Aristocrat Pub & Restaurant

So The Aristocrat is one of my favorite places in Indianapolis. I have tons but if you the make my list, you’re impressive. The food is always really good. They have awesome fish n chips and I’ve never gone wrong with any of their salads. They are really filling and can make you feel full for the entire day. I’d split a salad if you’re going with a friend. If it’s nice outside, eat outside. They have outdoor dining that usually isn’t always full. In the wintertime, you can snuggle up inside their cozy bar and restaurant and look at all the old decide on the ceiling and walls. Such a nostalgic, well-​looked after, restaurant and bar. I couldn’t love it more.

Visited the restaurant chasing some nachos… Like the vibe, the nachos were small but delish. The nice surprise was the fish and chips. OMG, really light and tasty! Can’t wait to go back and try something else.

Stumbled in here after my plans to brunch at Café Patachou backfired (long wait). This place has a great vibe and is full of conversation pieces from the memorabilia that adorns the walls, to the delicious looking entrees. Our server was courteous and attentive with great suggestions. I had the French onion soup after a glowing recommendation from the server, and the crab cake burger. Both were delicious and filling. I definitely recommend giving this place a try.

Biggest and best fried tenderloin sandwich; fish and chips are also very good. Highly recomended

Great draft selection and the fish sandwich was delicious! Liked the relaxed vibe in the bar and the oldies on the radio. I’ll be back!
I read some of the other reviews… my suggestion? Maybe order a house specialty?

As far as authentic pubs go, Aristocrat definitely has the dark and cozy feel that you would expect from an English-​style watering hole. I plopped down at the bar area on a cold, rainy evening. My gal pal and I had just attended a Unilocal event in the upstairs room. We were a little inebriated and wanted to grab a bite and let the booze wear off. I loved the décor in the upstairs room… Almost like an old library meets a speakeasy. It had an elegance to it that made you feel elite in a way. There was a small bar off to one side and then a larger room with tables and chairs in the other room. The staff upstairs were very polite and helpful.
The bar staff downstairs in the pub were also very friendly, but not overly attentive. Sometimes you want this and sometimes you don’t depending on the mood. We were happy to sit back, chat for a bit, and have a little something to eat without being bothered.
Aristocrat offers the typical pub fare… soups, salads, sammiches, and various English entrées. We weren’t looking for anything too filling, so I ordered the chicken pot pie soup and my mate ordered the quesadilla. It did take a little time for the kitchen to bring out our food, and normally this would be offputting if I wasn’t trying to sober up.
My soup was piping hot — perfect for a cold rainy evening! It had a really nice cream base with veggies and shredded chicken and was topped with a delicate and fluffy puff pastry. I don’t normally order creamy soups, but this was definitely a good choice for the moment. My friend indulged in her quesadilla and said it was reasonable but nothing special for a quesadilla.
I really appreciated that there weren’t too many TVs visible in the bar area. I absolutely can’t stand the distraction of a telly screeching in the background when you were trying to enjoy a nice conversation and meal with a friend.
Aristocrat is definitely worth a visit if you want a quick bite of comfort food and it looks like they had a nice selection of beer too.

What i like about this place? The atmosphere, the music, the people. What I don’t like? The food and the horrible service. Food at Aristocrat is alright. I did enjoy some of the salads, particularly the Greek salad and the fish and chips were okay, but not worth $ 12+ price tag. That’s about it. The bangers and mash I tried were just kind of bland and boring and it put me off from trying the other foods.
Service was terrible unfortunately. I had to ask three time for a soda before I got one. No apology for the wait or anything. Our food took a while to get to us as well, but I was in a deep conversation with a friend so it didn’t bother me too much. I do like the atmosphere of this place a lot. I’m a suck for the old school pub theme, especially around the bar area they have. I’m sure some people will find some value in this place, but it’s not worth the price in my opinion.

Fantastic atmosphere and great food. Definately would go back.

