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Categories: American (New), Venues & Event Spaces, French
Neighborhoods: Chatham Arch, Indy MetroMon-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
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While I don't think it's fair to slam a place simply because if their decorating choices, I must admit that I would have given Scholars a 5 star rating if they hadn't decided to decorate their place like faux-hip version of a Rooms-To-Go. Just because you cover everything in velvet and use a lot gauzy looking cloth all over the place does not make you trendy. To be very honest, it looks very dated - say 2001 or so.
Also, while the waiter was cute as hell and friendly, would it hurt him to wash his hair? Really. It was so greasy, it looked like there was enough oil in it for him to become an OPEC member. And yes, I can tell the difference between dirty, greasy hair and hair that has product.
Anyway, the food was excellent. I had the sirloin which was very tender, cooked as I ordered (rare) and served with some tasty garlic mashed potatoes. I will certainly come back again when I'm in town for business and try something else.
Well, I have to say, I am disappointed. The last time I was at Scholar's was for brunch before a showing of Lion King. Yes, my review is a bit delayed. I was about 30 weeks pregnant and looking VERY forward to an incredible brunch with my mom, sister and grandma before heading off to a fantastic Broadway show.
Our waitress was new...clearly (though she didn't say this). On Sunday mornings, they typically offer a half priced mimosa menu, but low and behold the TRUE mimosa (orange juice and champagne) is NOT included in the "half priced options" so even though our waitress knew my sister wanted to get something half off, she didn't bother to clarify when my sister ordered the basic mimosa. She was forced to pay $8.50 for OJ/champagne. LAME.
On top of that, she didn't bring my fruit plate and charged me for it and genuinely was uninterested in our table. I am not a fan of someone else delivering my food and our waitress never coming to check on us until it's more than halfway eaten.
I did enjoy my $9.00 french toast, but there was something cold about my entire experience that really turned me off.
This is incredibly disappointing b/c Scholar's used to be a fun, unique treat! Now, it's just an overpriced, badly staffed, horribly decorated (who came in with the millions of yards of velvet!?!?) restaurant.
My affair with this Mass Ave. institution is O-VER.
I looooove Scholar's Inn for many reasons:
1) Fantastic brunch with half priced mimosa on Sunday -…
Read more »
OK I had a slightly horrific experience here. This charming restaurant had once been a staple on my favorites list until they recently renovated it, killing everything good about it along the way. It used to be this quaint spot that you could have a glass of wine and desert, but now its a dark and eerie restaurant with velvet covering every square inch of the place. Not tasteful!
The food was mediocre, when it finally came, and their wine cellar had froze the night before so they had a limited selection. Conveniently, they had a bottle available that was three times as much as the one we initially wanted, and they dared to charge us for it. Needless to say, I would not recommend spending this much money on this poor of an experience.
Oh and parking is limited too!
So, I tried the brunch at Scholars Inn today. One word Great!! I had the three cheese scrambler with a side of bacon. Oh boy do they give you a side of bacon. I had enough bacon to share. The mimosa was good, the coffee was good, heck the water was good :-)
I think that this was a great experience and since I love breakfast I will definitely be back.
I must first say that I have never had dinner here..well never had dinner any other place besides… Read more »
What a mess! Is it cool and hip? Is it a sports bar? Is it a sports bar with a cool and hip attitude? Is it a hipster hangout? Couldn't tell ya.
The food was like dressed up sports bar food, in a bad borrowed tuxedo. The service was the same, a bad date in ill fitting clothes
It's a $100 mistake.
P.S. If you are a waiter, a few hints:
1. Do not clear the table while people are still eating
2. Do not stack the dirty dishes on the table, to clear the table
3. Do not call you 80 year old mother "honey"
4. Do not reach across the table to serve people
5. Shower daily
6. Remember, just because you are hip does not make you a good waiter
7. If someone asks you is the "trout local", don't just say "not sure" - go find out
8. If someone asks "how is the calamari prepared" don't say "it's a chemical process"
9. Do not wear puka beads
10. Ask if someone is finished before taking their plate
Is this a gay bar? No one really knows, but the Thursday night that I was here, it sure seemed like it.
