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The Best Bars in Indianapolis

Indianapolis has a small cocktail scene with a strong taste for rum. The best bars in Indianapolis sit on Mass Ave downtown, in Fountain Square and Bates-Hendricks, and in historic Irvington, about five miles east of downtown. The Ball & Biscuit, open on Mass Ave since 2010, calls itself Indy's original cocktail bar and takes its name from a 1930s microphone, an original of which sits behind the bar. Nowhere Special, from Ambrosia Hospitality Group, pours craft cocktails in a basement lounge on the same avenue. The Inferno Room in Fountain Square keeps more than 300 rums beside a 1,100-piece collection of Papua New Guinea art, and mixes classics from Don the Beachcomber, Trader Vic and Indiana's own Stephen Crane. Strange Bird has served rum-led tropical drinks and oysters on a quiet corner of Irvington since 2019. At The Vault Indy, you key a four-digit code into a vault door to get in. The Inferno Room takes no reservations and admits guests 21 and over only. These are the bars we would start with.

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  1. Nowhere Special
    Cocktail Bar

    Nowhere Special

    Nowhere Special is a basement cocktail lounge on Massachusetts Avenue from Ambrosia Hospitality Group. The room mixes leather, brass and low light, and the bar describes its approach as craft centered and technique driven. Cocktails come with curated beer, wine and non alcoholic options plus small bites.

    608 Massachusetts Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46204Sun-Thu 5pm-12am, Fri-Sat 5pm-1am
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  2. The Ball & Biscuit
    Cocktail Bar

    The Ball & Biscuit

    A cocktail lounge at 331 Massachusetts Avenue named after the STC 4021, a 1930s British microphone that industry insiders nicknamed the Ball and Biscuit; an original sits on a shelf behind the bar, and vintage microphones and music gear appear around the room. The drinks run classic and creative, made fresh with house ingredients: staff originals such as Vertigo, with Condesa gin, sour cherry liqueur and Pedro Ximénez sherry, sit beside house standards like the Espressotini and an Old Fashioned with J. Rieger bourbon, plus spirit-free and THC options. The kitchen sends out shareable small plates made with locally sourced ingredients, from baked goat cheese to a pork biscuit melt. Regulars call it the biscuit or B&B. It opens at four every day and hosts private parties.

    331 Massachusetts Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46204Sun-Thu 4pm-12am, Fri-Sat 4pm-2am
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  3. The Vault Indy
    Speakeasy

    The Vault Indy

    The Vault Indy is a speakeasy in the Bates-Hendricks neighborhood, entered through a vault style door that opens with a code hidden at the entrance. Inside, the bar serves fine spirits and cocktails with a food menu, and bartenders will build a drink around a chosen spirit. The venue hosts live music on weekdays and private events.

    1542 S East Street, Indianapolis, IN 46225Tue-Thu 4pm-10pm, Fri 4pm-11pm, Sat 4pm-12am
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  4. Strange Bird
    Tiki Bar

    Strange Bird

    Strange Bird is a tropical hideaway on a quiet corner of historic Irvington on the Eastside, open since 2019. Founder Neal Warner is a rum and oyster enthusiast, and ornate tropical cocktails come out alongside oysters in a room dressed in bamboo and bac-bac matting. The kitchen, led by Chef Kyle Humphreys, makes Japanese ramen with house made noodles, and the bar runs regular rum and oyster classes.

    128 S Audubon Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46219Tue-Sun 4pm-10pm, Mon closed
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  5. The Inferno Room
    Tiki Bar

    The Inferno Room

    The Inferno Room is a tiki bar and restaurant on Virginia Avenue in Fountain Square, with a spirit house, the Kahuna Lounge and a Luau Room. The walls hold a large collection of Papua New Guinea native art. The menu pairs tiki classics in the tradition of Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic with the house team's own exotic cocktails.

    902 Virginia Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46203Tue-Thu 4pm-11pm, Fri 4pm-1am, Sat 2pm-1am, Sun 4pm-11pm, Mon closed
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These bars are the starting point. The full BarMagazine directory covers every listed bar in Indianapolis, with a map, filters by bar type, and new openings as we verify them.

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