Restaurant GUIDE
DOWNTOWN
INCLUDES Fletcher Place, Fountain Square, Mass Ave, Mile Square
Beholder
CONTEMPORARY A former car-repair shop just outside Woodruff Place sets the stage for a daring piece of performance art that has featured pig-skin noodles, granita-topped uni designed to melt on the tongue, grilled cucumbers, and other transfigured meats and veggies. Labor-intensive cocktails are so smart and spot-on that it’s hard to choose just one. Or three. Dinner Mon.–Sat. 1844 E. 10th St., 317-419-3471, beholderindy.com
Black Market
CONTEMPORARY Sophisticated Mediterranean touches and wine-friendly Continental fare now top the menu at this Mass Ave standard, where recently installed executive chef Esteban Rosas took the reins from longtime chef and partner Micah Frank in late 2018. The burger with halloumi cheese and house frites is still one of the best bar meals in the city, but elegant pastas such as cavatelli with a fragrant lamb ragout and a simple spaghettini with imported tomatoes and toasted garlic are not to be missed. Pan-roasted cod; a slow-cooked cotechino sausage with French lentils; roasted marrow bones with grilled bread and pickled apples; and scoop after scoop of savory ice cream show just how much this rustic gastropub has evolved into an innovative bistro through the years. The secluded, pergola-topped back patio with the low buzz of the interstate is still one of downtown’s most relaxing urban retreats for a summer supper. Dinner Tues.–Sat. 922 Massachusetts Ave., 317-822-6757, blackmarketindy.net
Bluebeard
CONTEMPORARY Crowds still roll in for chef Abbi Merriss’s take on seasonal comfort food, a category she dominates in town as evidenced by her vast collection of national media mentions and James Beard Award nominations. Start with the bread baked next door at sister-business Amelia’s—delicious slathered with anchovy butter—and build your meal from the ever-changing menu of small and large dishes. Fried morels may show up on a spring picnic plate, while winter nights call for a comforting butcher-shop Bolognese. Bluebeard is a rare neighborhood restaurant open for Sunday dinner, a popular $1 oyster night. Lunch Mon.–Fri., dinner daily. 653 Virginia Ave., 317-686-1580, bluebeardindy.com
Bru Burger Bar
GOURMET BURGERS The Cunningham Restaurant Group, based in Indianapolis and the force behind several of our hottest spots, revives the gilded burger trend to great effect, pairing patties that combine sirloin, chuck, and brisket with craft beers in a young and stylish spot the Cultural Trail. The signature Bru Burger reinvents the bacon cheeseburger with Taleggio, sweet tomato jam, and porter-braised onions. Lunch and dinner daily. 410 Massachusetts Ave., 317-635-4278, bruburgerbar.com
Burger Study
BURGERS Part of the St. Elmo Steak House family, Burger Study conveniently backs up to Circle Centre, offering mall-side USDA Prime Black Angus burgers made from a blend of brisket, short rib, and chuck. The burgers are gilded with posh add-ons like root beer–glazed bacon, gouda, and pimento cheese. One (the Prime Degree) is made with dry-aged beef, and the Wagyu burger contains locally sourced beef from Joseph Decuis topped with triple-crème whipped brie, blueberry jam, and arugula. Lunch and dinner daily. 28 W. Georgia St., 317-777-7770, burgerstudy.com
Cafe Patachou
CAFE The original Meridian-Kessler “student union for adults” continues to draw in the baseball-capped morning crowds and has inspired citywide offshoots, such as this sleek downtown location, a huge hit with the business, convention, and weekend hordes alike. The cinnamon toast is still as thick as a brick, and definitely the bread option you want to order; the produce is still locally sourced; the massive omelets still have cheeky names; and the broken-yolk sandwiches are still a lunch favorite. Breakfast and lunch daily. 225 W. Washington St., 317-632-0765, cafepatachou.com
The Capital Grille
CLASSIC A theme of rich decadence permeates this downtown steakhouse adjoining the equally posh Conrad hotel, from the gilded-framed pastoral paintings that hang on its dark-paneled walls to the selection of elaborate steaks (one of them drenched in a Courvoisier cream sauce, another sauced with aged balsamic—and some of them dry-aged). The servers are exquisite, of course. Lunch and dinner daily. 40 W. Washington St., 317-423-8790, thecapitalgrille.com