Martini's are half price on Thursdays, and if my friend didn't have to work the next day I think we would have been in trouble cause those things were good. Like really good. The exterior doesn't really match the interior since it looks like you're going into a pub/hotel ... the second you get inside it feels like you're in some swanky SOMA lounge complete with soft high back chairs and plexiglass benches that sparkle with all kinds of colorful light.
The more I think about it, yeah, this is a gay bar :) ... I'll probably be back on a future trip to Indy.
I went here this past Saturday with my sister. The "Devour Downtown" menu was available - 3 courses for $30 which we both ordered.
First, the food. My sister had the rocket salad and I had the tapas platter for our first course. The tapas platter was just ok, nothing great. The rocket salad was a better choice. They also bring out warm bread which was really good. For the second course, we both had the trout. It was delicious, perfectly seasoned and cooked. No complaints there. For dessert, my sister had the flour-less cake and I had the red velvet cake. Both were really good and you could tell they were freshly baked.
The ambiance - we sat outside, so we didn't see much of the inside. The outside patio is really nice, it has a fire pit and live music on certain nights. There's also a fire pit for cooler nights.
The service - the service was mediocre. They brought out our entrees after just serving us our first course. Also, the waiter was not very attentive at first. I had finished my glass of wine and water, but he didn't stop over until we were almost done with our entrees. Had he stopped by earlier, I probably would have had a 2nd glass of wine.
All-in-all, the food was great, service was ok. Not living in Indy, I probably will try a different restaurant on Mass Ave when I go back.
A great place for a few cocktails if you're tired of the gay bars in the city and want a slightly less elegant venue than Nicky Blaine's, and feel totally comfortable bringing your mid-life crisis mom to.
Great list of cocktails. Thursday nights they have half-priced martinis!
Fancy out of town guests are always impressed.
Martinis are incredible.
Chef is willing to accommodate my vegan needs.
Service and atmosphere are good!
Went here for dinner and would have to say the cocktails are better than the food - but they have really good cocktails.
They have cool decor - but when I was there it was ridiculously loud and my boyfriend and I could barely hear each other. However, it could have something to do with the party of 10 ridiculously drunk people right next to us.
From what I hear it is worth coming to for brunch, but dinner was pretty good and the cocktails (obviously) are worth the trip.
We only came to the lounge part, so I can't speak to the restaurant. I wavered between three stars and four, but realized that the four inclination was mostly based on the fantastic chocolate dessert we had, and the good quality of my friend's cognac. While these factors are both very important, I don't feel they entirely outweigh the downsides. First of all, my drink--"Starjuice"--didn't really live up to its celestial name. Alcohol-wise, it was quite weak, even by girly drink standards, and its flavor didn't pack the punch I'd expected, either.
Then there was the atmosphere. There are a lot of good things to be said here. The foamy curtains and light-studded tables, for example, were very nice. I loved the tvs with the swirling, gelatinous, surrealist images playing silently in the background. That was a hit. "Scrubs" playing on the TV above the bar, however, was quite the miss. So was the vaguely honky tonk-ish music. Don't get me wrong; I love my (old school) honky tonk. But not in this lounge.
And let's not even get started on the KFC-style switch to the acronym "SI," which is supposed to stand not only for Scholar's Inn, but also for "Sexy and Intimate." Puh-leaze. Most places that really are sexy and intimate don't need to advertise themselves as such. We also noticed that the lounge is set up mostly for large groups rather than couples. If you're with five other people, you might get an alcove, but if you have just one companion, you'll likely be stuck in the middle of the floor like we were, which is really neither sexy nor intimate.
I ate here for Sunday brunch a few weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised. We sat outside after a ten minute wait. The foyer is tastefully modern in design and really made us curious about the food. The staff is young but mostly professional (I heard a few "casual" comments that I wouldn't have expected).
After we were seated we were served by a waiter with big assed 1970's sunglasses (the old Porsche style). He was right on the money with recommendations and his service. I got the Eggs Benedict (nothing to do with the Pope) and it was prepared perfectly. The yolks were runny but the whites were perfect as was the rest of the dish. I would definitely recommend this place.
