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    Nowhere Special Cocktail Lounge

    4.5 (60 reviews)
    ModerateCocktail Bars
    Closed 5:00 pm - 1:00 am (Next day)

    Nowhere Special Cocktail Lounge Photos

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    NOWHERE SPECIAL COCKTAIL LOUNGE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Intimate
    Upscale

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    Kelse S.

    This place is AWESOME. This came highly recommended from Yelp Community Manager, Liza G. We were in town for the weekend and wanted to check out some vibey spots, and Nowhere Special delivered. This spot is downstairs so the secluded underground vibe is really awesome. The lighting is low and tons of little spots around to sit and sip. Since I'm quite a creature of habit, I ordered the espresso martini and my boyfriend (also creature of habit) ordered an old fashioned. The bartenders were personable and great to talk to, and the drinks were great. The craft of the cocktails matched the vibes perfectly. You must check it out!

    Leslie-Ann J.

    Love this place. The bartenders are great. The vibes and the music are always on point at this spot. I love visiting here after work, concert or after dinner on Mass Ave. This place keeps on stretching my tastes and I like that. NS is perfect for a date night, girls night, or a group outing.

    Mahek S.

    matcha sour - 8/10 pornstar martini - 7/10 basement speakeasy lounge with strong drinks and dim lit ambience to set the mood. i personally found the drinks to be overpriced for what they were but they were tasty nonetheless. also they do have cheaper concoctions on the menu. great location! it was a nice place to meet up with friends and an easy walk to the restaurants on mass ave. street parking is available.

    dill celery cocktail
    Josie M.

    This place has gone down hill and I'm so disappointed. The menu graphics are so tacky, there's no table service (so tables are sticky for hours), and they increased their prices on top of all that. They are busier than ever so I'll give them that. Their glassware is generic and small. This place has gone from can't miss to won't go in my opinion. I'm sad about my favorite bar becoming what feels like just another wannabe cocktail lounge. Ps. It's March...it's time to take down the Christmas lights

    Kelly G.

    I had not heard of Nowhere Special, but I'm certainly glad I have now! It was quite busy and it appeared the espresso martini was a crowd fave. I changed out the brandy with vodka. It was very tasty! The only reason I gave 4 stars was for service. I'll chalk it up to being a busy night and certainly plan to return and will update if necessary. Regardless, it's great to see a new place in Indy with GOOD drinks and atmopshere.

    Abby M.

    The vibe was great with dim lighting and neat decor. There were lots of tables and spaces for seating. We went around 6pm on a Saturday and there was only a few other people. I wanted to love this place, and will be back to try again, but it was a miss for our first visit. The bartender didn't look up when we walked in. It was our first time and some others as well who were all unsure of whether to order at the bar or not. The bartender was somewhat rude when another customer asked where to order. My fiancé enjoyed his bourbon drink. I ordered a drink that had vodka, but after taking a sip it clearly was mezcal (the only alcohol I do not like). We took it up to the bar to ask, where the bartender doubled down that I ordered that drink. After not being offered to fix the drink, we bought another replacement drink anyways, and it ended up being a pretty good & different cocktail. I loved the ambiance & want to love the product, so we'll be back again in case we experienced an off night!

    Happy Hour version of "The Naked and Famous" cocktail
    Sarah M.

    My best friend and I stopped in here for happy hour on a Monday and had the whole place to ourselves. The bartender was really sweet and chatted with us and gave us drink recommendations and just let us chat. To start off, we both ordered the Naked and Famous from the happy hour menu because we love anything with mezcal. Next we had the espresso martini (we can never pass one up). Lastly, we decided we had time for one more drink before we had to head over to Kan-Kan for A/V Club, so we got a dirty martini. She made them extra dirty and gave us an another blue cheese stuffed olive to snack on since their kitchen wasn't open. They make them in-house and they were delicious! All 3 happy hour drinks came in super cute, mini versions of their cocktail's counterpart glasses. Perfect size for happy hour and same great flavor. I usually have only ever been here later in the evening when it's very packed (and loud), so I recommend stopping in during happy hour if you're looking for tasty drinks and a low-key vibe.

