I chose this place as a lunch destination for my mom and myself based on Brittany S.' enthusiastic review of their brussels sprouts. $15 gets you a cute square bento box style lunch with a main course (scallops, duck, gnocchi, some other mostly meaty stuff that I don't remember) and 3 sides  -- I can't remember what exactly was in them, but there was one that had something to do with sweet potatoes and pecan brittle, another that was a brussels sprout - maple syrup - bacon confection, and then the carrot ginger soup. I had the scallops for the main course.
Everything was really delicious, and beautifully presented. We got some coffee with our lunch and it came in our very own french press - a cute touch, and the coffee was excellent.
Four stars because:
1) slow service. There was barely anyone in the place. Our waiter was really nice and helpful, but could have been more prompt.
2) WAY too salty. Maybe it was just the particular day I was there -- the food was really delicious, but the more I ate, the more numb my tongue got from all the salt. It was a bummer, because otherwise the food was incredible.
Final verdict: I'll definitely go back. The restaurant is gorgeous inside and the food is interesting and delicious enough - salt and all - that I'd like to try it again.
Cerulean was a tough restaurant to rate. I wish we had half star options, as I'd probably give a 3.5 instead of a full 4.
Fiance and I had dinner here on Valentine's Day. First off, we were lucky enough to be seated in the awesome woven "bird's nest" part of the restaurant. Super cool. The atmosphere was chic and modern and very calming (think greys and blues). Kudos so far.
The cocktails were excellent. Think Ball & Biscuit or Libertine-style concoctions. Fiance ordered a delicious smoky cocktail with jalapeno, mezcal, and smoky bitters. Mine was a tangerine, grapefruit, and gin mixture. Major yum on both counts -- very well balanced and flavorful.
The menu looks fabulous, and I love small plate restaurants that allow you to try multiple dishes instead of committing to just one entree. We ordered a few plates each from the small, medium, and large categories. The food was very pretty and artsy. Unfortunately, everything was really... good. Not great, not outstanding, not delicious... just "good."
It actually got frustrating that every plate we ate was just one inch away from being great. A pinch of salt would've made my short ribs amazing. The bison pate had very nice flavor, but it was served in huge slabs with thick, buttery brioche. The dish was way too rich, and while it was served with pickled veggies and mustard cream, the proportions were way off. The duck bacon on another dish was tasty, but it was served with a bland risotto -- could have benefitted from some fresh herbs. I have no idea who the chef is here, but the food tastes "young."
I will return to Cerulean because, as I mentioned, I loved the cocktails, and the food has real promise. I wouldn't mind grabbing drinks and trying more of the small plates (and maybe being "that" girl who carries a salt shaker in her purse!). The more "modern" menu reminds me of places like Recess or Oakleys, but Cerulean isn't on that level... yet.
This is the place I will be taking out of town visitors to give them a taste of what is awesome in Indianapolis.
I took my girlfriend here for a date night, as we both have meaning to try it out. Â The restaurant was well designed and had a very welcoming appeal. Â One of the things my girlfriend said was that it feels like a very upscale restaurant, but without the pretentiousness.
As for the food, everything tasted amazing and was locally sourced (a big plus). Â We started with the Corn Macaroon, which had pork belly, Â cheddar, and arugula. Â This was more like a pre-appetizer, as it was just one macaroon. Â I rarely say bad things about pork belly and this was no exception. Â We then had the hay-smoked quail, which was about the size of a normal appetizer. Â I had never had quail before (except for quail eggs) and it was really good. Â For my main course, I got the pork porterhouse. Â Holy crap, this was good. Â It was cooked perfectly and I slowly enjoyed every bite. Â I highly recommend this if you're on the fence between this and something else. Â My girlfriend got the Duck Breast, which was moist and tender. Â I think we both preferred the porterhouse however.
The only downside to this restaurant is the price. It is expensive. Â I'm not necessarily saying this is a bad thing for many reasons that I won't go into, but it just means I won't be able to visit as often as I'd like.
This place is definitely worth checking out. The atmosphere is unmatched for Indianapolis and the food is very good. I had the duck and would highly recommend it. My only reservation for this place is that the portions are extremely small and the food is pricey for indianapolis. However, as others have said, you are paying for the experience, and, as a whole, I believe it is worth it.
Review Source:My son in law to me to this resturant last night, and I was very pleased with food, and the service, everything was delicious, which i was suprised at first just looking at the menu, thinking I don't know if I would like any of this food, but I must say OMG was really impressed with it all, Thanks Cerulean please stay in town
Review Source:Beautifully designed and decorated in mid-century modern. The menu includes unique and tantalizing options. Our server went out of her way to inform us of vegetarian versions of the dishes offered. The execution just wasn't as it should have been. My soup was served barely warm, and the 'roasted root vegetable' entree clearly had not been roasted. The skimpy number of thinly sliced carrots and parsnips were hardly cooked at all and still hard and crunchy. I don't mind pricey minimalist meals when they are extraordinary - but our meals did not qualify. There was also a long wait between the bite sized courses - even though the restaurant wasn't terribly busy the night we were there. I am glad I checked it out, but not interested in returning.
