Cerulean Restaurant

All I can say is wow! I am from out of town and was pleasantly surprised to find such a gourmet dining experience in Indy! The meal was amazing. The service was great. We shared a few salads and starters and I had a vegetarian dish that was to die for. Others in my group had fish and everyone agreed it was above expectations. Definitely a must try when in town.

After a Friday evening concert, a couple friends and I stopped into Cerulean for cocktails and dessert. If you’ve not been to Cerulean, it’s a slick and beautifully appointed space in the Alexander Hotel. I noticed several updates to the interior since my last visit, including a wall between two sections that really seemed to cut down on noise in the dining room.
We were seated promptly when we arrived at 9:00pm-ish. After listening to our server’s recommendations, we decided to order a cheese board and two of the shareable dishes. All three were excellent. The cheese board was beautifully presented. We also really enjoyed the smashed potatoes and the roasted cauliflower. We thought all three dishes were generously portioned.
The cocktails were great– my friends ordered off the drink menu, and I had two martinis. Our compliments to the bartender.
Dessert was the reason for our visit, and we were definitely not disappointed. Pete Schmutte is really a genius, and a standout Indianapolis chef. We had the key lime mousse and the chocolate napoleon. Both were complex, thoughtfully conceived, and beautifully presented. I don’t think there is another restaurant in the city that compares to Cerulean in the dessert category.
My only reason for giving four stars is this: our server clearly felt PUT OUT by the fact that he had to deal with us after learning that we were not each ordering a $ 35 protein dish, and he did not hesitate to make that obvious. The whole tenor of our interaction immediately changed. He was curt and not particularly friendly for the remainder of our visit. You would’ve thought we ruined this guy’s night by coming in and dropping $ 110 on after-​dinner drinks and dessert. We were having a great time together and the food and drinks were excellent, so we didn’t let it bother us, but we just couldn’t believe the attitude. We tipped rather generously in the hopes he might feel just a little guilty for being so unnecessarily unpleasant. Happy Friday.
It has been quite awhile since I visited Cerulean, and I am glad we stopped in. There have been many changes since its inception, and I like the way it is evolving. As mentioned, the deliberately pouty service was a minor irritation, but everything was of such fine quality that our overall experience was very positive. I would definitely recommend Cerulean, but depending on your server, if you’re not throwing down $ 75 per person you might have to bring your own fun.
DISCLAIMER: In the interest of full disclosure, I worked at Cerulean several years ago. I don’t think that colors my thoughts on our experience last night in any particular way.

While I was in Indy a few people from the workshop I was at were swooning about this place so a group of us gave it a go. It’s pretty much what you expect from trendy/​fancy but not crazy overpriced. I went with the pork chop and it was pretty good, but for $ 32 I expected it to amaze me, which it did not. Everyone seemed to like their food, but there was not as much swooning as expected. I tried someone’s Salmon, it was alright but kind of dry. You order sides a la cart — we ordered the potatoes and the grits. Some people in the group thought they were amazing, I thought they were just decently good. Overall the food is good, but I don’t think it’s $ 30 – 50 a person good. The best part of the meal was the chocolate cookie that came as part of the bento box desert (since it’s chef’s choice, I’m not sure if this is a standard item or not). Other deserts were alright, but not mind blowing. Overall it seems like a good place to try to impress a date as presentation is nice and service is good… but of the handful of places I tried during my week in Indy, this wasn’t one of my personal food highlights.

Not what I was expecting. The décor and music are very trendy. I was there for lunch on a Friday and they weren’t busy at all. The restaurant isn’t in the heart of downtown Indy, but not too far, about a 15 minute walk. The food was just ok. I was expecting food that would blow me away. The restaurant is located in a fancy hotel. I had the Berkshire pulled pork sandwich. It was my favorite of all the items we tried. It was good but nothing spectacular. My husband had the tuna bento box with seared brussel sprouts, spicy thai noodles, and salad. Oh yeah, I had a side of potato salad too. It was all just OK. The server was super sweet and very attentive. She said they are rolling out a new menu next week. We will go back to try the new menu.

Great place for a special night out: a really interesting menu, great cocktails, and excellent service. Make sure to save room for dessert: their dedicated dessert chef puts together plates as beautiful as they are delicious.

The food and service at Cerulean was excellent. Leanne took great care of us, including recommendations and attentiveness mixed with a friendly but subtle attitude. The cheese plate was a great way to start. Our entrees were beautifully plated and delicious. The star however was the side of Brussels sprouts — they should not be missed. We finished off the meal wth a trio of home made ice creams which were also quite good. A great dinner date for people looking to try something outside of the more typical dining scene.