    Alyssa W.

    Had such a good time at Nowhere Special with friends! The vibe was so good -- cool crowd, fun atmosphere, and the drinks were amazing. I took a chance on a goat cheese-infused gin cocktail with honeydew and lime (never thought I'd say that combo) and it was seriously life-changing. Still thinking about it. 10/10 would go back!

    Best drinks in the city and they have hot dogs!!! Service is always great and they just got tvs.

    Lion's tail
    Emm M.

    Great cocktail bar on Mass Ave. I got three cocktails there. All bourbon cocktails. They had a good variety of bourbon, tequila, rum, and vodka cocktails--the menu has so many options. The cocktails i got were all delicious. They also had surprisingly good food. I got a potato chorizo empanada and it was delicious. This is a basement bar and I love that vibe. Lots of pipes, brick walls, and speakeasy vibes. The waiter was very friendly and the service was quick for how busy it was. Definitely get here early if you want to come with a group. We went on a Saturday and it filled up.

    Down the stairs
    Kayla B.

    Accessibility: There's a full flight of stairs (into a basement) to get into Nowhere Special. This place is VERY low lighting, but there's very little on the floor to trip over. Large variety of seating including large arm chairs, low-top tables, and high-top bar seating. PROS: -Super cool space. Since they're in the basement, you don't get any natural lighting, but they made that work to their advantage with a lot of greenery, some neon lights, and a ton (a ton!) of mood lighting. They even have a faux fireplace down here! -Lots of different "vibes" depending on what you're going for. For dates, there are two-chair tables tucked into dark corners. For when that'd be awkward with a coworker, there are larger, well(er)-lit tables near the middle of the room. For large groups of friends, gigantic circular, upholstered booths. -Great Instagram areas if you want photos in front of the logos. Everything is gorgeously-lit here. -Bathrooms were clean. Two single, unisex restrooms for anyone of any gender. CONS: -I'm unsure if Nowhere Special is accessible for anyone who can't do stairs. They appear to have some sort of elevator (maybe?) near the front door, but it was locked when we tried it. -This place will definitely get loud with people in it. With low ceilings and lots of separate "rooms" without lots of space, this might be a place where you want to switch tables if you're in a room with a large party. (Nowhere Special's front door sign encouraged you to seat yourself!) -I'm leaving the taste of my drinks out of the final review consideration for this review. I HAD been planning exactly what drinks I wanted to drink at Nowhere Special for a few weeks leading up to the day. But then I showed up to find out that they had changed over the menu *THAT MORNING* to an all-new menu. It seemed to lack some of the uniqueness of the old one (like the drink that came in a lunch box!). The staff also said that they were learning to make the drinks along with me, and some of them came out super weird (we didn't even finish a few). They were probably some of the worst cocktails I've had this year. I'm hoping this is growing pains - but hopefully a sign to the manager that staff really needs to be prepped for and well-practiced on new menus before they hit the ground running. If it was based on drinks, this would be a 2-star experience and we wouldn't be coming back, so I'm leaving the taste of the drinks out of this review in hopes that this was really just the growing pains of a new menu and staff learning to perfect the recipes.

    Megan F.

    Nowhere Special is a great cocktail lounge located off Mass Ave. We were on our way to a concert, and it was the perfect spot to hang out before the show. I think this is a great addition to the area, as the bar is downstairs in a basement with dim lighting and a speakeasy vibe. They had plenty of seating and I thought the bar was well done. The cocktail menu had many of the classics as well as speciality cocktails with really interesting ingredients. I ordered one of the specialty cocktails, and although the it wasn't my favorite I'm still glad I tried something unique.

    Karla S.

    The vibe was great. We stumbled upon this place after dinner and we were looking for somewhere to have a drink. The name was interesting so we had to go check it out. I had a great time here and the drinks were unique and VERY good!

