I took my wife to Scholar's Inn as a surprise. She had said she really wanted to go there sometime. I read the reviews and was nervous we would be disappointed with something, be it the service or the food. I was tempted to bypass what she had said before and go with Restaurant Tallent, because the reviews seemed better. But I decided on Scholar's Inn and we had a fantastic experience! We had the blue cheese steak fries for an appetizer, which were great. I had the cheddar ale soup, which was fantastic. I had the filet mignon and she had the NY strip, and both were wonderful. The filet was really amazing. I had never had a steak like that before. I can't compare it to fancier steak places like Ruth's Chris and such because I've never been to them, but I loved it. We finished with some really delicious chocolate cake. I can't remember what it's called. The service was great. Professional, helpful, kind. The only thing I didn't like was the cost. But once in a while it's good to splurge a little.
Review Source:I came here with three of my visiting friends for my birthday dinner. We had a nice waiter and really enjoyed ourselves. The only annoying thing about our meal was that there were about 20 sorority girls and one of the girl's had their creepy father at dinner. They were loud and jappy so needless to say the ambience of this nice restaurant was most likely not its usual self.
All four of us girls ordered their signature filet mignon steak. Excellent cut of meat. We enjoyed a nice bottle of wine and a couple appetizers as well but the steak definitely stood out.
It was a Friday night and very quiet at the restaurant. I don't know if it was because we were dining a little later (930pm) or if it's just not a busy place.
This would be a good special occasion/date pot. Definitely the priciest spot I've been to in Bloomington so I think they need to be reminded about just that; this is Bloomington, not a big city, and the steak doesn't have to be so overpriced. It was a great cut of meat but calm down on thinking you're a Morton's or Ruth's Chris.
I would give Scholars Inn 5 stars (amazing martinis, great desserts, awesome appetizers), but,
the service was awful. Â
Well, we actually had good service (attentive, got our food quickly, etc) BUT
our waitress was so. freaking. pushy. Â
Like, to the point that it was an obstruction to our evening. Â
We came here with another couple to enjoy drinks, desserts, appetizers. Â We were looking for a cozy, relaxing evening. Â Our waitress incessantly badgered us for our order. Â Then she incessantly badgered us to order more. Â Finally, she pretty much kicked us out by somewhat rudely giving us the bill (not that I think it's rude to give a table a bill, but this was done in a GTFO sort of way).
I've had dinner here once, and brunch about 10 times. The dinner is good, but pretty expensive. The brunch on the other hand is surprisingly cheap and delicious! They have several benedicts that are wonderful at about $10. Champagne cocktails are 1/2 on sundays, so bellinis are $4. Totally worth it. If you don't want to fork out for dinner, definitely try brunch here.
Review Source:I will give Scholar's Inn 4 stars for a couple of reasons, the main reason is the Martini Specials. Half price all summer and during the school year they are half off Thurs-Sat.
This makes it a great place to come drink, good drinks, cheaply with some friends. I have come and had drinks and apps numerous times over the course of my time in Bloomington and while other people are dining, my friends and I have been overindulging and it felt so great not to be drinking PBR. The waiters and waitresses are attentive to serving drinks and making sure everyone gets what they need. (and when I say group of friends, numerous times before grad school formals we went here in groups of 15-20.) They were totally cool about it.
Plus the weekend bartender knows how to makes drinks if you ask him for something off the menu or his specialty based on what you like. He has made me a lemon basil cocktail that was amazing.
I knock a star off for the food. Many times I have had it it seems a little oily. The appetizers and cheese plate were great, but sometimes the food is just too oily. But last fall I did have an amazing pumpkin mash and salmon so that was pretty good. I think their seasonal items are truly their best. Their desserts are very nice though cheesecake or chocolate oblivion both good for a drink and dessert after a date.
Bottom line- hit this place up for a classy atmosphere, grab some friends, most importantly some drinks, and enjoy.
The one meal I have not had is brunch.
I want to give them a better rating than 2 stars. They have some of the best food in Bloomington and their martinis are out of this world, especially during the summer when they're half price. But every time I go there I feel like my party and me are treated as though we should feel lucky they let us in the door.
Two or three times now I've been there with friends and we've ended up expecting 1 more person than we initially thought. When we ask the waitress/waiter if we can pull up a chair they just say, "No. That's not going to work." Even if there is plenty of room at the table.
