa M.
Lovely outdoor seating and affordable organic food - my favorite! We decided to eat here on a trip to Bloomington to check out the university. It is very close (walking distance to campus). The owner was very kind and let us wait at the bar while a table outside opened up. I had barbecued chicken, fresh corn with green beans and a polenta cake. My husband had pumpkin soup and a lamb dish. We both enjoyed our meal very much. It was great place for people watching and the service was good.
(4)
M L.
3.5 stars propped up to a four because of great service by the manager. Four of us came here, and although the starters and beer selection was really promising, the mains failed to deliver big time. We had the pork belly starter with duck egg, and the mussels for starters. Mussels were fat, juicy, fresh, and cooked well. The former was not bad, a little small, and the glorious, sumptious duck egg, with its massive yolk, certainly saved the day. The batons of crouton that came by the side were buttery and decadent, but they charge for extras?! Take my suggestion and ask for the free focaccia to mop up the delicious briny sauce. For mains, two of the cassoulets, a rabbit papardelle and rib eye steak. Sadface. Cassoulets are hard to come by in the US, and good, authentic cassoulets are even more rare.My friend and I were sooo excited to have this again! We've had this in France on different occasions, and he in Toulouse, where this is a specialty of the region. Unfortunately, the beans were either mushy or still hard verging on crunchy, and the overly-salted duck confit leg on top did nothing to grace the meal. Skin wasn't crisp, either. So sad, given that the beans were flavorful. I couldn't eat much of it because of the varying textures. Rabbit was far overdone. With such a lean and delicate protein, it cannot afford to to be in the hot pan for very long. Dry, tasteless, rubbery.. Poor rabbit; you died in vain. Papardelle pasta was delicious though. Great flavor and bite. I'd say they make it in house fresh, judging from the texture. Rib eye was expensive, but flavor was off the charts. you can tell it was grass fed and carefully finished. Unfortunately, my companion ordered it medium....... So i cannot say much about the texture. For 3 out of 4 mains to have come out below par really hurt. So much that we did not bother with desserts. Hagen Daaz at home it was. Reason I'm bumping the rating up to 4 stars instead of 3 was because of the attentiveness the manager showed when he came over to ask us for our suggestions. He also took two mains off our bill on his own initiative, which was nice. Maybe i should give their Cassoulet another chance.. I mean, I've been craving it..
(4)
Matthew P.
This place is awesome! I have been a few times and have been blown away by the selection and quality. Just a stone's throw away from campus, Finch's serves locally grown food with an outstanding selection of microbrews and Belgian-style beers. There is also a great wine selection. I particularly enjoyed the rabbit cacciatore and the pork osso bucco paired with a fine La Chouff. MMMMM!
(5)
Mister M.
Been here a few times now and not impressed. What comes to mind when I think how to describe this place is "lack of taste". One time I had a burger which was ok. It was just something you'd expect a friend to grill up at a park maybe. Not really restaurant quality burger. It was how you say in French "dry and tasteless" so not really too much to rave about there. Kind of surprising since it was a "recommended" dish by the waitress. Another time I had a pasta dish with green peas. The peas were cold and honestly must have been from a can and the pasta was bland. I don't think there was any salt on it and there might have been some garlic seasoning. I had to season it myself asking the waiter to bring different spices. It's not terrible, but it's not restaurant quality food especially not something you'd expect from a "fine dining" restaurant. Maybe their pizza is good but I wouldn't know anything about that.
(1)
Megan M.
Went to Finches with a group of colleagues after a day of training. I had heard and read a lot of rave reviews so expectations were quite high. This place has a nice selection of beers on draft and an extensive list of bottled. As a starter the table split a number of pizzetta's and muscle. The Dordogn is the one worth mentioning! With 4 cheeses, truffled honey and prosciutto, this was an amazing combination of flavors. For an entree, I had the Braised Rabbit pasta. This was the first time I had rabbit and I thought the meat was cooked quite well. It was served in a pasta with a mustard herb sauce and a medley of ingredients (carrot, bacon, greens, ect) . While I liked the rabbit, the entree wasn't my cup of tea.
(3)
J C.
I'm giving the French-inspired Finch's 5 stars because of my firm belief -- based on many trips here -- that it's the best restaurant in Bloomington. Of the finer dining options here, Finch's is far superior to the mediocre Farm and Malibu Grill with respect to food and service, and yes, I think it is much better than Tallent. They have many wonderful beers on tap that rotate seasonally. I regularly order the dordogne pizza, which is cooked with proscuitto, four cheeses, honey and truffle oil. It's decadent, and one of my favorite things to eat in town. They always have mussels which I like to order too. The preparation is different every time I go, and I've had some that I loved and some that I rather didn't. Other of my favorites are their macaroni and cheese gratin for lunch and their roast chicken. I don't know how often I would come here if I had a number of other good dining options in town, but despite what a crappy, pretentious dick it might make me sound like (I've seriously pissed off some people who defensively feel the dining options here are very good and learned to keep my mouth shut), there are honestly NOT many places in Bloomington I regularly want to pay money to eat at. But I think what makes Finch's such a winner for me is the consistency in the quality of their food and service. They always use genuinely good, fresh ingredients which is enough to make their food much better than other options alone (never a limp romaine/iceberg salad here). Although it isn't cheap and I ain't a rich man, I enjoy it enough to splurge every couple of months.
(5)
Tim M.
Great restaurant on a street of great restaurants. Sat at the bar and had a great steak frites. Cooked perfectly. Very knowledgable bartender. Served up some great beer and match a great red with my steak.
(4)
Sarah R.
In short: YUM. I appreciate a locally owned restaurant that cooks well with local ingredients. Finch's hits the trifecta for me: awesome local menu, kind and knowledgeable staff, and a killer beer menu. I've been twice and loved it equally both times. The menu changes according to the season, reflecting both the seasonal produce and cuisine associated with the weather. The staff was attentive and just generally sweet; they seem to really believe in Finch's vision. For the beer lovers out there, this place is incredible and has a brew for every palate. Granted, this restaurant isn't meant for a night of frugality, but it's a gem for a nice dinner with friends or family. Call ahead, as it gets pretty busy on the weekends.
(5)
Sharon H.
Finch's is my favorite restaurant in Bloomington. They have a phenomenal menu that changes seasonally and a fabulous selection of Belgian brew on tap. The service is always top notch and the ambience is lovely. A great date spot or night out with friends. Fave eats: mussels of the day, duck wings, duck egg salad, gluten-free pizza, BLT's, pomme frites, soups, sorbets, pots de creme
(5)
Tristan S.
Pure relaxation & deliciousness. Comfy environment: warm colors; sound baffling on the ceiling to keep everything at a good, conversation-quality noise level; a welcoming staff. My first and favorite spot to sit is next to the big fire oven and the wood bar. (Sounds like a dangerous combination but it's not.) Split mussels and a cheese plate with my wife and our friends: all was great. Pizza was perfectly done, variety of draft beers was good, and the dessert sounded amazing - if only we weren't so stuffed. Was a great place to spend 3 hours of food, friends and conversation. Looking forward to going back.
(5)
Greg L.
I took my wife to Bloomington (her alma mater) for a day trip prior to a wedding we attended in Indianapolis. After walking around the campus she was ready to walk through the shops, but I was mostly ready to sit down and have a beer. Finch's is just across the street from campus and offers both outdoor and indoor seating. The patio was nice, though don't plan to have a private conversation because your neighbors aren't far. The bar has dozens of microbrews either on tap or in bottles and the selection sounds like it changes seasonally. Though we did not eat, the tables around us were busy and all of the sandwiches and pizza's smelled and looked delicious. If we had more time, I would have gladly sampled 1 or 2 of the offerings. My only complaint is slow service. I am not sure if this is typical of this establishment or if we were ignored because we weren't eating, or maybe it was an off server or any number of other situations. It certainly did not ruin my experience.
(3)
Kelly H.
I finally tried this place out for dinner after passing by several times & was pretty disappointed w/the quality & prices. I usually try to look for locally grown/produced eateries (esp for meats) & found Finch's as one of the best reviewed). My tax return called for a steak dinner, so I dragged a hungry friend & he ordered the Seafood Stew ($30). My steak was a ribeye ($28). This ended up being $62 w/tax. Down to the nitty gritty: *Both entrees were served with pretty standard mixed green salads. I took mine w/orange vinaigrette & my friend went w/lemon cumin vinaigrette. *We had to wait awhile (at least 30 mins) - we were starving!!! Steak - Although my steak craving was satisfied, I could have personally purchased a slab of meat from the local farmers market and cooked up some fingerling taters w/it. It was medium and tasty, but the quality wasn't what I paid for. The taters were pretty bland (had to soak them in my friends stew to get a little flavor). Goodness! I sound like a food snob! Seafood stew - (2-3 Scallops, 2 pcs of shrimp, 8 mussels, 1 pc of fish w/sliced potatoes & a pc of bread) - friend said, "Boring." I agreed. The broth was slightly under flavored & thin, but the leeks were delicious! The good thing was the ambiance/decor & the waiter was nice. Maybe I'll have to try the lunch/brunch...until then, no more dinner. It's too pricey for what you can make at home (if you cook:-) Happy Dining!
(3)
James C.
The food was average-to-good (steak frites was good but salad was pretty bad) and the service wasn't great and the menu was confused (red and white wines have a price listed but when you order them you end up specifying a varietal which has a different price). The reason this gets 3 stars is the price. On a good day this is an above average restaurant I suspect-- but the prices don't match the quality. I believe this place can get there once they work out the kinks though.
(3)
Gregg S.
Atmosphere 4, Service 5, food 4. I find the menu here a little restrictive and I find it usually channels me toward the pizza which in all fairness are quite good. Ditto for the wine list. Tallent, it is not, but a good choice if you want something a little lower key.
(4)
Katie G.
The food is good, the service is good, the beer is good. This is the kind of place I can take my mom and she can order something that she can pronounce and the waitress is patient with her. Very unpretentious with a right to be.
(5)
Marc B.
Went here for dinner on a hot summer night. Polished off two bottles of wine as we slowly ate outside on the patio. Really good, knowledgeable service. They have a seasonal menu but it seemed off because we went there on the day before the first official day of summer and they had what I would consider a mostly fall-themed menu. For example, among their items that seemed autumnal were a pan-seared duck breast with wild rice and a mushroom herb sauce, a wood-roasted beet salad and a heavy cream soup. Our waitress was attentive and friendly. We ordered three courses: the mussels with chorizo in a white wine broth, lightly breaded calamari and banana peppers (which was the next best to my own personal recipe) and wood roasted halibut -- all were superb. I would have preferred the wood roasted halibut to have been browned a little more on top but was still very light, flaky, moist and tasty. Romantic and intimate. They have an interesting-looking mid-day-only tapas menu that I might like to try sometime. Another reviewer last year said their menu was confusing but they must have changed it - I thought it was fine.
(5)
Katie B.
This is a cute little place and very pretty inside with white tablecloths, a nice bar and well dressed servers. But honestly, it's very overrated. The menu changes often, in line with the seasons and local food availabilities, but it's just not that good. Don't get me wrong, our food wasn't terrible, it wasn't even mediocre, it just didn't fit the restaurant. Why would I pay all that money to sit in a pretty little upscale bistro and then eat food that was more miss than hit? I wouldn't and you might think about not doing it either. I really wanted to like this place, but our meals were just very lackluster. The best part? Going upstairs to the candy store afterwards.
(3)
Puja G.
This is officially my favorite place to eat in Bloomington. Though place can get a bit loud at peak hours, the quality of food can't be beat! I love the cozy feel of the place; nice patinated mirrors, warm oven, and wood paneling all make this the perfect place for a dinner date! If you are looking for quality food at a cheaper price; they have pizza specials on Wednesdays. This truly reminds me of authentic Belgian brasseries. Well done! Bonus: They have a wonderful terrace; perfect for enjoying a small bite while people watching on a beautiful spring day!
(5)
Eric E.
I've been here a number of times and I'm never disappointed. Fair prices for high quality food. The beer and wine menu is always fresh and the service is decent. I always try their mussels
(4)
Frank T.
Excellent overall experience. The ambiance, beer/wine selection, and staff were all top-notch. However, the star of the show was the menu and food. Most of their food is locally grown, organic, and all of it is approachable to everyone, even vegetarians. Not only did they use delicious ingredients, but their preparation of the dishes made for a not-soon-forgotten meal. When dining here, eat slowly; the food here is an experience, not just a place to fill your belly. Of note: the waitress/ kitchen forgot to bring out our cheese & almond appetizer, so they brought those out at the end of the meal for free! One suggestion to the management: make the vegetable special from 4/9/11 (vegetable turnover with carrot ginger sauce) a regular item on the menu. It was one of the best dishes I have ever had.
(5)
Kai W.
very nice place to go to. this has been a spot for exquisite eating (previously trully bread), and that's probably a good description for the restaurant. the crowd is generally older people with a few tables of college students. the main reason is probably the price, which may be a tad high for college students, but is probably in a reasonable price range for the type of restaurant Finch's is and the food that it serves. I had the Amish Chicken while my girlfriend had the vegetable pasta (w/o the scallops) - both taste fabulous; i have uploaded some pictures of them. And unlike other restaurant of the same class in other cities, we felt full. good place, but might be a once-in-awhile kind of place. and perfect for dating, i think.
(4)
Nicole J.
I went here for a late dinner with some friends while out one night. The food was awful- just awful. I ordered mushroom/leek soup as an entree- it was so flavorless I would've preferred a can of Campbell's soup. I also had a lackluster salad for an insane price- just greens and a few slices of cucumbers. My guests ordered the pizza's which were reccomended as a great quick bite- both were boring and unremarkable. Both friends had to ask for spices to add themselves. Don't be fooled by the look of Finch's- the atmosphere may be upscale, but the food certainly IS NOT.
(1)
John M.
On a recent long weekend in Bloomington, we decided we'd do one "nice" dinner while exploring the culinary offerings of the IU area. Finch's, located literally steps from the campus and in the midst of a mess of collegiete drinking and shopping, is a bit out of place. That said, this is my favorite type of restaurant - not terribly fancy, but offering upscale, well executed options that I can enjoy in a pair of jeans if I so choose. Sure my wife and I (and our 18 mo. old - to whom they were very friendly and accomodating - thank you!) can drop a bill with tip, but based on our experience it was well worth it. Also a win in regards to having a kid's menu alongside more upscale fare - thanks for making us parents feel less welcome. When we arrived we were greeted by the very helpful and friendly host, who promptly asked if she could take our stroller and bring it out when we were leaving - yes please and thank you! We were seated and we were on our way - we started with a pork belly and sweet potato hash, along with an order of mussels du jour - both were great. We actually steered away from the entrees as the pizzas looked so interesting, plus watching the chef work with the wood fired oven was enough for me to want to try one. We opted for the Merguez and the Dordogne - the first with local sausage, onion, piquillo pepper, manchego, and preserved lemon, and the second with prosciutto, truffle honey, and a cheese blend. The Merguez was really fantastic, as every now and then you'd get a pop of the preserved lemon, such a unique flavor profile overall. The Dordogne was more straight up but not any less tasty, the sweet, rich flavor of the honey coming through in a subtle but lovely way. The wine list is thorough and provides a range of options from affordable to splurge worthy, so we went with a couple of glasses in order to try a wider range which is always fun. Dessert was also excellent. My wife loves tiramisu, so we opted for their chocolate version, and we both like rich and creamy, so we also chose the espresso pot du creme. The pot du creme was powerful, rich, and so close but not quite too much - even though it was about 3 oz. It begged for coffee, and we couldn't finish it - intense would be another word. The tiramisu was off the map - I don't usually care for tiramisu and never order it - had we not we would have missed one of the best desserts I'd had in a while. Really fantastic and talked about still. Service was friendly, accommodating, and helpful, and just as promised, before we even got up from the table the host was approaching with our stroller. It's a bit loud inside, but not so much that we couldn't have a pleasant conversation, and we enjoyed talking with our neighbors as our kid is always making friends. If you're in Bloomington and looking for something nice but not over the top - this is it.
(5)
Dea A.
