Scarlet Whiskey & Wine Bar

Did not have a chance to smoke a cigar, but the bartenders that were working were extremely friendly and efficient. Great cocktails. Great sushi, however small list. But they have other foods too. Really cute atmosphere. I’ll definitely be going back.

Talk about a complete 180! This place is under new management and ownership now and they have definitely made changes for the better! I have only been to Scarlet once before and it was a bit of a disappointment. There were no guests and the server was quite distant the entire time. But tonight I walked in an instantly smelled a delicious candle that was burning in the entry way. For a cigar bar not to smell like smoke is a huge bonus. The décor is brand new; very sexy and cozy. There aren’t enough words to explain how amazing the sushi was, handcrafted is an understatement. I went with the Tigers Eye cocktail and tried a few sips of my friends drinks and each one was unique and tasty. I have definitely found my new girls night out spot!

We walked in at 930pm on Thursday July 16 and the place was not very busy. it looked like a wine tasting had taken place and cleanup had not been completed. We waited around for a good 5 minutes, but no one even acknowledged us, so we left.

Great food and drinks and great atmosphere. The nachos are generously portioned and delicious.

I had a great time here, mostly because of the company and the food. It’s small, but nice. I like the décor. It’s dark in there, so if you like to really inspect your food, this isn’t the place for you.
The service was pretty poor, but I’ll start with the good stuff. A musician named Levi was performing. He was amazing! We couldn’t stop dancing and singing along. I would go back anytime he’s going to be there.
It took a while to receive our first glass of wine. Another person joined us and it took even longer for her to receive her wine. Once our server came back, we let her know that we wanted to order food. When she finally came back, she admitted that she had forgotten about us. Not cool. The food was worth it. Two of us got burgers and the other got the slider trio. We all enjoyed our food (minus the lamb slider). The truffle fries are pretty good. The wine selection isn’t fantastic. There was no Malbec available, so I just shared a bottle of Château St Michelle Riesling with a friend. Once we finally got everything we wanted, things were okay… until one of us wanted water. There was another very long wait for that. Again, this place is small and it wasn’t too packed… so I’m not sure what was going on.
If it weren’t for Levi’s performance, I don’t think this would have been as fun. One star for ambiance, one for the food and the other for the live music.

The ambiance is very nice and relaxing. The server I had wasn’t the best, we would go 45 mins without her checking on on us. I had the slider trio and the dish was amazing! However, the lamb slider had some weird nutmeg and cinnamon taste. This guy named Levi was performing and he really rocked the house!!! I will come back again, this place is the perfect hideaway!

Scarlet’s low lighting, (which your eyes will have to adjust to when entering), the myriad of reds, dark wood, comfortable sofas and chairs, and soft music create a relaxing ambience where one can enjoy the company and conversation of friends and/​or significant others. I met some friends here after work and we all enjoyed the tranquil atmosphere.
The server greeted us quickly and was happy to make drink suggestions. Scarlet boasts 143 varieties of whiskey and a very large wine and champagne collection, therefore no one should have any problem finding something that suits their taste. The server suggested that I try a variation on their smash that contained strawberry. Likewise, she provided suggestions to everyone in the party and all were pleased. The cocktails were expertly made. The menu does not have a huge selection– a few salad choices, five flatbread choices, five seafood choices, as well as a variety of sliders (to include lamb), and a couple of dessert choices. I ordered the Smoked Duck & Goat Cheese Flatbread with Balsamic Fig Jam. It was GREAT. The duck was succulent, the goat cheese had a nice edgy bite to it, and the balsamic fig jam provided for a nice sweet/​sour surprise. The one minor issue was that a couple of pieces had quite a bit of fat on it that should have been removed. However, I would definitely order it again.
To sum it up, our overall experience was pleasant. Where it went south a little bit was when our server stopped being as attentive as she should be and decided to hold a long and involved conversation with patrons at another table. At one point, she was so engulfed in the conversation it was difficult to get her attention to come and take the order of a friend whom arrived late. Additionally, when it was time for the bill, someone else came to the table to take charge of that process and when he returned there was a double charge for one of the items. He was very apologetic and promptly fixed it.
Great relaxing atmosphere, excellent food and drink, service could be a bit better equals four stars.