They also always ask if we've made a reservation and act like it's an inconvenience when you answer that you haven't, even if it's a slow night and 9/10 tables in the restaurant are empty.
I went there last night and told the host I was meeting some friends there, and he said, "Hm... I haven't sat anybody in a while. I don't see them. I don't think they're here." I had just gotten a text from my friend saying they were there, so I knew they were, so I told him I would just call them and find out where they were seated. A fourth person in our party who showed up about 10 minutes later had to do the same thing. I'm sorry, but you should not have to text or call your friends to find out where they were seated when the host JUST sat them 5 minutes ago.
The one time we did make a reservation the hostess looked at the sheet for about 45 seconds and said, "Gee, you guys, I don't see you on here. I don't know what to tell you." Finally I just looked over her shoulder and pointed out our name that was written clearly on the reservation sheet.
I really don't understand it. My friends and I are always dressed well and we're not drunk hoodlums. Maybe it's just because we're in our early 20s and not clearly wealthy 30-40-somethings who are going to order expensive menu items?
It used to be the best Sunday brunch in town, but they have dowgraded the quality...The menu is weaker, and simply does not offer anything that you cannot get elsewhere---including, most of it, at their sister place, the bakehouse. They even removed the complimentary  slice of bread from the sampler of their bakery...
The dinner is also not very impressive---the squid salad is the same as Kroger's! It is still a very nice place to talk to to people over a meal, and the staff is extremely pleasant. It is just a shame that they are cutting too many corners on the original quality....
I would love to give them five stars but my last visit was just very good and not great. Â I was surprised to find them still featuring the winter menu weeks about both the calendar and weather had turned to spring.
I've had many of the salads, appetizers, and entrees and been impressed all the way. Â The service is good but can be a bit slow when they feature a party or are extremely busy (they ran out of the glasses at one point this week).
It might be my favorite dining experience in Bloomington; great location, nice interior, balanced approach to food, flavors, and service. Â Great stuff.
Love to have brunch here on an Autumn Sunday afternoon. The affordably priced (during Sunday brunch) selection of champagne cocktails are enough to make it alone but, my god, the Charleston? Amazing. The biscuits and gravy and the fried green tomato BLT are honorable mentions as well.
Definitely miss this place since leaving B-town.
A large group of us came for a little sunday brunch. All around everyone enjoyed their food. I had the eggs benedict which was quite good (nice hollandaise and well poached egg). I also sampled the some of my aunts cinnamon roll/fruit and I would order that again. Ambiance was nice, service was adequate though not impressive. A solid choice for brunch.
Review Source:We were able to sit on the top deck which has a great atmosphere. Very casual but polite and classy but not uptight. (You don't have to dress up to go here). The house is beautiful and covered with ivy and trees.
We ordered the sampler appetizer, we could barely pronounce anything on the menu but the pumpkin hummus and the asiago dip were really good with baked sweet potato chips.Afterwards they served us bread with butter and by the time the meal came we were almost full.
I ordered the pork loin with corn sucataush and a goat cheese polenta (yum!!!) My meal was delicious but I could not even finish half of it. Which is fine by me, I'm all about the left overs.
The best restaurant in Bloomington. Most students I know take their parents to Grazie or Malibu Grill for special occasions or other times when they visit, but my parents like Olive Garden better than Grazie and Scholar's has a way better steak than Malibu.
The service has always been friendly and attentive (helping us make a wine selection, always very knowledgeable about the dishes) and the food excellent. My only complaint is that I always want to have an appetizer, entree, and dessert, but the food is too good for me to save room for the latter!
Yes, the parking lot is small, but there's also street parking all along College and down 11th. The building is cute and in a great spot, but what a shame that that giant apartment building is going up right next door. I can't wait to go back here when MY kids are at IU!
Great place for a date! If you're looking for a romantic night filled with martinis and chocolate fondue... try this place! The best seats in the house are upstairs in the martini bar... cool ambiance! Â During the summer, they have live music out on their deck too! Side note: their calamari is great! It's fabulously NOT fried!
Review Source:Went on a random Friday night before a night of drinking. A wedding party had reserved the upper room. The waiter warned us that when their order went through, other orders would be put on hold simply because they didn't have enough room on their grill for everything.
To combat this, we ordered the Harvest flatbread appetizer, which had locally grown corn and chicken on it, plus greens and some sort of cream sauce. The menus are charmingly placed in the middle of hardback literature.