Comida
LATIN FUSION Food truck–style fusion in the form of General Tso’s chicken tacos and char siu pork burritos are some of the tasty globally influenced choices at this counter-service spot. Breakfast scrambles and pastries from such local sources as Saraga International Market start the day alongside espresso drinks, and street food favorites such as beef and chorizo empanadas, “flaming hot” corn-and-mayo elotes, and Korean-inspired bulgogi nachos make great choices for lunch. Don’t pass up a hearty dinner of the fragrant paella-like Gran Castigador with pigeon peas, chicken, and mussels. Breakfast daily, lunch and dinner Tues.–Sat., lunch Sunday. 43 E. 9th St., 317-426-4392, comidaindy.com
Condado Tacos
TACOS This flashy new Mass Ave outpost of the vibrant Ohio-based chain offers a paper menu of build-your-own taco options, from tortilla to sauces. Customers fill in the dots next to their preferred fixings, like the Firecracker hard shell, the house-made chorizo, and the Thai chili tofu. Lunch and dinner daily. 530 Massachusetts Ave., 317-222-5999, condadotacos.com
Conner’s Kitchen + Bar
CONTEMPORARY At this luxe, relaxed restaurant inside the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown, a glowing wall of alcohol separates the dining room from the bar, and deep, all seasons sofas made for lounging sit on the sidewalk-side patio. Art-directed cocktails, like the Prickly Pear Margarita and the Peppered Paloma, elevate after-work drinks, and a simple upscale-casual menu focuses on chopped salads and basic dishes done well, like a grilled five-cheese sandwich and a little pail of black-truffle potato chips too addictively light and crispy to share. Weekend brunch calls for cereal milk–infused cocktails garnished with Cocoa Puffs. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. 350 W. Maryland St., 317-405-6100, connersindy.com
Croûte Baking Company
PATISSERIE Acclaimed for her decadent and whimsical desserts at Vida and other Cunningham Restaurant Group outposts, pastry chef Hattie McDaniel now bakes up French-style pastries and crusty bread and rolls at this welcome patisserie in the Chamber of Commerce Building downtown. Sweet and savory Danishes, cinnamon blossoms with maple cream-cheese icing, and brioche-like Bostocks with frangipane and seasonal fruits are among the knockout morning offerings. But sandwiches are worth the trip back for lunch, especially a spot-on ham-and-cheese and a pastrami-and-Havarti on house rye. Salads, sides, and daily iced teas are thoughtful touches at this takeout-only spot that opens for weekly chefs’ tasting tables where Cunningham toques dazzle guests with test recipes and other off-the-cuff creations. Breakfast and lunch Mon.–Fri. 320 N. Meridian St., 317-956-5584, croute-bakery.com
Fat Dan’s Deli
MEAT AND POTATOES Be prepared to use plenty of napkins when you chow down on burgers loaded up with such tasty add-ons as smoked pork, pastrami, gorgonzola, capers, and brie. Brisket smoked for 14 hours is a mainstay of the made-from-scratch menu, as is the house corned beef, but don’t miss the plump Vienna dogs that will transport you to Wrigleyville. Lunch and dinner daily. 410 E. Michigan St., 317-600-3333, fatdansdeli.com
Flatiron at the Elbow Room
CONTEMPORARY Nearly two years after downtown pub The Elbow Room shuttered, the historic building that housed it gained new life with two dining concepts overseen by longtime country-club chef Glenn Brown. Weekday counter-service breakfast includes meat-and-eggs options, grain bowls, and entrée “cups” from “Mom’s Cupboard,” such as quinoa grits and overnight oats. Sandwiches and soups, including Brown’s version of a local classic, chicken velvet soup, are available at lunch. Dinner gets a more upscale approach on the old bar side, with roasted chicken, a bone-in ribeye, and pan-roasted salmon with asiago risotto. Especially good are the desserts, including peanut-butter brownies, cupcakes, and turnovers served all day. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Mon.–Sat., brunch Sun. 605 N. Pennsylvania St., 317-746-6961, thepointonpenn.com
Fogo de Chao
This Brazilian steakhouse chain is as handsome as it is indulgent.
