Indianapolis City Market

A European open market feel that is inviting, smells great, and offers a lot of choices for a quick bite. Love going on a Saturday morning and perusing the aisles with coffee. You can find Greek, French crepes, tamales to die for, seafood, popcorn, cookies, sandwiches, there really is something for everyone. Get your food and then head upstairs to grab one of the many tables and people watch.
There is a booth where a super friendly apron clad lady is surrounded by crock pots and sells her soup and stew mixes. They are her own dehydrated veggies, beans, and spices. We have tried three kinds and they do not disappoint. She’ll give you a sample :)
We find street parking easily and feel safe walking around in the general vicinity.

love love love coming here! Parking is actually pretty easy and there is a nice walkway taking you from the Market District parking garage right to the building. It is well-​lit and safe in the evenings. The market itself is not very large, but there is a wide variety of options when it comes to food and drink. I’ve not yet had the chance to shop here, but I am really looking forward to coming back on Saturday. You can get anything from Middle-​Eastern food to crepes to coffee and tea!
I did have a beer at Tomlinson Tap room last night after my meeting at the city market. It is a small bar but very cozy. There was a nice after-​work crowd but it was easy to get to the bar to grab a drink. I love being here in the winter and being able to sit on the balcony and people watch :)

It’s just okay, nothing super out of the ordinary here. Been to other city markets where you can’t wait to throw cash at the vendors. Didn’t find that to be the case here. On a Saturday some vendors were closed, fair enough. Like I mentioned before, other cities have more vibrant and better food options.

What is not to love at the City Market??? You can dislike things and/​or love things and still have so much to choose from. I had errands to run downtown so I parked in a location that would allow me the opportunity to walk thru and graze! The smells, the ambiance, the people. Whether you want a hotdog, soup, a sub, something homestyle– it truly is there Working so close, I am on a mission to try a little bit of it all.

I can’t believe I haven’t written a review here. This is my go-​to place on Saturday mornings. A coffee, a croissant, a stop by U-​Relish to chat with Cara and a relaxing morning people watching from one of the second floor seats is a great way to start the weekend.
When I was in college, I had to write a paper in a Sociology class about observing people. I chose City Market as my place, and I still like to people watch here to this day. You never know who you will run into or what you will see. It’s a great mixing pot of people coming in to visit one of the numerous vendors. There’s something here for everyone, and Saturday morning’s it’s just busy enough to keep things interesting, but not so busy you can’t find a place to sit (like it is at lunchtime during the week).
After you’re done shopping, stop by Tomlinson upstairs for a drink. Indiana brews on tap in a relaxed atmosphere where the «locals» go.

This market is really great as is. But has a little potential to get better, hence the 4 instead of 5 stars. Love that I can stop by and grab lunch in a historic city building and have pretty much anything!
I’m happy about added attractions to bring in evening and weekend business like the winter farmer’s market, mile square coffee and Tomlinson tap room.
A few more evening and weekend attractions and filling in some of the vacant spots would make this place perfection, but still a great spot to come in and grab eats from local purveyors, including:
Treats from circle city sweets, tamales from the tamales place, Philly style pretzels, pressed juice, Greek cuisine, NY style pizza, vegan dishes, fine chocolates from chocolates for the spirit and much much more!

Indianapolis City Market is one of my favorite buildings downtown, and I find myself coming here for a wide variety of reasons.
First of all, to get a bunch of cool history on this place, check out one of Historic Indianapolis’ articles about it (along with many more about Indy’s neat history):

