No. 6 – Nicky Blaine's

Best Subterranean Lair

A colleague of ours once remarked that walking down the stairs to this swanky cocktail lounge was a little like descending into hell. It’s dark down there, and the offerings are sinful. A curated walk-in humidor, couples making out on leather couches, executives enjoying their money. With no windows in sight, hours can disappear at this Monument Circle man cave, one of the last bastions for cigar-smokers in the city. Certainly, it’s the best of those places—Nicky Blaine’s even has pre-embargo Cubans. Another Esquire Best Bars alum, it charges a $5 cover, just enough to keep the riffraff walking south to the Wholesale District.

20 N. Meridian St., 317-638-5588

Photo by Tony Valainis

This article appeared in the January 2013 issue.