Formerly known as Trulli Flat bread, the same owners revamped the menu and gave it a new name -- Finch's Brasserie. What makes this place unique and fabulous? The beer menu. The beer menu is just amazing. The taps and bottles -- seriously, this is a beer menu made by the gods. The menu is a little confusing, particularly on the entree section. I honestly don't like being responsible for creating my own dinner (I don't like those Mongolian BBQ places for the same reason). What to get? A sophisticated and delicious version of pizza and beer. The pizza is made in the wood burning oven and you can smell this wonderful oven from down Kirkwood. What beer to have? It depends on your mood, Orval, Duvel, Westmalle, Gumballhead Wheat, Hoegaarden... the options are all good!
(4)
Elizabeth S.
Let me start with a positive note. Everyone in our party enjoyed their food. Now let me explain why i will never return. I have eaten here a few times before for department celebration dinners and dates, and my meal has been fine. Tonight, I had the rudest, most inattentive, childish service I have ever experienced. This time, I dined with a party of 12, predominantly international students, and our entire party was treated very RUDELY by our server. The server was snide from the beginning, and then when we asked him to refrigerate a cake for our birthday guest,he quickly shot back that it would be an additional $15 cake serving fee! I joked that it was a little funny to ask guests to pay to serve someone's favorite birthday cake, and he said "all restaurants do it." Then he came by later and said he saw someone waive him over (when noone did) and asked if we were ready to order. We were not so he very replied in a mean, condescending way, "I saw someone waive me over, so Im gonna leave now, and when I come back you better be ready to order." I tell you, this was not sarcasm, or an attempt to joke, he was serious! A normal reply would have been to ask whether anyone needed a drink or starter. Then when we asked the specials, he said he didnt know, and we should have papers with them. We did not, so he disappeared and returned with them and just laid them on the table. He never asked how the food was after it was delivered, and I had to track down another server to grab our cake after he gave us the bill!! I asked to speak to the manager when I had to ask for someone to get our cake after our bill was closed out, who eventually said he "would talk to him", but honestly I will never return to a place that allowed one snide person ruin a person's first birthday 1000's of miles from home. If it had not been a birthday dinner, I would have left before ordering. If anyone from Finch's reads this, please know we went to another place, The Tap, to serve the cake, ordered 2 drinks each, and they gave us free plates and utensils. We also did not have to pay a cake serving fee! If our Finch's server had not made us feel so unwelcome, we would have stayed and finished our celebration there.
(1)
Anna P.
I went here for a romantic weeknight dinner with my boyfriend, and we both really enjoyed ourselves. On a quiet Tuesday night, we had almost the entire place to ourselves. As it was getting chilly out, it was very kind of the host to sit us next to the open brick oven. They have a nice size selection of Belgian beers and Belgian style American craft beers. We were both happy to see options that we can't get anywhere else in Bloomington. We went all out with three courses and never once felt rushed. Our server was friendly and attentive but let us enjoy our date with minimal interruption. We started with scallops and a cheese plate. I absolutely loved my entree, the rabbit cacciatore. The flavors were so rich and comforting. My only disappointments were our scallop appetizer. I felt that the portion was very small for the price (only 2 small sized scallops). Though they were prepared nicely, I'm certainly glad we got the fantastic cheese plate as we came hungry. And I also felt the dessert could have been a little bit more flavorful. It was a fruit crisp that was a little on the bland side. And I know it's been said by other reviewers, it is certainly one of the pricier restaurants in the area. However, we both had a great evening. And I will certainly keep Finch's Brasserie in mind as an option for a fancier dinner.
(4)
Vox V.
Finches not only has an excellent just-off-campus location, but it has great food and a friendly staff. I've been there several times and sat both inside and outside - each time the experience was very pleasant. The menu has a wide selection from pricey to very reasonable. The beer selection was quite good as well. I wish more restaurants in Bloomington were like Finches. This is the perfect place to have a bite outside on a sunny day or to enjoy the nicely decorated and cozy interior when the weather is less agreeable. It is also perfect for larger groups or conversely for a more intimate meal.
(4)
Anna W.
Dave and I went out Friday night in search of food. EVERYWHERE was packed!! We finally came here, which was also very busy, but we were able to grab a seat at the bar. I really like the atmosphere- cozy, quaint, inviting. The wood fired oven in the middle of the restaurant definitely helps. Their beer list is pretty impressive, too. I'm a huge Belgium beer fan and was happy to see all the offerings. As for the food- super reasonable and super good. I got a 10 inch pizza with broccoli, spinach, zucchini, pesto, and goat cheese for $12. Dave got the macaroni and cheese, which was phenomenal. I would love to come back and try their mussels because our bartender really sold them when she was telling the specials.
(5)
Marcie F.
I really love the food at Finch's. More than the food, I love the beer list at Finch's! The prices are very reasonable for what you get. However, I've been here about six times now. I've only had a decent server once. Last night, I went with a few friends to celebrate something. It was taking a while to get out drinks, but we didn't mind. A hostess (who was super nice!) stepped in and asked what we ordered so she could hurry and get our drinks for us. Our server watched this, however, and I assume she thought we were complaining. We got the most passive aggressive experience with her for the rest of our dinner. We left to get drinks/dessert elsewhere just so we could avoid the awkwardness. I'm not sure what it is. I feel like even when the restaurant is dead, I'm constantly waiting. It takes a long while to get the first drink and you're likely to sit with an empty glass for a good while before you ever see your server again. tl;dr: Awesome food, bad service.
(3)
Mak J.
I had my college graduation dinner here. The rabbit cacciatore was a great reward for my years of hard work. Good mussels too. And the service was good, even on this very busy afternoon. I would go here again positively.
(4)
Jane T.
Hands down my favorite restaurant in Bloomington. The food is always incredible, and they change up the menu enough to keep things interesting. The beer/wine menu can't be beat. The entire staff is warm, friendly, and very helpful.
(5)
Bootleg R.
I sat outside one afternoon and it was nice. Server was knowledgeable and nice. My boyfriend got the mortadella sandwich and lentil soup. The sandwich was very flavorful and included pickled carrots, the bread was nice and chewy. The lentil soup had lots of pork, pepper and onion it was more like a chili with a few exotic flavors. I had the rabbit cacciatore which I enjoyed. It was basically a rabbit stew over noodles.
(4)
Jeff R.
Great place to eat....you can't go wrong here. Everyone's meals looked and tasted great. Brick hearth pizza oven is a cool touch and PBR snuck into the list of microbrews which shows a sense of humor. The only negative thing about finch's is that they replaced a La Bamba mexican joint in the upper level and the Discount Den on the main level, but those are just fond burrito and CD buying memories from the past now.
(5)
Jamie P.
This was my boyfriend's favorite place to go in Bloomington when we were in college because of their awesome craft beer list and delicious food! We often got the calimari and a pizza. We never left disappointed-- and we were there a LOT! The bartender Andy was awesome and always took great care of us.
(5)
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Address :514 E Kirkwood Ave
Bloomington, IN, 47408
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Classy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Jason R.
I've been here half a dozen times. I've never had bad service or a bad experience. I love the duck wings appetizer. I've had several different entrees at Finch's, and the menu is seasonal, which means I've never had the same entree twice. The entrees I have had have ranged from good to excellent, and most of the difference in what I liked has more to do with personal taste than anything the restaurant failed to provide. My favorite desert in town is their chocolate tiramisu. They carry Delirium which is my all-time favorite beer, but on top of that they have a great beer and wine list. No liquor, which might be the only negative I can come up with.
(5)Claire A.
Recipe for a quality evening: 1. Go to Finch's. 2. Order one of the fancy Euro or craft beers off the excellent beer list. 3. Get yourself a pizza ($15-16). I recommend the Dordogne, which comes with prosciutto, four cheeses, and truffle honey and is as sumptuous as it sounds. It doesn't really need it, but I doused mine in cheese and pepper flakes when prompted and I think it enhanced the experience. 4. Eat, drink, decompress. Yeah, it's a little disconcerting to think you've just spent 20 to 25 dollars pizza and a beer, but when the pizza's this good (they really do use high quality ingredients here) and the beer is among the best you can buy, the combination makes for an incredibly comforting dinner. It's the meal equivalent of a big, slouchy angora sweater. I should also make a note of the exceptional service - our waiter was down-to-earth, charming, and genuinely friendly.
(4)Matt G.
We had an amazing dinner here awhile ago, I still remember it vividly. The atmosphere was intimate and cozy, with a warm glow emanating from the brick oven. Antique mirrors dotted the walls and an antique clock hung by the entrance. Food was top notch, and easily the best meal of the weekend. Margherita and the roasted chicken were both delicious. Charcuterie was excellent, especially the duck bacon. At the time, they had a traditional Gueuze on the beer menu, and also some great seasonal beers. I'd return here for dinner if staying in Bloomington again.
(5)Charcy L.
the portion of lunch is not a lot, I ordered rabbit cacciatore, not enough for lunch, still feel hungry, but the environment is good, and the speed of food is very fast, only issue is the portion=_=
(3)Ashley S.
I loved this place! It was my first time here - and new since I graduated from IU. If I was still in college, this would have been a restaurant you have your parents take you to (if you know what I mean). I had a pizza and it was fantastic! I ate every single piece - don't judge. They had a nice wine list. Some very good and unique menu options, too! HIGHLY recommend the pizza.
(4)Cynthia C.
Had a lovely evening catching up with an old friend while in Bloomington. We loved that they have organic and local foods. We split a bottle of Pierre Jouet that was reasonably priced - I've seen it marked up much higher. My friend had the burger and said it was one of the best she ever had even with her requested gluten free bun. I had a white pizza with mushrooms and spinach which was very good. We shared a salad with a wonderful ramp vinaigrette. The best part was our waiter, Joe. He was friendly, helpful and funny. Great night and great place!
(5)Dina D.
Finch's is one of the nicer restaurants in Bloomington, with attentive, excellent service. We started with the excellent calamari, which was mixed with fried banana peppers and olives, which gave an excellent contrast to the calamari. Their pizzas are excellent, and fired in their wood burning pizza oven. This time we had the Loire pizza, which despite having an interesting combination of sausage, shallots, apple and gorgonzola was surprisingly mild. We preferred the excellent Milano pizza, which is also a "white" pizza which has talleggio, figs, arugula and pears. The Brasserie Burger was excellent, although the fries are pretty standard. Save yourself the calories and go for the salad as a side instead. Overall, Finch's Brasserie has excellent pasta and pizzas, with enough variety to keep everyone in your party happy. A great more formal restaurant choice on Bloomington. Unfortunately, Finch's is closed on Sunday, so keep that in mind when making your weekend plans.
(5)Jerome M.
Another very good Bloomington spot. Calamari et al....were very nice as promised by prior reviews. My lamb past was very very good....and I love it when I get to try something which my pallet has not experienced - and that's a 'good-experience' btw - high 4 stars to this place.
(4)Stanley W.
Good meat entrees and soups. Salads have been a bit overwhelming, but the rabbit cacciatore is a well done dish and the burgers are well prepared. Their salads aren't as satisfactory, but then again the word brasserie doesn't exactly evoke salads. Nothing fantastic, nothing special, but the service is good for Bloomington, the soups de jours are almost a solid choice, and entrees range from decent to great. I don't think you can go wrong considering Finch's.
(4)Robin K.
Went here for Valentine's Day late lunch. Fries were marvelous. Dipping sauces were gummy, but small in quantity. Speaking of, so we're the entire dishes. It was good, but elsewhere can get you more food, less price, and just as good service.
(3)Melissa S.
This is my favorite place for dinner in Bloomington. The service is always on-point, the food is lovely, there's a warm and comfortable atmosphere, and the wine and beer selection are excellent. I've enjoyed the mussels, prepared several ways, wood-fired pizzas, and delicious cuts of meat, perfectly prepared. My go-to. Never pretentious, but sophisticated and delicious.
(4)Scott H.
Cool location, expensive food, amazing fire cooked pizza! Wow - I'm glad I ventured inside, even the patio is packed with people and the interior was mostly empty. This is worth a try. I got the Raddicho salad with fish. Wonderful
(5)Hannah G.
The food is delicious, and the flatbreads (pizzas) are the best in town, hands down. Service is great, ambiance is excellent, price is fair (expensive for the area, but better than average for the area as well. As I will continue to say a million times, you get what you pay for). If you're a beer or wine person, you have to go here! Extensive and fabulous beer and wine menu! I highly recommend The Roman Pizzetta, the bacon is delicious! Great calamari as well. Two staples on the menu, all seasons.
(5)Liz K.
When I think of French food, I generally think of things one can cook at home paired with interesting meats. This place is that. Don't go if you don't like meat, a lot, it must be the star of the dish. Because as a vegetarian, I don't get why this has 4 stars. They have an interesting beer selection. I'm usually 1) surprised at how boring the menu is 2) happy with the dish I chose,but fully aware that it is red sauce, cream and roasted squash or whatever 3) disgusted by the check.
(2)Sharon H.
Finch's is my favorite restaurant in Bloomington. They have a phenomenal menu that changes seasonally and a fabulous selection of Belgian brew on tap. The service is always top notch and the ambience is lovely. A great date spot or night out with friends. Fave eats: mussels of the day, duck wings, duck egg salad, gluten-free pizza, BLT's, pomme frites, soups, sorbets, pots de creme
(5)Christy S.
Honestly, in Bloomington, this is as good as it gets. My husband and I went for Valentine's Day, and then returned with out of town guests for my birthday. Both times the service was exceptional, and the food was excellent. Pros: The lamb stew was incredible. The scallops and ravioli V-day special was to die for. The duck was cooked perfectly and the flavors were unique and worked well together. Arguably the least pretentious restaurant I've been to in Bloomington, though the food was definitely good enough that they could have been. Pretentious, that is. Cons: The 'Caesar salad' was kind of a joke. The steak was only okay. The by-the-glass wine list is very limited and the bottled wines are prohibitively expensive. Overall, easily the best dining experience in Bloomington. Certainly worth the price in a town filled with overpriced mediocrity.
(4)Steven S.
This place was awesome. Excellent service and food. Alyvia was our server. Her recommendations were spot on. We had the pork loin and the duck two ways, both greatly exceeded our expectations. Also great value, the entree's included soup or salad. We both had the lentil/sausage soup, it was fantastic.
(5)Cara K.
Love this place. The wood fired pizzas are amazing. I always split with someone when I go, so the prices really aren't that bad. The Dordogne and Loire are my favorite. I love coming here not just for the food, but also for the service and the atmosphere because it all works together so well.
(5)Lawrenc S.
This place is unreal. I am sitting in the restaurant right now, and the food is so good I hate to write a review. I'm with a. Group of six, have tried everything we ordered, and everything is unbelievably good. So good. Some of the best food I have ever eaten. I can't say enough good things about it.
(5)Kjirsten K.
The food is really good. The restaurant and bar are nice, comfortable, dimly lit, and there is a great patio for outdoor seating. The prices however, are a little over the top. $15 for a burger? Sure, the burger will blow your mind, but $15 is a little steep. The pizza, also $15 is quite good also.. The wood fired oven makes the light pizza crust perfectly crispy. There is a good beer and wine selection and both the menu and beer list feature local delights. Go for lunch if you want peace and quiet, they don't seem to get a big lunch crowd. Dinner is more busy and could require a reservation. Definitely worth the try if you're in the mood for Frites with truffle oil rather than fries with ketchup.
(4)Michael F.
great restaurant, but it is difficult to find a parking spot!!
(4)Will B.
Great service- had group of 24 people and not a single complaint from anyone. Food was also outstanding, duck wings were great.
(5)Dalia M.
I've been here a few times since my first review. Food has been delicious every time. My parents loved it when they visited back in March from NJ. Service was good then. This last time, our server seemed overwhelmed and distracted but also very apologetic because she knew service wasn't going well. We could also tell something may have been going on because we were there 50 minutes before getting our entree. We came this time to try the pizzas for a date night. They were yummy. The Roman (fancy meat lovers) and the Dodagne or something (truffle honey and prosciutto). I really liked them both and had some leftovers for later! I'll come back because I think Finch's is the yummiest place in town and usually service is great.
(3)Brendan I.
This is one of those places where the higher price is completely worth it. I managed to snag a reservation for graduation weekend for my group of four. Oddly, I had quite a bit of trouble getting a reservation for our 5:45 time but when we arrived and throughout our meal, the restaurant was mostly empty. Odd. Anyway, we were seated immediately and presented with the smaller graduation weekend menu (I was informed of this before making our reservation). The waitress was extremely nice and very attentive and checked on our table often. Our meal was served quickly and was well presented and delicious. They have a good beer and wine list. I've also been here for lunch and had a similarly great experience. Overall, worth every penny (unlike some of the other nicer restaurants in Btown). I will be back! This is what FARM could be if they got their act together...
