Nowhere Special Cocktail Lounge
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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!
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
Really cool new spot in a basement on Mass Ave. way larger of a space than I thought it would be, it can seat a decent number of people. We were sat right away and brought waters by our attentive waitstaff. I ordered 2 cocktails as well as my date. They currently have a State Fair themed menu so I ordered a Corn Dog cocktail and a Deep Fried Oreo cocktail. Real fun and different! (Idk if I'd do the corn dog one again haha) Big reasonably priced menu with that rotating themed menu will definitely have me coming back.
9 months ago
We wanted to step out for some cocktails for a chill date night. We went Saturday night & it wasn't overly packed but there was no lounge seating available so we sat by the bar. Our bartender was really cool & drinks were really good. I had the Pornstar Martini, which was the perfect amount of citrus & topped with champagne. Delicious! He had a glass of Cava. We call ourselves the Pagne Gang so it's only right lol. The music was very diverse and we appreciated that. The football game was on too, he appreciated that lol. Overall, I would definitely come back & bring the girls too for a girl's night out. read more
I love speakeasy, chill vibe but I've never really had a good experience here. The place is usually busy, and since it's seat-yourself, finding a spot can be tough. The space isn't tiny but not very large either, and the seating is spread out. The area by the fireplace is nice, but it tends to fill up quickly. I've tried several cocktails from the menu and haven't found one I enjoy. Service is hit-or-miss, I'm never sure if anyone will come to your table or if you have to go up to the bar yourself. We usually end up going to the bar to order. Because of all this, I usually don't end up spending much time here. read more
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! read more
11 months ago
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. read more
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. read more
2 months ago
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 read more
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. read more
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. read more
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! read more
6 months ago
1 year ago
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! read more
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. read more
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. read more
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. read more
7 months ago
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! read more
Really cool new spot in a basement on Mass Ave. way larger of a space than I thought it would be, it can seat a decent number of people. We were sat right away and brought waters by our attentive waitstaff. I ordered 2 cocktails as well as my date. They currently have a State Fair themed menu so I ordered a Corn Dog cocktail and a Deep Fried Oreo cocktail. Real fun and different! (Idk if I'd do the corn dog one again haha) Big reasonably priced menu with that rotating themed menu will definitely have me coming back. read more
9 months ago
Best drinks in the city and they have hot dogs!!! Service is always great and they just got tvs. read more
3 years ago
I've been wanting to come to Nowhere since they opened, and decided to stop by while on Mass Ave on a Saturday night. Immediately loved the set up when I entered. There was plenty of space, but still felt intimate. We were greeted and served quickly after sitting. The cucumber smash salad is a must try. The mint with the cucumber made it refreshing and the black vinegar and gochugaru gave it a nice kick. Overall, it was a nice experience and I'll definitely be back! read more
Tens across the board, no notes! Nowhere Special resides where one of my old favorites used to be located (we love you Libertine!), and it fills the space nicely. The ambience is *chef's kiss perfection, and the staff definitely know their stuff. The team is friendly, well-versed in the menu options, and accommodates large groups smoothly. I sampled a few cocktails, and they were well balanced. The presentation was also on par with other comparable places. If you're looking for a great spot with speakeasy vibes, definitely stop by, but remember- it's Nowhere Special. read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
Still loving Nowhere Special! I've been happy to see the expanded menu with more food options along with the roasting drink menu. They all look so good and you can have something different every time. We split the bread pudding on our last visit and it was amazing--the caramel sauce on top was perfect! read more
3 years ago
Very cool speakeasy. Our server was great, attentive. Steamed Buns were delicious.... I didn't expect the food here to be good. Cocktails are very good, even if you try a random one. Prices are on par with anywhere else, atmosphere is quite conducive to date night. Recommend. read more
Wow, this was one of the coolest cocktail bars I've been to in a while and it was while I was in Indy on a work trip where we happen to have stumbled upon this bar after dinner! We just wanted to top the night off with a drink and when we went downstairs and saw this place, I was amazed by the aesthetic and ambiance! It was really spacious, and decorated well but the best part was the drink menu! It was a huge drink menu with a lot of variety and classics. We couldn't resist the lunchbox drink that came with a literal PB&J sandwich. The drink itself had a great presentation and was actually super strong! And of course the PB&J was still delicious. read more