Soooooooo… this place is… interesting. I’m a pretty open minded gal who loves to eat and drink and try new things. But this place is… weird. Part of it feels like a place to meet your mistress (the main area with the couches) and then the bar area feels like a great place to chill after work and catch up with friends, trying a really good homemade cocktail. The extensive whiskey menu really satisfies all tastebuds. And the bartender was knowledgeable and willing to really help me find something I like. That was awesome since I don’t drink whiskey. I got the Scarlet (house) Manhattan and it was delish… he toned down the sweetness for me which I really liked.
I love that there are flights available and if I wasn’t driving, I would have definitely rocked it out so I could try lots of different whiskeys.
All that aside — SKIP the truffle fries. They were dry and they come with ketchup. Nothing unique or life changing here.
However, my girlfriend got the crab cakes and I got the pesto chicken flatbread and it was both AWESOME. Sooooo the food is good.
Once we paid our bill and a table of people came in, our bartender never came back or asked how we were so service immediately dropped off. I hate that. But whatever.
We checked out the bathroom — b/​c …well, it’s interesting. Boobs and asses cover the walls and in my opinion, encourage sex in the one person co-​ed space. If that’s what you go for, DEFINITELY bring your mistress and have a good time. OK – maybe that was over the line, but really — breasts on the walls?
Annnnyway, I think this place COULD be cool but it’s not welcoming and I don’t dig the décor. It feels more «skanky dirty» than «upscale chic» to me. Try again.
I would be back for the pesto though so it’s CONFUSING me!!!

Any bar savvy enough to have Connemara and Tyrconnell along with Red Breast is worthy of a visit and a follow up. They plop down a water glass full of Hennessey /​chili glazed bacon as a bar snack. Are ya friggen kidding me? AWESOME!!!

Coupling a cornucopia of drinks with a soothing atmosphere, Scarlet positions itself as a great place to spend a quiet evening. Their wide variety of whiskey and wine satisfies even the most discerning of connoisseurs. The drinks are somewhat overpriced, but it’s money well spent on an eclectic attraction outside the downtown area.

Bartender was knowledgeable and helpful. That is where it ends. If you are going to call yourself a whiskey and wine bar, you should have a great selection of whiskey and wine. This place has neither. We had water while one person in our group had a beer then left. Atmosphere is decent, potential is there, but don’t bother if you are a real whiskey or wine aficionado.

Décor is spot on VIP lounge! Whiskeys and wines – tremendous selection and bartender was highly knowledgeable, friendly and fast. Music and videos were outstanding and accelerated the vibe for our group of late night thrill seekers. Don’t sweat the small crowds as this will be something you will miss once the deserved momentum hits this place. Quiet and pumping at the same time good for impressing others and enjoying yourself–
Manhattan was expertly assembled and garnished with organic black cherries. Food will be next time, but I don’t go to Whiskey Wine Lounges for food.

A great bar with an upscale yet relaxed atmosphere. The food selection is limited but what they have is good. I enjoyed the hummus.
The staff is friendly and bar tenders are knowledgeable about the alcohols and mixes that prepare. They are also glad to try suggestions based drinks from other bars.
I find this to be a great place to meet for drinks on weekdays.

I am really surprised that the reviews only come to a total of 3 stars! What a cool place! Now granted, we visited after already having dinner only for drinks, but what a unique place. My favorite thing about Scarlet, it had that grown up, chic bar feel and it was quiet enough that our group could carry on a conversation! Kinda speak easy like. The cocktails were fantastic, the prices were reasonable, and the service was great. We will be back! Check it out!