Our party of four ordered lamb chops, grilled chicken breast, a new york strip, and salmon. Everyone expressed satisfaction, even for entrées that range from $22-$30 each. The asparagus was a bit undercooked, but I suspect that might be because our waiter was nervous about how long we had to wait (which was only 25 minutes after the appetizer, an easy 25 minutes thanks to the following paragraph).
I ordered a bombay martini, dirty. It was properly made and also half price ($5), both of which were pleasant surprises. Apparently, they run this special all weekend long. I can imagine that in the summer, when folk and jazz bands play on the deck of the well-preserved mansion in which this restaurant is located, that this is a wonderful experience.
My rating might have been lower if I'd picked up the check.
I've had dinner at Scholar's Inn several times and I think this is the best restaurant in Bloomington. Â The old mansion gives the restaurant a vintage feel that complements the traditional menu.
I've had the Aged Filet Mignon, Braised Beef Ribs, and most recently the duck. Â All three were delicious. Â The duck is smokey and served with a side of spaetzle. Â I don't know why more restaurants don't include spaetzle on their menu. Â The cheese plate makes for a good appetizer; the dill havarti is wonderful. Â In the fall they had a seasonal salad that was dressed with a basil sorbet; great concept.
The upstairs "Rabbit Hole" room has a cool vibe to it. Â The wine list is solid, and on Thursdays they mix some decent five dollar martinis. Â The owner can often be found schmoozing with the clientele; he let us order off the $5 menu (usually relegated to football Saturdays) on Thursday when we came in for drinks and light apps. Â It appears that he stays pretty involved in the business. Â Â
Scholar's Inn has it all: ambiance, decent service, great menu, and chefs that know how to prepare food. Â Even outside of Bloomington standards, this is a place that I would keep coming back to.
This was recommended by a friend whose son went to IU. So it was on my list of places to try. And I am glad we did.
The food was very good, the service attentive and the energy high.
We started off with the artisan cheese tray, which was a great dish to share, then we shared the Indiana tomato salad, great taste and interesting combination especially with the basil sorbet. I had the meatloaf which was a bit spicy and my partner had the chicken, which was very good. We shared a nice bottle of wine!
We were seated at probably the worst table in the place, right in front of the ladies room and kitchen door, so we were dead in the center of everything. Which for us was great because we enjoy people watching, and that was surely the place to do it. We spoke with Matt the Manager at the one moment when he was not busy helping the wait and serving staff. He said that the place was very busy on Saturday nights, but the rest of the time it was not so hectic.
The wait and service staff were going at full throttle throughout our dinner as the place was packed with dinner guests. As we left the place was much quieter.
The street address is on a very busy road, so park on the side street or in their parking lot. The building sits high up on a hill, so there are lots of steps from the busy street to the front door.
Parking is a bit odd, turn in off the side (numbered) street and go up an incline, it is clearly marked. The lot is a bit tight, but plenty of room. Entering the restaurant from the parking lot was not the most gracious, as you passed by the kitchen exhaust fans down a little path. Interesting that they did not use the other side which was more of a garden area to bring guests to their front door.
I would go back to this place.
Wife and I went to Scholars Inn for our three year wedding anniversary.  The food was great; it was just a few of the missed details that would have made this a truly wonderful evening.  Our reservation was at 8 and the host very politely saw us to our table on what used to be the porch of this converted house.  The waitress was prompt to get our drinks.  They were trying a bit too hard on the whole ambience thing and it was so dark we had to struggle to read the menu.  Candles on a table should be strictly for ornamental purposes, not lifelines to visibility.  The 1960's soft rock playing in the background was also not what I was expecting of a "classy" place.  Picked out a lovely Riesling from Germany.  When we ordered our entrees the waitress asked if we wanted soup or salad with it.  I asked if they had Caesar, but it would have been nice to know that the Caesar salad was additional.  The dressing was tasty enough, but it was presented as one of those "deconstructed salads" where everything is separate that I think has run its culinary course.  Definitely not a $16 salad.  The waitress also never took our salad plates after we were done.  I think that was just her though, as the gentlemen who brought us our entrees looked shocked that they were still there.  Entrees were tasty.  I had the Chicken Montrachet which was good but needed a bit more pepper.  The sauce was fantastic.  My wife had the New York Strip which was very good and horseradish mashed potatoes which were excellent.  All in all a pleasant experience.  The menu is obviously well crafted and reasonably priced ($15-$30 per entrée), and the wine menu was broad without being daunting.  Just a bit more attention to detail and this could be a wonderful four star establishment.
