Monument Circle and the convention-center core. St. Elmo's holds the corner since 1902, Shapiro's the Reuben since 1905.
St. Elmo Steak House on South Illinois Street has anchored Indianapolis steakhouse dining since 1902. The eye-watering shrimp cocktail is the city's icon.
Signature: Shrimp cocktail, Filet mignon, Tomato juice
Order: Five jumbo shrimp around the eye-watering horseradish cocktail sauce, then the filet mignon.
Tip: Reserve well in advance for race week or convention nights. Coat-and-tie not required but the room rewards it.
Vida is Thomas Melvin's tasting-menu room in Indianapolis since 2016. The six-course menu changes weekly and is the city's most ambitious kitchen.
Signature: Six-course tasting menu, Chef's tasting menu
Order: The six-course tasting at 150 dollars per person, or the chef's tasting at 235 with the standard pairings.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday only, dinner service. Book by week in advance; the dining room is small and the kitchen does not turn tables.
Tinker Street on East 16th turns out seasonal New American small plates and pairs them off a serious wine list. Tom Main runs the kitchen and the room.
Signature: Seasonal small plates, Wine flights
Order: Whatever the chef's running on the small plates board plus a glass off the European wine list.
Tip: Sunday and Monday dinner only; closes Tuesday and Wednesday some weeks. Check the calendar before the drive.
Iaria's in Indianapolis has been on the same South College Avenue corner since 1933, the canonical old-school red-sauce Italian-American house.
Signature: Spaghetti and meatballs, Tortellini, Cheese ravioli
Order: The cheese ravioli, the meatballs and the house Chianti.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday dinner only. Walk-ins seat at the bar; reservations for the dining room.
Shapiro's Deli in Indianapolis opened in 1905. The Reuben, the corned beef on rye and the matzo ball soup have run the same counter for a century.
Signature: Reuben, Corned beef on rye, Matzo ball soup
Order: The Reuben, a side of macaroni salad, and a slice of sugar cream pie.
Tip: Order at the counter, find a table, they bring it out. Cash-friendly. Weekend breakfast 9 to noon.
St. Elmo Steak House on South Illinois in Indianapolis since 1902. The canonical Hoosier steakhouse with the eye-watering horseradish shrimp cocktail.
Vida is Thomas Melvin's six-course tasting room on East New York Street in Indianapolis since 2016. The city's most ambitious table-service kitchen.
Tinker Street in Indianapolis runs seasonal small plates on East 16th. A serious wine list and 2026 James Beard Foundation recognition for Tom Main.
Shapiro's Deli in Indianapolis opened in 1905. The Reuben, the corned beef on rye and the matzo ball soup have run the same counter for a century.
Signature: Reuben, Corned beef on rye, Matzo ball soup
Order: The Reuben with a side of macaroni salad and a slice of sugar cream pie.
Tip: Order at the counter, find a table. Weekend breakfast 9 to noon.
Iaria's in Indianapolis has been on the same South College Avenue corner since 1933. The canonical old-school red-sauce Italian-American house.
Signature: Cheese ravioli, Spaghetti meatballs
Order: The cheese ravioli, the meatballs and house Chianti.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday dinner only. Bar walk-ins, dining-room reservations.
Iozzo's Garden of Italy in Indianapolis carries the recipes of the city's first full-service Italian restaurant. A South Meridian dinner-and-wine room.
Signature: Veal scaloppine, Lasagna, Tiramisu
Order: Veal scaloppine, the house lasagna, the tiramisu.
Tip: Pre-concert dinners get busy; reserve before Symphony or Pacers nights.
Cheeky Bastards in Fountain Square, Indianapolis serves traditional British pub plates with a serious Sunday roast. A reliable Indianapolis pick.
Signature: Bangers and mash, Fish and chips
Order: Sunday roast with Yorkshire pudding, fish and chips, a real ale.
Tip: Sunday roast 11:00 to 4:00 only; book a week ahead.
Spoke & Steele in the Le Méridien Indianapolis is the convention-district New American room. Wagyu burger, roasted chicken, cocktail program on the bar.
Signature: Wagyu burger, Roasted half chicken
Order: The wagyu burger and a craft cocktail at the bar.
Tip: Bar walk-ins all evening. Pre-Pacers crowds fill the dining room.
Quills Coffee on North Meridian in Indianapolis. A Louisville-rooted specialty cafe with origin-named bean menus and a strong espresso program.