(5)Alicia F.
I really want to like Finch's. I do like Finch's -- I've been here several times, but it just seems a bit over rated and uneven. They have some really good stand out dishes -- cassoulet, the veggie papardelle, rabbit cacciatore, and the maple glazed duck wings -- but I've also been served some truly sad, awful dishes here. I've ordered steak and rack of lamb and had them come out hideously overcooked (all sad and grey, not even charred), and once, upon sending something back, I was then given an essentially raw piece of meat. We go here because my husband works at IU and they have some good things, but seriously, avoid the meat.
(3)Jingo D.
I wanted to like this place, since the locals rave about it almost all the time, but the only memorable thing to me was the dried-up steak I had at my wife's (former) company Christmas party. I should've known better when the gentleman seated across from me told the server, "Nah, no steak for me. It was dry the last time I was here." I'm not sure if it's because they're not used to cooking for big groups of people, but it was enough reason for me to not go back.
(2)Diana G.
Really need to wait a long long time to be served with dishes...the service was nice though you always had to wait the waitress to come instead of calling her if you sat outside. But I think the food was not that good than I expected since I read the reviews before we went. All the four dishes we ordered were just so-so and there was none worthing recommending.
(4)Jed M.
I only go here a few times a year, but every time I'm here, I always remember why I love it. We started off with an appetizer of fried calamari, always a favorite. They also have banana peppers in with the calamari and a delicious remoulade. Unlike other fried dishes most places, it's not greasy and just about perfect. We elected to sub their soup of the day for the salad. It was a black bean, pork and kale soup that was very delicious and well seasoned. As someone who likes stews more than watery soups, it suited me and was plenty hearty. Entree was hanger steak with frites and green beans. The steak had a special oil/herb sauce I can't recall the name of right now, but it complimented the steak very well. Steak came a perfect medium rare just as ordered. I always feel a bit guilty going to a nicer place and ordering frites, but Finch's make such good ones, I can't resist. The green beans were also well seasoned and crisp. Had a blackberry torte (again forget the name they called it) with coffee ice cream and whipped cream. I usually don't dig dessert much, but yet again this one hit the spot with the ice cream containing a ton of coffee flavor. We didn't have pizza this time, but I've had it several times before. It's my favorite pizza in Bloomington cooked in a real brick oven with visible spots on the crust. They have eight beers on tap as well as a cellar list. Also a nice wine list although we usually stick to beer. They generally have some unique offerings which is a huge plus although sometimes the choices lean a little too heavily toward non-sour Belgians. I ordered a Dieu de Ciel Solstice d'hiver (which I've never seen on tap anywhere else in town) and a Tyranena Scurvy. The lady ordered Six point apollo and New Belgium La Folie. Service was also great. The food was a tad slow from the kitchen, but not excessively so and our waiter was always attentive to our orders and water glasses were kept full. This in a nutshell is why I love Finch's. It's not the cheapest place in town, but considering how perfectly everything is done, it's well worth the price for an occasional splurge. On the plus side they've also been keeping their beer list up to date online daily which will lead me back here even more often.
(5)Claire V.
Finch's is seriously underrated. Neither pretentious like Tallent nor hipster like Farm, and the food is better than either. I love a place that serves Lindemands, and Finch's has the finest burgers in town, served on ciabatta. Last time I had a vegetable pasta with lots of corn and a delectable savory broth. Unforgettable dish. Get a side salad with buttermilk blue cheese. Their tiramisu and cheese platter are outstanding as well! I must add, I had to laugh a little at a one star review here for Finch's. Who brings their own cake for dessert, and expects the restaurant to refrigerate it for them, and then serve it to them for FREE, on their plates and with their cutlery? Ludicrous. Who brings their own food at all, to a restaurant? Very bad manners.
(5)K R.
I enjoy this spot so much that I made reservations here for my graduation dinner months in advance. The dinner and service were exceptional. The graduation menu is different than the everyday seasonal menu. But in general whatever I have ordered is phenomenal. Parking can be a pain.
(5)Jay V.
Had a lovely meal there two weeks back during our trip to B-Town. Hoosiers! Enjoyable and very good for a college town. Great work all!
(5)Lindsay S.
Another little gem in the Bloomington area! I walked in here hoping I could find something to eat after a long plane ride and boy did I find it! I had the soup and salad combo with the most delicious mushroom soup I've ever tasted and Bobby had the French Countryman's lunch which is absolutely to die for to this day on cold afternoons I crave this meal! He got mushroom chicken soup as well with goat cheese and crostini and apples. And we both had a glass of Pinot noir to compliment the food! When the waitress brought out the food she said since Bobby's soup cup was not filled to the rim because they ran out of that kind that they would bring him another bowl of their other soup on the house :). Friendly service, a beautiful french kitchen and a large brick oven it is a lovely place to dine and totally unexpected in a quiet little town. The food here was definitely worth the whole trip!
(5)Kirsten F.
Very good pizza, crispy and different ingredients. Not as good as pizza lémon in Utah, which had more unique and fresh ingredients and much cheaper than these pizzas. Soup was good but under seasoned. Atmosphere was great and service was very attentive.
(4)Willie T.
Expensive yes, but the only restaurant where I can proudly announce that I've eaten rabbit and fully enjoyed every bite of it. Oh how guilty I felt... about not feeling bad. So delicious, please try the rabbit cacciatore. You'll love and hate me for it. Oh, and AMAZING beer and cider selection.
(5)Chris R.
Pretty great place. I've had the rabbit and the duck leg. Both were quite tasty. Plus the atmosphere is enjoyable. The location is great, generally in relation to the campus and specifically in relation to the law school.
(5)Steven M.
Portions are small and overpriced. Best way to go is the pasta or you'll leave still hungry.
(3)Mckenzie E.
Walking into Finch's makes you feel smarter. And hungrier. And thirstier. If you enjoy intellectually stimulating atmospheres, Finch's is the place for you. Professors, graduate students, young professionals, and the occasional undergraduate make up the majority of the clientele. There are a lot of regulars who dine there, so it's always fun to run into people. When you walk by tables you might over hear conversations about research projects, politics, environmental issues, and culture. Finch's rotates its menu seasonally to bring all of the freshest food to your table. They place great importance on the Slow Food Movement by providing locally & sustainably grown food. I really don't know where to begin about the menu items because they are all tasty in their own right. The wine and beer selection is also regularly on rotation to keep customers' taste buds in suspense. The bartenders are well-versed in the language of these artisan drinks, and will help you expand your pallet.
(5)Galen C.
Great date location! Quiet, moodily-lit, with an always-interesting beer selection and tasty food options. I've been here many times and I've never had a problem finding something good on the menu. They've got a nice range of appetizers, and the entrees rotate on and off with enough frequency to avoid being boring. The steak and fish are normally done very well. The pizzas (particularly the Roman and the new sausage/onion/pepper/lemon one) are remarkably good, if a bit overpriced. Beer-wise, they tend to go hop-heavy, but also with some lambics and saisons mixed in for variety. Check out the third Thursday of each month, as they generally have great deals on off-brand craft and specialty beers.
(4)Diana S.
Excellent meal, from appetizer to desert. Staff was knowledgable and honest. Great service. Worth the cost. Only criticism would be the interior should be a bit updated, nothing special, feels like a dimly lit higher end Denny's.
(4)MsAnthro P.
This is my favorite of the nicer restaurants in town, and in my opinion is better at fulfilling the creative local food niche here than FARM ever has been. I have never had a bad meal or bad service here. All of the food is fresh and local when possible and they have an excellent wine and draft beer selection. Always something delicious I've never tried before. Dinners can be pricey, but you can get a pretty good lunch deal here. (Well, maybe an upscale lunch "deal.") For instance, whatever the special burger (all I've tried have been AMAZING) is will generally run about $14 and include soup or salad. (I still dream about the homemade Green Goddess dressing I had here once.) There are usually great vegetarian options as well. Delicious wood-fired pizzas. Rich, flavorful ingredients. Friendly, knowledgeable servers.Honestly, I don't know why I don't go more often. Perhaps tonight?
(5)Britney L.
The food was decent, but I have to agree with others... It doesn't stand up to the price. My spinach/ feta turnovers were bland and I couldn't even SEE the feta, let alone taste it. Enjoyed the Bell's stout on tap, but the pear crisp was not warm and was so-so. Fresh ingredients and excellent beer selection. Disappointed by the wine by glass selection, though. Will go to Uptown next time.
(3)Stacey P.
My favorite place in Bloomington! Have lived here 11 years and it's by far our fave. We go there once a week (try to!) and just love the food and the ppl that own and work there are wonderful. Mussels, steak of the day, all fresh food and their wine selection is always a pleasure! Beer on tap and if you are looking for that beer you had in Europe that one time, they may have a bottle for you!
(5)Kristin B.
The best food in Bloomington, although it's not likely that you would see it walking down the street! This gem is masked by Campus Candy and Urban Outfitters, but the food will not disappoint. Although the tables are a bit close, the dim lighting and view of the pizza oven and the rest of the kitchen create a unique atmosphere. The food we had was delicious but very rich. A must try, especially when your parents are in town!
(4)Tom H.
If there were a 3.5, I'd give it, but I'm erring on the side of two overall good experiences. The first time thru, we had pizza there, which is good. This is a genuine brasserie, and is noisy, fun, with pretty good service the pizza was pretty good-- which says a lot for a town where pizza competition is fierce. The prices here are high, but the quality of food and wine is good. The second time around one of us had the mussels in wine/garlic sauce, and the other had their vegetarian pasta. We also had a wine, an Argentine Malbec, which was very reasonable. The mussels were just a tad overdone and very slightly mushy, and the accompanying fries while good, were oversalted and it's reasonable to say that the fryer temperature was too low-- they were busy and I could see a lot of orders going thru. However, they made things right. I also had their scallops, but can't recommend their preparation method. Tasty butter-ish sauce, but mine were crusty on top (not bad) and almost cold on the bottom. The service is very good, and it's fine dining, meaning genuine cloth napkins and such. The prices are high; expect to pay about $30+ per person (if not eating pizza) without liquor. With a few beers, or some of their wines (very good wine list), even more. They also serve tea, coffee, and expresso-based drinks as well.
(4)Danielle B.
Great food great atmosphere and excellent service. My husband and I ate here for our anniversary and was really blown away. I tried the house filet paired with a beautiful pinot noir which was recommended by our server. The steak was perfectly cooked and the mussels were literally out of this world! Great place for date nite but be prepared to spend some money this place isn't cheap!
(4)Nate S.
Finch's does not soar, but neither is it a park pigeon. I had the moules frites, so you might say, "Uh, dumbass, you're in Indiana, maybe shellfish ain't your best bet." But it's a French brasserie! I reply. Well, the frites were fine, and the mussels were, well, just not all that muscular. I give them props for breaking away from the white wine and garlic treadmill, but their tomatoey, olivey approach is heavy handed. So, three stars for me and my mussels, but there's definitely a star in reserve for the rest of the menu.
(3)Melissa M.
Lovely outdoor seating and affordable organic food - my favorite! We decided to eat here on a trip to Bloomington to check out the university. It is very close (walking distance to campus). The owner was very kind and let us wait at the bar while a table outside opened up. I had barbecued chicken, fresh corn with green beans and a polenta cake. My husband had pumpkin soup and a lamb dish. We both enjoyed our meal very much. It was great place for people watching and the service was good.
(4)M L.
3.5 stars propped up to a four because of great service by the manager. Four of us came here, and although the starters and beer selection was really promising, the mains failed to deliver big time. We had the pork belly starter with duck egg, and the mussels for starters. Mussels were fat, juicy, fresh, and cooked well. The former was not bad, a little small, and the glorious, sumptious duck egg, with its massive yolk, certainly saved the day. The batons of crouton that came by the side were buttery and decadent, but they charge for extras?! Take my suggestion and ask for the free focaccia to mop up the delicious briny sauce. For mains, two of the cassoulets, a rabbit papardelle and rib eye steak. Sadface. Cassoulets are hard to come by in the US, and good, authentic cassoulets are even more rare.My friend and I were sooo excited to have this again! We've had this in France on different occasions, and he in Toulouse, where this is a specialty of the region. Unfortunately, the beans were either mushy or still hard verging on crunchy, and the overly-salted duck confit leg on top did nothing to grace the meal. Skin wasn't crisp, either. So sad, given that the beans were flavorful. I couldn't eat much of it because of the varying textures. Rabbit was far overdone. With such a lean and delicate protein, it cannot afford to to be in the hot pan for very long. Dry, tasteless, rubbery.. Poor rabbit; you died in vain. Papardelle pasta was delicious though. Great flavor and bite. I'd say they make it in house fresh, judging from the texture. Rib eye was expensive, but flavor was off the charts. you can tell it was grass fed and carefully finished. Unfortunately, my companion ordered it medium....... So i cannot say much about the texture. For 3 out of 4 mains to have come out below par really hurt. So much that we did not bother with desserts. Hagen Daaz at home it was. Reason I'm bumping the rating up to 4 stars instead of 3 was because of the attentiveness the manager showed when he came over to ask us for our suggestions. He also took two mains off our bill on his own initiative, which was nice. Maybe i should give their Cassoulet another chance.. I mean, I've been craving it..
(4)Matthew P.
This place is awesome! I have been a few times and have been blown away by the selection and quality. Just a stone's throw away from campus, Finch's serves locally grown food with an outstanding selection of microbrews and Belgian-style beers. There is also a great wine selection. I particularly enjoyed the rabbit cacciatore and the pork osso bucco paired with a fine La Chouff. MMMMM!
(5)Mister M.
Been here a few times now and not impressed. What comes to mind when I think how to describe this place is "lack of taste". One time I had a burger which was ok. It was just something you'd expect a friend to grill up at a park maybe. Not really restaurant quality burger. It was how you say in French "dry and tasteless" so not really too much to rave about there. Kind of surprising since it was a "recommended" dish by the waitress. Another time I had a pasta dish with green peas. The peas were cold and honestly must have been from a can and the pasta was bland. I don't think there was any salt on it and there might have been some garlic seasoning. I had to season it myself asking the waiter to bring different spices. It's not terrible, but it's not restaurant quality food especially not something you'd expect from a "fine dining" restaurant. Maybe their pizza is good but I wouldn't know anything about that.
(1)Megan M.
Went to Finches with a group of colleagues after a day of training. I had heard and read a lot of rave reviews so expectations were quite high. This place has a nice selection of beers on draft and an extensive list of bottled. As a starter the table split a number of pizzetta's and muscle. The Dordogn is the one worth mentioning! With 4 cheeses, truffled honey and prosciutto, this was an amazing combination of flavors. For an entree, I had the Braised Rabbit pasta. This was the first time I had rabbit and I thought the meat was cooked quite well. It was served in a pasta with a mustard herb sauce and a medley of ingredients (carrot, bacon, greens, ect) . While I liked the rabbit, the entree wasn't my cup of tea.
(3)J C.
I'm giving the French-inspired Finch's 5 stars because of my firm belief -- based on many trips here -- that it's the best restaurant in Bloomington. Of the finer dining options here, Finch's is far superior to the mediocre Farm and Malibu Grill with respect to food and service, and yes, I think it is much better than Tallent. They have many wonderful beers on tap that rotate seasonally. I regularly order the dordogne pizza, which is cooked with proscuitto, four cheeses, honey and truffle oil. It's decadent, and one of my favorite things to eat in town. They always have mussels which I like to order too. The preparation is different every time I go, and I've had some that I loved and some that I rather didn't. Other of my favorites are their macaroni and cheese gratin for lunch and their roast chicken. I don't know how often I would come here if I had a number of other good dining options in town, but despite what a crappy, pretentious dick it might make me sound like (I've seriously pissed off some people who defensively feel the dining options here are very good and learned to keep my mouth shut), there are honestly NOT many places in Bloomington I regularly want to pay money to eat at. But I think what makes Finch's such a winner for me is the consistency in the quality of their food and service. They always use genuinely good, fresh ingredients which is enough to make their food much better than other options alone (never a limp romaine/iceberg salad here). Although it isn't cheap and I ain't a rich man, I enjoy it enough to splurge every couple of months.
(5)Tim M.
Great restaurant on a street of great restaurants. Sat at the bar and had a great steak frites. Cooked perfectly. Very knowledgable bartender. Served up some great beer and match a great red with my steak.
(4)Sarah R.