Review Source:Went here for lunch on my own on the recommendation of a friend.
Lunch is quite reasonably priced for what you get. Excellent preparation of everything involved. You choose a main then 3 sides, all of which in my case seemed to be cold sides. Very nice. Gave the feel of a little bento box sort of tasting. Perfectly prepared scallops, very nice brussels sprouts, great broccolini and potato salad. Everything I ordered contained pork in some way, so I was ok with that but I'm sure there are plenty of other options. I'd like to mention that none of the dishes were overloaded with pork flavour, but rather a good accent that didn't overpower the sides. That's a testament to the kitchen's ability to be restrained with their use of a strong meat ingredient that accents the dish rather than rules it. I was impressed. The bartender was very friendly and was preparing for the evening while we chatted. I'm not much for desserts usually, but this ricotta cheesecake was fluffy and light without being overly sweet. I'll be going back for dinner... and lunch as well given the quality of what I was served. Beautiful space with modern touches. Nice looking wine list and liquor list. Friendly staff all around. Very professional feel to the whole building, but it is attached to the Alexander so I would expect that. Parking was free at the moment, but I'm not sure how long that will last. Recommended. I'll update when I do dinner here.
I went here with a group of Yelp elites for a devour downtown meal and it was absolutely picturesque and perfect. It might be one of the nicest, fanciest, delicious places that I've ever eaten. It reminded me of a restaurant that I'd see on the Food Network. The plates were small, but with multiple courses, and high-quality products, left me feeling fat and happy with lots to talk about to my friends and family.
The atmosphere is trendy, very pretty, and modern. The restaurant was dim, but it wasn't an issue while eating. It was the perfect amount of light and space and noise throughout the evening. We were eating a three course meal with wine pairings. Appetizers provided a wonderful prologue to the meal. I started my meal with an Old Fashioned made with Buffalo Trace whiskey and it might have been one of the best cocktails that I've ever had. Don Draper would have even been impressed.
For my first course, I decided upon the ham and grits starter. It was my first time trying grits, and I'm afraid that I'll be beyond disappointed with any grits after these. They were perfect. Made with Smoking Goose ham, grits, and other ingredients, it was the perfect combination of savory. For such a small amount, I found myself fighting towards the end because the plate was so dense. I absolutely loved it. My second course, the entree, I picked the fried chicken with cream, blackberry, and served with an egg. It was so delicious I can barely Yelp review it. It was fried chicken for breakfast, but without trying. Everything worked so well together. The end was the perfect touch to the meal. It was perfectly portioned and you didn't feel gross afterwards, something that sometimes happens when eating friend chicken. For my dessert course, I picked the Thai basil spongecake. I'm extremely glad I picked this. It was light, spicy because of the jalapeno/strawberry sorbet, but beautifully balanced by the basil gel. It was a really interesting and unique dessert. I wish I could get into the appetizers, but there were so many, and were so complicated, it would be hard to describe them all without writing a book. The wine pairings were all wonderful, too. If you are looking for a place to take someone special, impress them with Cerulean.
I was really impressed with Cerulean - it was exactly what I was not expecting. Â This place is an upper-crust eater in Fountain Square, totally hip, and local with a culinary art appeal.
I dinned-in during Devour Downtown and took advantage of their Devour menu options. Â I opened up the occasion with a signature cocktail - the 'Whiskey Business' martini; absolutely impressive for anyone who loves the the Appalachian spirit. Â I also sampled some of their house appetizers - the Corn Macaroon was by far my favorite - crunchy with a savory filling, a thought-provoking bite.
Part one of my Devour experience was the Ham and Grits starter - delicious Smoking Goose ham with creamy grits seasoned just right; the cured ham really complimented the dish. Â Part two came in the form of a French Toast Fried Chicken dish with cream and blackberry sauce - I must say: with all these flavors combined into one bite, the palate sensation was quite unique. Â I wouldn't have thought to use these ingredients on my own, but they really went well with each other. Â The finale was a white chocolate cream with chocolate and caramel corn offering that came beautifully presented and tasted as good as it looked. Â I should also mention that all the wine pairings that came with the Devour course was smartly done - complimenting each dish perfectly.
My dinning experience here was very positive. Â At first glance it may seem a little pricey, but you are purchasing an eatable craft, not just food - food worth experiencing.
Cerulean is a restaurant that I hope will be staple to Indiana, in terms of new american and locally sourced foods.
Here are the deets:-
The good
1) the ambiance is beautiful, it's trendy, modern and still pretty cozy. It would be a great restaurant to take a date.