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Nowhere Special Cocktail Lounge

    What kind of food do they have? Should I make sure to eat before going there?

    They have snacks and small plates that are worth trying, but if you want a full dinner, it's probably best to eat elsewhere and hit up Nowhere Special before or after.

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    Sundry and Vice - Sharing cocktails with our good friends tonight.

    Sundry and Vice

    4.4(64 reviews)
    0.4 miChatham Arch
    $$

    Was looking for a good mocktail since I am doing dry January. So I did some research on the…read moreinternet and found that Sundry and Vice had several mocktails listed on their menu. It was also a big plus it is located in one of my favorite hotels in the city. My friend and I arrived right when they opened. The bar is beautiful. It is spacious with tons of seating. My friend and I decided to sit at the bar. There were two bartenders working. Both super nice guys. I told them I was wanting a mocktail that actually tasted like a cocktail not just some juice or soda. The one bartender made me a cocktail based on the flavors I liked. It was delicious. Definitely one of the mocktails I have ever had. The service was great. The drink was amazing. This is now one of my favorite bars in Indy!

    Sundry and Vice doesn't have the same jeu ne se quoi as the rest of the high-end cocktail bars on…read moreMass Ave. The cocktails don't feel as refined. The menu doesn't feel as "wide" to cater to more tastes. But the prices are still the same as other Mass Ave cocktail bars. BUT what Sundry and Vice has going for it is its locale. It's one of the only cocktail bars on this side of Mass Ave. Not only does this mean that it's easier to get to (depending on where you're at), but it also means that I've never had any issue getting seated here. In fact, even on peak Friday or Saturday nights, I have multiple choices of tables. (The only caveat I've seen to this is the unpredictable schedule of hotel conferences. If Bottleworks is hosting a conference, this place can get busier.) Compared to other cocktail bars down the road where they're on a 1 hour wait (or the "wait and see if a table opens" approach), I know I can always be reliably seated with zero issues at Sundry and Vice. The music exists, but it isn't overwhelming, and the low lighting and softer music makes this place great for actual conversations with people. They have both indoor and outdoor seating with a large selection of booths. The cocktail bar is inside of the Bottleworks Hotel; it's effectively a swanky cocktail bar version of a traditional hotel bar. Some of their cocktails are draft/prepped in bulk, so if you're looking for something fast, that can also be a factor. And it's right across the street from Garage Hall if food/snackies sound great afterwards.

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    Sundry and Vice - Chanel No 5

    Chanel No 5

    Sundry and Vice - Interior

    Interior

    Sundry and Vice

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    1933 Lounge - St. Elmo Shrimp Cocktail

    1933 Lounge

    4.5(241 reviews)
    1.0 miMile Square
    $$$

    Several floors above the legendary Saint Elmo Steakhouse, sits 1933 Lounge…read more Here, spaced out between several cozy rooms, equipped with small group seating arrangements, you will find a speakeasy themed cocktail lounge with small plate food also available, and a selection of exquisite period, vintage, and modern cocktails. The period atmosphere and ambience is absolutely intoxicating. This is a perfect starting place for pre-dinner cocktails, leading up to a fine dining experience at Saint Elmo's Steakhouse. The service was superb, friendly with plenty of recommendations on what to try. This venue gets my highest recommendation, and I very much look forward to a return visit, and hopefully to introduce some of my closest friends to this incredible experience.

    This is right up my alley--an upscale atmosphere but not too pretentious (casual). The 2 sliders…read morewith Mac 'n cheese was the perfect amount of food. I paid the $8 to upgrade the mac to lobster mac...so delicious & so worth it (the upgrade was so unnecessary but so necessary, iykyk!). I also love that they allow you to mix & match on the sliders (filet, fried shrimp, or wagyu beef with Brie). I went with 1 filet and 1 wagyu beef, which was also perfect! Would love to try the fried shrimp at some point. The accompanying aiolis perfectly complemented the sliders! I completed my meal with a lemon drop martini. Service was friendly & attentive. Will definitely keep this spot in mind the next time I return to Indy & would highly recommend to others. In fact, I found it superior to my experience @ Harry & Izzy's--much more my vibe!