In short: YUM. I appreciate a locally owned restaurant that cooks well with local ingredients. Finch's hits the trifecta for me: awesome local menu, kind and knowledgeable staff, and a killer beer menu. I've been twice and loved it equally both times. The menu changes according to the season, reflecting both the seasonal produce and cuisine associated with the weather. The staff was attentive and just generally sweet; they seem to really believe in Finch's vision. For the beer lovers out there, this place is incredible and has a brew for every palate. Granted, this restaurant isn't meant for a night of frugality, but it's a gem for a nice dinner with friends or family. Call ahead, as it gets pretty busy on the weekends.
(5)Tristan S.
Pure relaxation & deliciousness. Comfy environment: warm colors; sound baffling on the ceiling to keep everything at a good, conversation-quality noise level; a welcoming staff. My first and favorite spot to sit is next to the big fire oven and the wood bar. (Sounds like a dangerous combination but it's not.) Split mussels and a cheese plate with my wife and our friends: all was great. Pizza was perfectly done, variety of draft beers was good, and the dessert sounded amazing - if only we weren't so stuffed. Was a great place to spend 3 hours of food, friends and conversation. Looking forward to going back.
(5)Greg L.
I took my wife to Bloomington (her alma mater) for a day trip prior to a wedding we attended in Indianapolis. After walking around the campus she was ready to walk through the shops, but I was mostly ready to sit down and have a beer. Finch's is just across the street from campus and offers both outdoor and indoor seating. The patio was nice, though don't plan to have a private conversation because your neighbors aren't far. The bar has dozens of microbrews either on tap or in bottles and the selection sounds like it changes seasonally. Though we did not eat, the tables around us were busy and all of the sandwiches and pizza's smelled and looked delicious. If we had more time, I would have gladly sampled 1 or 2 of the offerings. My only complaint is slow service. I am not sure if this is typical of this establishment or if we were ignored because we weren't eating, or maybe it was an off server or any number of other situations. It certainly did not ruin my experience.
(3)Kelly H.
I finally tried this place out for dinner after passing by several times & was pretty disappointed w/the quality & prices. I usually try to look for locally grown/produced eateries (esp for meats) & found Finch's as one of the best reviewed). My tax return called for a steak dinner, so I dragged a hungry friend & he ordered the Seafood Stew ($30). My steak was a ribeye ($28). This ended up being $62 w/tax. Down to the nitty gritty: *Both entrees were served with pretty standard mixed green salads. I took mine w/orange vinaigrette & my friend went w/lemon cumin vinaigrette. *We had to wait awhile (at least 30 mins) - we were starving!!! Steak - Although my steak craving was satisfied, I could have personally purchased a slab of meat from the local farmers market and cooked up some fingerling taters w/it. It was medium and tasty, but the quality wasn't what I paid for. The taters were pretty bland (had to soak them in my friends stew to get a little flavor). Goodness! I sound like a food snob! Seafood stew - (2-3 Scallops, 2 pcs of shrimp, 8 mussels, 1 pc of fish w/sliced potatoes & a pc of bread) - friend said, "Boring." I agreed. The broth was slightly under flavored & thin, but the leeks were delicious! The good thing was the ambiance/decor & the waiter was nice. Maybe I'll have to try the lunch/brunch...until then, no more dinner. It's too pricey for what you can make at home (if you cook:-) Happy Dining!
(3)Stan F.
Exceptional food and services. The food is a gourmet delight.
(5)James C.
The food was average-to-good (steak frites was good but salad was pretty bad) and the service wasn't great and the menu was confused (red and white wines have a price listed but when you order them you end up specifying a varietal which has a different price). The reason this gets 3 stars is the price. On a good day this is an above average restaurant I suspect-- but the prices don't match the quality. I believe this place can get there once they work out the kinks though.
(3)Gregg S.
Atmosphere 4, Service 5, food 4. I find the menu here a little restrictive and I find it usually channels me toward the pizza which in all fairness are quite good. Ditto for the wine list. Tallent, it is not, but a good choice if you want something a little lower key.
(4)Katie G.
The food is good, the service is good, the beer is good. This is the kind of place I can take my mom and she can order something that she can pronounce and the waitress is patient with her. Very unpretentious with a right to be.
(5)Marc B.
Went here for dinner on a hot summer night. Polished off two bottles of wine as we slowly ate outside on the patio. Really good, knowledgeable service. They have a seasonal menu but it seemed off because we went there on the day before the first official day of summer and they had what I would consider a mostly fall-themed menu. For example, among their items that seemed autumnal were a pan-seared duck breast with wild rice and a mushroom herb sauce, a wood-roasted beet salad and a heavy cream soup. Our waitress was attentive and friendly. We ordered three courses: the mussels with chorizo in a white wine broth, lightly breaded calamari and banana peppers (which was the next best to my own personal recipe) and wood roasted halibut -- all were superb. I would have preferred the wood roasted halibut to have been browned a little more on top but was still very light, flaky, moist and tasty. Romantic and intimate. They have an interesting-looking mid-day-only tapas menu that I might like to try sometime. Another reviewer last year said their menu was confusing but they must have changed it - I thought it was fine.
(5)Katie B.
This is a cute little place and very pretty inside with white tablecloths, a nice bar and well dressed servers. But honestly, it's very overrated. The menu changes often, in line with the seasons and local food availabilities, but it's just not that good. Don't get me wrong, our food wasn't terrible, it wasn't even mediocre, it just didn't fit the restaurant. Why would I pay all that money to sit in a pretty little upscale bistro and then eat food that was more miss than hit? I wouldn't and you might think about not doing it either. I really wanted to like this place, but our meals were just very lackluster. The best part? Going upstairs to the candy store afterwards.
(3)Puja G.
This is officially my favorite place to eat in Bloomington. Though place can get a bit loud at peak hours, the quality of food can't be beat! I love the cozy feel of the place; nice patinated mirrors, warm oven, and wood paneling all make this the perfect place for a dinner date! If you are looking for quality food at a cheaper price; they have pizza specials on Wednesdays. This truly reminds me of authentic Belgian brasseries. Well done! Bonus: They have a wonderful terrace; perfect for enjoying a small bite while people watching on a beautiful spring day!
(5)Eric E.
I've been here a number of times and I'm never disappointed. Fair prices for high quality food. The beer and wine menu is always fresh and the service is decent. I always try their mussels
(4)Frank T.
Excellent overall experience. The ambiance, beer/wine selection, and staff were all top-notch. However, the star of the show was the menu and food. Most of their food is locally grown, organic, and all of it is approachable to everyone, even vegetarians. Not only did they use delicious ingredients, but their preparation of the dishes made for a not-soon-forgotten meal. When dining here, eat slowly; the food here is an experience, not just a place to fill your belly. Of note: the waitress/ kitchen forgot to bring out our cheese & almond appetizer, so they brought those out at the end of the meal for free! One suggestion to the management: make the vegetable special from 4/9/11 (vegetable turnover with carrot ginger sauce) a regular item on the menu. It was one of the best dishes I have ever had.
(5)Kai W.
very nice place to go to. this has been a spot for exquisite eating (previously trully bread), and that's probably a good description for the restaurant. the crowd is generally older people with a few tables of college students. the main reason is probably the price, which may be a tad high for college students, but is probably in a reasonable price range for the type of restaurant Finch's is and the food that it serves. I had the Amish Chicken while my girlfriend had the vegetable pasta (w/o the scallops) - both taste fabulous; i have uploaded some pictures of them. And unlike other restaurant of the same class in other cities, we felt full. good place, but might be a once-in-awhile kind of place. and perfect for dating, i think.
(4)Nicole J.
I went here for a late dinner with some friends while out one night. The food was awful- just awful. I ordered mushroom/leek soup as an entree- it was so flavorless I would've preferred a can of Campbell's soup. I also had a lackluster salad for an insane price- just greens and a few slices of cucumbers. My guests ordered the pizza's which were reccomended as a great quick bite- both were boring and unremarkable. Both friends had to ask for spices to add themselves. Don't be fooled by the look of Finch's- the atmosphere may be upscale, but the food certainly IS NOT.
(1)John M.
On a recent long weekend in Bloomington, we decided we'd do one "nice" dinner while exploring the culinary offerings of the IU area. Finch's, located literally steps from the campus and in the midst of a mess of collegiete drinking and shopping, is a bit out of place. That said, this is my favorite type of restaurant - not terribly fancy, but offering upscale, well executed options that I can enjoy in a pair of jeans if I so choose. Sure my wife and I (and our 18 mo. old - to whom they were very friendly and accomodating - thank you!) can drop a bill with tip, but based on our experience it was well worth it. Also a win in regards to having a kid's menu alongside more upscale fare - thanks for making us parents feel less welcome. When we arrived we were greeted by the very helpful and friendly host, who promptly asked if she could take our stroller and bring it out when we were leaving - yes please and thank you! We were seated and we were on our way - we started with a pork belly and sweet potato hash, along with an order of mussels du jour - both were great. We actually steered away from the entrees as the pizzas looked so interesting, plus watching the chef work with the wood fired oven was enough for me to want to try one. We opted for the Merguez and the Dordogne - the first with local sausage, onion, piquillo pepper, manchego, and preserved lemon, and the second with prosciutto, truffle honey, and a cheese blend. The Merguez was really fantastic, as every now and then you'd get a pop of the preserved lemon, such a unique flavor profile overall. The Dordogne was more straight up but not any less tasty, the sweet, rich flavor of the honey coming through in a subtle but lovely way. The wine list is thorough and provides a range of options from affordable to splurge worthy, so we went with a couple of glasses in order to try a wider range which is always fun. Dessert was also excellent. My wife loves tiramisu, so we opted for their chocolate version, and we both like rich and creamy, so we also chose the espresso pot du creme. The pot du creme was powerful, rich, and so close but not quite too much - even though it was about 3 oz. It begged for coffee, and we couldn't finish it - intense would be another word. The tiramisu was off the map - I don't usually care for tiramisu and never order it - had we not we would have missed one of the best desserts I'd had in a while. Really fantastic and talked about still. Service was friendly, accommodating, and helpful, and just as promised, before we even got up from the table the host was approaching with our stroller. It's a bit loud inside, but not so much that we couldn't have a pleasant conversation, and we enjoyed talking with our neighbors as our kid is always making friends. If you're in Bloomington and looking for something nice but not over the top - this is it.
(5)Dea A.
Formerly known as Trulli Flat bread, the same owners revamped the menu and gave it a new name -- Finch's Brasserie. What makes this place unique and fabulous? The beer menu. The beer menu is just amazing. The taps and bottles -- seriously, this is a beer menu made by the gods. The menu is a little confusing, particularly on the entree section. I honestly don't like being responsible for creating my own dinner (I don't like those Mongolian BBQ places for the same reason). What to get? A sophisticated and delicious version of pizza and beer. The pizza is made in the wood burning oven and you can smell this wonderful oven from down Kirkwood. What beer to have? It depends on your mood, Orval, Duvel, Westmalle, Gumballhead Wheat, Hoegaarden... the options are all good!
(4)Elizabeth S.
Let me start with a positive note. Everyone in our party enjoyed their food. Now let me explain why i will never return. I have eaten here a few times before for department celebration dinners and dates, and my meal has been fine. Tonight, I had the rudest, most inattentive, childish service I have ever experienced. This time, I dined with a party of 12, predominantly international students, and our entire party was treated very RUDELY by our server. The server was snide from the beginning, and then when we asked him to refrigerate a cake for our birthday guest,he quickly shot back that it would be an additional $15 cake serving fee! I joked that it was a little funny to ask guests to pay to serve someone's favorite birthday cake, and he said "all restaurants do it." Then he came by later and said he saw someone waive him over (when noone did) and asked if we were ready to order. We were not so he very replied in a mean, condescending way, "I saw someone waive me over, so Im gonna leave now, and when I come back you better be ready to order." I tell you, this was not sarcasm, or an attempt to joke, he was serious! A normal reply would have been to ask whether anyone needed a drink or starter. Then when we asked the specials, he said he didnt know, and we should have papers with them. We did not, so he disappeared and returned with them and just laid them on the table. He never asked how the food was after it was delivered, and I had to track down another server to grab our cake after he gave us the bill!! I asked to speak to the manager when I had to ask for someone to get our cake after our bill was closed out, who eventually said he "would talk to him", but honestly I will never return to a place that allowed one snide person ruin a person's first birthday 1000's of miles from home. If it had not been a birthday dinner, I would have left before ordering. If anyone from Finch's reads this, please know we went to another place, The Tap, to serve the cake, ordered 2 drinks each, and they gave us free plates and utensils. We also did not have to pay a cake serving fee! If our Finch's server had not made us feel so unwelcome, we would have stayed and finished our celebration there.
(1)Anna P.
I went here for a romantic weeknight dinner with my boyfriend, and we both really enjoyed ourselves. On a quiet Tuesday night, we had almost the entire place to ourselves. As it was getting chilly out, it was very kind of the host to sit us next to the open brick oven. They have a nice size selection of Belgian beers and Belgian style American craft beers. We were both happy to see options that we can't get anywhere else in Bloomington. We went all out with three courses and never once felt rushed. Our server was friendly and attentive but let us enjoy our date with minimal interruption. We started with scallops and a cheese plate. I absolutely loved my entree, the rabbit cacciatore. The flavors were so rich and comforting. My only disappointments were our scallop appetizer. I felt that the portion was very small for the price (only 2 small sized scallops). Though they were prepared nicely, I'm certainly glad we got the fantastic cheese plate as we came hungry. And I also felt the dessert could have been a little bit more flavorful. It was a fruit crisp that was a little on the bland side. And I know it's been said by other reviewers, it is certainly one of the pricier restaurants in the area. However, we both had a great evening. And I will certainly keep Finch's Brasserie in mind as an option for a fancier dinner.
(4)Vox V.
Finches not only has an excellent just-off-campus location, but it has great food and a friendly staff. I've been there several times and sat both inside and outside - each time the experience was very pleasant. The menu has a wide selection from pricey to very reasonable. The beer selection was quite good as well. I wish more restaurants in Bloomington were like Finches. This is the perfect place to have a bite outside on a sunny day or to enjoy the nicely decorated and cozy interior when the weather is less agreeable. It is also perfect for larger groups or conversely for a more intimate meal.
(4)Anna W.
Dave and I went out Friday night in search of food. EVERYWHERE was packed!! We finally came here, which was also very busy, but we were able to grab a seat at the bar. I really like the atmosphere- cozy, quaint, inviting. The wood fired oven in the middle of the restaurant definitely helps. Their beer list is pretty impressive, too. I'm a huge Belgium beer fan and was happy to see all the offerings. As for the food- super reasonable and super good. I got a 10 inch pizza with broccoli, spinach, zucchini, pesto, and goat cheese for $12. Dave got the macaroni and cheese, which was phenomenal. I would love to come back and try their mussels because our bartender really sold them when she was telling the specials.
(5)Mak J.
I had my college graduation dinner here. The rabbit cacciatore was a great reward for my years of hard work. Good mussels too. And the service was good, even on this very busy afternoon. I would go here again positively.
(4)Marcie F.
I really love the food at Finch's. More than the food, I love the beer list at Finch's! The prices are very reasonable for what you get. However, I've been here about six times now. I've only had a decent server once. Last night, I went with a few friends to celebrate something. It was taking a while to get out drinks, but we didn't mind. A hostess (who was super nice!) stepped in and asked what we ordered so she could hurry and get our drinks for us. Our server watched this, however, and I assume she thought we were complaining. We got the most passive aggressive experience with her for the rest of our dinner. We left to get drinks/dessert elsewhere just so we could avoid the awkwardness. I'm not sure what it is. I feel like even when the restaurant is dead, I'm constantly waiting. It takes a long while to get the first drink and you're likely to sit with an empty glass for a good while before you ever see your server again. tl;dr: Awesome food, bad service.
(3)Jane T.
Hands down my favorite restaurant in Bloomington. The food is always incredible, and they change up the menu enough to keep things interesting. The beer/wine menu can't be beat. The entire staff is warm, friendly, and very helpful.
(5)Bootleg R.
I sat outside one afternoon and it was nice. Server was knowledgeable and nice. My boyfriend got the mortadella sandwich and lentil soup. The sandwich was very flavorful and included pickled carrots, the bread was nice and chewy. The lentil soup had lots of pork, pepper and onion it was more like a chili with a few exotic flavors. I had the rabbit cacciatore which I enjoyed. It was basically a rabbit stew over noodles.