Signature drink: Flat white
Order: A flat white off the rotating espresso plus a single-origin Africa pour-over coffee.
Tip: Window-counter seats work for laptops.
Circle City Sweets at 16 Tech in Indianapolis runs scratch French-style pastries, laminated croissants, kouign-amann, macarons and artisan breads.
Order: A butter croissant and a kouign-amann.
Tip: Sold out by midday most Saturdays. Order ahead for events.
Worth the queue: Kouign-amann
Jack's Donuts on West Market in downtown Indianapolis is the Central Indiana donut institution since 1961. Cake donuts and coffee, no frills.
Order: A coconut cake donut and a regular coffee.
Tip: Sells out by 11 on Sundays. Cash and card.
Worth the queue: Coconut cake donut
Quills Coffee on North Meridian in Indianapolis pours single-origin filter, espresso and pastries from the Louisville-based roaster's only Indy cafe.
Order: A flat white off the rotating espresso, plus a pour-over from Africa.
Tip: Quietest pre-10. The window-counter seats work for laptops.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Kenya, Honduras
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail
Tinker Street on East 16th in Indianapolis runs a serious by-the-glass program alongside the seasonal kitchen. A James Beard recognized wine list.
Signature pour: Daily by-the-glass off the Burgundy list
Wine focus: European focus with strong Burgundy
Food: Small plates
Slippery Noodle Inn on South Meridian in Indianapolis dates to 1850 as the Tremont House. Indiana's oldest bar in continuous operation, a blues room.
Signature drink: Bourbon and a Sun King draft
Food: Bar menu and Indiana American sides
High Velocity at the JW Marriott Indianapolis is the downtown convention-district sports bar. Eighty-plus screens, an extensive beer list, full kitchen.
Signature drink: Craft cocktails and a long beer list
Food: Elevated bar food
Plat 99 at The Alexander Hotel in Indianapolis is a cocktail lounge built around the hotel's contemporary-art collection. Curated drinks, late hours.
Signature drink: Bartender-choice cocktails and art-program pairings
Food: Small plates
1933 Lounge above St. Elmo Steak House on South Illinois in Indianapolis pours bourbon and serves the steakhouse small-plate menu. Walk-ins only.
Signature drink: Bourbon flights and a shrimp cocktail
Food: Steakhouse small plates
Tin Roof on South Pennsylvania in Indianapolis runs live music seven nights a week. A downtown live-music room with a deep draft list and pub kitchen.
Signature drink: Whiskey and a draft
Food: Pub food
Metazoa Brewing's South College Avenue taproom donates 5% of profits to animal conservation. Dog-friendly, family-friendly, with a long Indiana draft list.
Signature drink: Metazoa drafts and a guest list
Food: Food trucks rotating
Tomlinson Tap Room above City Market in downtown Indianapolis pours Indiana-only drafts. Mezzanine seating, food from the market vendors below.
Signature drink: Indiana-only drafts
Food: City Market food vendors
Easley Winery on North College in Indianapolis is an urban winery and tasting room. Indiana fruit wines, cheese plates, the city's longest-running wine bar.
Signature drink: Easley wines by the glass
Food: Cheese plates
Centerpoint Brewing on East Brookside Avenue, Indianapolis is a small east-of-downtown taproom running a tightly-edited lineup of crisp lagers and modern.
The Original Farmers' Market on Monument Circle in Indianapolis runs Wednesday morning May through October. The downtown lunch crowd's mid-week produce stop.
Shapiro's Delicatessen on South Meridian, Indianapolis runs the Reuben for 14 dollars. Cafeteria-style ordering since 1905; cash and card both fine.
Try: Reuben
Tinker Street on East 16th in Indianapolis runs a Sunday brunch service. Seasonal small plates, the same wine list, the most-watched brunch room downtown.
Order: Seasonal small plates from the brunch board
Shapiro's Delicatessen on South Meridian in Indianapolis runs weekend breakfast 9 to noon. Matzo brei and corned-beef hash served counter-style since 1905.
Order: Matzo brei or corned beef hash
Cafe Patachou Downtown across from the State Capitol in Indianapolis serves the same flagship menu in a daylit downtown room. Cinnamon toast standard.
Order: Broken-yolk sandwich and a Patachou potato
The Slippery Noodle Inn kitchen on South Meridian in Indianapolis runs late Friday and Saturday alongside the blues stage. A reliable Indianapolis pick.
Try: Bar burgers and Reuben dogs