Such a great neighborhood establishment. I like coming here for quick work lunches and with kiddo on the weekend. Their menu is HUGE and offers everything from taco salads to enormous burgers to a killer veggie pita. Kids menu is pretty typical. The staff are always incredibly friendly and welcoming. I really like the fact that this is a place that is ejoyed by adults and kids, which is surprisingly hard to find. So, big thumbs up for happy parents and happy kids.

The mission: Try the crab cakes and a cocktail at a friend’s suggestion.
Succeeded in both plus a separate sampler for tasting purposes. Drink (basil bulleit) was good enough but the food was super basic. Like, cafeteria basic. Good ambience and the staff was nice, but man… that food was edible and that’s about it. Probably wouldn’t go back save for maybe a Ripple sip. Turning in my Aristocard… sorry!

After returning to Aristocrat, I feel I must update my review and downgrade it to two stars. I think they have a great location and I like the old English pub ambiance, but that’s where the positives stop for me.
Both times, my food has just been «meh.» Not utterly inedible, just not that great. If you’re going to go out to eat, don’t you want it to be a great (or fantastic) experience? I do!
My black bean soup was literally just black beans with some onion added… no flavor at all. My entrée was a nice sized piece of salmon, but was dull. I love my salmon, but this was pretty lackluster. Tasted dry and was almost a brownish hue, instead of pink. The dill sauce came drizzled over the top (I prefer it on the side) and the vegetables tasted buttery.
I really want to like Aristocrat more, but I just haven’t been wow-​ed with either of my experiences.

The only thing that has ever brought me or my Clan to the Aristocrat has been the long-​standing Saturday night live music, Hogeye Navvy. Tonight once again proved why this is so.
If I were the owner, I would expect my wait staff to be attentive to my customers. Two reasons: If my customers are happy, I make money. If my wait staff is paying attention to them, THEY will make money.
Our waiter was so beyond terrible that I may never choose to be seated in his area again, despite being closer to the band. I placed one drink order. He never checked back with me except to bring me the bill. My comrades were also routinely ignored. I don’t mind paying for a drink, but if I have to go to the bar to get it myself, I would say my server no longer deserves my gratuity.
I have always found the menu pricey for what it was. Though billed as a «British» pub, the lack of any semblance of British/​Scottish/​Irish food has always been a disappointment.
I had intended to spend quite a lot more than I did tonight, but I am afraid attending for the music for my son’s 21^st birthday was a bust for us, other than the music.

I can’t believe it took me so long to come back here! We came ages ago and the experience was just «meh.» This time blew me away. Every single thing that came to our table was delicious. Fish and chips? Perfect. Tenderloin? As big as my head, cooked and seasoned to perfection, and even reheated in the microwave the next day, it was still tasty. Pasta with blackened chicken? Perfect blend of richness and heat. They also have a great selection of beers and a rocking French onion soup. Service could be a wee bit more friendly and faster. It was hard to tell if our server had too many tables or what, but refills and taking our order took a bit longer than we liked. If you can, sit on the patio. It is shaded and smoke free, so it is very comfortable. I cannot wait to get back. I’m getting hungry just thinking about that giant tenderloin. Seriously, it is huge.

In for brunch. The french toast is reslly good but still not as good as mine. Tenderloin is huge. Very good srrvice today and absolutely no wait.

This was my first trip to Aristocrat Pub & Restaurant. It was a wonderful Saturday evening and the place was very busy. We didn’t have to wait long for a table (for 4) and we scored by getting seated in the «performance» room! Live entertainment from a local group singing the songs of my heritage, celtic songs, drifting through the room.
Apparently this place was the victim of a fire but the facility was wonderfully redone.
We started with soft drinks and an order of Aristocrat Beer-​Cheese Dip and wings. The Beer-​Cheese Dip lived up to the Unilocal reviews, tasty, awesome bread and the dip was wonderful. My daughter fancies herself a real wing connosier. She gave the wings a B.
We ordered two Hoosier Tenderloin Sandwiches, Fish and Chips and Chicken Tenders. The tenderloins were good but not great, the fish and chips was very good and the chicken tenders were good.
The service was somewhat slow and the server seemed distracted. The overall dining experience was good and the food was delivered quickly. We will come back to try more of the menu items.