(4)Jeff R.
Great place to eat....you can't go wrong here. Everyone's meals looked and tasted great. Brick hearth pizza oven is a cool touch and PBR snuck into the list of microbrews which shows a sense of humor. The only negative thing about finch's is that they replaced a La Bamba mexican joint in the upper level and the Discount Den on the main level, but those are just fond burrito and CD buying memories from the past now.
(5)Jamie P.
This was my boyfriend's favorite place to go in Bloomington when we were in college because of their awesome craft beer list and delicious food! We often got the calimari and a pizza. We never left disappointed-- and we were there a LOT! The bartender Andy was awesome and always took great care of us.
(5)David F.
Just wanted to comment about a recent experience at Finch's. Ordered several of the flat bread for a few of my staff and loved them. Great taste, crust was perfect, and the ingredients clearly fresh. Owner's are sincere and don't over do the whole local thing. The reality is that we live in the middle of Indiana and not everything people choose to eat could possibly be local yet the restaurant does not try to suggest otherwise. There are no illusions here - just honest, sincere, and really great food (local when possible). What more can you ask for?
(5)Roger G.
My first review of this place mysteriously disappeared. Lousy service, pretentious menu, extra charge for bread with an Italian entree, no offer of compensation or even an apology from the server when it took way too long to get our mediocre food. The owner did respond to my review, saying she was sorry, but again offered no explanation or invitation to try again. Overrated and expensive, won't be back.
(1)K V.
Wow - this place was waaay overpriced for some mediocre food. Not much else to say, really. The environment was upscale and kind of uppety. I'd stay away from this place if you value your time and/or money!
(1)Renee D.
Love Finch's. It's our regular Saturday lunch place. Food is always wonderful (great mussels) and like that the menu changes seasonaly. Also, the staff is always friendly and knowledgable. Can't be beat in Bloomington.
(5)Tema K.
I have only been to Finch's twice, but that is because of the price. It is well worth it for a celebration dinner or your folks coming in for a visit. Their menu is seasonal and uses very fresh ingredients. I would say their food is upscale American dining with a European twist. I adore their duck wings. That is right! Instead of chicken wings they have duck wings in an orange glaze. And the wait staff is very professional. Some of the best I have ever encountered. Also they are willing to adjust dishes for dietary constraints.
(5)Matthew W.
All in all, this is the best restaurant in Bloomington. It's very reasonably priced. The food is always good. The fries are delicious. Wednesday has beer specials on their always interesting and rotating tap selections. Also, their oven kicks ass.
(5)Ryan D.
Great, French-inspired food from local farmers, prepared by local culinary talent. Finch's has the best atmosphere out of all Bloomington restaurants. Their beer selection is also the most thoughtful in town. It is expensive, but you get what you pay for. Great for date nights.
(5)Chip C.
Great food and service. The meat loaf sandwich was huge. I had the vegetable pasta and broiled scallops, and they were excellent. Hot food is something I am a real stickler about-and the pasta was homemade in a mushroom garlic sauce with fennel. Not to mention the scallops, which were absolute heaven. Nice vibe, great hostess. Well worth the money, within easy walking distance of campus. Went upstairs to the candy store for a nice treat afterwards. Great local find in Bloomington.
(4)Bob F.
They now have their very own Fetty. Doesn't get much better then that.
(5)elizabeth b.
Almost always good food. I'm a sucker for the rabbit cacciatore. To be fair, the food is worth four stars in my rating universe -- it really is good. But Finch's presents itself as a "nice" restaurant, and it's NOISY. Really noisy (and sometimes cold, too). If I wanted to go to a bar, I'd go to a *&^%ing bar. There are lots of them, and I like french fries and beer as much as the next girl. But I come here for good food, not to feel like I'm in an over-priced sports bar. If you go on a date, be prepared to holler at your honey.
(3)Meagan B.
Great place. Sit at the bar eat slowly share the mussels and a thin and crispy pizza. Enjoy the extensive beer selection. You really cannot go wrong here!
(4)Leila V.
Excellent place. The food is always on point and the seasonal menu gives an element of surprise to each visit. Great kids menu!
(5)Gazooby X.
First time I've given Finch's a less than stellar review. This is a good lesson in how hard it is to maintain high quality over time. A week ago, I would have called this my favorite restaurant in town. But my last meal there left me asking for more. We all shared bites, so I am reporting on numerous dishes. The ribeye I ordered was thin so came back overcooked (medium instead of the rare I asked for). But it had a great smoky flavor, and the fries were terrific. My companion's dinner special was a vegetarian pot pie encased in phylo with a parsnip sauce. Out of the this world; the highpoint of the table. Another dish, a shrimp appetizer was so-so quality shrimp and oversalted. Another dish, the rabbit cacciatore, had a lovely smoky flavor and nice chewiness to the pasta but the sauce was not well balanced and tended too strongly toward tomato. Finally, our old standby, the calamari appetizer, was mushy rather than crisp. I'll be back, but hope that Finch's keeps working as hard as the day they opened.
(3)Greg W.
Great environment. Great food. Great drink specials (and nice selection). Great service.
(5)M. C.
This is the restaurant my husband and I tend to choose when we have a rare night-out or want to celebrate an event with a great meal. The menu is always full of difficult-to-decide-between entrees, the food quality is consistently top-notch and the service has always been attentive and friendly. Finch's uses local food. Keep up the great work!
(5)Caroline W.
Great Nicoise salad!! Comparable with the Nicoise salads I've had in France. Very good pasta, nice outdoor patio. Simple and fresh.
(4)Claire G.
Oh Finch's... can I convince you to up and move to the west coast to follow me? I swear I'd be faithful... Finch's is an outstanding place that shines above every other restaurant in town (including a wannabe elitist institution that begins with "F")! Lunchtime is extremely reasonably priced (I dare you to spend less on lunch at Noodles across the street...gross) while being filling and delicious. I love the salads and dressings, especially the lemon toasted cumin vinaigrette, as well as the pomme frites with truffle aioli. Oh yeah, and the duck wings are so good I want to lick the harissa sauce off the plate, every soup I've tried has been delicious, and I could go on and on. Also, the wait staff is competent and friendly, not stuck up like many other places in Bloomington. Please go there often and I'll be savoring the memories of all the wonderful meals I've had there.
(5)Richard H.
This is a very pleasant restaurant with a friendly, attentive waitstaff. But the menu is rather small, and although the food is quite tasty, almost everything is extremely overpriced. The pizza, however, is absolutely delicious.
(3)Thomas B.
Our family of 4 ate at Finch's for lunch on a Saturday of a home football game. We walked right in and were greeted by a very pleasant, engaging hostess who was our waitperson. 2 of us had the hamburger, which was generous and as per request served medium-rare. French fries were first class. Most of the menu was locally produced meats and veggies. I had the falafel on grilled pita bread which came with a salad and a cup of lentil/mushroom soup, and the 4th person had baked mac & cheese gratin. Another person had the clam chowder: excellent. Everyone loved their meals, the service was perfect, the atmosphere is casual but the menu, the china and flatware were all elegant. Salad dressing are all interesting and homemade. Nice field greens salads came with all meals. $65 before tip for 4 people at lunch with one beer and one coffee ordered. We each commented that we would be delighted to return.
(4)Jon R.
My favorite place to eat in Bloomington... hands down. Since Andy the bartender left, it has been a lot less enjoyable, because he is the best bartender ever. But still, the food and beer list is incredible. Duck wings or calamari to start, depending on what beer I choose, followed by a dordogne pizza and orkney skullsplitter scotch ale is what I always have. Occasionally I'll do a mussels in place of calamari or the wings, and I do so because they have Saison Dupont on draft!
(5)Jen P.
I was so excited to eat here after reading the other reviews, but was definitely a little disappointed. Atmosphere was cute, but service was unattentive and food was mediocre. Ordered a caesar salad and server specifically asked us if we wanted the anchovies on top. Grateful that she asked, we replied no. The salad showed up with the anchovies on top--ick. The dressing flavor was so mild that you could barely tell it was caesar. Few croutons so felt like it was just a bunch of iceberg with tasteless dressing. Then our burger came, which was actually pretty good, although we had asked for the bleu cheese on the side and it was on the burger. I did enjoy the portabella topping and the meat was of good quality, I would guess by the taste. Server was never around when we needed her and drinks were not refilled or asked for refills...and the place was nearly empty since we ate at an off time of day. A bummer because I had high hopes for this place.
(2)J. S.
Fairly tasty eats and the beer selection was good.; the food was overpriced. My husband and I split a beer, two appetizers, a main dish, and two desserts and walked out for under $70. Service was ok, our server was nice but she only came around infrequently and was often nowhere to be seen. It was also much too noisy and when I asked if we could be seated upstairs, we were told that it was closed. We were also told that the only available table outside was broken(!). My lentil and mushroom soup was outstanding and the charcuterie plate with crostini was good. The crostini were few and did not last for the whole plate so we asked for more. They arrived about 20 minutes later after we had concluded that we would not be getting them and had finished the plate. We were also not warned that there would be a $1 charge for the additional crostini. We split the duck breast entree which was billed as confit but was not confit at all as it was not cooked in oil nor was it tender, especially the outer portions of the breast. The veggies on the side, asparagus, oyster mushrooms, and fresh pearl onions were good, better when freshly served than when they had cooled on the plate. The wild rice side was gross. Wild rice mixed with chopped chicken and overcooked veg, breaded and deep fried. Yuk. I only ate a little. The meat inside was unexpected and unwelcome. The chocolate tiramisu was ok, but the mascarpone was not light and fluffy, the chocolate layers also too dense, and overall the dessert tasted overwhelmingly of Mexican chocolate, which I think was sprinkled on top and was also in the chocolate mouse layers. It was a disappointment and again I did not finish my half of the dessert. I never leave dessert behind! For California prices in the midwest, I certainly expected much better service and outstanding food. We got neither. It was merely decent.
(3)Cary G.
A real find in Bloomington. I had a delicious grilled pork chop with a potato cauliflower gratin an grilled apples. The have an excellent selection of craft beers, and there deserts were excellent, as well.
(5)Colleen M.
OH my goodness!!! I love, love, love this place! It can get kind of pricey for dinner but that's because they use the freshest ingredients! Lunch is always great, the only complaint i have is that since they use fresh ingredients they often are out of things and don't change the menu/don't tell you. I have been here more times than I can count, used to go almost twice a week for lunch, and then Wed for their $2 beers... that CANNOT be beat!!!! However, on two occassions I was THOROUGHLY disappointed because once the sandwich was missing something because it wasn't in season, even though it was on the paper menu and our waitress said nothing, and once the sauce for the calamari had been switched up since the time before and again, no mention of it (and I was not a fan of the new calamari sauce). They also have no ketchup and I"m a ketchup freak, so that's sad. Whatever though, this place rocks!!! The scallop salad is absolutely to DIE for, I never liked scallops till I came here. The beers and the bartenders are great. Loveee the selection of beers always! I watch this place like crazy for seasonal beers and make sure to stop by EVERY time I'm back in town. Man do I miss you Bloomington/Finches!!!
(5)Perry G.
Great place, nice atmosphere, menu is seasonal
(4)Matt D.
Loved everything I have had here ... Except the rabbit pasta ... Found a small bone in it
(3)Michael L.
I'm not sure why so many people rave about this place. The food was adequate, but not that special for what I paid. Maybe its the hip wait-staff? In this price range, I'd opt for Farm.
(3)A B.
Great food, nice ambience and excellent attentive staff. Had the wood burning oven pizza which was really good !
(4)David F.
Just wanted to comment about a recent experience at Finch's. Ordered several of the flat bread for a few of my staff and loved them. Great taste, crust was perfect, and the ingredients clearly fresh. Owner's are sincere and don't over do the whole local thing. The reality is that we live in the middle of Indiana and not everything people choose to eat could possibly be local yet the restaurant does not try to suggest otherwise. There are no illusions here - just honest, sincere, and really great food (local when possible). What more can you ask for?
(5)Roger G.
My first review of this place mysteriously disappeared. Lousy service, pretentious menu, extra charge for bread with an Italian entree, no offer of compensation or even an apology from the server when it took way too long to get our mediocre food. The owner did respond to my review, saying she was sorry, but again offered no explanation or invitation to try again. Overrated and expensive, won't be back.
(1)K V.
Wow - this place was waaay overpriced for some mediocre food. Not much else to say, really. The environment was upscale and kind of uppety. I'd stay away from this place if you value your time and/or money!
(1)Renee D.
Love Finch's. It's our regular Saturday lunch place. Food is always wonderful (great mussels) and like that the menu changes seasonaly. Also, the staff is always friendly and knowledgable. Can't be beat in Bloomington.
(5)Tema K.
I have only been to Finch's twice, but that is because of the price. It is well worth it for a celebration dinner or your folks coming in for a visit. Their menu is seasonal and uses very fresh ingredients. I would say their food is upscale American dining with a European twist. I adore their duck wings. That is right! Instead of chicken wings they have duck wings in an orange glaze. And the wait staff is very professional. Some of the best I have ever encountered. Also they are willing to adjust dishes for dietary constraints.
(5)Matthew W.
All in all, this is the best restaurant in Bloomington. It's very reasonably priced. The food is always good. The fries are delicious. Wednesday has beer specials on their always interesting and rotating tap selections. Also, their oven kicks ass.
(5)Ryan D.
Great, French-inspired food from local farmers, prepared by local culinary talent. Finch's has the best atmosphere out of all Bloomington restaurants. Their beer selection is also the most thoughtful in town. It is expensive, but you get what you pay for. Great for date nights.
(5)Chip C.
Great food and service. The meat loaf sandwich was huge. I had the vegetable pasta and broiled scallops, and they were excellent. Hot food is something I am a real stickler about-and the pasta was homemade in a mushroom garlic sauce with fennel. Not to mention the scallops, which were absolute heaven. Nice vibe, great hostess. Well worth the money, within easy walking distance of campus. Went upstairs to the candy store for a nice treat afterwards. Great local find in Bloomington.
(4)Bob F.
They now have their very own Fetty. Doesn't get much better then that.
(5)elizabeth b.
Almost always good food. I'm a sucker for the rabbit cacciatore. To be fair, the food is worth four stars in my rating universe -- it really is good. But Finch's presents itself as a "nice" restaurant, and it's NOISY. Really noisy (and sometimes cold, too). If I wanted to go to a bar, I'd go to a *&^%ing bar. There are lots of them, and I like french fries and beer as much as the next girl. But I come here for good food, not to feel like I'm in an over-priced sports bar. If you go on a date, be prepared to holler at your honey.
(3)Meagan B.
Great place. Sit at the bar eat slowly share the mussels and a thin and crispy pizza. Enjoy the extensive beer selection. You really cannot go wrong here!
(4)Leila V.
Excellent place. The food is always on point and the seasonal menu gives an element of surprise to each visit. Great kids menu!
(5)Gazooby X.
First time I've given Finch's a less than stellar review. This is a good lesson in how hard it is to maintain high quality over time. A week ago, I would have called this my favorite restaurant in town. But my last meal there left me asking for more. We all shared bites, so I am reporting on numerous dishes. The ribeye I ordered was thin so came back overcooked (medium instead of the rare I asked for). But it had a great smoky flavor, and the fries were terrific. My companion's dinner special was a vegetarian pot pie encased in phylo with a parsnip sauce. Out of the this world; the highpoint of the table. Another dish, a shrimp appetizer was so-so quality shrimp and oversalted. Another dish, the rabbit cacciatore, had a lovely smoky flavor and nice chewiness to the pasta but the sauce was not well balanced and tended too strongly toward tomato. Finally, our old standby, the calamari appetizer, was mushy rather than crisp. I'll be back, but hope that Finch's keeps working as hard as the day they opened.
(3)Greg W.
Great environment. Great food. Great drink specials (and nice selection). Great service.
(5)M. C.
This is the restaurant my husband and I tend to choose when we have a rare night-out or want to celebrate an event with a great meal. The menu is always full of difficult-to-decide-between entrees, the food quality is consistently top-notch and the service has always been attentive and friendly. Finch's uses local food. Keep up the great work!
(5)Caroline W.
Great Nicoise salad!! Comparable with the Nicoise salads I've had in France. Very good pasta, nice outdoor patio. Simple and fresh.
(4)Claire G.
