Indianapolis Food Guide

Indianapolis developed a serious food scene more recently than comparable Midwestern cities, but it has moved quickly. The Fountain Square and Mass Ave corridors house most of the city’s best independent restaurants. Several have drawn national attention: Milktooth’s James Beard Award nomination for best new restaurant in 2015 put Indianapolis on the national food map; Bluebeard (same ownership) has maintained a consistent profile for a decade. The city also has a developing craft beer scene anchored by Sun King Brewing.

Fountain Square Anchor Restaurants

Bluebeard — 653 Virginia Ave, Fountain Square. Named for the Vonnegut novel; housed in a 1924 warehouse with exposed brick and high ceilings. The kitchen sources from Indiana farms and changes the menu weekly; past dishes have included whipped ricotta with local honey and herbs, pork belly with pickled watermelon, and duck confit with seasonal grains. Pasta approximately $18–$26; mains approximately $24–$38 as of 2026. Open Tuesday–Saturday for dinner; Saturday–Sunday for brunch. Reservations recommended.

Milktooth — 534 Virginia Ave, Fountain Square. Jonathan Brooks’s daytime restaurant earned a James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant in 2015 and has maintained a consistent line since. The Dutch baby pancakes — a puffy, oven-baked egg pancake served with seasonal toppings — and the rotating rice porridge dish are the signature items. The egg sandwich on house-baked bread is the most ordered item for speed. Mains approximately $12–$20. Open daily 7am–3pm. Weekend lines form by 9am; arrive early or plan for the post-noon lull.

Hotel Tango Distillery Craft Cocktails — 702 Virginia Ave (in the Hotel Tango building). The distillery operates a full bar and events space attached to the hotel. The proprietary whiskey and gin cocktails approximately $12–$16.

Amelia’s Bakery — 655 Virginia Ave. Breads, pastries, and coffee roasted in-house. One of the best morning stops in Fountain Square; croissants and seasonal tarts approximately $4–$7.

Mass Ave

Bakersfield — 334 Massachusetts Ave. A Mexican street food and tequila/mezcal bar with strong cocktails. Tacos approximately $4–$6 each; a solid pre-dinner or late-night option. Consistently busy.

Mesh on Mass — 725 Massachusetts Ave. Farm-to-table American with a seasonal menu and a burger at lunch that draws its own following. Mains approximately $18–$34.

Rook — 501 Virginia Ave (on the Fountain Square–Mass Ave boundary). Chef Carlos Salazar’s Southeast Asian–inflected menu: banh mi with house-cured meats, pork belly rice bowls, and rotating specials drawing on Filipino, Vietnamese, and Thai techniques. Lunch and dinner; mains approximately $12–$22. One of the most interesting kitchens in the city for value.

Ball & Biscuit — 331 Massachusetts Ave. Cocktails and American comfort food in a dark, well-designed bar. Burgers approximately $15–$18; cocktails approximately $12–$16.

Fine Dining

Beholder — 1844 E 10th St, Irvington (approximately 5 miles east of downtown). Jonathan Brooks’s tasting-menu restaurant — the more ambitious project than Milktooth. The menu of 8–10 courses draws on Indiana’s agricultural seasons; Brooks composes vegetable-forward menus with occasional meat courses. Tasting menu approximately $90–$120 per person as of 2026. À la carte available at the bar. Open Wednesday–Saturday for dinner. Book 2–3 weeks ahead.

Oakleys Bistro — 1464 W 86th St, Northwest Side. A longstanding Indianapolis fine-dining institution (since 2001); more French-influenced and traditional than the Fountain Square wave. Tasting menus available; à la carte mains approximately $32–$52.

Vida — 601 E New York St, Massachusetts Ave area. New American with a wood-fire focus — most menu items show charred or wood-smoked elements. Mains approximately $26–$44. Open Tuesday–Saturday for dinner.

Downtown

St. Elmo Steak House — 127 S Illinois St, Downtown. The most famous restaurant in Indianapolis, open since 1902. The shrimp cocktail sauce (made with fresh-grated horseradish, applied in volume) is one of the most well-known restaurant dishes in the Midwest — it reliably clears sinuses and has a dedicated local following. Steaks approximately $48–$85; the shrimp cocktail approximately $22. Open daily for dinner. Reservations strongly recommended.

Bru Burger Bar — 410 Massachusetts Ave; also in Broad Ripple. A locally owned burger chain with house-ground beef and a rotating specials menu. Burgers approximately $12–$18. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Nada — 30 S Meridian St, Downtown. Cincinnati-based Mexican concept with a full bar and an accessible menu for downtown convenience. Tacos approximately $4–$6; mains approximately $16–$26.

Broad Ripple

Broad Ripple (approximately 6 miles north of downtown, on the IndyGo Red Line) is a dense independent bar and restaurant neighbourhood around the Broad Ripple Village commercial district.

Bier Brewery & Taproom — 5133 E 65th St, Broad Ripple. A German-style brewery producing lagers, hefeweizens, and pilsners in a building modeled on a Bavarian beer hall. Pretzels and schnitzel on the food menu. Pints approximately $6–$8.

Brugge Brasserie — 1011 E Westfield Blvd, Broad Ripple. Belgian-influenced with the city’s most focused Belgian beer list. Moules frites approximately $20; specials frequently feature saison and gueuze pairings.

Pawn Shop — 6139 N College Ave. A bar with a well-curated local draft list and a backyard patio. The closest thing Broad Ripple has to a local’s anchor.

Craft Beer

Sun King Brewing — 135 N College Ave, Downtown. Indianapolis’s largest craft brewery; the Sunny T (summer wheat ale) and Wee Mac (Scottish-style ale) are the most widely distributed. The downtown taproom (open daily) is the most accessible option; a canning facility and beer garden operates in Fishers (suburban). Pints approximately $5–$7.

Chilly Water Brewing — 100 W Vermont St, Downtown. A smaller downtown brewery in a warehouse space with a focus on session IPAs and stouts. Taproom open Wednesday–Sunday.

Metazoa Brewing — 140 S College Ave, Downtown. A brewery with a dog-friendly taproom and a focus on New England IPAs. One of the more visually entertaining brewery interiors in the city.