How could I have been mostly unaware of a such a historic restaurant in the heart of Indianapolis?
Well, I rectified the situation last weekend. First of all, I have to say that this bar has amazing woodwork. The bar is particularly impressive. I would have gone here for the history and ambience alone.
But the real reason I went is because I heard that they have one of the best Hoosier pork tenderloins in the city…
And???
I have to say it was pretty darned good. For one thing, it was probably the largest I’ve ever seen – I bet nearly 15 inches in diameter. You really can’t eat it as a sandwich in a restaurant without looking like a savage. I am a savage. But if I weren’t, I’d have cut the excess meat with a knife and fork and then only eaten the middle as a sandwich. For being pounded so large, the tenderloin was remarkably juicy and tender. A dry or tough tenderloin is the touch of death for these. The crust was almost buttery – I liked it. It could have used a little more seasoning, but that is my only complaint.
All in all a great sandwich and solid (though not earth shattering) onion rings.
They also make a heck of a bloody mary.
I’ll be back.

I haven’t found the hosts at the front to be all that friendly anytime I’ve ever come here but the food more than makes up for the poor first impression.
I’m fairly certain I could enjoy the fish & chips and a cup of the black bean soup (don’t forget the sour cream and onions) at least once a week and not get tired of eating them. Amazing!
The beer cheese dip with the apples and pretzel bread is one of the best appetizers in Indy. Even if we’re not that hungry or planning to eat a big meal, we always get this appetizer.
The interior has definitely improved since the fire/​renovations. A cozy pub feel. And they have Magner’s — an added bonus for me.

Decent place to have lunch. Going to have to come back and try it at evening time.
Decent crab cakes, fish & chips, french onion soup. Really nice room where I sat. Someone was saying it burned down and they redid everything. Looks great!

Husband and I stumbled into the Aristocrat a few Sundays ago. We ponied up to the bar looking for some decent food and a tasty nightcap. Two characters named Smitty and Violet were behind the bar. Although TVs lined the walls around the bar, these two were much better entertainment — the highlight of our visit.
Drinks — thumbs up. We gave them creative license with our beverage choices. I ended up with a piña colada, which was delicious! I don’t think I’ve ever ordered a piña colada. If I have, it was definitely in a beach-​type situation and never in the middle of Indiana. It was definitely outside of the box, but it was strong and tasty. Perfect for me at that moment. Husband had a variety of stronger bourbon-​based beverages, but also tried the 1933 Side Car and was very pleased.
The food was kind of eh. With the exception of the Baked Brie appetizer, the food was so-​so at best. We probably wouldn’t bother with having dinner here again, but we’ll certainly be by for a drink and the brie again. Especially if we’re treated to the same kind of fun atmosphere Smitty and Violet provided!

I’m almost ashamed to say that I’ve not been here before, but when I attempted to, it was closed for restoration. My friend and I decided to stop for lunch last week and grabbed a seat at the bar. Service was friendly and the beer list was massive.
I’d heard good things about their beer cheese, so we split an order that came with bread and sliced apples. It was good, but I’m not sure I’d order it again. Within minutes, our lunch arrived and looked mouthwatering. I ordered the yellow fin tuna with pineapple sandwich that came with a cucumber relish, opting for a side of coleslaw. The bun was soft and slightly grilled and dressed with a spicy red pepper spread that complimented it perfectly. It was absolutely delicious! My friend ordered the breaded tenderloin, and was not disappointed. It was enormous and flavorful.
We took the beer cheese home and shared it with friends, deciding to make a point to go again when we could spend more time there. Parking is limited.