RFK Rankings · Indianapolis
Best Restaurants for Brunch in Indianapolis (2026)
Brunch dining · Indianapolis · 7 tables ranked · Updated June 2026
Compiled by the Restaurants for Kings editorial team · Published June 3, 2026 · Updated June 12, 2026 · Reviewed by Fredrik Filipsson, Editor-in-Chief · How we rank · Corrections
Indianapolis brunch is a chef story before it is a city story. A Food and Wine Best New Chef put Fountain Square on the national map with a Dutch baby; a six-time James Beard semifinalist built a small empire on cinnamon toast. The catch in 2026 is that several once-famous names have closed, so an old list will send you to locked doors. We ranked seven currently-open rooms on the cooking, with the closures flagged. For the wider city, see our Indianapolis dining guide.
1.arlene's by Milktooth
Indy's genre-defining brunch from Jonathan Brooks; go Thursday to Monday for the Dutch baby pancake.
This is the room, at 534 Virginia Ave in Fountain Square, that made Indianapolis a brunch destination. Chef and co-owner Jonathan Brooks was a Food and Wine Best New Chef in 2015, and Bon Appetit named the restaurant a top-ten best new restaurant in the country that same year. After a turbulent stretch of rebrands it now operates as arlene's by Milktooth, keeping the same brunch and adding meat-and-three plates, so use that name when you book. The Dutch baby pancake and the loaded grits are the things to order, with entrees around fifteen to twenty-two dollars. It is walk-in only, Thursday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Go early, put your name down, and order the Dutch baby while you decide on the rest.
Reserve at milktoothindy.com.
2.Cafe Patachou
Martha Hoover's institution since 1989; go for the thick-cut cinnamon toast and the Broken Yolk.
Cafe Patachou has been the city's breakfast institution since 1989, founded by Martha Hoover, a six-time James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurateur, who calls it a student union for adults. The flagship sits in Meridian-Kessler at 4911 N Pennsylvania St, with a downtown room across from the State Capitol and more locations around the metro. The cooking is refined American breakfast done consistently: the thick-cut cinnamon toast is the signature, with the Broken Yolk sandwich close behind. Entrees run about twelve to eighteen dollars, and it serves daily from early until 3 p.m. For a dependable, well-made Indy breakfast with real pedigree, this is the pick. Order the cinnamon toast, add the Broken Yolk, and take a coffee for the walk.
Reserve at cafepatachou.com.
3.Petite Chou Bistro & Champagne Bar
A canal-side French champagne brunch from the Patachou group; go for the breakfast crepe and a glass of bubbles.
Petite Chou is the French concept from Martha Hoover's Patachou group, sitting canal-side in Broad Ripple at 823 Westfield Blvd, and it is the dressed-up brunch on this list. Travel and Leisure has cited it among the best French restaurants in the country, and the draw is the champagne brunch: a proper Breakfast Crepe around sixteen dollars, Bordelaise Eggs near fifteen, and a glass of something sparkling to go with them. The room is small and the setting on the canal is the point, which makes it the spot for a brunch with a sense of occasion. It serves daily from 8 a.m. For a French sit-down with bubbles, this is the choice. Reserve ahead, order the breakfast crepe, and start with a glass of champagne.
Reserve at petitechoubistro.com.
4.The Garden Table
A bright juicery-and-brunch staple on Mass Ave; go for the pork belly benedict and a cold-pressed juice.
The Garden Table pairs a fresh juicery with a seasonal brunch, and its Mass Ave room at 342 Massachusetts Ave serves brunch daily, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with weekday reservations on OpenTable. The original Broad Ripple location on Westfield Blvd is walk-in only and closed Mondays. The cooking is bright and health-forward without being austere: the Pork Belly Benedict and the Brunch Burger, both around eighteen dollars, anchor the Mass Ave menu, with cold-pressed juices alongside. Indianapolis Monthly has covered the juice-bar-meets-brunch concept, and the downtown room has become a Mass Ave staple. For a lighter, vegetable-leaning brunch that still does a proper benedict, this is the pick. Book a weekday table downtown, order the pork belly benedict, and add a green juice.
Reserve at thegardentable.com.
5.Liter House
A Bavarian beer-hall brunch with a biergarten; go for the lumberjack pancakes with bacon cooked inside.
Liter House brings a Bavarian beer-hall brunch to SoBro at 5301 Winthrop Ave, with house-brewed German beers and a big outdoor biergarten that is the whole reason to come in warm weather. The kitchen is chef-driven and leans on Indiana producers, and the signature plate is the lumberjack pancakes, made with bacon cooked right inside the batter, with honey-brined fried chicken behind it. Brunch runs Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 10. Portions are large and pricing is mid-range. Do not confuse it with the Half Liter BBQ hall attached at the same address. For a German weekend brunch in a beer garden, this is the pick. Book a biergarten table, order the lumberjack pancakes, and start with a house lager.
Reserve at opentable.com.
6.Eggshell Bistro
A European-style cafe Food and Wine called Indiana's best breakfast; go for the truffled eggs on brioche.
