Indianapolis Bar Guide
30+ bars across Indianapolis's drinking neighbourhoods, curated by editors who know the city.
Indianapolis quietly built itself into a Midwest leader. Mass Ave runs ten blocks of cocktail rooms, restaurants, and live-music venues. Fountain Square's speakeasy revival sits next to it. The Inferno Room has held a James Beard semi-finalist nomination multiple years. The Indiana-corn Old Fashioned is the local ritual.
Five neighbourhoods cluster the action. Mass Ave is the cocktail-and-creative spine. Fountain Square holds the speakeasy district. Broad Ripple is the residential indie-bar strip. Downtown covers the post-game and convention crowd. SoBro is the new creative-class quarter.
Cocktails run $11 to $14. Pints $5 to $7. Tipping is 20 percent. Most bars run to 3am. Reserve The Inferno Room and Hotel Tango on weekends.
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Cocktail Bars in Indianapolis
World-class cocktail rooms
Rooftop Bars in Indianapolis
Skyline drinks
Date Night in Indianapolis
Romantic spots
After Work in Indianapolis
Apéro-hour bars
Live Music in Indianapolis
Bands and DJs
Craft Beer in Indianapolis
Microbreweries and taprooms
Hidden Gems in Indianapolis
Unmarked doors
Sports Bars in Indianapolis
Watch parties
Top Picks This Week
The Inferno Room
Indy's most awarded cocktail bar. James Beard semi-finalist multiple years. Tiki-themed cocktail bar with a serious rum program. Long bar, carved interior. Reserve.
Plat 99
Cocktail bar inside the Alexander Hotel. Polished marble interior, classic-cocktail-leaning menu, and a dressed-up after-work crowd.
Hotel Tango
Distillery tasting room with a serious cocktail bar attached. Veteran-owned. House-distilled vodka, rum, and whiskey. Best for a Friday-evening tasting.
Gallery Pastry Shop
Cafe-bar-pastry hybrid. Coffee by day, cocktails by night, and a bakery counter throughout. The most all-day drinking room in Indianapolis.
Bluebeard
Restaurant-bar with one of Indianapolis's tightest natural-wine lists and a craft-cocktail menu. Brick-walled, candle-lit interior.
Slippery Noodle Inn
Heritage blues bar from 1850. The oldest commercial building in Indianapolis. Live blues every night, cheap pours, and the most authentic Indy juke-joint.
Neighbourhood Guide
Mass Ave
The cocktail-and-creative spine. Ten blocks of cocktail rooms, restaurants, and live-music venues. The densest serious-bar concentration in Indianapolis.
Fountain Square
The speakeasy district south-east of downtown. Boutique cocktail rooms, dive bars, and a thirty-something local crowd.
Broad Ripple
Residential indie-bar strip north of downtown. Dive bars, neighbourhood pubs, and a younger college-area crowd.
Downtown
The central business district. Hotel cocktail bars, post-Pacers-game crowds, and the convention-week spike.
SoBro
The new creative-class quarter south of Broad Ripple. Indie cocktail rooms, restaurant-bars, and a quieter creative-class crowd.
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