One of the best meals I’ve had in a very long time. From start to finish everything was delicious. The staff was amazing. Couldn’t have asked for a better night.

Wow, what an incredible experience! I had chosen this place to do a surprise «date night» with my then girlfriend on our way into Indiana to see her family. The staff was very accommodating and attentive. We experienced the five-​course tasting and were extremely impressed with the first class presentation. High compliments to the chef on the tasteful, creative, and complementary flavors in each course. One of the noticeable touches was the Filipino-​inspired dessert built around a kalamansi sorbet! Oh, and she said «yes» obviously. If we were ever to return to Indianapolis, my now fiancé and I would definitely stop by again the next time we’re in town. Kudos to a classy and welcoming experience!

I finally made it to dinner here with some friends. This place has a really trendy cool interior. It the type of place I would expect to run into a local celebrity or perhaps an out of town celebrity.
The service was pretty amazing. My water glass was never empty. My cocktail was on point and delivered in a timely manner. Also we walked in on a Friday night around 8 and got a table no problem. Shocking considering the chef is James Beard nominee. My only service complaint was that our check took forever but perhaps it’s because part of my party was still very chatty and enjoying their wine even though I was ready to leave.
The food was delicious. I ordered the chicken because a beautiful roasted chicken is well, a beautiful thing. My chicken breast was dry. So that was disappointing but the brussel sprouts were dreamy. I taste tested the Sea Bass and Pork Loin– all delicious and better than my chicken. Maybe I just ordered wrong? We also enjoy a lovely charcuterie board with some cheese. This was probably my favorite part of the meal. We were all too stuffed to order dessert, maybe next time!

So impressed with this spot. The food is amazingly good. Had the seabass which comes with a bit of home made seaweed pasta; paired this with the best tasting brussel sprouts ever.
It was very difficult to choose 1 desert from the mouth watering options but i chose the Almond & Citrus desert which was quite light. Excellent!
I can’t wait to be back.

I went here for lunch with coworkers yesterday. I wasn’t as bowled over as I expected to be, but still enjoyed my meal and would try dinner, too.
I got the eggplant sandwich with chipotle potato salad. The sandwich was substantial enough to need a knife and fork, and really savory. The eggplant was presented in a way that reminded me of those spiral fries at the state fair, which made it a little difficult to cut/​eat. I think my favorite part was the sourdough bread, and I’m not usually big on sandwich bread (it probably helped that it had been grilled in butter, too). The potato salad was nicely creamy and had a kick. My meat-​eating coworkers raved about the Brussels sprouts with pancetta.
I appreciated all of the natural light — the atmosphere was classy but relaxed. Our waitress was very friendly. We passed through the bar area on our way out, and I loved all of the art — would definitely stop there next time!

I’d sum it up as all flash and little substance. We had drinks (a glass of wine and a whiskey based cocktail,) a cheese board and the grilled octopus. It was all ok, but not fantastic. The presentation of everything is amazing, and the décor of the restaurant is pretty nice as well (the bathroom sinks are pretty impressive.) I’d have a hard time going back or recommending it to anyone else when there’s so many other great places in the area.

So impressed. Wonderful service and an incredible menu!
You cannot go wrong treating yourself to a date night at the Cerulean, one for the books.
If you can, request to sit in the «nest» as its an experience and lets you feel as if its a restaurant just for you and your date (+ less distractions).
I would recommend going when you plan to enjoy a full course dinner, because you’ll want to try everything. And make a reservation!
My date and I started with the Seared Scallops over grits and kimchee, next we had the Wild Alaskan Salmon and the Duck Breast with a side of their infamous Roasted Brussels Sprouts. These brussels sprouts are really a must! And for dessert the Jasmine Rice Pudding. Each dish was more than expected. An amazing presentation, quality, description from our server, and every bite was full of flavors you probably hadn’t had before.
Cant decide on what to eat? Try their tasting menu — there’s a 5 course option and a 7 course option. The table next to us ordered the 5 course tasting menu and were almost too full for dessert but I have to say we were eyeing their dishes and decided to make that our next experience.