Eggshell Bistro is the European-style cafe brunch in Carmel, just north of the city at 51 W City Center Dr, and it earns its place even outside the city limits. Food and Wine has cited it for the best breakfast in Indiana, and it lands on Indianapolis Monthly's best-of brunch lists year after year. The cooking is refined and small-batch: truffled eggs on brioche are the signature, with a sweet-potato hash close behind. Hours are tight, Wednesday to Friday 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and weekends until 2 p.m., so it is a destination rather than a drop-in. For the most polished plate in the metro, this is worth the drive to Carmel. Go on a weekend morning, order the truffled eggs, and add the hash.
Reserve at eggshellbistro.com.
7.Maxine's Chicken & Waffles
A family-owned soul-food weekend brunch since 2007; go for the chicken and sweet-potato waffles.
Maxine's Chicken and Waffles is the city's soul-food brunch, family and Black-owned since 2007, with its flagship downtown at 132 N East St after the City Market branch closed. The weekend brunch is built on the namesake: golden fried chicken over a waffle, with sweet-potato waffles among the highlights and the kind of generous Southern plates that need no dressing up. It has been featured on Food Network, and it remains a genuinely local, independent table rather than a polished new opening. Pricing is mid-range and the portions are large. For a Southern weekend brunch with real history behind it, this is the pick. Call ahead to confirm hours, order the chicken and a sweet-potato waffle, and come hungry.
Reserve at maxineschickenandwaffles.com.
Avoid for brunch
Closed, still on old lists
Gallery Pastry Shop and Gallery Pastry Bar have closed all their brick-and-mortar locations and gone catering-only, though zombie subdomains still mislead. Festiva on East 16th Street closed in late 2024, Public Greens on the Monon closed in December 2024, Three Carrots shut both rooms, and Rook has been gone since 2020. All four still surface on stale best-of roundups.
Open, but not brunch, or a chain
Several Jonathan Brooks-adjacent and downtown favourites are dinner-only and not brunch, including Beholder, Tinker Street and Bluebeard, so do not book them for a morning. And First Watch, the national chain, has several Indy-area locations open daily; it is fine, but the independents above are the reason to brunch in Indianapolis.
How to book brunch in Indianapolis
Indianapolis brunch rewards knowing the format. arlene's by Milktooth is walk-in only, Thursday through Monday, so go early and put your name down; the weekend line is real. Petite Chou and The Garden Table's Mass Ave room take reservations on OpenTable, which is the smart move for the canal-side and downtown tables. Liter House serves weekend brunch only and the biergarten fills on a warm day. Eggshell Bistro in Carmel keeps tight hours and is a destination drive, so check the schedule first. A note for 2026: Gallery Pastry, Festiva, Public Greens, Three Carrots and Rook have all closed, so ignore older lists that still feature them, and re-check the exact Milktooth name at booking. For the wider city, see our Indianapolis dining guide and the RFK rankings index.
Frequently asked
Which Indianapolis restaurant has the best brunch?
arlene's by Milktooth in Fountain Square is the most acclaimed, the chef-driven room from Food and Wine Best New Chef Jonathan Brooks that put Indy brunch on the national map, known for its Dutch baby pancake. Cafe Patachou, Martha Hoover's institution since 1989, is the most dependable, and Petite Chou in Broad Ripple is the dressed-up French champagne option. All three are local independents rather than chains.
Is Milktooth still open in Indianapolis?
Yes, but the name has changed. After a turbulent stretch of rebrands, the Fountain Square restaurant at 534 Virginia Ave now operates as arlene's by Milktooth, keeping the same brunch and adding meat-and-three plates. Chef Jonathan Brooks is still behind it. It is walk-in only, Thursday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Because the branding has shifted more than once, it is worth re-checking the exact current name when you book.
Where can I brunch on a weekday in Indianapolis?
Cafe Patachou serves daily from early until 3 p.m. across several metro locations, which makes it the easiest weekday option. The Garden Table's Mass Ave room also serves brunch every day, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and takes weekday reservations on OpenTable. arlene's by Milktooth runs Thursday through Monday, so it covers a weekday too. Eggshell Bistro in Carmel opens Wednesday to Friday from 7 a.m. for an early weekday plate.
Does Indianapolis have a French brunch?
Yes. Petite Chou Bistro and Champagne Bar in Broad Ripple, from Martha Hoover's Patachou group, runs a canal-side French champagne brunch that Travel and Leisure has cited among the country's best French restaurants. The Breakfast Crepe around sixteen dollars and the Bordelaise Eggs near fifteen anchor the menu, with sparkling wine to match. The room is small and the canal setting is the draw, so reserve ahead for a weekend table.
Are there closed restaurants still on Indianapolis brunch lists?
Yes, several. Gallery Pastry Shop and Bar have closed all locations and gone catering-only, Festiva on East 16th Street closed in late 2024, Public Greens on the Monon closed in December 2024, Three Carrots shut both rooms, and Rook has been gone since 2020. All of them still appear on older best-of roundups, so cross-check any list before you go. The seven rooms ranked above were all confirmed open as of June 2026.
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