Food and service could improve (tuna and bone marrow), always empty. I want this place to work but it just won’t unless they start filling it up and advertising

Wine list is good and décor is beautiful, Service was very poor. Our waitress didn’t know anything about the menu and she was less than attentive.

This place seemed very intriguing so I stopped for a drink with a friend.
The atmosphere was pretty dark. Lots of red and black dominated the décor color scheme.
Then we got the menu and the cocktails were going for around $ 10-​$ 13 a piece. That seemed a little stiff but I ordered the She Smiles cocktail and it was very good. My friend got a Manhattan and liked it as well.
We only stayed for one drink though because it was DEAD. For a Friday night I was surprised that there were only 4 people in the whole establishment.
For the price I’d rather go downtown and be around the hustle and bustle of people.

Love the atmosphere and décor /​comfortable & easy to the point you do not want to leave /​the food is amazing /​The presentation and tastes are exceptional /​This is one of Indianapolis’s best kept secrets /​We had the crab cake, Ahi Tuna, Bone Marrow dish & trio of sliders (lamb-​filet-​rib) & truffle parmesan fries. Every last bite was wonderful /​The drinks are well poured and well made ! What a great evening.
” if ” there is a down side, it is that you wish they had more entrée choices.

First off, I really expected more out of Scarlet Whiskey and Wine Bar. We had really high hopes going into it. I also want to say that Scarlet was not a terrible experience, it just was not what we were expecting. I had the Scarlet Manhattan which was very, very good ($ 12) and for the price, I was totally cool with it. My girlfriend had a glass of Pinot Noir ($ 9) which she also very much enjoyed.
We had planned a small, evening night out together and had decided on Scarlet because we both like wine and I like a good cocktail. I do not know if it was the time of night or the day, but when we went in the place was not very busy and just very… bland atmosphere. The building and interior design from the chairs to the paintings on the wall were awesome. It just felt like were in the middle of really cool bar, before it was opened up. Mind you, we are both very patient and initially service was very good, but after both finished our drinks we waited on our check for ten minutes. Now, there were fewer than 10 people in the entire bar and our table was seated directly in front of the bar. I eventually just got up and got our check from the bartenders and checked out.
The service was not top notch, but everyone we spoke to was extremely friendly and not rude at all, it just seems that Scarlet is not quite where it wants to be yet. I am really, REALLY hoping to go back in a few months and hopefully it will be up and going to what I believe it’s full potential can be.
I just felt like Scarlet was like biting into a piece of chocolate and expecting caramel inside and getting a Sour Patch Kid instead. Both are good pieces of candy, but I was expecting something totally different.

My sweet husband took me for my birthday. He had the slider trio I did the Ahi tuna. His slider trio was short ribs, lamb, and filet. All with very different interesting combination toppings. The filet was very rare, which he is not a fan of, but I love. it was yummy. His favorite was the lamb with a slice of jalapeño, dates, goat cheese and date jelly… a combination I will be trying at home. The Sesame Ahi was raw, cold, and buttery. The best way to eat a tuna in my opinion. I don’t know how, but they managed to fully sear the sesame coating and not touch [ruin] the fish.
The menu is mind-​boggling in the best way! PAGES of whiskies, wines, & cocktails. Remember, this is a whisky & wine bar as a primary and restaurant is a secondary. So food was really only a page with 15 or so options, with a second dedicated to meat, fruit, and cheese tray pairings. What food they offer is done VERY well. The food is a decent price, but smaller portions, again, food not being the star of the establishment.
We will return for a future date night, I see it being a great girls get together place, date place, but oddly, despite the whisky, not hitting me like a guys night or meet singles place… could be wrong as I am not a guy nor single…
*Side note– My price score was two dollars… this is accounting for a glass of wine and a glass of whiskey cocktail. MOST of the wines are bottle only and range from $ 27−300+… just a warning…