10 unique Indy holiday party venues
By Karen Kennedy
Although many of us are still trotting around in capris and shorts in this continued Indian summer weather, there’s no denying that the holiday party season is just around the corner! If you haven’t started planning your holiday soirée yet, now is the time to start. Create a memory-making event this year by checking out one of these unique (and all locally independently owned!) party venues. No matter where you’re located, one of these is near you.
- The Prairie Guest House. This lovingly restored B&B on Allisonville Road in Fishers boasts the original LS Ayres Board Room table and vintage chairs from the Tea Room. With a cozy fireplace and adjoining sun room, the space can accommodate up to 40 guests for breakfast, lunch or dinner, seven days a week. Custom menus are available.
- Peace Water Winery. Why not have a wine tasting party? This chic, urban and stunning space in Carmel’s hopping Arts & Design District is a glorious venue for a holiday shindig. Ideal for groups of up 75 people, wine tasting packages are available at several different price points and while they don’t have a food menu of their own, you are able to bring in your own food or they will happily recommend a caterer to add some delectable treats to complement your wine.
- Inspire Studio Gallery. Just down the street from Peace Water, this lovely open space is a great spot for groups of up to 50. Spectacular art work from local artists covers the walls, which could inspire some great cocktail party conversation. (You might even get some Christmas shopping done while you’re there!)
- The Smith House. Noblesville’s newest party venue, the Smith House is a great combination of modern, upscale ambiance and historic charm. Three cozy, adjoining rooms can accommodate up to 50 people in either cocktail party style or for a sit-down dinner. There is a select group of caterers to choose from.
- Eat+Drink. For a truly cool cocktail party, there’s no better spot than SoBro’s Eat+Drink (on College, just next door to its renowned sister restaurant Taste Café.) The space was created from a shipping container, so the feel is industrial and the vibe is hip. There are loads of delicious hand-crafted cocktails to choose from and a fabulous menu of small plates. They will be happy to create a custom hors d’oeuvres menu for your group. For larger groups, owners Deidra and Marc will open the adjoining Taste Café, and they also provide custom catering services for off-site parties.
- Capri Ristorante. While this fine Italian Indianapolis standby has been around since, well, forever, they have recently added a gorgeous banquet room which can seat a minimum of 20 or a maximum of 75. Wow your group with either a sit-down or buffet dinner, complete with some soul-warming Italian red wine.
- Hotel Tango Whiskey. The cocktail is elevated to an art form at this urban Fountain Square hot spot. There’s a great private party space for around 40 people in the distillery room with rough hewn picnic tables and a concrete floor. They don’t sell food, but you can have it brought in. Or, you could start there for drinks and then head down the street to any one of the other great restaurants in the neighborhood: Repeal, La Revolucion or the Thunderbird.
- Union 50. A relative newcomer on the Mass Ave scene, Union 50 is a part of the Cunningham Restaurant Group. The food is delicious, the cavernous bar hums with activity and there’s live music almost every night. A large private area off of the main dining area features huge booths and banquettes, making an ideal cocktail party spot for groups of 50 or so, and a smaller adjoining private room can be added for additional space, or makes an intimate private dining room for 16 on its own.
- Patrick’s Kitchen. This charming pub on Zionsville’s quintessential Main Street is a marvelous gathering space for smaller groups of around 25. The food is lovingly prepared and reasonably priced. If the space in the restaurant is too small for your group, you can reserve the beautiful and historic conference rooms in the adjoining Brick Street Inn and Patrick’s will cater the food for you.
- Chef Joseph’s at the Connoisseur Room. If you’re looking for a place where your group dust off the rhinestones and dinner jackets for a swanky night on the town, Chef Joseph’s is the spot for you. Tufted velvet booths and lush draperies recreate the bygone supper club days, and a grand piano in the middle of the dining room provides accompaniment for jazz singers nearly every night. An equally swanky private dining room called the Board Room can seat up to 34.
With all of the diverse and unique venues our amazing city has to offer, there’s simply no excuse for just doing what you did last year.
Questions about any of the spots listed here? Email karen@smallpotatoesindy.com.
Happy planning!
