Indy date guide: best spots for first dates, special occasions and everything in between
Through forces that confound the scientific and the occult alike, I have a girlfriend. That, in addition to my job reporting on restaurants, makes me feel distinctly qualified to offer Indy date ideas. Valentine’s Day is in the rear-view mirror, but that’s no excuse to stop courting your partner. Maybe you’re looking to court someone new. Even if you spent Feb. 14 solo and content, it never hurts to bookmark ideas for the future.
From testing the waters to putting on the Ritz, here are the spots around central Indianapolis to know about when date night rolls around.
Where to take a first date in Indy
In my limited experience, first dates are where bars and coffee shops shine. The financial commitment is low, and it’s a lot easier to get to know someone between sips of espresso than slurps of Bolognese.Here are some standout settings:
Parlor Public House
600 E. Ohio St., parlorpublichouse.com
Parlor, which sells hot drinks during the day and alcoholic beverages after 5 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, offers a bustling loft flush with greenery and plenty of intimate seating options. Grab a table so you can inconspicuously wipe your clammy hands on your knees while anxiously nursing a horchata latte or cozy up on a couch with some cocktails if you feel a spark.
Mansion Society
202 Steeples Blvd., facebook.com/p/mansion-society
This idyllic coffee shop inside the old Central State Mansion is made for quiet conversations over artisanal drinks like the toasty, herby pear rosemary tart latte. Mansion Society was evidently romantic enough for one couple to controversially get married there last year, so it should suffice for a first date.
Tappers
501 Virginia Ave., tappersarcadebar.com
Arcade bars aren’t for everyone, but Tappers in Fountain Square holds a special place in my heart. The drink list is impressively varied but not terribly expensive, and the games ensure you have something to do in case you run out of things to talk about.
Before you know it, you’re two vodka sodas deep, hurtling down Rainbow Road. Now you and your date are developing a cute rivalry — I hope one of you doesn’t playfully punch the other in the side of the arm after a narrow Mario Kart defeat. That would be terrible.
If the night is a smashing success, you could walk four blocks south to The Inferno Room (902 Virginia Ave.) to sit in a dimly lit booth and watch your server set a cartoonishly large cocktail on fire. What more could you ask?
Casual, affordable date spots in Indianapolis
Congratulations — your prospective partner thought you were at least cool and normal enough to chance a second, maybe even third date. You’ve survived the retread of freshman year icebreakers; now it’s time to show a little personality.
Saraga International Grocery
3605 Commercial Dr. and 8448 Center Run Dr., saragaindy.com
No, really. Not only does Saraga boast rows upon rows of food from around the globe, it also has counter service restaurants that make for a great quick bite.
A sizeable contingent of IndyStar staffers swear by Asian Snack at the original Westside Saraga as one of the best eateries in town. You and your partner can load up on springy steamed pork buns (seven for $8) and sweet, sticky stir-fried eggplant ($10), then prowl the aisles for fun international snacks while the hazard vest-orange garlic sauce rockets you from epic sugar high to plummeting crash in the span of 10 minutes.
Street eats: Five international vendors to try around Indianapolis
Julieta Taco Shop
1060 N. Capitol Ave., instagram.com/julieta_tacoshop
Owners Esteban Rosas and Gabriel Sanudo bring years of experience to a taqueria teeming with fresh and tangy flavors. The citrusy, charred al pastor tacos are a surefire crowd pleaser, but don’t shy away from beef tongue, fried mushroom or whatever catches your eye on the day’s menu (around $5 per taco).
As date foods go, tacos are virtually unbeatable. They’re widely beloved, splendidly portable and fairly affordable. Equally importantly, they’re a Tyrese Haliburton-level assist for a visit to a nearby watering hole. Julieta's will even hand you your tacos through a window it shares with Turner’s Bar next door, the perfect second stop on a date.
Turner’s Bar
1060 N. Capitol Ave., turnersindy.com
Turner’s comes with all the usual tavern trappings: beer, cocktails, billiards and occasional live music in an inviting atmosphere. But to me, its crown jewel is a metal warming cabinet next to the bar full of foil-wrapped beef hot dogs in poppy seed buns available for $1 with any drink purchase.
