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The Rathskeller

3.9 (794 reviews)
Open • 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Updated 1 month ago

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THE RATHSKELLER ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Classy
Casual
Moderate noise
Live music

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Kellerbar
Amy W.

The Rathskeller is in historic building with lots of character. The venue is huge with a traditional dining room, outdoor biergarten, and an in-between kellerbar for those wanting a more casual indoor dining experience. I really enjoyed the oxtail soup, which was hearty and perfect for a cold night. The pretzel was quite salty and more dry than I would prefer. Would definitely reorder the soup next time but pass on the pretzel.

Pilsner. Prost!
Brian V.

German restaurant/ beer garden located in or close to the Mass Ave / Mile Square area of Indianapolis. If you are looking for authentic Bavarian food and a list of beers that adhere to German beer purity law, this is the spot! Mind you, I was a tourist in town for a weekend. First of all, the space is very unique and interesting. Like one of those places where I don't think you could re-create if you just made it today - like it felt genuinely historic or worn in. When I first walked in, I thought it was in the wrong place because it felt like a cultural community center or private club or something. I kept walking through and headed downstairs where I then saw a bar where I was greeted. I was told to go find a table and a server would come by shortly. When my server finally came, she was very friendly and helpful. I wanted a delicious meal similar to what you might find at a tailgate without going to an actual tailgate. Because I was heading to a Colts game after this. I ordered the Bavarian Platte - combo of kielbasa and bockwurst served with sauerkraut, German potato salad, and a variety of mustards. The meal also comes with a large pretzel with sinus clearing hot mustard. It's seriously no joke. This meal seriously hit the spot. And with my limited knowledge or experience with German food, I felt like this was very authentic. I really enjoyed everything including the sides. I also ordered a refreshing German pils to wash everything down. It was more relaxed and felt like a quiet morning spot when I went. But I can imagine this place gets pretty crowded and lively in the evening.

Black Forest cake. Amazing.
Karl A.

We ate in the bar, and the service was excellent, the saerbraten was perfect, order the small plate as an appetizer and red cabbage, and it will match perfect perfectly with the dinner. Then the Black Forest cake.

Pretzels with mustard
Kristen D.

Without a reservation, my family and I were able to get a free-for-all table in the bar area. The service was quick and the food was good. It felt very traditionally German inside, with the decor and features of each German state. The service quality was decent, but I have been here before with a reservation, and it has always been good. I just chalked it up to them being busy. Two of my family members had an error in their orders. My mother ordered no cheese and extra sauerkraut on her reuben and received no cheese or sauerkraut. We were in a bit of a hurry, so she was fine without it, but was a little disappointed. My aunt ordered a canned beer without a glass, and her beer came inside of a glass. My order was correct, but my tenderloin was a little on the soggy side instead of crispy. Overall, I was a little disappointed after hyping up the restaurant so much. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision to come here, so maybe a reservation would have rewarded us with a better experience.

Fried Pork Tenderloin sandwich
Patrick G.

This place is a gem. It's really big with an old school rustic vibe. The food & drinks are fairly priced & delicious. Portions are generous as well. The service was some of the nicest I've experienced.

Vincent Y.

Service was great and the staff were friendly, ordered a German bratwurst and Jäegerschnitzel. I think the cuisine just isn't for me as I wasn't a fan of the plentiful amount of sauerkraut on the bratwurst and on the side with the jäegerschnitzel. It's a good place for an ample meal, just not for me. The bratwurst was good without the sauerkraut in my opinion, it was a little too powerful on it.

Brat and kraut balls
Iva H.

We made a reservation here before a show at Old National. It worked out nicely as we could park at the theater and walk across the street to eat. On show nights I would recommend a reservation as they were quite busy. We easily got waited on and served with plenty of time before the show. The inside of the restaurant makes one almost feel as if they are in a restaurant in Germany. It was beautifully decorated with lots of carved wood trim and stained glass. Our server was friendly and helpful with menu items. It's best to bring a large appetite as their entree servings are huge. The complimentary bread they serve is large warm pretzels served with two diffferent types of dipping sauce. They were yummy. I had the brat and kraut balls with my meal and it came with three different sauces. I also had the soup of the day which was tagessuppe. It was creamy potato with sausage and so good. They also serve cocktails, beer, and wine.