2) The wait staff is very helpful, polite and well polished, in all holding up a particular standard.
3) The design - the restaurant is beautifully designed; high ceilings, contrasting walls, extra points for the canopy made out of recycled wood.
4) Food presentation; I came for lunch, and they employ the bento box lunch design - you pick your main dish, with three sides. It came out in a beautiful presented bento box - soft matted wood dividers (I think there is a theme of wood in the design - wood planks for checks, the wood canopy, wood dividers... that or I like searching for themes)
5) Attention to detail is key here (except my table was wobbly)
The bad
Cerulean, had only one bad in my book; and that's with the food. So that's kinda a big bad, I suppose. The food was fresh, you can taste the freshness in every leaf. In that regard, their food is sourced very well, and I wanna give them major kudos for that. However, I had the duck entree, and it was overcooked. I wanted to whip out my Julia Child's French 101 cook book, right there and then (In electronic copy of course)
So here, I implore the chef to really step up his game, not only in coming up with innovative creations but in making sure that the food is cooked as it should be, and the flavours create melodious harmony in your mouth.
If not, I fear Cerulean would turn out to be a lot of who-ha, and pretentiousness.
Not kidding. Â I am a true foodie. One of the BEST restaurants I have ever been too EVER! I travel a lot for work and the JW suggested this place. Wow blown away. Â One of the best risotto's I have ever had. The scallops were 10/10! The group of us went crazy on the small plates and everyone was great!!
I had the braised short ribs for entree and it was one of the best foods I have ever tasted. I have been to some pretty nice places across this country and this place is truly a remarkable restaurant.
If there was a CON..I would say the aged cheddar on the indiana cheese board was a little bitter. Â That cheese should be replaced. Â But, that is minor!!!
I really believe that if anyone has rated this place under 5 stars show me a better restaurant that you have been too.
Awesome , awesome awesome! Â I have tried a lot of the cocktails here, and shared a bunch of the small plates...every time I have been impressed. Â The unique selection of liquors is a huge bonus in my opinion. Â Also I enjoy the fact that the food has changed around and everything still tastes amazing. Â I would like to stop in for lunch sometime to check it out. Â The one thing that I have found a little interesting is different plating's for the same dish on a couple of occasions, but nothing that took away from mine or my guest's experience.
Review Source:Sweet mother of god. Hands down one of the best meals and overall dining experiences I've had in my hometown. We arrived early for our reservation and had drinks at the bar - an appropriately named Tang Punch (Bluecoat Gin, House Tangerine Drinking Vinegar, St. Germain, Bittermens Hopped Grapefruit Bitters) for her and an interesting but not entirely enjoyable Double Down (Great Kings St. Artist's Blend, House Tobacco Syrup, Green Chartreuse, Angostura Bitters, Ardbeg Rinse) for me. The bar tender was knowledgeable and affable and set the tone for the evening.
We were seated in the Nest and served by Meg (? Megan?). I wish I had something to offer on the bites, the soup, and the dessert, but my mind was wiped completely clean by the Pork Porterhouse. That particular cut of Gunthorp Farm hog is available exclusively at Cerulean, and as good as the rest of entrees sound, I don't know that I'll ever order anything else. Lightly seared, pink in the middle, and lined with a ribbon of fat, the porterhouse is the most succulent piece of pig I've ever had. It's a work of art - the crumbled corn bread and sweet potato fritters served alongside it were good but the meat could be served on an unadorned plate and I'd hardly notice.
The service was friendly, attentive, unobtrusive - never far enough away that were were left looking over our shoulders for water or the next course, never close enough that we felt crowded. A superlative experience, and one that I hope to have somewhat regularly.
Overall I liked Cerulean. Being in the new Cityway development is a definite plus, and they are living up to the high class look of the buildings.
I had the recent Devour Downtown menu. I started with the ham and grits. The ham was from goose, so it was fantastic. There wasn't much of it, but the flavor really came through loud and clear.
My entree was the fried chicken. The french toast mousse that was served with it was definitely an experience. Tasted like the real thing. The chicken was tasty, but strangely they used a boneless thigh. You gotta keep the bone in, it adds so much yumminess.
Dessert I had a thai basil cake and spicy strawberry sorbet. I wasn't entirely sure what to think of this. The cake was kind of plain and the sorbet didn't balance well for me. I would say dessert was my least favorite course.
Couple of notes of interest. No draft beer. Bottles only. Sad, I know. Also this is the kind of fine-dining restaurant where you get a huge plate with a small portion sitting in the center. Personally, that's not my kind of place, but I won't count it against them too much since it is par for the course.