For a fool-proof chemistry test, watch your date’s reaction as you scarf down a fully dressed hot dog in the middle of a near-empty bar on a random weekday evening. If they don’t subsequently ghost you for being a bit of a freak, they’re ready for something more serious.
Semi-formal date spots
The L-word may or may not have entered your daily vernacular, but “couple” certainly has. Coffee, drinks and taco runs are absolutely still on the menu, but by this point it doesn’t quite feel like a date if there isn’t a wine list involved.
Modita
850 Massachusetts Ave., modita.com
The Asian fusion fare at this swanky Bottleworks District joint is engineered for sharing. “Small plates, but bigger,” our waiter said. I’m pretty sure that’s just a normal plate, but all that matters is the largely delicious food on top of it.
Take turns slurping lip-stinging edamame ($9) out of garlic- and chili-doused pods before moving on to slow-grilled pork belly cradled in airy bao buns (three for $14). Shuffle plates around and exchange smoky sips of mezcal cocktails as you clumsily attempt to feed your partner a piece of pickled papaya with chopsticks. Have fun and be a little dumb. Trying — and failing — to look cool is what the first dates were for.
Union 50
620 N. East St., union-50.com
Someone relatively high up in the Indy restaurant scene recently told me they like Union 50 for casual dates with their spouse. I personally don’t often use the words "beef tartare" and "casual" in the same sentence, but Union 50 is still a great place to explore inventive dishes and cocktails without suffering near-fatal sticker shock.
Amid a menu of standouts, the roasted bone marrow ($19) is especially eyebrow-raising. Seasoned muscle tissue scraped onto a crusty baguette will taste as appetizing or upsetting as it sounds, but the real intrigue begins when your waiter offers you a $6 glass of port wine.
You may feel a bit silly holding one end of a hollowed-out bone to your mouth while your date holds a wine glass to the other. But romance is the name of the game here, and nothing says intimacy quite like your lover pouring a small torrent of meat-infused alcohol down the back of your throat via bone chute.
Date destinations for special occasions
You end phone calls with “I love you,” their parents are in your contacts and you’ve developed a bizarre second language with each other that you’d be mortified to speak in front of anyone else. You’re all in on this relationship, and date night should reflect that.
Steakhouse of your choice
I’m not saying all steakhouses are the same, but the differences largely boil down to personal preference. A $70 ribeye and a $15 glass of wine are going to taste pretty great no matter which dimly lit menu you ordered them from.
St. Elmo’s and Harry and Izzy’s are local icons with rich histories. Prime 47 and Cooper and Cow have locations in the northern suburbs if that’s your vibe. The newest on the block, Commission Row has a basement speakeasy where you can tap into your inner bootlegger while sipping a chocolate strawberry cocktail, which I assume was very popular with all the roughest gangsters back in the day.
Sneak peek: Inside Commission Row
Wherever you end up, just order something that looks tasty and don’t feel obligated to get the rarest steak or the stiffest drink. You may feel pressure to look suave, but there’s a decent chance you’ll be sitting a few tables from a guy in jeans and a Reggie Wayne jersey. Loosen up a bit.
Tinker Street
402 E. 16th St., tinkerstreetrestaurant.com
There’s a reason IndyStar and USA TODAY named Tinker Street one of the best restaurants in the nation this year.
A complimentary pour of champagne dubbed the Tinker toast kicks off a multi-course celebration of food. The whole menu feels like a tireless attempt to surprise and delight with dishes like mushroom stroganoff ($32), Korean short rib pasta ($48) and whipped butternut squash ($19).
Ask your waiter for recommendations and abandon your comfort zone as you feel yourself getting delightfully drunk on the vibrant yet intimate atmosphere — or the spicy margaritas.
Restaurant of the year: What to order at Tinker Street
Contact dining reporter Bradley Hohulin at bhohulin@gannett.com. You can follow him on Twitter/X @BradleyHohulin.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Best restaurants for dates in Indianapolis
