Best Restaurants for Wine Lovers in Indianapolis
Seven wine restaurants make up this Indianapolis list. Two hold Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence: Vida in Lockerbie Square, a modern American fine-dining room with a tasting menu, and St. Elmo Steak House in the Wholesale District, a classic steakhouse with a sommelier-led list. Three hold Award of Excellence: The Fountain Room on Mass Ave, Nesso Italian Kitchen in the Wholesale District, and Harry & Izzy's in Allisonville.
Five of the seven carry an exceptional wine program: Vida, St. Elmo Steak House, Beholder in Indy East, Nesso Italian Kitchen, and Tony's of Indianapolis in the Canal Walk District. The Fountain Room's list runs to 150-plus French and Californian selections under a wine program. Beholder adds a sommelier-led tasting menu from chef Jonathan Brooks. Tony's serves hand-cut steaks, seafood, and Mediterranean dishes with an extensive list.
How this list is chosen: Restaurants with a Wine Spectator Restaurant Award or a deep wine list, listed alphabetically. Updated October 8, 2026.
Beholder
Deep wine list
On a residential stretch of East 10th Street, Beholder operates as one of Indianapolis's more considered dining addresses, where the menu's structure does most of the talking. The kitchen works from an ingredient-first logic that places it alongside the city's small tier of serious independent restaurants, distinct from the steakhouse and deli traditions that long defined Indianapolis dining.
Harry & Izzy's
Wine Spectator Award of Excellence
Harry & Izzy's on Indianapolis's northeast side occupies a well-worn spot in the city's casual-upscale dining conversation, where direct American hospitality meets a menu built for reliably satisfying evenings. Located at 4050 E 82nd St, the restaurant draws regulars and first-timers alike to a format that prioritizes comfort and familiarity over experimentation. For a broader view of Indianapolis dining, see our full city guide.
Nesso Italian Kitchen
Wine Spectator Award of Excellence · Deep wine list
Nesso occupies a deliberate position in Indianapolis's evolving bar scene, drawing attention through the depth and curation of its spirits program rather than spectacle. Located at 339 S Delaware St in downtown Indianapolis, it represents the city's shift toward collection-driven drinking culture, where what's behind the bar matters as much as what's in the glass.
St. Elmo Steak House
Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence · Deep wine list
One of Indianapolis's most enduring dining institutions, St. Elmo Steak House has operated from its South Illinois Street address since 1902, earning consecutive recognition on Opinionated About Dining's Casual North America list. The kitchen centers on dry-heat steakhouse technique, and the room carries the particular weight of a place that has outlasted every dining trend the city has seen in a century.
The Fountain Room
Wine Spectator Award of Excellence
The Fountain Room on Massachusetts Avenue occupies a distinct position in Indianapolis's dinner scene: an American table with a wine program built around 150-plus French and Californian selections, mid-range pricing, and a kitchen led by Chef Ricky Martinez. Ownership by Perry and Blake Fogelsong, with Katie Forman managing both the floor and the wine list, gives the operation an unusually consolidated voice.
Tony's of Indianapolis
Deep wine list
Tony's of Indianapolis serves modern steakhouse fare with seafood and Italian influences, alongside an extensive wine list, for a leisurely, conversational dinner.
Vida
Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence · Deep wine list
Since 2016, Vida has held a AAA Four Diamond rating and built its reputation on a rotating six-course tasting menu alongside a seasonal à la carte program, both anchored in modern American cooking with produce sourced from local farmers and an in-house hydroponic wall. The wine collection extends into rare spirits territory, placing it in the upper tier of Indianapolis dining rooms.
Planning restaurants for wine lovers in Indianapolis
- Which restaurants on this list hold a Wine Spectator award?
- Five restaurants on this list hold Wine Spectator awards. Vida in Lockerbie Square and St. Elmo Steak House in Wholesale District hold Best of Award of Excellence. The Fountain Room on Mass Ave, Nesso Italian Kitchen in Wholesale District, and Harry & Izzy's in Allisonville hold Award of Excellence. The Fountain Room holds that award for both 2025 and 2026.
- Which restaurants on this list have exceptional wine programs?
- Five restaurants on this list have exceptional wine programs: Vida in Lockerbie Square, St. Elmo Steak House in the Wholesale District, Beholder in Indy East, Nesso Italian Kitchen in the Wholesale District, and Tony's of Indianapolis in the Canal Walk District. St. Elmo Steak House and Beholder are sommelier-led. Vida's wine collection extends into rare spirits, and Tony's list is extensive.
- What list styles show up on this page?
- On this page, The Fountain Room on Mass Ave builds its wine list around 150-plus French and Californian selections. Nesso Italian Kitchen in the Wholesale District holds one of Indiana's most extensive Italian wine lists. St. Elmo Steak House in the Wholesale District keeps an extensive list led by a sommelier.
More in Indianapolis