    Photos
    1933 Lounge - 1933 Lounge Bar

    1933 Lounge Bar

    1933 Lounge - 1933 Lounge Dinner

    1933 Lounge Dinner

    1933 Lounge - 1933 Lounge Downtown

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    1933 Lounge Downtown

    Strange Bird - Jiro-kei ramen

    Strange Bird

    4.5(388 reviews)
    4.1 mi
    $$

    This place is so cute from the outside and a nice chill classy tiki vibe on the inside. We weren't…read moreable to make a reservation because of the popularity but there were cute large couches and chairs to chill at while you wait with a cocktail or mocktail. Even though they were busy the wait was not very long and the host was so nice and I wish I could remember his name. Our server was so nice and kind and made great recommendations. I had the mocktail Nohito and it was sooo cute and delicious! The others had cocktails and a bottle of coke (yes glass bottle)- cute right?! Now we had the Karange tofu and I need that recipe! The crispiest most flavorful tofu outside and nice and soft inside. Couldn't tell it wasn't chicken! We also had oysters. For dinner I had the Katsu Curry and it was on point! And the leftovers were just as delicious. My sister had the Tantanmen and it was sooo good!! I could drink that broth. They do give you options for rice instead of noodles and broth if you like options. We also shared the Glazed tofu and yall it will change your LIFE!!! Cute monkeys hanging out everywhere with beautiful string lights and a classy understated tiki vibe. Please go here if you haven't yet. You'll thank me later

    Strangebird is one of my family's favorite places in Indy. We have special occasions there, go to…read morecelebrate little moments, and go on a bad day when we just need a big bowl of comfort food. The drinks, the ramen, the dessert...we love it all, and we love spending our money at a local business. For years now, the kitchen has substituted rice for ramen for me because I have gluten intolerance. I have always asked respectfully, explained why, and said thank you, every single time. Tonight my husband and I walked down to Strangebird for dinner, ordered drinks and dinner, and I had *just* said to my husband that Strangebird has come to feel like a second home. Then the server came out and told us that the chef has decided they will no longer permit any modifications, including those that meet dietary needs. We were out on the quiet patio surrounded by other customers, so on top of being totally blindsided, it was actually pretty embarrassing, too. Folks, let me tell you how much I wish I could just eat the ramen noodles like everybody else. So much food that I love (and in some cases spent years learning to make myself) went out the window forever when my body stopped being able to handle wheat. But at Strangebird, I could still go in and enjoy the depth of flavor in every other component of a bowl of ramen. And that meant the absolute world to me. I'm heartbroken.

    Photos
    Strange Bird - The ceilings and lighting are so fun here!

    The ceilings and lighting are so fun here!

    Strange Bird - GF Gomae Salad - The Star of the Show

    GF Gomae Salad - The Star of the Show

    Strange Bird - GF Teriyaki Twice Fried Wings

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    GF Teriyaki Twice Fried Wings

    Thieves - Cheers! Cabernet Sauvignon

    Thieves

    4.4(118 reviews)
    6.5 miBroad Ripple
    $$

    Thieves has stolen my heart. What a great place to enjoy a spritz while lounging on one of their…read morelovely velvet couches. In fact, they have five different spritzes on the menu, which I love to see. Of course, they have the classic Aperol spritz. But they also have some creative takes, like the rose spritz, which is what I chose. It was very tasty, light and refreshing, and not too floral, which can happen with a rose-flavored beverage. Spritzes are amazing but not enough sometimes, so I also got a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. Yum! The pour was generous. I kept my drink orders simple this visit, but Thieves has a whole menu full of creative cocktails. What you do when you enter is just sit down, and someone will come by and take your order. But if you're visiting for coffee (because Thieves is also a coffee bar), you can order at the counter. I don't recall if they offer food. This is mostly a place to get drinks. And it's a lovely place to get drinks. Thieves is located in the heart of Broad Ripple, which means that parking is atrocious. I parked near The Vogue and walked over, but maybe you can find street parking, if you're lucky.