This building isn’t really a business in and of itself, but more a place that plays host to the many great individual businesses that make up the market. The majority of them are food places, and the offerings cover a wide range of options. I can’t imagine that you would not be able to find something for everybody here. I also find myself here going to the adjoining YMCA and Indy Bike Garage location, as well as the connected building where the winter farmers market takes place. More often than not, I am here because of Tomlinson Tap Room located on the upper floor, but there is plenty to read about them on their individual Unilocal page. Along with a wide variety of food vendors, there are a handful of other unique businesses including a barber shop, shoe shine, a produce stand, phone repair, and even a nice large demonstration kitchen where local businesses teach classes.
I have the convenience of walking or biking here for all of my visits, but if that isn’t an option, there is metered street parking along with quite a few garages within a couple blocks. However, City Market itself doesn’t have any designated parking. One of the largest bike share stations in the city is located right outside of the building though, so that is an option as well.
One issue that I have is that while the building itself is open from 7 AM to 9 PM during the week, and 8 AM to 9 PM on Saturday, the majority of the businesses inside are only open for a small amount of hours during lunch. It would be really nice if their website (
) actually displayed the hours of each business in a nice format. A lot of times when I am looking for somewhere to eat downtown, I usually find other options outside of City Market since I never know what is open and I don’t want to open 20 different websites for the individual businesses just to figure out what my options are going to be there.
The building has more than enough seating around the second level, which overlooks to the first floor where all of the vendors are. The bathrooms in here are also kept in nice shape, although their availability to the entire public does mean that they get some interesting visitors.
I have seen a number of events hosted here, including a beer fest, food pairing events, and even a wedding reception. Along with their indoor events, their large outdoor patio has a relatively new stage set up out there that has live music during the summer months, and the spot makes for a nice gathering place for different bike rides and runs that take place throughout the year.

I like that a place exists in Indianapolis where you can go in and get a meal from any one of several cuisines … or just grab a cup of coffee, or a crêpe, or a tamale, or a donut, or a scoop of ice cream. The Indianapolis City Market reminds me of the Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles, and also the Milwaukee Public Market in Wisconsin. I’d wager that many big cities have indoor markets like this one: someplace old and established to grab a bite and relax in an bustling, busy indoor setting.
I’ve only patronized a handful of vendors, but I like what I’ve seen and eaten so far. I like that almost all of the food vendors are on the first floor, and you have to walk upstairs to sit at one of the dozens of tables to enjoy your meal. I like sitting on the second floor because you can peer below at all the people and action taking place. It gets very loud and busy and crowded on weekdays, naturally — many of the people who work at the surrounding buildings downtown use the Indianapolis City Market as a lunch destination, I’m sure. On the weekends, though, especially for early lunch (around 10:30 or 11 a.m.), it’s very peaceful, and you can wind your way down the aisles leisurely, looking at the food vendors at your own pace, choosing what you want in a deliberate fashion, then picking one of the clean, empty tables upstairs.
The Saturday that I visited, there was an indoor farmers market taking place in the adjacent building, and I saw all sorts of fruits and vegetables for sale, as well as pottery, honey, baked goods and meats. It was nice to eat, then browse the market afterward.

City Market is a gem in downtown Indy. I’ve only been twice because I’m not in the neighborhood often, but I would totally be here on a daily basis if I lived or worked nearby. The first time, I checked it out on a Saturday with my mom when there was a farmer’s market, and we had lunch there and I was so impressed! I love markets like this, with all small local vendors, and didn’t know Indy had one. Then, I recently did a food tour of the market with my family, and it was fantastic — we got to try amazing crepes, a vegan banh mi, green juice, freshly cooked potato chips, an incredible croissant, and a tamale! I loved it ALL and was so stuffed afterward! And that’s not even half of the variety of businesses the Market has. It’s all prepared food, no longer a produce market as it was originally, but that means it’s a perfect lunch spot, no matter what you’re craving. It’s in a beautiful building, and it’s fun to sit on the mezzanine level to eat if there are seats available.
I want to note that both times I’ve been here were for lunch on weekends, and it’s exceptionally quiet then and not all the businesses are open — but we’ve found that during peak lunch hours, there are still several open. These businesses are mostly so small that it’s not profitable for them to be open outside weekday lunchtime, when people come on their lunch break and the market is crowded with activity. If I worked nearby, I’d love to see the market like this!

