The Best Restaurants in Indianapolis

By Ananya Bakshi

Indianapolis is a city that knows how to eat. If you’re here, you’ve likely got a meeting downtown, or maybe you’re just lost and accidentally found yourself in the Crossroads of America. Either way, you’re going to get hungry, and I’m here to tell you where to go.

1. St. Elmo Steak House

St. Elmo is the kind of place where you’ll feel underdressed in anything less than a tuxedo, and that’s just how it should be. Established in 1902, this is where you go when you want a steak that could double as a doorstop. The shrimp cocktail will clear your sinuses for a week, but that’s part of the charm.

2. Bluebeard

Located in the Fletcher Place neighborhood, Bluebeard is the sort of place where you can pretend you’re more sophisticated than you are. Named after a Kurt Vonnegut novel (he was from here, you know), this spot serves up a rotating menu of locally sourced dishes that change as often as your indecisive cousin’s hair color. But whatever’s on the menu, it’s going to be good.

3. Milktooth

If you’re the kind of person who thinks brunch is a personality trait, Milktooth is your mecca. The menu reads like an episode of Chopped, with ingredients you’ve never heard of but will pretend you have. This is the spot where the city's food scene flexes its creative muscles. Just don’t ask for substitutions. The chef knows better than you.

Nestled in the basement of the Athenaeum, The Rathskeller is the closest thing you’ll find to Bavaria without booking a flight. They’ve got beer steins larger than your head and enough sausages to make a butcher blush. The live music and garden seating make it the perfect place to forget you’re in the Midwest for a while.

4. The Rathskeller

5. Livery

A rooftop in Indianapolis? Yes, it exists, and it’s at Livery, a Latin-inspired joint in the trendy Mass Ave district. The empanadas are crisp, the cocktails are strong, and the vibe is just right for pretending you’re cooler than you actually are. Plus, you can say you went somewhere with a rooftop, which is basically a humblebrag.