Magdalena
Months of construction at its front door in the heart of Fountain Square haven’t daunted Magdalena owner Nick Detrich and his staff from slowly becoming a true culinary anchor on the fringe of downtown. Among all of the Instagram posts about detours are announcements of some of the most innovative and fun special dining events, such as a fried chicken and champagne night, burgers with Burgundy, and wine-pairing meals, not to mention “No Menu Monday” specials where diners can sit back and let the kitchen call the shots. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t order one of Indy’s most affordable and varied seafood towers. Nor should you forgo a simple bowl of pimiento cheese with fried saltines alongside the perfect sazerac. And you should always ask to split a hearty plate of cast-iron ham with grits in lush “redder”-eye gravy among your tablemates, unless you’re hungry enough for this gut-busting standard. That’s the beauty of a standout restaurant nearing its second anniversary. You get to dine on your favorites and try out every delicious new thing that no amount of orange cones or bumps in the road could keep you from.
1127 Shelby St., 317-691-8021
Milktooth
Whether you were a fan of Jonathan Brooks’ short-lived foray into Southern-style lunch plates, Arlene’s Meat & 3, this past May, you have to give the iconoclastic restaurateur props for attempting a concept change a little over a dozen years into what has perhaps been the most tried-and-true brunch formula in the city. If you missed it, you can pray the blackened walleye and BLT salad make a comeback. But things have returned to what passes as “normal” at the local restaurant. That means daytime offerings of savory and sweet Dutch baby pancakes, latkes with apple butter, waffles with crystallized peanuts, and the best French toast in town. Such offerings will still satisfy your ongoing brunch urges and dazzle your out-of-town tagalongs. No sour grapes, lunch lovers. You can yet have your main and three in the form of the darkest, crunchiest fried chicken in town. Plus, the restaurant is now open Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.—which means there’s more Milktooth to love.
534 Virginia Ave., 317-986-5131
Monti Aperitivo & Cucina
Since arriving in Indianapolis in the late 2010s, Francesco Settanni, the native of Puglia, Italy, and longtime front-of-house man at some of New York City’s most celebrated trattorias, has been searching for the perfect vehicle for showcasing the dishes of his homeland. He’s finally hit on that at Monti, the polished-from-the-start spot he opened with Bovaconti Coffee owner Minda Balcius in Fountain Square in February. Squares of fluffy focaccia with bright marinated vegetable relishes, richly stuffed arancini, burrata salads that change with the season, and regional pastas such as tagliatelle alla nerano with fried zucchini and aged pecorino make this a rare local find for Italian food aficionados. And simply prepared but delectable lamb chops and an impressive wild-caught branzino served whole make dinner at Monti a celebration. A big part of Settanni’s success has been corralling a talented staff that includes chef de cuisine Trey Christianson as well as sous chef Nate Miller and well-traveled bar manager Zoë Hayes, whose list of spritzes, aperitivos, and Italian vintages mean this is as much a sipping place as one for weeknight and special occasion dinners.
1110 Shelby St., 317-602-2037
Okonori
Every detail was executed with almost obsessive care by husband-and-wife owners Alex Tong and Kimmie Chang inside this chic addition to one of Carmel’s new restaurant corridors. Along with partners Hui and Kevin Zheng, the restaurateurs established a destination for Japanese- and Chinese-inspired dining, crafting a menu of showstoppers like buttery miso black cod with expertly caramelized edges, deep-fried shrimp wrapped in a potato noodle hive called potato ebi furai, prized Hokkaido’s uni imported from Japan, kanpachi crudo, and a bright parade of high-end sashimi and nigiri. The dark ambient interior, designed by Chang herself, includes plush clamshell booths, towering light fixtures, and a floating fish sculpture—all of which would not look out of place in a Vegas suite. “It’s a total experience, not just the food,” Tong says of his “Japanese high kitchen” that opened last November. “We believe that it’s the ambiance, the feeling, the vibes. It all adds up.”
1685 E. 116th St., Carmel, 317-671-8888
Serliana
Opening as it did in the midst of a Pacers NBA finals run in 2025, which brought with it celebrities and teams clamoring for rooms and in-house catering at the InterContinental Indianapolis that houses it, Serliana started out a bit more as a stopgap to feed guests in the stylish second-floor lobby. Yet, hotel owner Ersal Ozdemir had tagged chef Craig Baker as his kitchen head. When the dust cleared, and Baker could get his new French menu in order, those without a reservation could finally try out one of the most welcome additions to the downtown dining scene in over a decade. An impressive, modern take on boeuf bourguignon, cassoulet that would rival any from Toulouse, sophisticated beef tartare, and steaks and chops all conspire for the kind of old-school hotel dining Indy has long missed at its heart. Ever the regionalist, Baker puts his bistro and chophouse dishes alongside local fare such as fried walleye, breakfast biscuits and gravy, an Indiana ribeye French dip, and a clever nod to Ozdemir’s Turkish heritage with cilbir, poached eggs in spiced yogurt with grilled flatbread. All this with the most panoramic views of Monument Circle? Locals, take note.
17 W. Market St., 463-303-0380,