I was told the Brussels sprouts were the best in town. Validated. Amazing. If you grew up scrunching your nose at em like moi, scrunch no more. Rather, join Cerulean for their bento-style lunch and choose from many, many delicious veggie options like roasted carrot soup, ginger, cilantro and crème fraîche, sweet potato custard and brussels sprout, bacon, maple syrup and sage. I love having the opportunity to sample as many menu options as possible in one seating so the bento lunch is perfect for my dabbling desires: choose one main course and three veggie sides. And, if you're a duck fan - they have unique duck options available at both lunch and dinner time.
Cerulean's menu has a flair of science with close attention paid to seasonal and high-quality ingredients. It reminds me of a restaurant m o t o in Chicago that has edible menus. Can someone please do this in Indy? <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.motorestaurant.com%2F&s=69222409db2d7f84f109e9d734d97519990c0a3f1e9fcb8b3bb6a08212f18f75" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.motorestauran…</a>
As for my dinner experience, I joined a group of 11 other yelpers for the 3 course Devour Downtown menu with wine pairings in the beautiful nest (did I forget to mention that this place is an interior design gem? do yourself a favor and meander throughout the first two floors of the hotel (bar Plat 99 upstairs) and in the parking garage that is covered with graffiti artwork).
Appetizers: Cerulean offers a small plate menu with 6 to 7 unique options ranging in price from $3-$5. I especially enjoyed the sweet corn macaroon - so, so good! I was told they will be selling these packaged...stocking stuffer, just because, happy birthday to me...
First round: Truffled Potato Soup, Leek, Romano Crisp: Oh.my.lanta. What you don't like mushrooms? Does.not.matter. This soup was a hit around the table with 'shroom lovers and loathers alike. I look forward to ordering this again on my next visit.
Second Round: Wild Mushrooms, Root Vegetables, Chocolate Brioche, Caramelized Onion Vinaigrette: Delicious vegetables prepared perfectly with a slight crunch. The chocolate brioche puree was interesting. It was delicious for the first few bites, but then became a bit too much.
Third Round: Thai Basil Sponge Cake, Strawberry & Roasted Jalapeno Sorbet, Basil Gel: this was the course that I had been looking forward to the most. The flavors are just as interesting as the description - packed with sweet and spice all rolled into one. Visually stunning. Don't expect your Texas Roadhouse molten lava cake-sized portions. Rest assured, you'll be full either way.
Overall, a grand experience. My next visit will also be with a group - making a weasling sample of friend's dishes easy peasy.
The second rendition of the legendary restaurant in Winona Lake.
Located in the CityWay complex on South St., Cerulean is not to be missed. Â The modern decor extends to the street as the sidewalk is embedded with blue lights that draw your eye to the entrance. Â Once you step inside, the "bird's nest" seating area defies description.
We came for Devour Downtown, and could tell that the chef did not put lesser items on the Devour menu (the entrees on the regular menu run from $20-$30). Â Everything was beautifully plated and packed with flavor. Â
This may be the new go-to spot for fine dining downtown. Â Service was top-notch to match the food.
After dinner, we moved over to the bar which was equally amazing. Â Definitely a worthy addition to the craft cocktail scene. Â Had my first experience with fernet branca here.
There is also a bar on the 2nd floor which is still in the works. Â From what I could see, the lighting will be pretty unique as it is provided by a several dozen colored globes suspended from the ceiling. Â I can't wait for the weather to warm up because there's also a huge patio up there.
3.5 stars based on my Devour Downtown experience.
I think Cerulean is a wonderful new addition to Indy's restaurant scene! It has plenty of vegetarian options, a full bar, and a funky, modern esthetic. The servers are well trained, too. Part of "City Way", Cerulean is housed in the equally sleek Alexander hotel.
We ordered mostly off the Devour Downtown menu. A great value for sure, my friend and I left wondering if the 3 courses realllllly worked together as a meal. In my opinion, a cured ham and grits first course, a fried chicken main course, and a popcorn brittle dessert is decidedly Too. Damn. Salty.
On top of that, my friend's Truffled Potato Soup and vegetarian main course were both served room temperature -- NOT hot, as my courses were.
However, we both appreciated the textures and presentations of these dishes (really sexy-looking food). Also, the Whiskey Business cocktail was exceptional.
We ordered some veggie-friendly apps off their small plates menu, too: cauliflower frites and gougères (Choux Pastry featuring marscapone thyme-chive gel). These were savory little bites that left us wishing we'd perhaps have ordered off the regular menu all along.
It sounds like I'm knocking Cerulean -- but I'm not. I think that conceptually they are on the right path, but perhaps have some execution issues to still work out.
My new favorite place in the city. Â The food is spectacular and the service is the best I've had in a long time. Â Everyone was tentative without constantly interrupting. Â Megan, our server, was extremely polite and very sweet. Â
I think the menu changes a lot, but if it's still there when you go, get the duck bacon risotto. Â Really, what about that sounds bad? Â There's duck, it's in bacon form, and it's served with risotto. Â It doesn't get better than that.