Oh Finch's... can I convince you to up and move to the west coast to follow me? I swear I'd be faithful... Finch's is an outstanding place that shines above every other restaurant in town (including a wannabe elitist institution that begins with "F")! Lunchtime is extremely reasonably priced (I dare you to spend less on lunch at Noodles across the street...gross) while being filling and delicious. I love the salads and dressings, especially the lemon toasted cumin vinaigrette, as well as the pomme frites with truffle aioli. Oh yeah, and the duck wings are so good I want to lick the harissa sauce off the plate, every soup I've tried has been delicious, and I could go on and on. Also, the wait staff is competent and friendly, not stuck up like many other places in Bloomington. Please go there often and I'll be savoring the memories of all the wonderful meals I've had there.
(5)Richard H.
This is a very pleasant restaurant with a friendly, attentive waitstaff. But the menu is rather small, and although the food is quite tasty, almost everything is extremely overpriced. The pizza, however, is absolutely delicious.
(3)Thomas B.
Our family of 4 ate at Finch's for lunch on a Saturday of a home football game. We walked right in and were greeted by a very pleasant, engaging hostess who was our waitperson. 2 of us had the hamburger, which was generous and as per request served medium-rare. French fries were first class. Most of the menu was locally produced meats and veggies. I had the falafel on grilled pita bread which came with a salad and a cup of lentil/mushroom soup, and the 4th person had baked mac & cheese gratin. Another person had the clam chowder: excellent. Everyone loved their meals, the service was perfect, the atmosphere is casual but the menu, the china and flatware were all elegant. Salad dressing are all interesting and homemade. Nice field greens salads came with all meals. $65 before tip for 4 people at lunch with one beer and one coffee ordered. We each commented that we would be delighted to return.
(4)Jon R.
My favorite place to eat in Bloomington... hands down. Since Andy the bartender left, it has been a lot less enjoyable, because he is the best bartender ever. But still, the food and beer list is incredible. Duck wings or calamari to start, depending on what beer I choose, followed by a dordogne pizza and orkney skullsplitter scotch ale is what I always have. Occasionally I'll do a mussels in place of calamari or the wings, and I do so because they have Saison Dupont on draft!
(5)Jen P.
I was so excited to eat here after reading the other reviews, but was definitely a little disappointed. Atmosphere was cute, but service was unattentive and food was mediocre. Ordered a caesar salad and server specifically asked us if we wanted the anchovies on top. Grateful that she asked, we replied no. The salad showed up with the anchovies on top--ick. The dressing flavor was so mild that you could barely tell it was caesar. Few croutons so felt like it was just a bunch of iceberg with tasteless dressing. Then our burger came, which was actually pretty good, although we had asked for the bleu cheese on the side and it was on the burger. I did enjoy the portabella topping and the meat was of good quality, I would guess by the taste. Server was never around when we needed her and drinks were not refilled or asked for refills...and the place was nearly empty since we ate at an off time of day. A bummer because I had high hopes for this place.
(2)J. S.
Fairly tasty eats and the beer selection was good.; the food was overpriced. My husband and I split a beer, two appetizers, a main dish, and two desserts and walked out for under $70. Service was ok, our server was nice but she only came around infrequently and was often nowhere to be seen. It was also much too noisy and when I asked if we could be seated upstairs, we were told that it was closed. We were also told that the only available table outside was broken(!). My lentil and mushroom soup was outstanding and the charcuterie plate with crostini was good. The crostini were few and did not last for the whole plate so we asked for more. They arrived about 20 minutes later after we had concluded that we would not be getting them and had finished the plate. We were also not warned that there would be a $1 charge for the additional crostini. We split the duck breast entree which was billed as confit but was not confit at all as it was not cooked in oil nor was it tender, especially the outer portions of the breast. The veggies on the side, asparagus, oyster mushrooms, and fresh pearl onions were good, better when freshly served than when they had cooled on the plate. The wild rice side was gross. Wild rice mixed with chopped chicken and overcooked veg, breaded and deep fried. Yuk. I only ate a little. The meat inside was unexpected and unwelcome. The chocolate tiramisu was ok, but the mascarpone was not light and fluffy, the chocolate layers also too dense, and overall the dessert tasted overwhelmingly of Mexican chocolate, which I think was sprinkled on top and was also in the chocolate mouse layers. It was a disappointment and again I did not finish my half of the dessert. I never leave dessert behind! For California prices in the midwest, I certainly expected much better service and outstanding food. We got neither. It was merely decent.
(3)Cary G.
A real find in Bloomington. I had a delicious grilled pork chop with a potato cauliflower gratin an grilled apples. The have an excellent selection of craft beers, and there deserts were excellent, as well.
(5)Perry G.
Great place, nice atmosphere, menu is seasonal
(4)Colleen M.
OH my goodness!!! I love, love, love this place! It can get kind of pricey for dinner but that's because they use the freshest ingredients! Lunch is always great, the only complaint i have is that since they use fresh ingredients they often are out of things and don't change the menu/don't tell you. I have been here more times than I can count, used to go almost twice a week for lunch, and then Wed for their $2 beers... that CANNOT be beat!!!! However, on two occassions I was THOROUGHLY disappointed because once the sandwich was missing something because it wasn't in season, even though it was on the paper menu and our waitress said nothing, and once the sauce for the calamari had been switched up since the time before and again, no mention of it (and I was not a fan of the new calamari sauce). They also have no ketchup and I"m a ketchup freak, so that's sad. Whatever though, this place rocks!!! The scallop salad is absolutely to DIE for, I never liked scallops till I came here. The beers and the bartenders are great. Loveee the selection of beers always! I watch this place like crazy for seasonal beers and make sure to stop by EVERY time I'm back in town. Man do I miss you Bloomington/Finches!!!
(5)Matt D.
Loved everything I have had here ... Except the rabbit pasta ... Found a small bone in it
(3)Michael L.
I'm not sure why so many people rave about this place. The food was adequate, but not that special for what I paid. Maybe its the hip wait-staff? In this price range, I'd opt for Farm.
(3)A B.
Great food, nice ambience and excellent attentive staff. Had the wood burning oven pizza which was really good !
(4)Jason R.
I've been here half a dozen times. I've never had bad service or a bad experience. I love the duck wings appetizer. I've had several different entrees at Finch's, and the menu is seasonal, which means I've never had the same entree twice. The entrees I have had have ranged from good to excellent, and most of the difference in what I liked has more to do with personal taste than anything the restaurant failed to provide. My favorite desert in town is their chocolate tiramisu. They carry Delirium which is my all-time favorite beer, but on top of that they have a great beer and wine list. No liquor, which might be the only negative I can come up with.
(5)Claire A.
Recipe for a quality evening: 1. Go to Finch's. 2. Order one of the fancy Euro or craft beers off the excellent beer list. 3. Get yourself a pizza ($15-16). I recommend the Dordogne, which comes with prosciutto, four cheeses, and truffle honey and is as sumptuous as it sounds. It doesn't really need it, but I doused mine in cheese and pepper flakes when prompted and I think it enhanced the experience. 4. Eat, drink, decompress. Yeah, it's a little disconcerting to think you've just spent 20 to 25 dollars pizza and a beer, but when the pizza's this good (they really do use high quality ingredients here) and the beer is among the best you can buy, the combination makes for an incredibly comforting dinner. It's the meal equivalent of a big, slouchy angora sweater. I should also make a note of the exceptional service - our waiter was down-to-earth, charming, and genuinely friendly.
(4)Matt G.
We had an amazing dinner here awhile ago, I still remember it vividly. The atmosphere was intimate and cozy, with a warm glow emanating from the brick oven. Antique mirrors dotted the walls and an antique clock hung by the entrance. Food was top notch, and easily the best meal of the weekend. Margherita and the roasted chicken were both delicious. Charcuterie was excellent, especially the duck bacon. At the time, they had a traditional Gueuze on the beer menu, and also some great seasonal beers. I'd return here for dinner if staying in Bloomington again.
(5)Charcy L.
the portion of lunch is not a lot, I ordered rabbit cacciatore, not enough for lunch, still feel hungry, but the environment is good, and the speed of food is very fast, only issue is the portion=_=
(3)Ashley S.
I loved this place! It was my first time here - and new since I graduated from IU. If I was still in college, this would have been a restaurant you have your parents take you to (if you know what I mean). I had a pizza and it was fantastic! I ate every single piece - don't judge. They had a nice wine list. Some very good and unique menu options, too! HIGHLY recommend the pizza.
(4)Cynthia C.
Had a lovely evening catching up with an old friend while in Bloomington. We loved that they have organic and local foods. We split a bottle of Pierre Jouet that was reasonably priced - I've seen it marked up much higher. My friend had the burger and said it was one of the best she ever had even with her requested gluten free bun. I had a white pizza with mushrooms and spinach which was very good. We shared a salad with a wonderful ramp vinaigrette. The best part was our waiter, Joe. He was friendly, helpful and funny. Great night and great place!
(5)Dina D.
Finch's is one of the nicer restaurants in Bloomington, with attentive, excellent service. We started with the excellent calamari, which was mixed with fried banana peppers and olives, which gave an excellent contrast to the calamari. Their pizzas are excellent, and fired in their wood burning pizza oven. This time we had the Loire pizza, which despite having an interesting combination of sausage, shallots, apple and gorgonzola was surprisingly mild. We preferred the excellent Milano pizza, which is also a "white" pizza which has talleggio, figs, arugula and pears. The Brasserie Burger was excellent, although the fries are pretty standard. Save yourself the calories and go for the salad as a side instead. Overall, Finch's Brasserie has excellent pasta and pizzas, with enough variety to keep everyone in your party happy. A great more formal restaurant choice on Bloomington. Unfortunately, Finch's is closed on Sunday, so keep that in mind when making your weekend plans.
(5)Jerome M.
Another very good Bloomington spot. Calamari et al....were very nice as promised by prior reviews. My lamb past was very very good....and I love it when I get to try something which my pallet has not experienced - and that's a 'good-experience' btw - high 4 stars to this place.
(4)Stanley W.
Good meat entrees and soups. Salads have been a bit overwhelming, but the rabbit cacciatore is a well done dish and the burgers are well prepared. Their salads aren't as satisfactory, but then again the word brasserie doesn't exactly evoke salads. Nothing fantastic, nothing special, but the service is good for Bloomington, the soups de jours are almost a solid choice, and entrees range from decent to great. I don't think you can go wrong considering Finch's.
(4)Robin K.
Went here for Valentine's Day late lunch. Fries were marvelous. Dipping sauces were gummy, but small in quantity. Speaking of, so we're the entire dishes. It was good, but elsewhere can get you more food, less price, and just as good service.
(3)Melissa S.
This is my favorite place for dinner in Bloomington. The service is always on-point, the food is lovely, there's a warm and comfortable atmosphere, and the wine and beer selection are excellent. I've enjoyed the mussels, prepared several ways, wood-fired pizzas, and delicious cuts of meat, perfectly prepared. My go-to. Never pretentious, but sophisticated and delicious.
(4)Scott H.
Cool location, expensive food, amazing fire cooked pizza! Wow - I'm glad I ventured inside, even the patio is packed with people and the interior was mostly empty. This is worth a try. I got the Raddicho salad with fish. Wonderful
(5)Hannah G.
The food is delicious, and the flatbreads (pizzas) are the best in town, hands down. Service is great, ambiance is excellent, price is fair (expensive for the area, but better than average for the area as well. As I will continue to say a million times, you get what you pay for). If you're a beer or wine person, you have to go here! Extensive and fabulous beer and wine menu! I highly recommend The Roman Pizzetta, the bacon is delicious! Great calamari as well. Two staples on the menu, all seasons.
(5)Liz K.
When I think of French food, I generally think of things one can cook at home paired with interesting meats. This place is that. Don't go if you don't like meat, a lot, it must be the star of the dish. Because as a vegetarian, I don't get why this has 4 stars. They have an interesting beer selection. I'm usually 1) surprised at how boring the menu is 2) happy with the dish I chose,but fully aware that it is red sauce, cream and roasted squash or whatever 3) disgusted by the check.
(2)Jingo D.
I wanted to like this place, since the locals rave about it almost all the time, but the only memorable thing to me was the dried-up steak I had at my wife's (former) company Christmas party. I should've known better when the gentleman seated across from me told the server, "Nah, no steak for me. It was dry the last time I was here." I'm not sure if it's because they're not used to cooking for big groups of people, but it was enough reason for me to not go back.
(2)Christy S.
Honestly, in Bloomington, this is as good as it gets. My husband and I went for Valentine's Day, and then returned with out of town guests for my birthday. Both times the service was exceptional, and the food was excellent. Pros: The lamb stew was incredible. The scallops and ravioli V-day special was to die for. The duck was cooked perfectly and the flavors were unique and worked well together. Arguably the least pretentious restaurant I've been to in Bloomington, though the food was definitely good enough that they could have been. Pretentious, that is. Cons: The 'Caesar salad' was kind of a joke. The steak was only okay. The by-the-glass wine list is very limited and the bottled wines are prohibitively expensive. Overall, easily the best dining experience in Bloomington. Certainly worth the price in a town filled with overpriced mediocrity.
(4)Steven S.
This place was awesome. Excellent service and food. Alyvia was our server. Her recommendations were spot on. We had the pork loin and the duck two ways, both greatly exceeded our expectations. Also great value, the entree's included soup or salad. We both had the lentil/sausage soup, it was fantastic.
(5)Cara K.
Love this place. The wood fired pizzas are amazing. I always split with someone when I go, so the prices really aren't that bad. The Dordogne and Loire are my favorite. I love coming here not just for the food, but also for the service and the atmosphere because it all works together so well.
(5)Lawrenc S.
This place is unreal. I am sitting in the restaurant right now, and the food is so good I hate to write a review. I'm with a. Group of six, have tried everything we ordered, and everything is unbelievably good. So good. Some of the best food I have ever eaten. I can't say enough good things about it.
(5)Kjirsten K.
The food is really good. The restaurant and bar are nice, comfortable, dimly lit, and there is a great patio for outdoor seating. The prices however, are a little over the top. $15 for a burger? Sure, the burger will blow your mind, but $15 is a little steep. The pizza, also $15 is quite good also.. The wood fired oven makes the light pizza crust perfectly crispy. There is a good beer and wine selection and both the menu and beer list feature local delights. Go for lunch if you want peace and quiet, they don't seem to get a big lunch crowd. Dinner is more busy and could require a reservation. Definitely worth the try if you're in the mood for Frites with truffle oil rather than fries with ketchup.
(4)Michael F.
great restaurant, but it is difficult to find a parking spot!!
(4)Dalia M.
I've been here a few times since my first review. Food has been delicious every time. My parents loved it when they visited back in March from NJ. Service was good then. This last time, our server seemed overwhelmed and distracted but also very apologetic because she knew service wasn't going well. We could also tell something may have been going on because we were there 50 minutes before getting our entree. We came this time to try the pizzas for a date night. They were yummy. The Roman (fancy meat lovers) and the Dodagne or something (truffle honey and prosciutto). I really liked them both and had some leftovers for later! I'll come back because I think Finch's is the yummiest place in town and usually service is great.
(3)Will B.
Great service- had group of 24 people and not a single complaint from anyone. Food was also outstanding, duck wings were great.
(5)Brendan I.
This is one of those places where the higher price is completely worth it. I managed to snag a reservation for graduation weekend for my group of four. Oddly, I had quite a bit of trouble getting a reservation for our 5:45 time but when we arrived and throughout our meal, the restaurant was mostly empty. Odd. Anyway, we were seated immediately and presented with the smaller graduation weekend menu (I was informed of this before making our reservation). The waitress was extremely nice and very attentive and checked on our table often. Our meal was served quickly and was well presented and delicious. They have a good beer and wine list. I've also been here for lunch and had a similarly great experience. Overall, worth every penny (unlike some of the other nicer restaurants in Btown). I will be back! This is what FARM could be if they got their act together...
(5)Alicia F.
I really want to like Finch's. I do like Finch's -- I've been here several times, but it just seems a bit over rated and uneven. They have some really good stand out dishes -- cassoulet, the veggie papardelle, rabbit cacciatore, and the maple glazed duck wings -- but I've also been served some truly sad, awful dishes here. I've ordered steak and rack of lamb and had them come out hideously overcooked (all sad and grey, not even charred), and once, upon sending something back, I was then given an essentially raw piece of meat. We go here because my husband works at IU and they have some good things, but seriously, avoid the meat.
(3)Diana G.