There are few times in life when you experience the true art of culinary excellent; when the plate becomes the canvas. My most recent visit to Cerulean was equivalent to a visit to an art gallery; the most decadent art gallery I have ever experienced!
We visited Cerulean during Devour Downtown and took advantage of the Chef’s selection for this menu. We made reservations for 5:15 pm, right after they opened, which was perfect for a Friday night on the last weekend of the Winter Devour Downtown. Often some of the higher end restaurants tend to cut back on dishes or quality during Devour because of the parade of amateur diners that are drawn to their establishment. Not Cerulean. They seemed to put their best foot forward with this menu. Notably was the fact the each diner received their own selection of appetizer and dessert (no need to share, unless you’re like us and you share every dish to experience twice as much!).
From the hostess to the server, the service we experienced was above and beyond. We let them know we were attending a show at the IRT that evening, so were on somewhat of a tight schedule. While never being rushed, we were able to enjoy all three courses of our meal and make it with plenty of time for our show.
Highlights from our experience include the unique Amuse-​Bouche to start our experience. I also was beyond impressed with their French press coffee I had to accompany my dessert. Even the plates, glasses and silverware they utilize to highlight their creations added a unique depth and dimension to the dining experience.
Cerulean, we will be back, please never change.

Cerulean is definitely a solid choice if you’ve got cash to burn or are a big fan of delicate food that is artistically plated. I was in Indy on business and was staying nearby. Cerulean’s menu made me choose it over some other places in the area.
I was able to get a seat at the bar immediately on a weeknight, a game night no less. The bartender was very friendly and prompt. I ordered a glass of the Justin cabernet. It’s way overpriced but it is what it is. I got the lamb ragu as an appetizer and the salmon for dinner.
The bartender brought out an amuse bouche. It was… unusual, to say the least. Usually the amuse bouche is light and palate cleansing. She told me it was a butternut squash mousse with fresh cucumbers. In fact, I believe it was some heavily spiced corn masa and cucumbers. It was tasty but it was quite spicy and maybe a bit heavy even.
The lamb ragu was actually quite disappointing. It was literally pulled lamb on top of noodles. Now, the noodles were definitely homemade and that was good. But the lamb was terribly salty. They also used really lean meat so it didn’t taste entirely lamb like because that fat wasn’t there. The salmon came out after I had finished the appetizer. It was delicious! Definitely the highlight of the meal. The salmon was perfectly seared, the flesh tender and moist. The cabbage and potatoes underneath were cooked just right and seasoned well. It was a very harmonious dish.
I also got the pear napoleon and a coffee for dessert. It was good, don’t get me wrong. But it was a bit overthought in my opinion. I’m trying to relax, it’s the end to the meal and this dessert is really challenging to eat the way it was presented. So my overall opinion is that the food is good, perhaps overpriced. The service was fine, no complaints. The restaurant was uniquely decorated and very artsy.

Indianapolis benefits from having so many great placea right near the stadiums. When heading in for a basketball game this was the perfect pregame spot for me. The menu is one of those that has so many good options that you really have to question all of your selections. There are just so many good things to choose from. We started with a cheese plate and everything on it was amazing. Though the plate itself could have used a bit more bread the homemade mustard pickled sunchokes and slightly spicy cornishons provided excellent balance to the variety of cheeses we had.
For appitizers I ended up being very pleased by the beet salad. There was a wonderful crispness from the grains and I was also a huge fan of the blood orange in the dish. For a main I eneded up sampling from the chicken. They somehow found a way to make chicken breast interesting with a little beit of spice from the harrissa.
The drinks were also great and it was well worth the visit.

Oh, Cerulean… let me officially & publicly profess my love for you. I should have done this many years ago, for you are one of my favorite places to visit in downtown Indy. We don’t get to hang out in the evening that often currently, but maybe that will change as the CityWay area grows with each year. I do, however, cherish our lunch times together, for your seasonal options and creativity never cease to amaze me.
Your lunch bento box set-​up is something I wish more restaurants would adapt. Pick an entrée & 3 well-​crafted chilled sides for $ 13 – 16? It feels like a steal for the quality of your masterpieces.
Entrée: Perfectly cooked sea scallops with almond, yuzokosho, green apple & lemon? Talk sweetly to me, my dear.
Side 1: Insanely crispy brussel sprouts with a maple gastrigue and pancetta? Yes please.
Side 2: Butternut squash with kale, roasted pecans, & calamansi sorghum? Yum.
Side 3: Roasted carrots with pickled daikon, ginger aioli, thai basil & scallion? Purple carrot perfection.
Aesthetically, you are a darling. From your sleek and modern, yet still inviting, décor to your nest-​like private dining room that looked like it was fun to create… you are as pleasing to the eye as you are to the palate. Even great care was taken when choosing your tactile finishes for your patrons; smooth, properly-​weighted utensils, delicate glassware with sleek lines, and soft napkins are just a few of the distinguishing textures. Factoring in the ever-​attentive and outstanding service, you shine.
Overall, I highly recommend you, Cerulean. I always look forward to our reunions.