Review Source:A surreal experience. Â One of those times that you don't realize how bad it was until you think about it. Â The initial unpleasantness was no service. Â We got seated, water was poured, and that was it. Â 20 minutes later we asked for some assistance and were told that someone would be with us in "a second ... or a minute." Â No one appeared, so we left.
In thinking about it there were several clues, foreshadowing seems appropriate here. Â The maitre d' chose two thick books from a shelf by the front door (a biography of Jack Niklaus and an Agatha Chrtistie novel), escorted us to a two top table in a heavily trafficked area by the front door (ignoring empty tables out of the high traffic area), placed a book at each place with no explanation, handed us a wine list, then left. Â The restaurant was half empty and there were several tables that didn't have everyone passing closely by (no hyperbole). Â The bus-person provided glasses of water (promptly), that was the last time a staff person graced our table.
The menu looked good, but I thought I'd received the guest menu as the prices were not to be seen. Â Upon closer inspection through the very dim light I discovered the prices were printed in superscript. "What", I thought,"this item is to the 17th power?" Â It took a while to discern the price coding. Â The lighting was so bad it was extremely difficult to read the menu, much less the prices. Â I seriously doubted I could have identified the food, if any had been brought to the table, and I could barely see my dining companion. Â Not romantic lighting, NOT ambiance, simply VERY BAD lighting.
After chasing down a staff person (it was necessary to leave the table to do so), and requesting some assistance, none appeared, and we fled.
Were they so ashamed of the menus they had to hide them? Â It is a restaurant after all, menus are expected. Â Were they ashamed of the prices? Â I certainly expected they would charge for the meal, and the descriptions seemed like it might be a pleasant experience. Â A bit pricey, but within reason.
It appears to be a nice space, but under the surface, hidden in the darkness, an Agatha Christie experience lurked. Â I think the owner and staff might believe it is fine dining, but they have no clue. Â To be fine dining you have to pay attention to your guests and feed them.
Ended up going to Grazie, where the service was very friendly and timely, the menus openly presented, the prices discernible, and the food good, the terramisu very good. Â Certainly not the same level as anticipated at Scholars, BUT we were cheerfully served, the food was good, and we had a pleasant dining experience.
Skip Scholars.
This place is really nice!!! Â Great breakfast and great apps from what I've had. Â I LOVE their half-priced Martini nights, but so do many people so beware. Â Matt Noble makes a mean chocolate martini, and I don't usually like chocolate (or any fruity drinks really) martinis. Â Its clear, not milk based. Â Had their calamari, it was really good, and wanted to try more apps, but just wasn't that hungry... more thirsty :)
Review Source:I ate here a few times when I lived in Bloomington (2005-2007) and always enjoyed it. I recently went back with my husband during a visit, and we liked the restaurant so much, we had dinner there two nights in a row. The first night I was able to call and push our reservation back by 30 minutes because we were late getting into town. The waiter was attentive. Service was leisurely, but it's the not the kind of place where you rush through dinner. I highly recommend the half-price martini nights--they also had it running through the summer. We split an appetizer, salad, and entree ($5 for plate-sharing which was listed in the menu and which the waiter told us about), and then had the Strawberry Jubilee which was prepared right at our table. The tomato salad was delicious.
The next night we sat upstairs, which I had never been to before. Cool high-back chairs and nice decorations. We got our own salads and split the pork tenderloin (this server also told us about the plate-sharing charge) and then each had a chocolate dessert. The 2nd night my husband ordered a soda that was never delivered, but he ended up changing to a cocktail anyway. I had asked for an extra cherry with my drink and the server remembered for our second drinks, as well.
Dessert, wine list (for Bloomington) and ambience were the highlights.
Beef short ribs were decent and well cooked. My wife had gnocchi which was tasty and the basil sauce was excellent.
Unfortunately a friend ordered the "not so fried chicken" which tasted like there was a salt accident in the kitchen.
Overall a good experience and one of the few true fine dining establishments in a pub grub college town. Worth a trip back.
Have been to Scholar's Inn several times with business customers. It is a small charming place with a little story behind the menu, house, and atmosphere. The night we were there, the interior seemed a little dark to me, but that's personal preference. Good spot for being able to talk over dinner... we did make a reservation for our party of 7.