Warm Brie appetizer
Barbie M.

We had great service and delicious food. We had a relaxing dinner and didn't feel rushed.

Tuna Salad and German Potato Salad
Katherine A.

If you're in the mood for fabulous, authentic Bavarian cuisine and a great experience, the Rathskeller is the BEST place to go in Indianapolis. This iconic restaurant has been in business longer than I can remember and is located in the historic Athenaeum Building. I recommend reservations for dinner but, yesterday, we were able to walk in for midday lunch with no wait. We sat in the bar surrounded by deer and moose heads and stone walls. It does feel like an old German castle. Danke, our server, was friendly, attentive and efficient. Water and food was served quickly. The lunch menu has many German options and a few Indiana favorites such as Pork Tenderloin. Their German breads are phenomenal. We had a starter German pretzel, that was warm from the oven. The German mustard has an amazing horseradish flavor that wakes up your tastebuds. I had the tuna sandwich on marble rye. The sandwich is large and the marble rye absolutely delicious. The tuna is creamy and flavorful, by far the best tuna sandwich I've had in a while. The German potato salad is served hot and is FRESH and perfectly tangy and sweet. Portions are generous. My hopelessly Midwestern husband had the Pork Tenderloin which is served on a Kaiser roll. The tenderloin was perfectly seasoned and tender with a perfect breading. He gave it a rare "5" ranking it among the best in Indiana. He also had the wedged fried potatoes that he said were very good. We explored the building after lunch, which I highly recommend. The building was designed by Vonnegut and Bonn in the mid 1890's and is German Renaissance Revival style and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Rathskeller does events; I've been to weddings and work dinners and the food is always top notch. There is metered street parking nearby, but it's hard to find on weekends. The building is old and there are a lot of steps. There is an elevator and ramps for some accessibility. I highly recommend. Great food, great service, amazing architecture.

Shashank S.

Great place to go for a St. Patrick's Day festival. Lasted a few days in 2024 and had a blast. We went on one evening and saw world class Irish dancers and bagpipers. Mood and ambience was very jovial. Excellent food options typical Irish fare. Naturally they have corned beef. I went for fish and chips. Plus a pint of Guinness. Only disappointment was the Guinness was in a plastic cup. We all know how it tastes better poured properly in a proper Guinness glass. In spite of that bar service was quick and lines were pretty short about 6 -9 people due to several bartenders .

sausage sampler
Danielle M.

We ate lunch at the Rathskeller during their German Fest. We got seated right away. Their food is always amazing! We started off with the chicken cordon bleu fingers that are stuffed with cheese and ham and served with honey mustard to dip them in. My all time favorite app is their stuffed mushrooms. They are cheesy, creamy, and have such good flavor! Pretzels are served before your food comes out. They come with spicy mustard and it definitely has a kick! I asked for cheese and it was just alright. I got the schnitzel and it came with a lemon sauce to dip in. The sauce was not my favorite. It came with sauerkraut and their German potato salad. Both were delicious!

Jennifer F.

A local suggested this restaurant to us and I can't recommend it enough- even if you're vegetarian like me! It's got a very cool German hunting lodge/bier garten vibe. The service was great (thanks to our awesome server Alyssa (sp?) ). And the food was delicious - but beware the spicy mustard! My husband had the rouladen which he said was good. The only bad thing about my Greek pasta plate was that I was unable to eat it all. The beer is good, the food is bettered and service was excellent. (Vegetarians beware there is ham and bacon in the sauerkraut)

Kelly Y.

Atmosphere, Atmosphere Atmosphere: 100! This is a must visit for the interior and exterior. That biergarten is so awesome! Beer: It's probably good, but I don't know how to judge. Food?? Meh. For some reason, the German entrees are all very pricey and not worth the price point. We did love the stuffed mushrooms app. The mushrooms are fresh, cream cheese and cheese were melted perfectly on top. I wished we had ordered two of these. I will definitely come back for the atmosphere and mushroom app. But I will stay away from the entrees and that worst wurst salat.

Vegetarian Greek Pasta

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2 months ago

One of a kind and super authentic, cozy vibe! And the place is just huge. We went in the middle of the day and it was pretty chill.