We stopped in here a couple weeks ago when we were tromping around Mass Ave before heading downtown.
I had the Tshombe Classic 9 (Skyy Citrus, Splash of Sour, Top with Champagne) Martini which I thought was delicous.
I loved the decor of this place. The bartender was also really cool.
Can't comment on the food, but the atmosphere was pleasant. It definitely wasn't as busy as I would have expected on a Friday night, but we were there a bit early.
Also - there's a private parking lot behind the building for Scholar's Inn!
I'm AMAZED I have not wrote a review for SI. Half priced martinis makes a large group of us young Indy professionals meet there on a consistent basis. I had dinner there last week and the food is fantastic. The portion sizes are just right. I'll keep going again and again.
What used to be Scholar's Inn reopened a few months ago as SI Restaurant and Lounge. Yes, it is a totally different restaurant. It's been revamped to offer private, upscale booths downstairs, and a trendy community table with changing neon lights upstairs.
The bar area has been updated, too, with some modern, plastic booths that seem to emit light. Definitely conversation pieces. Also, Thursdays are half-price martini night, which brings the price down to about the $5 mark for specialty drinks. My favorite is the Cable Car: Captain Morgan, Orange Curacao, a splash of sour and a cinnamon-lemony rim. Mmm.
Chef Jeff Brenchley is new, too. They plucked him from the Bloomington Scholar's Inn, and for good reason: He has a knack for layering savory sweet tastes, perfect for this French-American cuisine.
Love Eggs Benedict? They have about 8-10 different variations of this popular brunch dish. I tried the Eggs Michelle and found it to be a simple, light, and just hit-the-spot meal. The brunch menu is a bit pared down since pre-renovation, but what they lack in quantity they make up in quality. The portions are smaller, but believe me, still filling and actually more appropriate, I think. They don't overdo the sweetness factor in their french toast anymore, which I appreciate. Of course, you can always add more syrup, if you want. Last but not least, try the OJ! It's expensive, but it's oh-so-tasty.
Prices for brunch range from $8-$14 per dish. It's a great place for a nice, quiet brunch. And I think you can pull the curtains closed on your booth, too!
I decided to write a _new_ review for the _new_ Scholar's Inn, since so much has changed.
Ever see that SATC episode when Carrie and the fabulous ones go out for a night on the town to that new nightclub, "Bed?" Well, that's totally how the new SI Lounge felt to me when a friend and I had lunch sans bebes on Sunday morning.
The food is pretty good, and I'll get used to the new decor, but it was funny to watch the folks who work there batting their hands around the ridiculous curtains. (OK, I shouldn't call them ridiculous, but maybe after my champagne cocktail I just got a little more free with my opinions than usual.)
Oh, and do not put ketchup on your brunch potatoes...they are sauteed in truffle oil (we discussed this post-cocktail with our very friendly waiter).
Truth be told, I love that SI is making Indy a little more cutting edge. Although I think they are off the Mother's Day brunch list for this year...I can just imagine my little bundle of joy pawing at the curtains and causing untold amounts of damage...
Scholar's Inn has always been a favorite of mine, with a great brunch...there is nothing else like… Read more »
This place could be so much more. Located on Mass Ave it is in the middle of the art district of Indianapolis and in the proximity of a number of other good restaurants and bars. The decor is much like Chicago's Atwood Cafe as it has an "Alice-in-Wonderland" feel to it.
The food is "comfort" all the way. Last night I had the French Onion soup and the salmon entree. The food was fairly good but it doesn't match the decor and vibe the restaurant and bar are trying to exude. The service was awful and the pace ridiculously long. At one point I ordered a Whiskey drink and the server asked what kind of Whiskey I preferred be used. I told her to have the bartender use something "in the middle of the road." She returned 15 minutes later informing me that they didn't have a whiskey called Middle of the Road. Thanks.
My favorite thing about Scholar's Inn: Thursday night half-priced martinis - yes please! The Sunday brunch is a must, especially with their oh-so-good bellinis, which I believe are still half-priced during the Sunday brunch. They have a great Bananas Foster which they prepare on a portable cook top right before your eyes.