Their bar is spectacular. Â Lots of high end cocktails and spirits you've never heard of but can't wait to have again. Â The bartenders are nice and helpful. Â It is clear that they love their job and have a real appreciation for art of the cocktail.
My ONLY complaint is the description of the food on the menu versus what you actually get. Â My entree was "Fried Chicken, French Toast, Blackberry Jam, Egg Blossom, Maple." Â What actually came out was a breaded chicken thigh topped with a poached egg. Â There was a side of cooked blackberries with a whipped topping that counted as the French toast. Â The maple was little dots of maple syrup on the plate. Â This was a fine dish, but I wish we would have understood before we ordered that, as our server put it, "this is the chef's 'interpretation' of French toast." Â If someone was expecting a dish akin to chicken and waffles, they were going to be disappointed with it. Â I would suggest having the servers provide a small explanation of the dishes BEFORE they are ordered if it is someone's first time here.
Just got back from a very nice dinner at Cerulean. Â This was our first time dining at this restaurant, and I was fairly pleased with the experience.
Since it is Devour Downtown, we ordered from that menu and had the wine pairings along with it. Â I will say that everything was exceptionally tasty and the wine went well with all of the courses. Â Since there were two of us, we got to try everything on the special menu. Â It was one of the few times where we didn't argue over who got the better choices because we were pleased with all of them. Â I will say that we both thought that the portions were small at the time, but by the time we left, we agreed that the amount of food was just enough. Â We did have trouble with getting our bread service and had to remind our waitress several times that we had not gotten bread that she kept telling us she would go get it. Â We finally had bread delivered between our entrees and desert. Â I'm still not sure what the issue with that was. Â I do feel like the price is a little on the high side, but the food quality is very good, which does help to justify the price.
The decor was lovely, however there were just a couple of things from the environment that prevent me from giving a full 5 stars. Â It seemed incredibly loud in the dining area. Â It was definitely too loud to carry on a conversation at a reasonable volume with the person sitting across from you. Â I really hate feeling like I have to yell my entire conversation. Â I also found the chair to be extremely uncomfortable. Â The back managed to hit my back in such a way that I felt like I needed to stay as far away from it as possible.
Overall, it was a lovely evening and I really enjoyed dining at Cerulean. Â We will most likely be back.
We went here for devour downtown.
Now lets start with the decor very nice, we walked past the nests to the Delaware side. The windows give a great view of passerby's and cars :)
Now on to the food.
To start with i had the Truffled Potato Soup, Leek, Romano Crisp, which if it had be warmer would of been a lot better (other yelppers have also noted this) but i have to say the taste of it was great.
The Wild Mushrooms, Root Vegetables, Chocolate Brioche, Caramelized Onion Vinaigrette, was out of this world, I wish i could of taken back with me 100 platefuls of this.
Roasted White Chocolate Cream, Chocolate Malt Shards, Popcorn Brittle, Cereal Milk Ice Cream was to finish off with, what a way to finish off a tasty meal.
Now onto the pros and cons.
Cons
Warmish soup.
Noise level
We did the wine pairing, please pour a bit more.
The cost
portions too small
Pros.
The place looks nice.
Great staff.
Greater food taste.
But I think i will go back off the devour menu to give it a real try.
Also a big thanks out to the other yelp member that shared some of the small plate stuff with us.
I have to say, I was disappointed. Â I have some internal turmoil brewing around that statement, because I really wanted to love it, but it just didn't work out this time. Â It was kind of like a first date gone bad. Â I heard about the new restaurant, read the good reviews, checked out the Devour Downtown menu, got with some friends, and set the date.
At first, I was blown away at how attractive the restaurant was; the place is truly beautiful. Â Everything is very contemporary, clean, new, and very cool. Â The servers were friendly, and the Devour menu looked appetizing. Â
The date was going well until we got our first course.  The soup was cold.  Not ice cold, like it was meant to be served chilled, but a luke warm cold.  I will say the flavors were really good, it was creamy, and I really enjoyed the cheese/leak topping, but I really like hot soup.  I followed up the soup with the fried chicken.  Once again, the presentation was amazing, but  the food was not hot, more like room temperature.  And although the french toast mush and maple syrup ball were fun to eat, it left me wanting more.  My husband even said that his chicken was still pink in the middle. Â
Sticking with the first date metaphor, Cerulean is very attractive and exciting on the outside, but not a very good person. Â He was cold and and kind of full of himself. Â I was left with a bitter taste (not literally) Â in my mouth and thought the whole thing was kind of pretentious. Â They spent so much time with the gimmicks and presentation, that they skipped on what really matters; properly prepared, well-made dishes that shine despite the fancy clothes.
Expectations are everything and the word on the street may have set mine a bit too high. We went last night for the Devour Downtown and it was just OK.
The good: Perhaps the best soup I've ever had (potato leek). Solid beer list. Fried bread was a wonderfully unhealthy treat that nicely complemented the cheese plate. Bird nest thingy is pretty cool.
