The English Ivy

A neighborhood bar should be friendly, relaxing, enjoyable, and above all else, welcoming. I think that the best fit in downtown Indianapolis for this definition would be the English Ivy. Although I have not been to every bar in the city, which if I had at 22, that would pretty much make me an alcoholic, I feel like I have been to enough bars around town to know a comfortable place when I find one.

Although for a person such as myself, who frequents this rather enjoyable establishment often, the menu has gotten to be somewhat of a bore since the main menu rarely changes, that doesn't mean that a meal here isn't just as enjoyable as it ever was. The food choices offered at this local bar and restaurant can fulfill any range of appetites and diets, from the vegetarian to the steak aficionado. They cover all the bases within the available food selections by including a very sizable array of sandwich options, which are also available for dinner I believe, as well as seafood and Italian. If you visit their website, which is a three second trip to google to find, you can pull the whole menu up for yourself and see what I'm talking about.

When it comes to the overall atmosphere of this great little bar, I have heard many varied opinions. A lot of people don't like it because there is smoking in the bar section, and most of the patrons in this area partake in the activity. I look at atmosphere a little differently when it comes to bars, however. Since the average drinker generally spends a substantially larger amount of time in a bar as opposed to sitting down for dinner, I feel like the people make the atmosphere in a bar as opposed to the quality of the wall paneling and a non-smoking rule.

The patrons of the English Ivy are one of the closer crowds among the bars of Indy. Most of the individuals that socialize within its walls are a little older, and most of them have been bumping and grinding with one another for many years. Although the English Ivy is better known within the gay community of Indianapolis, it does not exclusively cater to it. You generally see all kinds for dinner service.

One last note about the atmosphere at the English Ivy is that you need to know what to expect if you have never been. It is just like any other bar in the sense that it attracts certain crowds at certain times of the day. Meaning, if you go in at midnight on a Friday night, expect to not only see plenty of drunk people, but often times promiscuous and even obnoxious drunk people.

If you are wanting a relaxing night out with good food, good friends, and great beer, all at an affordable price, then swing by the English Ivy for an evening of fun.