I seriously love the City Market. I know that is kind of a strange thing to say, but I do. So many fun food choices for lunch. The best day to go is when they have the Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays (May-​October).
It is fun to sit on the upper level and watch people while I munch on my charbroiled chicken sandwich or crêpe. There are also plenty of sweets places, Greek places and pizza places. In the afternoons there is a place serving beer, and you could get your shoes shined or hair cut while drinking a pint. There is a vintage jewelry/​clothing place, as well.
I think they only thing that could make it any better for me would be more Indiana-​type shops. I look for Indiana themed gifts for my friends from here who now live out of state, and I think it would be awesome to have those type of shops all in one area. I know I can walk down to mass ave and get somethings, but I want to wander around with my chicken sandwich and look at stuff. :)

Love the variety! So many neat stands and I never have a bad experience. They even have a taproom! Weather was perfect to sit outside last time. Warning: many places are closed on Mondays so I’d go later in the week!

I really, really want to love the City Market. I’ve visited at least 5 times since moving to Indy, and have sadly been disappointed 4 out of those 5 times. Here’s why:
Time #1: friends were visiting from out of town. checked the hours online — it was open. arrived with high expectations, but the Market was closed for a private event.
Time #2: best friend from high school was visiting, went to the Market on Saturday for lunch. no food booths were open, other than the chocolate shop, which we loved, but we left hungry.
Time #3: stopped by the Market with my husband on a Thursday evening — no food booths were serving dinner.
Time #4: popped in to buy a gift from URelish on a Friday morning. the proprietor was fabulous, exceptionally helpful, and led me to the perfect gift. success!
Time #5: visited with family for Saturday lunch. the only food booth open was 3 Carrots (quite happily, several of us are vegetarian) and it was delectable, but it would have been nice to choose from other options.
Every time I visit, I stroll around the beautiful, rustic, historical building, fantasizing about the succulent foods advertised on handcrafted chalkboard menus, if only the vendors were open. Since each vendor chooses their own hours, it’s almost impossible to predict whether you’ll be leaving happily full, or with a growling stomach.

The only reason City Market didn’t get 5 stars from me is because I wish their hours were longer, but I could live on tamales from the Tamale Place. I love that lunch downtown is an adventure every time you visit this place, and the farmer’s market on Wednesdays in the summer.
Don’t forget to check out Tomlinson Tap Room in the evening on the second level. The crowd is primarily locals and the beer list is one of the best in the city.

This is such a beautiful place. There were so many food outlets here. You get delicious food for $ 10 almost in any outlet in here. It was really crowded during the afternoon as several people come over here to grab some food for their lunch and savor it in their huge outdoor seating. That’s pretty neat. Today it was cloudy and cool during the afternoon. Was perfect to have some delicious pepperoni pizza! If you have a group of friends or colleagues, one could really have a good time sitting outdoor while enjoying the food and conversations. I need to try out food from various outlets in this place.
Today there were several trucks and vans parked on the east side of this building and were selling the organic foods, plants, homemade cookies, cakes and several fruits and vegetables. I think if one should take some permission from the market place to sell your items. I wonder how often do they put up this farmers market! Kudos for providing place for the people to sell their products and letting them to make some money out of it.

Mostly good food eatery choices downtown. Be interesting to see how Whole Foods, which will be directly across street, will affect the food stands here.