The less than good: Cheese plate underwhelmed, as the four cheeses & fruit didn't mesh terribly well. Nice that it's all Hoosier cheese, but I'm willing to eat Ohio cheese if it has a bit more flavor/texture. Other Devour dishes weren't bad, but the ingredients frequently didn't blend in a way to build upon each other. Which is OK, if at least one of the ingredients really stands out, but everything was rather bland. Ultimately the dishes felt a bit random.
Other: The men's room is so small it creates the feeling that the designers kind of forgot about the need for this facilities. Seriously, last time I was in a bathroom this small I was at 30,000 feet. Service wasn't bad, but it wasn't quite at the level expected at this level of restaurant.
I have since been several more times, and I believe the server was Jake....a huge improvement over the ditzy apathetic and uninformed uber stoned servers of the past.
No question this place has its feet firmly under them and they are much improved. Â Cocktails from the bar were excellent, consistent, and well recommended by the server.
Food is good, interesting, but not over the top, although I prefer other places locally.....this is not  a butchering of the quality, preparation, or presentation....but merely a preference.  My charming dining companions have both mentioned Cerulean as being their favorite....above places like Oaklies, Recess, Bluebeard, Black Market, Dennys, Golden Corral.
Everything was at the proper temperature, fresh, properly paced.....and very well executed.
As mentioned by Jim B....no snarky looks for eating deliberately slow, although I would not do that on a crowded weekend, but perfect for midweek.
The new Indianapolis restaurant Cerulean has now been opened for a few months and I finally made it a few weeks ago (12/27/12) when I figured the Christmas holiday parties would drop off and it wouldn't be too crowded. Â
So lately I've been doing the slow order method (order water, stop, order appetizer + red wine, stop, order salad, stop, order entree, stop, order dessert : instead of ordering everything at once) and its interesting to see the wait staff reaction to my slow ordering method (do I need to trademark that term?). Â
I really enjoy a restaurant where the entire restaurant staff seems to be working together - i.e. multiple staff refills water, brings food to table, gets plates off table, etc. and the the primary waitress seems to be coordinating the overall mission for the customer.
In the last few years when vegetarian items have appeared on menus throughout every type of restaurant I was surprised that Cerulean didn't have a separate vegetarian menu/menu list. Â Decided this time to bring it up and waitress and she headed to the kitchen and came up with an excellent entree. Â She did mention that soon there would be a separate (?) vegetarian menu/menu items included in the menu.
Great venue, great food:
Mushroom custard (warning: These appetizers / small plates are SMALL!)
Sweet potato soup: delicious
Vegetarian item specially (?) made by chef: excellent
Chocolate and citrus: excellent dessert.
Amazingly I didn't walk through the restaurant and bar area to checkout the whole restaurant but was pleasantly surprised the noise levels were low. Parking garage doesn't seem to be attached to the building (but I assume when the hotel opens that will be corrected and a fee will probably be charged).
A couple of negatives: This restaurant isn't the place to go to when you haven't had anything to eat all day - serving size are smallish and definitely a special occasion / expense check restaurant.
Highly recommended and love to read other reviews for this new restaurant.
This was the best high end vegetarian meal I've been served in Indianapolis.
I made our reservation ahead of time and let them know that my husband and I are both vegetarian. Â We arrived about half an hour early for our reservation, so decided to have a drink in the bar before sitting down for dinner. Â First of all, the bar is gorgeous. Low lighting, with the overall blue theme the whole restaurant has going, and with sleek, modern furniture. Â We sat up at the bar and the friendly bartender was quick to bring us water and drink menus. Â I had the J's Caipirinha, which was rum, lime, ginger root, ginger beer, and mint syrup - and completely amazing. Â My husband was excited to see the Boulevard Tank 7 on the beer list, and had one of those. Â Though we weren't drinking any wine up at the bar, I did have a question about one of the wines for the bartender and he was quick to pour a sample for me.
Once we finished our drinks, we were seated in the bird's nest area, which other Yelpers have described quite nicely, so I will skip over. Â Â Our server came over promptly, and we let her know we had made our reservations as vegetarians. Â She let us know which of the items on the menu were vegetarian, or could be modified to be vegetarian, and then also let us know about a few pastas that were not on the menu, but are apparently vegetarian options they typically have. Â And because we had let them know ahead of time that we were vegetarian, the chef had created a vegetarian entree just for us. Â This was cauliflower done three ways, and was what I ended up getting for my entree. Â I'll get to describing that in just a second. Â It really needs its own paragraph. Â I should note now that service was prompt and friendly throughout the whole meal, and my water glass was never empty.