Really need to wait a long long time to be served with dishes...the service was nice though you always had to wait the waitress to come instead of calling her if you sat outside. But I think the food was not that good than I expected since I read the reviews before we went. All the four dishes we ordered were just so-so and there was none worthing recommending.
(4)Jed M.
I only go here a few times a year, but every time I'm here, I always remember why I love it. We started off with an appetizer of fried calamari, always a favorite. They also have banana peppers in with the calamari and a delicious remoulade. Unlike other fried dishes most places, it's not greasy and just about perfect. We elected to sub their soup of the day for the salad. It was a black bean, pork and kale soup that was very delicious and well seasoned. As someone who likes stews more than watery soups, it suited me and was plenty hearty. Entree was hanger steak with frites and green beans. The steak had a special oil/herb sauce I can't recall the name of right now, but it complimented the steak very well. Steak came a perfect medium rare just as ordered. I always feel a bit guilty going to a nicer place and ordering frites, but Finch's make such good ones, I can't resist. The green beans were also well seasoned and crisp. Had a blackberry torte (again forget the name they called it) with coffee ice cream and whipped cream. I usually don't dig dessert much, but yet again this one hit the spot with the ice cream containing a ton of coffee flavor. We didn't have pizza this time, but I've had it several times before. It's my favorite pizza in Bloomington cooked in a real brick oven with visible spots on the crust. They have eight beers on tap as well as a cellar list. Also a nice wine list although we usually stick to beer. They generally have some unique offerings which is a huge plus although sometimes the choices lean a little too heavily toward non-sour Belgians. I ordered a Dieu de Ciel Solstice d'hiver (which I've never seen on tap anywhere else in town) and a Tyranena Scurvy. The lady ordered Six point apollo and New Belgium La Folie. Service was also great. The food was a tad slow from the kitchen, but not excessively so and our waiter was always attentive to our orders and water glasses were kept full. This in a nutshell is why I love Finch's. It's not the cheapest place in town, but considering how perfectly everything is done, it's well worth the price for an occasional splurge. On the plus side they've also been keeping their beer list up to date online daily which will lead me back here even more often.
(5)Claire V.
Finch's is seriously underrated. Neither pretentious like Tallent nor hipster like Farm, and the food is better than either. I love a place that serves Lindemands, and Finch's has the finest burgers in town, served on ciabatta. Last time I had a vegetable pasta with lots of corn and a delectable savory broth. Unforgettable dish. Get a side salad with buttermilk blue cheese. Their tiramisu and cheese platter are outstanding as well! I must add, I had to laugh a little at a one star review here for Finch's. Who brings their own cake for dessert, and expects the restaurant to refrigerate it for them, and then serve it to them for FREE, on their plates and with their cutlery? Ludicrous. Who brings their own food at all, to a restaurant? Very bad manners.
(5)K R.
I enjoy this spot so much that I made reservations here for my graduation dinner months in advance. The dinner and service were exceptional. The graduation menu is different than the everyday seasonal menu. But in general whatever I have ordered is phenomenal. Parking can be a pain.
(5)Jay V.
Had a lovely meal there two weeks back during our trip to B-Town. Hoosiers! Enjoyable and very good for a college town. Great work all!
(5)Lindsay S.
Another little gem in the Bloomington area! I walked in here hoping I could find something to eat after a long plane ride and boy did I find it! I had the soup and salad combo with the most delicious mushroom soup I've ever tasted and Bobby had the French Countryman's lunch which is absolutely to die for to this day on cold afternoons I crave this meal! He got mushroom chicken soup as well with goat cheese and crostini and apples. And we both had a glass of Pinot noir to compliment the food! When the waitress brought out the food she said since Bobby's soup cup was not filled to the rim because they ran out of that kind that they would bring him another bowl of their other soup on the house :). Friendly service, a beautiful french kitchen and a large brick oven it is a lovely place to dine and totally unexpected in a quiet little town. The food here was definitely worth the whole trip!
(5)Kirsten F.
Very good pizza, crispy and different ingredients. Not as good as pizza lémon in Utah, which had more unique and fresh ingredients and much cheaper than these pizzas. Soup was good but under seasoned. Atmosphere was great and service was very attentive.
(4)Willie T.
Expensive yes, but the only restaurant where I can proudly announce that I've eaten rabbit and fully enjoyed every bite of it. Oh how guilty I felt... about not feeling bad. So delicious, please try the rabbit cacciatore. You'll love and hate me for it. Oh, and AMAZING beer and cider selection.
(5)Chris R.
Pretty great place. I've had the rabbit and the duck leg. Both were quite tasty. Plus the atmosphere is enjoyable. The location is great, generally in relation to the campus and specifically in relation to the law school.
(5)Mckenzie E.
Walking into Finch's makes you feel smarter. And hungrier. And thirstier. If you enjoy intellectually stimulating atmospheres, Finch's is the place for you. Professors, graduate students, young professionals, and the occasional undergraduate make up the majority of the clientele. There are a lot of regulars who dine there, so it's always fun to run into people. When you walk by tables you might over hear conversations about research projects, politics, environmental issues, and culture. Finch's rotates its menu seasonally to bring all of the freshest food to your table. They place great importance on the Slow Food Movement by providing locally & sustainably grown food. I really don't know where to begin about the menu items because they are all tasty in their own right. The wine and beer selection is also regularly on rotation to keep customers' taste buds in suspense. The bartenders are well-versed in the language of these artisan drinks, and will help you expand your pallet.
(5)Steven M.
Portions are small and overpriced. Best way to go is the pasta or you'll leave still hungry.
(3)Stan F.
Exceptional food and services. The food is a gourmet delight.
(5)Galen C.
Great date location! Quiet, moodily-lit, with an always-interesting beer selection and tasty food options. I've been here many times and I've never had a problem finding something good on the menu. They've got a nice range of appetizers, and the entrees rotate on and off with enough frequency to avoid being boring. The steak and fish are normally done very well. The pizzas (particularly the Roman and the new sausage/onion/pepper/lemon one) are remarkably good, if a bit overpriced. Beer-wise, they tend to go hop-heavy, but also with some lambics and saisons mixed in for variety. Check out the third Thursday of each month, as they generally have great deals on off-brand craft and specialty beers.
(4)Diana S.
Excellent meal, from appetizer to desert. Staff was knowledgable and honest. Great service. Worth the cost. Only criticism would be the interior should be a bit updated, nothing special, feels like a dimly lit higher end Denny's.
(4)MsAnthro P.
This is my favorite of the nicer restaurants in town, and in my opinion is better at fulfilling the creative local food niche here than FARM ever has been. I have never had a bad meal or bad service here. All of the food is fresh and local when possible and they have an excellent wine and draft beer selection. Always something delicious I've never tried before. Dinners can be pricey, but you can get a pretty good lunch deal here. (Well, maybe an upscale lunch "deal.") For instance, whatever the special burger (all I've tried have been AMAZING) is will generally run about $14 and include soup or salad. (I still dream about the homemade Green Goddess dressing I had here once.) There are usually great vegetarian options as well. Delicious wood-fired pizzas. Rich, flavorful ingredients. Friendly, knowledgeable servers.Honestly, I don't know why I don't go more often. Perhaps tonight?
(5)Britney L.
The food was decent, but I have to agree with others... It doesn't stand up to the price. My spinach/ feta turnovers were bland and I couldn't even SEE the feta, let alone taste it. Enjoyed the Bell's stout on tap, but the pear crisp was not warm and was so-so. Fresh ingredients and excellent beer selection. Disappointed by the wine by glass selection, though. Will go to Uptown next time.
(3)Stacey P.
My favorite place in Bloomington! Have lived here 11 years and it's by far our fave. We go there once a week (try to!) and just love the food and the ppl that own and work there are wonderful. Mussels, steak of the day, all fresh food and their wine selection is always a pleasure! Beer on tap and if you are looking for that beer you had in Europe that one time, they may have a bottle for you!
(5)Kristin B.
The best food in Bloomington, although it's not likely that you would see it walking down the street! This gem is masked by Campus Candy and Urban Outfitters, but the food will not disappoint. Although the tables are a bit close, the dim lighting and view of the pizza oven and the rest of the kitchen create a unique atmosphere. The food we had was delicious but very rich. A must try, especially when your parents are in town!
(4)Tom H.
If there were a 3.5, I'd give it, but I'm erring on the side of two overall good experiences. The first time thru, we had pizza there, which is good. This is a genuine brasserie, and is noisy, fun, with pretty good service the pizza was pretty good-- which says a lot for a town where pizza competition is fierce. The prices here are high, but the quality of food and wine is good. The second time around one of us had the mussels in wine/garlic sauce, and the other had their vegetarian pasta. We also had a wine, an Argentine Malbec, which was very reasonable. The mussels were just a tad overdone and very slightly mushy, and the accompanying fries while good, were oversalted and it's reasonable to say that the fryer temperature was too low-- they were busy and I could see a lot of orders going thru. However, they made things right. I also had their scallops, but can't recommend their preparation method. Tasty butter-ish sauce, but mine were crusty on top (not bad) and almost cold on the bottom. The service is very good, and it's fine dining, meaning genuine cloth napkins and such. The prices are high; expect to pay about $30+ per person (if not eating pizza) without liquor. With a few beers, or some of their wines (very good wine list), even more. They also serve tea, coffee, and expresso-based drinks as well.
(4)Danielle B.
Great food great atmosphere and excellent service. My husband and I ate here for our anniversary and was really blown away. I tried the house filet paired with a beautiful pinot noir which was recommended by our server. The steak was perfectly cooked and the mussels were literally out of this world! Great place for date nite but be prepared to spend some money this place isn't cheap!
(4)Nate S.
Finch's does not soar, but neither is it a park pigeon. I had the moules frites, so you might say, "Uh, dumbass, you're in Indiana, maybe shellfish ain't your best bet." But it's a French brasserie! I reply. Well, the frites were fine, and the mussels were, well, just not all that muscular. I give them props for breaking away from the white wine and garlic treadmill, but their tomatoey, olivey approach is heavy handed. So, three stars for me and my mussels, but there's definitely a star in reserve for the rest of the menu.
(3)Melissa M.
Lovely outdoor seating and affordable organic food - my favorite! We decided to eat here on a trip to Bloomington to check out the university. It is very close (walking distance to campus). The owner was very kind and let us wait at the bar while a table outside opened up. I had barbecued chicken, fresh corn with green beans and a polenta cake. My husband had pumpkin soup and a lamb dish. We both enjoyed our meal very much. It was great place for people watching and the service was good.
(4)M L.
3.5 stars propped up to a four because of great service by the manager. Four of us came here, and although the starters and beer selection was really promising, the mains failed to deliver big time. We had the pork belly starter with duck egg, and the mussels for starters. Mussels were fat, juicy, fresh, and cooked well. The former was not bad, a little small, and the glorious, sumptious duck egg, with its massive yolk, certainly saved the day. The batons of crouton that came by the side were buttery and decadent, but they charge for extras?! Take my suggestion and ask for the free focaccia to mop up the delicious briny sauce. For mains, two of the cassoulets, a rabbit papardelle and rib eye steak. Sadface. Cassoulets are hard to come by in the US, and good, authentic cassoulets are even more rare.My friend and I were sooo excited to have this again! We've had this in France on different occasions, and he in Toulouse, where this is a specialty of the region. Unfortunately, the beans were either mushy or still hard verging on crunchy, and the overly-salted duck confit leg on top did nothing to grace the meal. Skin wasn't crisp, either. So sad, given that the beans were flavorful. I couldn't eat much of it because of the varying textures. Rabbit was far overdone. With such a lean and delicate protein, it cannot afford to to be in the hot pan for very long. Dry, tasteless, rubbery.. Poor rabbit; you died in vain. Papardelle pasta was delicious though. Great flavor and bite. I'd say they make it in house fresh, judging from the texture. Rib eye was expensive, but flavor was off the charts. you can tell it was grass fed and carefully finished. Unfortunately, my companion ordered it medium....... So i cannot say much about the texture. For 3 out of 4 mains to have come out below par really hurt. So much that we did not bother with desserts. Hagen Daaz at home it was. Reason I'm bumping the rating up to 4 stars instead of 3 was because of the attentiveness the manager showed when he came over to ask us for our suggestions. He also took two mains off our bill on his own initiative, which was nice. Maybe i should give their Cassoulet another chance.. I mean, I've been craving it..
(4)Matthew P.
This place is awesome! I have been a few times and have been blown away by the selection and quality. Just a stone's throw away from campus, Finch's serves locally grown food with an outstanding selection of microbrews and Belgian-style beers. There is also a great wine selection. I particularly enjoyed the rabbit cacciatore and the pork osso bucco paired with a fine La Chouff. MMMMM!
(5)Mister M.
Been here a few times now and not impressed. What comes to mind when I think how to describe this place is "lack of taste". One time I had a burger which was ok. It was just something you'd expect a friend to grill up at a park maybe. Not really restaurant quality burger. It was how you say in French "dry and tasteless" so not really too much to rave about there. Kind of surprising since it was a "recommended" dish by the waitress. Another time I had a pasta dish with green peas. The peas were cold and honestly must have been from a can and the pasta was bland. I don't think there was any salt on it and there might have been some garlic seasoning. I had to season it myself asking the waiter to bring different spices. It's not terrible, but it's not restaurant quality food especially not something you'd expect from a "fine dining" restaurant. Maybe their pizza is good but I wouldn't know anything about that.
(1)Megan M.
Went to Finches with a group of colleagues after a day of training. I had heard and read a lot of rave reviews so expectations were quite high. This place has a nice selection of beers on draft and an extensive list of bottled. As a starter the table split a number of pizzetta's and muscle. The Dordogn is the one worth mentioning! With 4 cheeses, truffled honey and prosciutto, this was an amazing combination of flavors. For an entree, I had the Braised Rabbit pasta. This was the first time I had rabbit and I thought the meat was cooked quite well. It was served in a pasta with a mustard herb sauce and a medley of ingredients (carrot, bacon, greens, ect) . While I liked the rabbit, the entree wasn't my cup of tea.
(3)J C.
I'm giving the French-inspired Finch's 5 stars because of my firm belief -- based on many trips here -- that it's the best restaurant in Bloomington. Of the finer dining options here, Finch's is far superior to the mediocre Farm and Malibu Grill with respect to food and service, and yes, I think it is much better than Tallent. They have many wonderful beers on tap that rotate seasonally. I regularly order the dordogne pizza, which is cooked with proscuitto, four cheeses, honey and truffle oil. It's decadent, and one of my favorite things to eat in town. They always have mussels which I like to order too. The preparation is different every time I go, and I've had some that I loved and some that I rather didn't. Other of my favorites are their macaroni and cheese gratin for lunch and their roast chicken. I don't know how often I would come here if I had a number of other good dining options in town, but despite what a crappy, pretentious dick it might make me sound like (I've seriously pissed off some people who defensively feel the dining options here are very good and learned to keep my mouth shut), there are honestly NOT many places in Bloomington I regularly want to pay money to eat at. But I think what makes Finch's such a winner for me is the consistency in the quality of their food and service. They always use genuinely good, fresh ingredients which is enough to make their food much better than other options alone (never a limp romaine/iceberg salad here). Although it isn't cheap and I ain't a rich man, I enjoy it enough to splurge every couple of months.
(5)Tim M.
Great restaurant on a street of great restaurants. Sat at the bar and had a great steak frites. Cooked perfectly. Very knowledgable bartender. Served up some great beer and match a great red with my steak.
(4)Sarah R.
In short: YUM. I appreciate a locally owned restaurant that cooks well with local ingredients. Finch's hits the trifecta for me: awesome local menu, kind and knowledgeable staff, and a killer beer menu. I've been twice and loved it equally both times. The menu changes according to the season, reflecting both the seasonal produce and cuisine associated with the weather. The staff was attentive and just generally sweet; they seem to really believe in Finch's vision. For the beer lovers out there, this place is incredible and has a brew for every palate. Granted, this restaurant isn't meant for a night of frugality, but it's a gem for a nice dinner with friends or family. Call ahead, as it gets pretty busy on the weekends.
(5)Sharon H.
Finch's is my favorite restaurant in Bloomington. They have a phenomenal menu that changes seasonally and a fabulous selection of Belgian brew on tap. The service is always top notch and the ambience is lovely. A great date spot or night out with friends. Fave eats: mussels of the day, duck wings, duck egg salad, gluten-free pizza, BLT's, pomme frites, soups, sorbets, pots de creme
(5)Tristan S.
