Meridian Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Indianapolis

I've been to SO MANY restaurants in Indy and The Meridian is one of the standouts. My wife and I went last evening for an "early" dinner (5:45PM) and I left feeling compelled to share another GREAT dining experience. Let's begin with the atmosphere: Cozy (fire in the fireplace), warm wood, white tablecloths, tables nicely set, friendly greeting by hostess and immediate seating. Next the table service: The waiter was knowledgable and friendly, quick to offer drinks, explain wine specials and menu specials. Dressed neatly in black pants and white shirt. Immediate delivery of our wine request, followed by "any questions about menu?". With none, took our order which was delivered without delay by the restaurant manager, followed up quickly by our waiter to ensure all delivered properly. He would circle back, without interruption, just looking at progress, water level, etc and giving me an opportunity (had one existed) to request his help with any issue. On to the food: Okay, the menu items are extensive and seasonal and EXCEPTIONAL. I've had several over our visits. We began by splitting the beet salad. If you go, I recommend. Plus, when we said we wanted to "split the beet salad", the server agreed and when it was delivered, it was already split. For dinner that evening, I was just feeling like a burger. Yes, it is a $28 burger but, I have to tell you, it is exceptional. My request for medium "doneness" was met to perfection and the accompanying fries were not run-of-the-mill fries. Now, some of you will say, "For $28 it should have been exceptional!" and I won't disagree, but I am always less concerned about the price than the quality and THIS quality made the price worth it. The "char" on the burger, the flavor of the dressing(s), etc....sheer perfection. My wife enjoyed the duck breast which, in her words, was "amazing". (She's had it before with the same accolades..so I know they're consistent with food quality!) We were full, so no dessert this evening. Oh...the dinner rolls were fresh, soft and delicious. One more thing: As we sat there, I noticed a real "team effort" on the floor. The manager would clear plates from tables, remove unnecessary table settings once a party was seated, water service, etc being coordinated by everyone in the place. This means that waiters can focus on their diners/guests without having to be distracted constantly by cleaning up or doing tasks not associated with the dining experience. So...you can tell...I find The Meridian to be one of the most pleasant dining experiences in Indy. Located in a lovely setting in an historic log cabin with appropriate upgrades and additions over the years to make this a...

First and last time I'll be going to this place. I got engaged 2 months ago and decided to have my fiance's family and my family meet for the first time since they live in opposite areas of the country. This dinner was their first meet. Our waiter was extremely cold and came off annoyed by us as soon as we sat down. We had a party of 9 and he rarely ever looked at us while speaking or taking our orders. His attention was constantly being diverted to other areas of the room. He acted as if there was a bomb in the room he needed to defuse and we were holding him up. When it came time for dessert we were trying to figure out if we all wanted to order different things. Since we all were meeting for the first time, the dessert menu did not get our full attention so when it came time to order we asked each other what would be the best things to get. The look on our waiter's face was of pure annoyance and disdain so much so that his leg began to shake as if saying internally "come OOOON". Everyone noticed his behavior and it was downright insulting to all of us. This is a Sunday before Labor Day and not even half the tables in this restaurant are taken. Calm down, guy.

When the food was brought out we were all shocked at the portion sizes. My salmon was $41 and was a small, thin filet (undercooked, I'll get to that in a second) with a meager side of sliced cherry tomatoes, peanuts, and some other small vegetable I could not identify. This "side" was so small I couldve cupped it in my hand. If I wanted an actual side, that was not included and wouldve been an upcharge. I shouldve looked into this restaurant a bit more because apparently this is one of those type of restaurants that brings out a dinner plate the size of a hub cap but the food itself takes up the real estate that a slice of pizza would. If you're looking to get full do not go here, go to Season's 52 where you can get a salmon meal for half the price that wont make you vomit.

At about 10:30 last night my stomach was so upset from the fish that I spent a good 45 minutes kneeling over my toilet.

Will not be coming back to this place. Myself and my family ended taking a bunch of complimentary mints from the front desk and eating them on the way to our cars so we could at least feel somewhat full and justified for spending a ridiculous amount of money...

We stopped at the Meridian on September 28th for a drink before they closed. We have always enjoyed the atmosphere there and was looking for a nice night cap. After checking the site and clarifying that they closed at 10:30, we thought we'd be there in plenty of time when we arrived around 9:40. We were not warmly greeted. The manager, I presume, gruffly yelled, "drink, cocktail?" Caught off guard we responded yes and asked if they were closed or closing. He said he was trying to shut down the kitchen. We got seated and I went to the bathroom. When I came out my friend was at the door and said "we should leave, it's not a welcoming environment." Once we were in the car, it was explained that the waitress had been questioned if they were closing early and if the information on the website was accurate as we had checked. The waitress had responded they were trying to shut down but would serve us, "if we wanted." That was the ultimate signal that we weren't wanted. We certainly understand not taking orders as you prepare to close. They were putting chairs on tables and trying to close. If they'd had a rough evening and needed to close early, we would have understood that too. That could have been explained, "We've had a busy evening and are closing early. We'd love to have you at the Meridian at another time. Can we offer you a soft drink to go?"

There were many ways to handle whatever was happening, that didn't align with your posted hours of operations. Unfortunately, we left feeling very unwelcomed and not sure we'd ever try again. I can't imagine this is the image you want for your very well established fine...