Since the chef took over the food has been very good. Positive compliments for steaks and flavors of ingredients as they were presented from all the members of our party. Portions are not huge, but respectable.
Also, be sure to save room for dessert. Lots of good choices. Even some prepared table-side for two.
A little pricey for the general Bloomington restaurant scene, but for special occasion, on business or when someone else will pick up the tab, it is a good choice.
Regarding parking, yes, the lot is small. You can park on 11th street, or North Walnut, but as another reviewer noted, it is a little bit of a hike to the door from either side. So check the weather forecast because you might have a little walk to the door.
Overall, positive experience. Is one of 3-4 spots I take customers when they visit our company.
Terrible nighttime service, confusing hours.
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So it's Thursday night in Bloomington and you want a martini. Â (Or any night, during the summer). Â Sounds like a job for Scholar's Inn, right? Â They do have very tasty martinis.
Good luck finding out if they are still open! Â You can try their website, but it is elusive, only mentioning that they are open until "close." Â As a server once confirmed to me, this is because they like to close each night whenever they feel like it.
So you decide to go for it. Â You either make the mile-long trek up there by foot, or you drive and hope to find a parking spot in their tiny lot (not guaranteed). Â You get there and it looks crowded, but who knows if they are still serving. Â There is no "open/closed" sign anywhere.
You walk in and there is a hostess podium with no one behind it. Â You wait for awhile, and no one ever comes, so eventually you go in by yourselves. Â You are intercepted by a server, who has the air of being intruded upon. Â Depending on the night, s/he will either inform you that they have stopped serving, but please come back for live music tomorrow, or they will tell you where you should go to sit.
When you sit, do not expect any server to come over. Â They have all vanished, and on the occasion that they come into view, they are too busy to be bothered by someone as unimportant as you. Â You sit there for twenty minutes, maybe (depending on how patient/naive you are).
Eventually, you say, "screw this, we're going up to the bar." Â If you're lucky, the bartender might take your order. Â But don't expect them to actually make it. Â They might have somewhere more important to disappear to; your drink can just wait until eternity (or "close", whichever comes first, but we haven't really established that).
Maybe you'll try going over to the other bar. Â Don't be surprised if, as you are walking up to order, a server actually cuts you off, puts his back to you, and starts talking to the bartender instead of letting you order.
At this point you will likely storm out vowing never to come back (don't bother being too dramatic, because there is no one at the hostess podium to see you anyway)...
But you always do, because it's Thursday in Bloomington and you want a martini.
I am in love with this place. Whenever I go to Bloomington to visit my Dad we come here for Sunday brunch. I always have the eggs benedict if not only for the hollandaise. Simply delightful. Plus, I think the mismatched chairs are the cutest and the cozy, yet swanky ambiance of the place is the perfect setting for my champagne and eggs.
Review Source:I went here a lot when I lived in Bloomington, so let's break it down.
Sunday Brunch - Good, but not great. 1/2 priced mimosas and bellinis AFTER 11am.
Thursday night martini night - such a blast, order martinis and some dessert and chill with friends. The chocolate martini is the best I've ever had.
Dinner - it's been OK with the new chef and menu, mostly bistro like food.
So the food is better than average, but the place itself is just so neat to be in. Definitely come here for martini night!
Aside from the price, I really do enjoy this place. Â Good selection of gourmet foods and the place to hobnob for professors, politicos, and hot MBA and Law students. Â Thursday night is 1/2 price martini night, so definitely an excellent night to come. Â Good place for a date as well, candlelight ambiance, quiet, and if the weather is nice, the patio is really pretty. Â I highly recommend the for an appetizer the brie with the raspberry coulis; for dinner, the filet mignon (comes with a side of mac-n-cheese); and for dessert - the creme brulee.
Review Source:I've only been here once, so I am hesitant to write this review. I may edit it in the future.
The food at Scholar's Inn is definately top-notch for Bloomington. In a town that veers college-casual, it's a nice change of pace. The wine list is interesting and extensive.
The embiance is quiet and elegant. My date and I had a somewhat private table for two near the bar.
The server was courteous, helpful, knowledgable (she helped pick out my wine) and not overbearing, but didn't ignore us either.
Before tip, it was about $80 for two, including an appetizer, salads, one glass of wine each, and an entree. For the quality of the food and service, I couldn't complain.
Highly recommended.
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