2 years ago
The ambience of the bar was unique, a mix of trendy yet themed. The lighting and wallpaper as you enter is super cute, yet downstairs in the main bar area they have Christmas lights & nutcrackers up in April, somewhat odd. We tried a variety of cocktails after figuring out service is only available at the bar. We would recommend the espresso martinis - very strong and good; the alizarin crimson was also very tasty & refreshing; yet the Canton Rose tasted like the bottom of a firepit at the end of the summer or if you swallowed a mouthful of bug spray;- so if you like smoke and ash we would recommend but not if you are looking for a fun cocktail I probably wouldn't. read more
I think this is one of my favorite bars. It's very chill with the dim lightening and the cocktails are great. The staff is also kind and accommodating so that was nice too. I've been here twice now and it really is a cute place to grab drinks with friends or even go on a date :) read more
3 years ago
Nowhere Special indubitably gives speakeasy vibes. It's dimly lit with beautiful loungey decor. I felt like I was in a real 1920s prohibition speakeasy. One of my favorite things besides the decor and ambiance was the cocktail names. The cocktails were as good as their names lol. Our server was really nice and attentive. read more
7 months ago
3 years ago
This place is getting 5 stars and I haven't even had the food yet. I love everything about this bar from the decor to the bar staff and the drinks. We went on a tasting night and he was amazing. I loved the gin so much I decided to try one of their cocktails with gin in it which is completely out of the norm for me. It was 10/10. I'm a sucker for a great bar so they got me! read more
Come for the funky drinks and great vibes! As soon as you walk through the door you are greeted by a beautiful mural and walk down a flight of stairs to the dark, seedy, and speakeasy-esk bar below. Our server, Lane was so cool, easy to talk to, and gave the best suggestions for drinks. My favorite was the porn star martini. I tried the hot Cheetos martini and it was terrible lol, but such a fun drink to try (and incredibly memorable!). It was my birthday and Lane brought shots over to celebrate. It really made my birthday feel special. I can't wait to come back again! read more
My cousin arrived at Nowhere lounge 30mins before closing at 1am, and as we were entering a lot of people were leaving. Nowhere Lounge is in the heart of Mass Ave which is downtown Indianapolis, and once you open the doors you'll see a painting of woman holding a cocktail glass, and then you take those stairs to head down. I'm pretty sure the cocktail lounge does get a nice crowd out in Mass Ave, and it does suck that Nowhere Lounge closes at 1am. My cousin and I sat at the bar, surprisingly those seats at the bar are comfy especially for a thicker person. I ordered the Princess Mononoke(good yet bitter), and my cousin ordered the Pirate's Punch made by Dalton the Bartender. Although, we arrived at 12:30am that small time we were there it was a vibe, and I can't wait to go back again. read more
1 year ago
This is such a perfect, unique, gem of a speakeasy to have opened in DT Indy. Their drink menu is diverse - I'm positive anyone would find at least 1 drink they enjoy from here. The drink menu is very big with multiple choices, for all types of taste buds. Some drinks rotate/are seasonal (discovered by their team). They also have a small food menu - some must try's include their nuts, bao buns, and cucumber salad. You can thank me later ;) The space is much bigger than expected with various tables seating available; there are even a handful of tables for bigger parties. Nowhere Special has great drinks, food, and vibes! read more
Stopped in for a quick drink while we waiting for dinner reservations up the street. The place is so cute and there are so many different types of places to sit (lounge, intimate, bar, etc). They had a lot of different drink choices that it was hard to pick, but our server was great at helping us. He was also aware we were just stopping in waiting for our reservation and brought the bill to us after our first round just in case so we wouldn't miss our reservations, but of course would take more orders if we had time. I wish we would have eaten there. The menu looked good, which I was shocked for a cocktail bar. We will definitely be going back. read more
What a nice hidden gem. We came here for surprise birthday drinks for a friend and I happened to come across it on Yelp beforehand. It's very hidden on the street. I almost thought it looked closed when I pulled up because there is no bar to walk into immediately. Once you get into the lobby area, you have to go downstairs to find the bar. It's very vibey - dark and intimate. The service was great. Our waitress was attentive and checked on us often enough. They had a lot of drinks "sold out" on the menu but still had plenty of options + zero proof options. Some people ordered food too which looked delicious. Overall, cool place and good experience. read more
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608 Massachusetts Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Chatham Arch
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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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2 years ago
2 years ago