We started with a bottle of dry Riesling, which I'm always excited to see on a menu (and had previously tasted in the bar), and ordered the massive cheese board. Â Now I'm never excited to spend $21 on a cheese board, and we hemmed and hawed about it a bit, but in the end we decided that this was our "2013 Isn't Going to Suck" date, and by god a massive cheese plate was really going to help make that a reality. Â As other reviews have noted, this cheese board is a thing of beauty. Â It was all Indiana cheese, which was great, and came with fried bread, jam, chutney, and assorted deliciousness. Â
So my entree. Â Cauliflower done three ways. Â Wow. Â Just wow. Â This felt like I was being served something from an episode of Iron Chef - Cauliflower. Â I'll start from the bottom of the plate and work my way up in describing this awesome dish. Â At the very bottom was a very tasty cranberry chutney, alternated with areas of carrot puree (which was AMAZING). Â On top of that were roasted cauliflowers and cauliflowers that had been dehydrated and turned into cauliflower chips, and over all of that was a long slap of cauliflower gel topped with breadcrumbs that added both salt and texture. Â Alongside this were pearl onions that had been cooked in olive oil and were tender and delicious. Â I can't even describe the assortment of flavors the chef was able to bring out of the often under-appreciated cauliflower. Â Seriously. Â I mean I like cauliflower and all, and I use it in soups, roast it, etc. at home, but this was beyond anything I've ever seen done with it. Â As I said, this is the best high end vegetarian meal I've been served in Indianapolis. Â I look forward to coming back here for more in the future!
VEGETARIANS - Call and let them know you are vegetarian before you go! Â They will make you an amazing meal!
Cerulean...was just amazing their libations are fun and different. I had a double down which is scotch with a tobacco simple syrup it was very tasty. They start with a small plate, medium plates and then an entrée. I had the mushroom custard with herbs  to start, then the bison pate and the duck which was sous vide topped with duck fat cracklings and some nice home made pasta underneath. The duck was so tender it cut like a fillet. The waiter was knowledgeable and fun. The atmosphere was incredible. Cerulean is a very nice addition to the Indianapolis restaurant scene just wish I have gone sooner.
Review Source:I was treated to my second birthday dinner here for the first time recently. The overall experience was very nice from the friendly, attentive service, food to decor.
We started with the cheese board and it was both delicious and well presented (see my photo). It comes with fried bread which I thought was tasty, but my guest is health conscious and requested plain bread which they graciously brought out. For my entree, I had the Sunfish. I thought the goat cheese-beet cake was very delicious and a really nice flavor combination. A couple bites of the cured pork was a bit too salty for my taste but it could just be me. I read some people thought the portions were on the smaller side but perhaps that's due to not ordering a full entree. I was so stuffed I could have been rolled out! Sadly, absolutely no room for a birthday dessert. My guest just munched on the cheese board since there really weren't any vegetarian options from what I recall. It would be great if there could be some veg additions for future visits. And a vodka cocktail or two would be nice as that was missing from the list :)
She did mention first and second choice seating preferences weren't accommodated but we were sat in a big, comfy booth which was quite spacious for just the two of us. I was quite pleased with where we ended up.
Decor: Modern with minimal decorations. There was a Nest which had some seating. I would like to try eating in there once! I'm easily amused ha.
Staff: Friendly, professional, and attentive. I hadn't made much of a dent in the cheese board and one of the staff asked me if I was ready for my entree which was refreshing. I hate feeling rushed when other places try to take the appetizer away because the entree is ready to be served or wait for me to finish which I never would have since I had to make room in my tummy. Also, I managed to leave my mobile at the table but realized after we got in the car to leave. Needed it to find my way to the next spot. Soon after I walked back inside and before I could say why, one of the staff held up my phone. It's the little things that I notice.
Definitely recommend this place and I will be going back. Almost forgot, J's Caipirinha is worth a try! I liked the metal stirrer! Did I mention I'm an analyst? I notice the little things!
I recently visited the Cerulean for the first time for an early holiday dinner with friends. Â
Starting off, parking is easily accessible in the attached garage and is free (for now at least). Â There is an enclosed walkway to connect the garage but it was closed since the CityWay complex is still under construction. Â It will certainly be nicer once this is open.
The decor itself is something to check out. Â It has a great modern and minimalist feel that helps to round out an area that Indy is lacking in. Â I wish I could have seen more of the adjacent hotel decor. Â It looks like it will be remarkable once it opens.
Ok so the food... Â Food is such a lackluster choice of word because it is really so much more here. Â Everything was impeccable and will certainly spice up the Indy food scene with such a unique blend of favors. Â
We started with the cheese board. Â This was the best board I have had in town. Â The four different cheeses were paired perfectly with accompanying sauces/jams/spreads and fried (yes, fried!) bread. Â The presentation was perfect. Â This is a great item to start with and share among the table. Â
I then had the corn macaroon (with pork belly). Â It is a truly unique blend of sweet and savory flavors and you shouldn't leave until you try one.