    After a very long and leisurely Sunday brunch at Cholita Tacos (across the street) our girl gang…read moresettled into the cozy and dare I say "seductive" lounge at Thieves. The decor left a lasting impression and is actually quite entertaining and made me want to take ALL the pictures lol. The server was very patient and professional with me and my heathens. I had my go to espresso martini and maybe more than one but hey who's counting right? Thieves is an intimate and cheeky cocktail bar perfect for date night or a night out with friends.

    Photos
    Thieves - Aperol spritz

    Aperol spritz

    Thieves - Bathroom

    Bathroom

    Thieves - Inside

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    Inside

    Astrea Rooftop

    Astrea Rooftop

    4.2(51 reviews)
    0.8 miMile Square
    Luxury
    Rooftop seating

    One of the things I miss about California is rooftop bars with a view!! Astrea makes me feel right…read moreat home. I went back there to enjoy the sunset on the outdoor patio. I love the fire pits and spacious seating and wraparound layout. The interior is chic and glam. We enjoyed chatting with the super fun and friendly bartenders Jacob, Liz and Hannah. Jacob was kind enough to make me a custom cocktail. I described something similar to a lemon drop but with passionfruit too. It was yummy! They also make a mean espresso martini! We will be back soon to enjoy patio weather and try their brunch.

    Each year I host a Mother's Day lunch and this year's location was Astrea. I like to be detailed so…read morethis may be a bit long but stick with me. Keagan Fife (Manager) - A team player, receptive to feedback and conscientious. We had a issue while there and he was able to step in and problem solve with me and come up with a solution that really won us over. We had a moment where it was feeling a bit "why did we come here" but his customer service exceeded expectation. That's good management. (He's the gentleman in the video below.) Let's get the negative out the way 1st. The first waitress asked if we wanted anything to drink. I told her we hadn't received menus. She came back sat them down and walked away. We never saw her again. A new waitress came and she seemed pleasant enough. Once we were all seated she began to take our orders. She made a point to say she needed to write it all down or she was get it mixed up. She then did not write anything down. Our food came out extremely slow but that wasn't a huge deal because we all were mingling. A lot of her team had to step in and deliver our food, give drinks, check on us etc. She was pretty non existent. Two of the ladies never received food. This was after we had been there for 2 hours and everyone else had received their items. At the end when we asked for our check they were all mixed up and confused. The waitress then blamed us for adding things and moving around. We never moved once and she only came around the one time when she originally took our orders. We never got a chance to add things. (it was quite comical that she tried to say that) I ended up asking for manager because she seemed overwhelmed and a bit bias about our group. Assuming that we wouldn't want one check and splitting them because she figured we would want it that way and then blaming us because she did it when we never asked for split. There rule is parties over 8 have to have 1 bill and we never asked for an exception. There was just her assumption that a group of black women wouldn't want to do that. (I digress) There were a few more things but I will end it there. That was the big negative. Now the positive!!! Ambiance 10/10 - great views, great music, great location, umbrellas on roof were great although a but wobbly and scary. Also, they come around with complimentary sunglasses while dining. I thought this was a nice and luxurious touch! Food 8/10 - most food received was delicious Service 9/10 - everyone except for our server was great! Everyone who pitched in to help was awesome! Ended up tipping a different server who basically helped us the whole time. Bless his heart because I know he was super busy. As stated above management handle the situation well. I would definitely go back! I try to give people a chance. I think our server may have been overwhelmed and had a past experience that left her bias against our group but hopefully she can grow and get better. Her actions don't reflect the restaurant as a whole! Go and enjoy the vibes and views!

    Photos
    Astrea Rooftop
    Astrea Rooftop
    Astrea Rooftop

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    Nowhere Special Cocktail Lounge - cocktailbars - Updated May 2026

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