Pure relaxation & deliciousness. Comfy environment: warm colors; sound baffling on the ceiling to keep everything at a good, conversation-quality noise level; a welcoming staff. My first and favorite spot to sit is next to the big fire oven and the wood bar. (Sounds like a dangerous combination but it's not.) Split mussels and a cheese plate with my wife and our friends: all was great. Pizza was perfectly done, variety of draft beers was good, and the dessert sounded amazing - if only we weren't so stuffed. Was a great place to spend 3 hours of food, friends and conversation. Looking forward to going back.
(5)Greg L.
I took my wife to Bloomington (her alma mater) for a day trip prior to a wedding we attended in Indianapolis. After walking around the campus she was ready to walk through the shops, but I was mostly ready to sit down and have a beer. Finch's is just across the street from campus and offers both outdoor and indoor seating. The patio was nice, though don't plan to have a private conversation because your neighbors aren't far. The bar has dozens of microbrews either on tap or in bottles and the selection sounds like it changes seasonally. Though we did not eat, the tables around us were busy and all of the sandwiches and pizza's smelled and looked delicious. If we had more time, I would have gladly sampled 1 or 2 of the offerings. My only complaint is slow service. I am not sure if this is typical of this establishment or if we were ignored because we weren't eating, or maybe it was an off server or any number of other situations. It certainly did not ruin my experience.
(3)Kelly H.
I finally tried this place out for dinner after passing by several times & was pretty disappointed w/the quality & prices. I usually try to look for locally grown/produced eateries (esp for meats) & found Finch's as one of the best reviewed). My tax return called for a steak dinner, so I dragged a hungry friend & he ordered the Seafood Stew ($30). My steak was a ribeye ($28). This ended up being $62 w/tax. Down to the nitty gritty: *Both entrees were served with pretty standard mixed green salads. I took mine w/orange vinaigrette & my friend went w/lemon cumin vinaigrette. *We had to wait awhile (at least 30 mins) - we were starving!!! Steak - Although my steak craving was satisfied, I could have personally purchased a slab of meat from the local farmers market and cooked up some fingerling taters w/it. It was medium and tasty, but the quality wasn't what I paid for. The taters were pretty bland (had to soak them in my friends stew to get a little flavor). Goodness! I sound like a food snob! Seafood stew - (2-3 Scallops, 2 pcs of shrimp, 8 mussels, 1 pc of fish w/sliced potatoes & a pc of bread) - friend said, "Boring." I agreed. The broth was slightly under flavored & thin, but the leeks were delicious! The good thing was the ambiance/decor & the waiter was nice. Maybe I'll have to try the lunch/brunch...until then, no more dinner. It's too pricey for what you can make at home (if you cook:-) Happy Dining!
(3)James C.
The food was average-to-good (steak frites was good but salad was pretty bad) and the service wasn't great and the menu was confused (red and white wines have a price listed but when you order them you end up specifying a varietal which has a different price). The reason this gets 3 stars is the price. On a good day this is an above average restaurant I suspect-- but the prices don't match the quality. I believe this place can get there once they work out the kinks though.
(3)Gregg S.
Atmosphere 4, Service 5, food 4. I find the menu here a little restrictive and I find it usually channels me toward the pizza which in all fairness are quite good. Ditto for the wine list. Tallent, it is not, but a good choice if you want something a little lower key.
(4)Katie G.
The food is good, the service is good, the beer is good. This is the kind of place I can take my mom and she can order something that she can pronounce and the waitress is patient with her. Very unpretentious with a right to be.
(5)Marc B.
Went here for dinner on a hot summer night. Polished off two bottles of wine as we slowly ate outside on the patio. Really good, knowledgeable service. They have a seasonal menu but it seemed off because we went there on the day before the first official day of summer and they had what I would consider a mostly fall-themed menu. For example, among their items that seemed autumnal were a pan-seared duck breast with wild rice and a mushroom herb sauce, a wood-roasted beet salad and a heavy cream soup. Our waitress was attentive and friendly. We ordered three courses: the mussels with chorizo in a white wine broth, lightly breaded calamari and banana peppers (which was the next best to my own personal recipe) and wood roasted halibut -- all were superb. I would have preferred the wood roasted halibut to have been browned a little more on top but was still very light, flaky, moist and tasty. Romantic and intimate. They have an interesting-looking mid-day-only tapas menu that I might like to try sometime. Another reviewer last year said their menu was confusing but they must have changed it - I thought it was fine.
(5)Katie B.
This is a cute little place and very pretty inside with white tablecloths, a nice bar and well dressed servers. But honestly, it's very overrated. The menu changes often, in line with the seasons and local food availabilities, but it's just not that good. Don't get me wrong, our food wasn't terrible, it wasn't even mediocre, it just didn't fit the restaurant. Why would I pay all that money to sit in a pretty little upscale bistro and then eat food that was more miss than hit? I wouldn't and you might think about not doing it either. I really wanted to like this place, but our meals were just very lackluster. The best part? Going upstairs to the candy store afterwards.
(3)Puja G.
This is officially my favorite place to eat in Bloomington. Though place can get a bit loud at peak hours, the quality of food can't be beat! I love the cozy feel of the place; nice patinated mirrors, warm oven, and wood paneling all make this the perfect place for a dinner date! If you are looking for quality food at a cheaper price; they have pizza specials on Wednesdays. This truly reminds me of authentic Belgian brasseries. Well done! Bonus: They have a wonderful terrace; perfect for enjoying a small bite while people watching on a beautiful spring day!
(5)Eric E.
I've been here a number of times and I'm never disappointed. Fair prices for high quality food. The beer and wine menu is always fresh and the service is decent. I always try their mussels
(4)Frank T.
Excellent overall experience. The ambiance, beer/wine selection, and staff were all top-notch. However, the star of the show was the menu and food. Most of their food is locally grown, organic, and all of it is approachable to everyone, even vegetarians. Not only did they use delicious ingredients, but their preparation of the dishes made for a not-soon-forgotten meal. When dining here, eat slowly; the food here is an experience, not just a place to fill your belly. Of note: the waitress/ kitchen forgot to bring out our cheese & almond appetizer, so they brought those out at the end of the meal for free! One suggestion to the management: make the vegetable special from 4/9/11 (vegetable turnover with carrot ginger sauce) a regular item on the menu. It was one of the best dishes I have ever had.
(5)Kai W.
very nice place to go to. this has been a spot for exquisite eating (previously trully bread), and that's probably a good description for the restaurant. the crowd is generally older people with a few tables of college students. the main reason is probably the price, which may be a tad high for college students, but is probably in a reasonable price range for the type of restaurant Finch's is and the food that it serves. I had the Amish Chicken while my girlfriend had the vegetable pasta (w/o the scallops) - both taste fabulous; i have uploaded some pictures of them. And unlike other restaurant of the same class in other cities, we felt full. good place, but might be a once-in-awhile kind of place. and perfect for dating, i think.
(4)Nicole J.
I went here for a late dinner with some friends while out one night. The food was awful- just awful. I ordered mushroom/leek soup as an entree- it was so flavorless I would've preferred a can of Campbell's soup. I also had a lackluster salad for an insane price- just greens and a few slices of cucumbers. My guests ordered the pizza's which were reccomended as a great quick bite- both were boring and unremarkable. Both friends had to ask for spices to add themselves. Don't be fooled by the look of Finch's- the atmosphere may be upscale, but the food certainly IS NOT.
(1)John M.
On a recent long weekend in Bloomington, we decided we'd do one "nice" dinner while exploring the culinary offerings of the IU area. Finch's, located literally steps from the campus and in the midst of a mess of collegiete drinking and shopping, is a bit out of place. That said, this is my favorite type of restaurant - not terribly fancy, but offering upscale, well executed options that I can enjoy in a pair of jeans if I so choose. Sure my wife and I (and our 18 mo. old - to whom they were very friendly and accomodating - thank you!) can drop a bill with tip, but based on our experience it was well worth it. Also a win in regards to having a kid's menu alongside more upscale fare - thanks for making us parents feel less welcome. When we arrived we were greeted by the very helpful and friendly host, who promptly asked if she could take our stroller and bring it out when we were leaving - yes please and thank you! We were seated and we were on our way - we started with a pork belly and sweet potato hash, along with an order of mussels du jour - both were great. We actually steered away from the entrees as the pizzas looked so interesting, plus watching the chef work with the wood fired oven was enough for me to want to try one. We opted for the Merguez and the Dordogne - the first with local sausage, onion, piquillo pepper, manchego, and preserved lemon, and the second with prosciutto, truffle honey, and a cheese blend. The Merguez was really fantastic, as every now and then you'd get a pop of the preserved lemon, such a unique flavor profile overall. The Dordogne was more straight up but not any less tasty, the sweet, rich flavor of the honey coming through in a subtle but lovely way. The wine list is thorough and provides a range of options from affordable to splurge worthy, so we went with a couple of glasses in order to try a wider range which is always fun. Dessert was also excellent. My wife loves tiramisu, so we opted for their chocolate version, and we both like rich and creamy, so we also chose the espresso pot du creme. The pot du creme was powerful, rich, and so close but not quite too much - even though it was about 3 oz. It begged for coffee, and we couldn't finish it - intense would be another word. The tiramisu was off the map - I don't usually care for tiramisu and never order it - had we not we would have missed one of the best desserts I'd had in a while. Really fantastic and talked about still. Service was friendly, accommodating, and helpful, and just as promised, before we even got up from the table the host was approaching with our stroller. It's a bit loud inside, but not so much that we couldn't have a pleasant conversation, and we enjoyed talking with our neighbors as our kid is always making friends. If you're in Bloomington and looking for something nice but not over the top - this is it.
(5)Dea A.
Formerly known as Trulli Flat bread, the same owners revamped the menu and gave it a new name -- Finch's Brasserie. What makes this place unique and fabulous? The beer menu. The beer menu is just amazing. The taps and bottles -- seriously, this is a beer menu made by the gods. The menu is a little confusing, particularly on the entree section. I honestly don't like being responsible for creating my own dinner (I don't like those Mongolian BBQ places for the same reason). What to get? A sophisticated and delicious version of pizza and beer. The pizza is made in the wood burning oven and you can smell this wonderful oven from down Kirkwood. What beer to have? It depends on your mood, Orval, Duvel, Westmalle, Gumballhead Wheat, Hoegaarden... the options are all good!
(4)Elizabeth S.
Let me start with a positive note. Everyone in our party enjoyed their food. Now let me explain why i will never return. I have eaten here a few times before for department celebration dinners and dates, and my meal has been fine. Tonight, I had the rudest, most inattentive, childish service I have ever experienced. This time, I dined with a party of 12, predominantly international students, and our entire party was treated very RUDELY by our server. The server was snide from the beginning, and then when we asked him to refrigerate a cake for our birthday guest,he quickly shot back that it would be an additional $15 cake serving fee! I joked that it was a little funny to ask guests to pay to serve someone's favorite birthday cake, and he said "all restaurants do it." Then he came by later and said he saw someone waive him over (when noone did) and asked if we were ready to order. We were not so he very replied in a mean, condescending way, "I saw someone waive me over, so Im gonna leave now, and when I come back you better be ready to order." I tell you, this was not sarcasm, or an attempt to joke, he was serious! A normal reply would have been to ask whether anyone needed a drink or starter. Then when we asked the specials, he said he didnt know, and we should have papers with them. We did not, so he disappeared and returned with them and just laid them on the table. He never asked how the food was after it was delivered, and I had to track down another server to grab our cake after he gave us the bill!! I asked to speak to the manager when I had to ask for someone to get our cake after our bill was closed out, who eventually said he "would talk to him", but honestly I will never return to a place that allowed one snide person ruin a person's first birthday 1000's of miles from home. If it had not been a birthday dinner, I would have left before ordering. If anyone from Finch's reads this, please know we went to another place, The Tap, to serve the cake, ordered 2 drinks each, and they gave us free plates and utensils. We also did not have to pay a cake serving fee! If our Finch's server had not made us feel so unwelcome, we would have stayed and finished our celebration there.
(1)Anna P.
I went here for a romantic weeknight dinner with my boyfriend, and we both really enjoyed ourselves. On a quiet Tuesday night, we had almost the entire place to ourselves. As it was getting chilly out, it was very kind of the host to sit us next to the open brick oven. They have a nice size selection of Belgian beers and Belgian style American craft beers. We were both happy to see options that we can't get anywhere else in Bloomington. We went all out with three courses and never once felt rushed. Our server was friendly and attentive but let us enjoy our date with minimal interruption. We started with scallops and a cheese plate. I absolutely loved my entree, the rabbit cacciatore. The flavors were so rich and comforting. My only disappointments were our scallop appetizer. I felt that the portion was very small for the price (only 2 small sized scallops). Though they were prepared nicely, I'm certainly glad we got the fantastic cheese plate as we came hungry. And I also felt the dessert could have been a little bit more flavorful. It was a fruit crisp that was a little on the bland side. And I know it's been said by other reviewers, it is certainly one of the pricier restaurants in the area. However, we both had a great evening. And I will certainly keep Finch's Brasserie in mind as an option for a fancier dinner.
(4)Vox V.
Finches not only has an excellent just-off-campus location, but it has great food and a friendly staff. I've been there several times and sat both inside and outside - each time the experience was very pleasant. The menu has a wide selection from pricey to very reasonable. The beer selection was quite good as well. I wish more restaurants in Bloomington were like Finches. This is the perfect place to have a bite outside on a sunny day or to enjoy the nicely decorated and cozy interior when the weather is less agreeable. It is also perfect for larger groups or conversely for a more intimate meal.
(4)Anna W.
Dave and I went out Friday night in search of food. EVERYWHERE was packed!! We finally came here, which was also very busy, but we were able to grab a seat at the bar. I really like the atmosphere- cozy, quaint, inviting. The wood fired oven in the middle of the restaurant definitely helps. Their beer list is pretty impressive, too. I'm a huge Belgium beer fan and was happy to see all the offerings. As for the food- super reasonable and super good. I got a 10 inch pizza with broccoli, spinach, zucchini, pesto, and goat cheese for $12. Dave got the macaroni and cheese, which was phenomenal. I would love to come back and try their mussels because our bartender really sold them when she was telling the specials.
(5)Marcie F.
I really love the food at Finch's. More than the food, I love the beer list at Finch's! The prices are very reasonable for what you get. However, I've been here about six times now. I've only had a decent server once. Last night, I went with a few friends to celebrate something. It was taking a while to get out drinks, but we didn't mind. A hostess (who was super nice!) stepped in and asked what we ordered so she could hurry and get our drinks for us. Our server watched this, however, and I assume she thought we were complaining. We got the most passive aggressive experience with her for the rest of our dinner. We left to get drinks/dessert elsewhere just so we could avoid the awkwardness. I'm not sure what it is. I feel like even when the restaurant is dead, I'm constantly waiting. It takes a long while to get the first drink and you're likely to sit with an empty glass for a good while before you ever see your server again. tl;dr: Awesome food, bad service.
(3)Mak J.
I had my college graduation dinner here. The rabbit cacciatore was a great reward for my years of hard work. Good mussels too. And the service was good, even on this very busy afternoon. I would go here again positively.
(4)Jane T.
Hands down my favorite restaurant in Bloomington. The food is always incredible, and they change up the menu enough to keep things interesting. The beer/wine menu can't be beat. The entire staff is warm, friendly, and very helpful.
(5)Bootleg R.
I sat outside one afternoon and it was nice. Server was knowledgeable and nice. My boyfriend got the mortadella sandwich and lentil soup. The sandwich was very flavorful and included pickled carrots, the bread was nice and chewy. The lentil soup had lots of pork, pepper and onion it was more like a chili with a few exotic flavors. I had the rabbit cacciatore which I enjoyed. It was basically a rabbit stew over noodles.
(4)Jeff R.
Great place to eat....you can't go wrong here. Everyone's meals looked and tasted great. Brick hearth pizza oven is a cool touch and PBR snuck into the list of microbrews which shows a sense of humor. The only negative thing about finch's is that they replaced a La Bamba mexican joint in the upper level and the Discount Den on the main level, but those are just fond burrito and CD buying memories from the past now.
(5)Jamie P.
This was my boyfriend's favorite place to go in Bloomington when we were in college because of their awesome craft beer list and delicious food! We often got the calimari and a pizza. We never left disappointed-- and we were there a LOT! The bartender Andy was awesome and always took great care of us.
(5)