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3 months ago

Food was good. Friendly staff. My one warning is the mustard. Although delicious it was spicy hot wow. We had a good laugh about it.

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The Rathskeller Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - The Rathskeller

Are kids allowed to eat in the beer garden?

No, they can't even enter.

Is there a dance floor and music?

Yes, outside! There's also a banquet room inside where they sometime host dancing

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Athenaeum Christkindlmarkt - Grilled Bavarian honey ham & raclette sandwich on a French baguette

Athenaeum Christkindlmarkt

(19 reviews)

Mile Square

Our first visit here was enchanting. Looks like it's the third year that the Athenaeum…read moreChristkindlmarkt made it's way to town. Went on a Saturday. Parked in the parking garage next to the Athenaeum with a parking app for a reasonable price and spent hours in the area. Had lunch at The Rathskeller and came back to visit the market for snacks and mulled wine/ciders/drafts. The treats included the raclette sandwich, bacon lollipop, German potato pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer), Brauhaus pretzel, German bratwurst, schnitzel, gingerbread cookies, baked goods. The process for picking up food orders could be improved upon. Told to come back in 20 minutes and came back but the server appeared confused when we told him our order, then said wasn't ready yet, saw other people who ordered after us get their orders, and eventually after a couple more inquiries received our order. A pager system or a number/now serving screen would be useful way to communicate ready orders. Took home a cute collector mug and got to drink my tasty mulled cider from it while there. If I had decided to get another drink, it would be $1 less for subsequent fills. It was entertaining to watch the costumed characters tease the children and guests and the various performers cross the stage. There were a couple of artisan stalls to peruse as well. Really appreciated the heat lamps scattered throughout the area as this season was chiller than usual. It's a brief stop that brings the holiday spirit!

First time at Athenaeum Christmas market and we had fun!…read more The best about it was it wasn't as crowded as Carmel. It is not expansive as Carmel but we still enjoyed the experience. I loved the cute mug, and the hot cider was great. I especially liked the food from Rathskeller- I highly recommend the brat n kraut balls- they were delicious. There was live music which I enjoyed a lot.

Bakersfield Mass Ave

Bakersfield Mass Ave

(2.1k reviews)

$$

Mile Square

Unexpected tasty street style tacos and plenty of tequila to choose from. We ended up down in the…read morebasement section (very cool vibe) and then up to the main bar after an office party filled up the space. The manager comped a beer for our troubles. Excellent service. The "go to" are their pitchers of various margarita recipes. Great place to just have a conversation and enjoy the ambiance.

Fish taco: 8/10 -- the crisp was amazing! wish it was a little saucy (maybe the white sauce that…read morewas on the chicken?) but still wow, with the hot sauce this was great!! Shrimp taco: no rating bc i didn't try but my friend got this and really enjoyed! Chicken taco: 6/10 -- a little dry and nothing too crazy Rice and beans: 8/10 -- yum!! good with nacho chips and on its own too. Guac and chips: 9.3/10 -- delish!!! creamy and flavorful i looooved this guac down but i minus points bc the avocado was not fully mashed and i think the texture was a little off bc of it. would absolutely still come back and get this though. Classic virgin marg: 9/10 -- everything i love about a marg minus the tequila (sorry) yeah sign me up! Limited menu but it is clearly perfected. Tacos are $4.50 ea so it is easy to get a couple and try different flavors. Loved the concept and vibes inside but it was hard to take pics in the lighting. Low exposure is a camera setting not a light setting please add lamps (kind of joking loool) anyways.... so! Plenty of parking on mass ave and easy to walk over from most places downtown. Service was okayyyy nothing crazy. I'd recommend a reservation for dinner bc they get busy! did not realize they have locations in OH, MI, and PA.

Union 50 - Hand-Cut Fries with garlic truffle aioli, espresso chipotle bbq, and sambal chili aioli

Union 50

(1k reviews)

$$$

Renaissance Place, Chatham Arch

Great food & agree atmosphere!…read more Would definitely return! The food was absolutely amazing and very unique!