The Zinfandel scallops were on deck next. Â The scallops were prepared perfectly. Â Admittedly, these were my least favorite of the night but really in the context of this restaurant, least favorite carries no negative connotation. Â
Lastly, for my entree I tried the beef short ribs. Â No knife required as these were so incredibly tender. Â This dish also mixed sweet with savory between the short ribs, cream cheese spatzle, and brown butter.
Would I return? Â Absolutely.
I would order every single item again, but will refrain from doing so until I have tried more of the menu. Â So far they were 4 for 4 with me for the items I ordered so I'm eager to see what everything else is like.
Fantastic! Â The food is beyond amazing from start to finish. Â Clean, modern interior. Â I have been for both lunch and dinner which are two completely different menus. Â Lunch is more simple with bento style lunch, choose a protein and three sides. Â Dinner can range from small plates to regular sized entrees to a mixture of items, our server did a great job with walking us through the menu start to finish. Â Thanks for coming to Indy. Â We will definitely be back!
Review Source:My wife and I decided to spend our two-year anniversary with the good folks at Cerulean and I can say without equivocation that we made a great choice. Â First and foremost, the staff went above and beyond in helping us to celebrate our anniversary. Â We arrived at our table in the nest with two complimentary glasses of champagne waiting to help us celebrate! Â A tremendous touch and very much appreciated. Â
The food is tremendous and affordable. Â The Corn Macaroon is a must and the Duck Bacon is as good as it sounds. Â Overall, a great evening and we will certainly be returning!
If you are visiting Indy or if you are a Indy naive, this is one restaurant that you need to put on your checklist of places to go! Â
I'm not sure if it was the decor, lighting, or perhaps the wonderful smells from the kitchen, but I was ready to eat the moment that I stepped into the front doors. Â Hip to the new ways of small, medium, large, sharing plates, Cerulean offers a variety of tasting dishes worth letting your pallet explore. Â I started off with a small plate of not your traditional school cafeteria tater tot and it was incredible! Â I moved on two other dishes and they were beautifully displayed, so beautiful I hesitated to eat but did after I took a picture. Â The servers are skilled, professional, and know the menu well. Â All things that I look for when visiting a restaurant. Â Cerulean offers a nice selection of new school and old school wines, I was particularly happy with the bourbon selection as well. Â The only thing that they were lacking was local beer but I know it's coming! Â
So go ahead, add it to your places to go list, and be sure to check it off your list sooner rather than later.
Visited twice for lunch. Food is modern/midwestern served bento style. Outstanding menu, friendly to vegetarians and with every attempt to make vegetarian any sides that were not so as ordered.
Service both times has been outstanding. Comfortable, easy, knowledgeable, attentive, willing but in no way overbearing.
Yellow beet gnocchi was the best I've had - texture and taste just phenomenal. As it was the only vegetarian main and I'd been in twice within a week, I got it both times - but the accompanying vegetables in the ragu and garnish varied, which I appreciated additionally because it speaks to me as a result of willingness to the best, freshest produce of the moment. Sides were all great but the roasted carrot soup with ginger, cilantro oil and creme fraiche stole the show.
Tried two cocktails, the Tang Punch and Citrus Paradisi, and both were excellent.
Looking forward to returning for dinner (and hopefully optimistic they can feed a vegetarian despite no veg mains on menu currently).
Re: the early 1-star (now 3-star) review here, I find it a shame that anyone could judge a restaurant so harshly and with such finality based on ONE visit and so early on. There's a reason professional critics use multiple visits and typically not in the opening weeks in order to provide readers with fair and accurate portrayals of the experience. I tend to think something else was at play to prompt such vitriol, and as many times in life I am reminded that often statements and criticism reveal more about their authors than their subjects.
Go visit Cerulean. This city is made better by the presence of places such as this.
Swanky new restaurant in the new CityWay complex just slightly south of downtown. Â The decor is pretty neat -- large windows, attractive table settings, strange birdcage-like thing with some tables inside. Â The patio should be a fantastic place to hang out during the summer. Â The crowd is lively and loud for weekend dinner.
But the food? Â The menu is fairly limited but also fairly eclectic -- we assume they are going to change the menu seasonally or even more frequently, since this won't encourage a lot of repeat business. Â The first menu items are basically amuses bouche, tiny little servings cleverly assembled and, at around $4, fairly priced. Â With the next course, the price increases quite a bit -- $14 for a delicious but meager duck bacon on risotto, $13 for bison mousse on brioche. Â And then the main courses -- $28 for duck breast over fettucine or short ribs over spaetzle.
The serving sizes are actually perfect; it's the prices I object to. Â To my mind, Bluebeard tackles the same concept with much more successful results -- it's a lot more fun, too. Â Additionally, Cerulean only offers top-shelf liquors and charges extra for the mixers (they do have a menu of "specialty cocktails"). Â I do wish Cerulean well, though, because it's a nice space with nice aspirations.
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