Other than that, the food has always been good, but nothing to rave about. I agree the service can be a little pretentious at times, but I usually don't notice after the second martini...
Go here for drinks, dessert and the buttermilk dressing. Service is not always great and sometimes pretentious.. but it can also be the place to be seen. I have seen a few Pacer players, and political leaders.
Chef Richelle Rocks! If you need help choosing a wine ask for Todd he knows his vino.
Boo! Bring back the crab fondue and the cheaper food. This place has priced itself out of business. I never eat here anymore. I only go for the 1/2-priced martinis (which are quite yummy, I must say).
On a whim my husband and I had brunch at the Scholar's Inn; we had one of the best breakfasts we've had since leaving Phoenix, AZ. Worth the price, great experience, highly recommend it.
I recently had an opportunity to visit the renovated Scholar's Inn for dinner. The place looks quite slick with high back chairs and long community tables. True to its revamped avatar - it looks like a lounge bar. We were a group of 5 and were seated at one of the neon lit community tables. The waitress was well informed about the menu, and enthusiastically informed us about the food selections and the chef's modern style of cooking. We ordered the escargot and calamari to start with. The escargot (snails) in pesto sauce tasted good, and the calamari was not fried but cured - an interesting touch which was good too. The house bread that accompanied it was really fresh and crusty. The Caesar salad was served in an interesting manner with entire leaves of romaine lettuce and croutons.
The entrees - the chicken, the pork tenderloin, the cod fillet and the short rib were well made and well portioned. Of the desserts, we got the flour-less chocolate cake with cinnamon ice-cream and the crme brul. The cake was fabulous, however, the crme brul was rather runny on the inside. When we asked our waitress about this - she seemed rather defensive and said - that's how they all come out. Having eaten crme brulees that were far better in other restaurants - this one was a disappointment.
Overall - decent food for a people who do not mind experimenting with their taste buds, but I would not recommend the crme brulee.
This is the sister restaurant to the Scholar's Inn from Bloomington, IN and a fine addition to the Indianapolis dining scene. A little off the beaten path, but that is by no means a bad thing. We had arrived here for a birthday dinner and some friends of ours had called ahead and sent a bottle to our table. The waiter was fantastic with our occasion and went above and beyond the call of duty to make it a special night. Not only was the service impeccable but the food was great also. The dish that stood out the most for us was the duck, which can be hard to prepare but was excellent here.
Ate here during Devour Downtown Winterfest! I was particularly impressed with their winterfest menu which included their Jammin Potato Cup.....which in essence is some to-die-for-potato soup! The Scholar Filet, was great as well. But, the very best (at least for chocolate lovers) was the Turtle Brownie. I loved the atmosphere and decor. Cushy chairs around cocktail tables, high back chairs, circular enclosed booths....it is great!
I love the Scholars Inn on Mass Ave. The decor is beautiful and actually more like LA than any place in Indy I've been (not to say that LA is better) :) just that it generally has very unique decor and good lighting that reminds me of it, and the restaurants there are fab! Scholars has good food, nice, helpful service, the service can over do it in terms of asking if everything is okay a few too many times. For example, when someone is deep in conversation, is not always the best time to pop in and say once again "everything okay"? Having said that, in my opinion this place is one of my favorites in Indianapolis, I love the food, especially the duck and the salmon ( the deserts are good too).
I haven't found the people to be pretentious here but I haven't hung out in the bar area much. One other cool thing... I heard (hope this is right) they are doing a renovation to be finished in February 08" to kind of bump it up into a lounge/bar hangout as well as a good restaurant! That would be great, since so many nice bar/taverns are in Broadripple and up north in this town, the north Indy ones are the ones I have found to be ridiculously pretentious by the way. Guys posing and trying way too hard to be cool. Checking out the cute girls with the best boobs oops, I mean bods... etc... okay but I am getting off on another topic altogether! This Restaurant is a very good one and will continue to get better since all of the others owned by this guy are fantastic!
Neighborhood: Chatham Arch
Category: Bookstores
Neighborhood: Indy Metro
Category: Greek
Neighborhood: Chatham Arch
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Indy Metro
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Indy Metro
Category: Lounges
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