Union 50 is a Cunningham Group restaurant. They're located right off East St. It's a nice area not…read moretoo far from Mass Ave. If you see the patio go around it as the entrance is down the brick lined street in the middle. It's big inside, has a huge and amazing selection of drinks you can see from the bar, open kitchen window, and a nice outside patio. The hostess was nice and we were seated outside. Seems like they prefer reservations, but we were seated immediately. The waitress was helpful as we had never been there before. The petit board which came with crostinis, grain mustard, cornichons. We picked smoked Gouda, potato bacon terrine - basically potatoes wrapped in bacon, and whipped ricotta with honey. Probably wouldn't order this again because the serving sizes were so small. I've had a lot of charcuterie boards and this one was by far the smallest serving size. Never again would I order that. The sticky wings were my favorite! They were sesame-soy glazed chicken wings. So good!! I like how they brought out warm cloths to use because they were messy, but delicious. We for some reason weren't given a dessert menu. I don't know if they didn't have one. We ordered the carrot cake which was good. I wish I knew what all was in though. The cream cheese icing was my favorite. Not heavy and thick. Nice and light! Nice place downtown and would order the sticky wings and the crab cakes next time. I wish the menu would write how many you get though.

16-Bit Bar+Arcade - Fierce Grape drink bucket for $35! A steal!

16-Bit Bar+Arcade

(315 reviews)

$$

Mile Square

If you're looking for a place that instantly takes you back while still feeling like a night out,…read morethis is it. 16-Bit Arcade & Bar absolutely nails the retro vibe--from the classic video games to the nostalgic energy that hits you the second you walk in. The game selection is a dream if you grew up on old-school consoles and arcade cabinets. I loved bouncing between retro video games, a few intense rounds of skee-ball, and even some ping pong--it's the perfect mix of casual fun and a little friendly competition. The drinks were a standout too--creative, well-made, and strong enough to keep the good vibes going. On top of that, the service was great--friendly, fast, and genuinely welcoming without being over the top. We also grabbed some light bites, which hit the spot without slowing us down from getting back to the games. It's the kind of place where you can easily lose track of time (in the best way). Whether you're going for a date night, group hang, or just to relive your arcade glory days, 16-Bit is a guaranteed good time. Definitely coming back.

An adult arcade with drinks? Of course I wanna go!…read more 2 floors of the old school games you remember playing as a kid. Don't wanna take the stairs back down to the main level? Try the slide! I've been here a few times and I always order the Hulk Hogan. The bartender made a vodka pomegranate lemonade that was really good. Anytime I'm downtown and need to pass some time or just need a good drink. This is the place.

Heidelberg Haus - My wife and I got our wedding cake here.

Heidelberg Haus

(341 reviews)

$$

Cadillac decaf coffee, i've never really felt passionately about decaffeinated coffee until I…read morevisited Heidelberg. I've driven by the Bakery, so many times and wanted to stop, but I was always in a hurry. My sister and I went in and we each got a dessert and because it was four in the afternoon, we got decaffeinated coffee. The refills were free and we sat at the little counter like we were at a diner and enjoyed everything about this iconic little bakery. The decor is a eclectic. We just took our time and looked around and laughed at so many signs and odd little things that were placed over the years. On the way to the ladies room, you will find out that the gentleman that started the restaurant fought in one of the world wars, and you will see his worn out shoes, his uniforms, his letters of accommodation and Learn his story. Now let's get to the desserts. We shared some type of a wonderful lemon pastry and a black forest cake. Best black forest cake I've ever had. Savored every bite. We were able to buy the last of the springle's that they had made from Christmas. FYI, if you don't like black licorice don't buy Springerle's but you can only get them at Christmas because it's a German tradition and they won't work in the summertime because of the humidity. Things that I learned that day. We saw that they had a dinner menu with a huge variety of different bratwurst and assorted sausages that we would like to try sometime. We ended up spending an hour and a half in a beautiful little place that we thought we were just going to stop and grab desserts to go.

Love this place! We have been coming here to get birthday cakes since I was very little! There…read moreare so many cakes and pastries to choose from. We usually pop in to grab items from the grocery or to pick up things from the pastry case. Today we had lunch here too! Service was friendly and quick. We came in right before a big rush (around noon on Saturday). Highly recommend!

The Rathskeller - german - Updated May 2026

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