NEW IN TOWN: Severin Bar

This past fall, the downtown Omni hotel revamped its tired, 14-year-old Olives Martini and Cigar Bar concept and reopened as Severin Bar. The space now has a more open, modern feel, with of-the-moment accents: reclaimed wood, chalkboard walls, communal tables, and mustard-colored furniture. The bar serves up a well-edited selection of Indiana craft brews. As for the 17-or-so cocktails, Severin gets playful with the bourbon-and-vermouth Manhattan, adding a hibiscus-scented spirit, Hum.

Though the food still screams “bar fare,” there are a few pleasant surprises. For starters, the cleverly skewered Gunthorp Farms Bacon Picks come with custom sauces, and the boards of pickled vegetables, cheeses, and meats are locally sourced. The Apple Butta’ Backyard BBQ Burger (Sun King–battered onion rings, slaw, bacon, and Fair Oaks Farms cheddar on a pretzel roll) is the best pick among the menu’s bevy of burgers and fries.

40 W. Jackson Place; 317-634-6664; www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/IndianapolisSeverin/Dining.aspx

Photo by Tony Valainis

This article appeared in the December 2012 issue.