I ate here last week with my sister for the first time, and we really enjoyed our meal. The décor is very cool, with a giant bird’s nest type thing in one part of the restaurant, and lots of natural light where we sat.
We started with a meat and cheese spread to start the night, along with a bottle of Rosé. We tried the goat cheese, triple crème, and 5 year cheddar, along with the pork loin. The cheeses were fantastic, and they were served with some sort of berry jam along with mustard, pickles, and bread. My favorite cheese was the triple crème.
We then moved onto 3 small plates to share. We chose the farm egg raviolo, the roasted beets, and fresh orecchiette. Each was completely delicious in its own way. The roasted beets were fresh and cool, with layers of flavor (blood orange, mushrooms.). The orecchiette was salty in a really good way, with silky gravy and pops of green from the soy and mint. The farm egg raviolo was rich and unctuous. That is really the only way I know how to describe that– between the egg yolk, brown butter, and herbed cream cheese, it was a small bite of heaven.
After that, we couldn’t fit another bite into our mouths. I would love to come back and try some more dishes as well as wines, as they seem to have a nice selection.

With a couple of special occasions to celebrate, I knew it was time to dine at Cerulean. What I didn’t know is that my boyfriend had a few surprises in store. Take notes, gentlemen:
As soon as we were seated, the head of the bar brought out a bottle of champagne and welcomed us to Cerulean. He was going to be in charge of our beer pairings for our seven-​course tasting menu.
Wait, what?
It turns out Ben had called in advance, requesting to do a tasting (both the five course and seven course are offered on the dinner menu) and inquired to see if Cerulean would substitute a beer pairing instead of a wine pairing. Lucky for us, we got to be the guinea pigs for a de-​licious experiment.
Here were our seven courses:
(01) Roasted Beet Salad w/​heirloom grains, smoked goat cheese, pickled chanterelle, arugula, and blood orange paired with Unibroue’s La Fin Du Monde
(02) Crudo w/​green apple sticks, crushed almond, jalapeño slices, smoked olive oil, yuzukosho, and bronze fennel paired with Two Brother’s Wobble IPA
(03) Fresh Orecchiette Pasta w/​viking lamb gravy, zucchini, feta, shaved tomato, soy, and mint, paired with Bierbrouwerji De Koningshoeven’s La Trappe Quadrupel
(04) Wild Alaska Salmon w/​corn purée, summer squash salsa, pickled artichoke, cherry tomato, and sesame paired with Brouwerij Huyghe’s Delirium Tremens
(05) Heartland Beef Filet w/​thai basil ramp pistou, sweet potato, whey aioli, and nuoc cham steak sauce paired with Brauerei Aying’s Celebrator
(06) Yogurt Panna Cotta, paired with Pear Cider (I smudged my notes and had to go off of my memory for this one)
(07) Strawberry Mousse w/​market berries, pea & mint crumble, lemon cream, chocolate raspberry cake, and citrus basil ice cream paired with Brouwerij Liefmans’ Liefmans Fruitesse
I cannot say enough nice things about this entire meal. Let that gorgeous menu speak for itself, not to mention the spot-​on beer pairings that were so well researched. Everything was impeccable and beautifully presented. If I had to choose one dish – I feel like I’m choosing a favorite child – I would have to go with the robust Fresh Orecchiette, as it reminded me of my favorite Chicago Italian restaurant and could easily rival against any local Italian spot in Indy. Ben would say the salmon, not only because it was seafood, but also it had the nuances to Indiana cuisine. How fortunate we were to have the option of a tasting menu, something I haven’t seen anywhere else in town.
All in all, I felt as if we were spoiled rotten by those in front of the house and inside the kitchen at Cerulean, from the service to the food itself. It’s a meal that I’ll continue to daydream about for a looooooong time, and I cannot wait to bring even my snobbiest of foodie friends to show them what perfection looks like.

I am really surprised by the way this place is rated. It appears to be one of indys top ten places. I came here with lots of hopes and expectations, afterall you cant go wrong with indys top ten restaurant! But guess what, the internet can lie to you and I’ll tell you why.
I understand the ambience is very soothing and artistic. I can see ppl like eating at fancy places but ultimately, the main game is the food. The food I had here was seriously average and the only possible thing good about it was the experimentation of flavors. I ordered a lamb recipe (I forgot the name, but that was the only lamb dish on the menu). It basically was lamb boiled in salt water later pulled and meshed. Later on top pasta, seasoned with chick peas and roasted nuts. Also had cottage cheese. Each bite made me think I could smell the meat! I felt like I was in a butcher shop or something. In short, terrible. We also got bassed cod which was served with clams. The serving size was very small and not filling at all. There really was nothing special about it.
I must say the service is very nice, ppl are very courteous here. If you are looking for a nice place for a date, then yes this is a perfect place, however do not expect much from the food.