I have a love/​hate relationship with City Market. Here’s why:
I LOVE City Market because of the variety of vendors. It’s the perfect stop for lunch — thank GOODNESS I work downtown. Great people watching, plenty of tables to sit and eat your goods upstairs, reasonable prices, the occasional Farmer’s Market. What’s not to love?
I HATE that I can’t visit every vendor on every visit. I go to City Market when I get a specific craving for juice, crepes, Greek or something vegan… but the FOMO (fear of missing out) becomes all too real when I see 3 Days in Paris when I came for Grecian Garden. Most of the vendors are just that good. I also wish the hours were extended into the evening, as most of these merchants would make great dinner time stops.
Here’s the lowdown on stands that you can’t go wrong at, in my opinion: The Tamale Place, Spice Box, Circle City Soups/​Sweets, Twenty Two Juice, 3 Days in Paris, Pat’s Philly Pretzels, Three Carrots, Grecian Garden and Ameer Middle Eastern Cuisine. Don’t forget Tomlinson Tap Room for the happy hour crowd!
Overall, City Market is a great addition to downtown Indianapolis. I mean, where else can you find pizza, gyros, Indian food, cupcakes and broccoli cheddar soup under the same roof?

For the longest time, growing up in Indy, I didn’t think much of the City Market. Honestly, it creeped me out because it looked old, scary, and not very inviting. It wasn’t until I started visiting the Original Farmers’ Market. Wowsa! This place is incredible, and I had been completely missing out. Also, major props to Unilocal for spotlighting some City Market gems over the years,
Some of my absolute faves include:
U-​Relish Farms — Cara produces some of the most delicious crock-​pot meals you will try. I keep my cupboard filled with a variety of two. Inexpensive and quick!
Pat’s Philly Pretzels — I’m not big on pretzels, but I love Pat’s pretzels. There is always a unique variety available of savory and even sweet options.
Circle City Sweets — Chocolate croissants, sugar cookies, maccaroons, muffins, cupcakes… the list of delicous and decadent treats is endless. A must visit!
Circle City Soups — Great place to go for quick, delicous, and tasty breakfast. The biscuits and gravy is delish. They also have amazing soup.
3 Days in Paris — This place made me a believer in crepes, again. The bbq chicken crêpe is incredible and so filling. I want to go back and try the summertime and apple pie high crepes.
Twenty Two Jucie — I have two words… acai bowl. That is all I will say. You must experience it for yourself.
The Food Florist — Great place to go for pre-​made food that our much healthier than what you would find in the grocery store. The crunchy chicken is pretty tasty.
I still need to try so many other spots, but at the top of my list is Spice Box, Chocolate in the Spirit, and Three Carrots.
So, once you leave the Original Farmers’ Market or need a new spot to try downwtown, do yourself a favor and check out the City Market. So many incredible places to try!

Yeah City Market! Return visits are in my future :)
Love the diversity of vendors… you can get anything from pastries to smoothies to tamales and more! Great place for a quick bite to eat during the lunch hour.
Not all businesses open at the same time, but most everything is ready to serve starting at 10am. Check out Circle City Sweets (to feel gluttonous) and Twenty Two Juice (to feel healthy)!
I love the food court set-​up, but the offerings are a LOT healthier and fresher than any fast food you’d find in a mall food court!
I’d love to explore the second level where there’s plenty of seating and a beautiful view of all the action!

Words can’t begin to describe how much I love this place. It is right next to my office and I pop down here almost every day (sometimes multiple times!) to get whatever I need. Whether it be something to eat for breakfast or lunch, get a cup of coffee, grab some freshly pressed juice, satisfy my sweet tooth, or even get a beer! The city market has it all! Not sure what you’re in the mood for? Then just walk in and take a stroll, you’ll find something that appeals to you, I promise. A lot of the restaurants in the market are permanent locations of many of Indy’s favorite food trucks. I’d recommend getting in here sooner rather than later, because most of the shops close down after lunchtime.

I get so excited about City Market but it’s been pretty dead every time I come here. My first visit was a Saturday around noon in the summer so I was expecting a decent amount of people. I just thought we came at a bad time. However, subsequent visits have proved that it’s just the way it is.
Most of the time, only about half of the vendors are open. There are rarely more than a handful of people here – does not resemble the website’s pictures at all.
3 Days in Paris (crepes) and Three Carrots (vegan/​vegetarian) are really the only two vendors attract me here. And even then, they’re not exciting/​amazing enough to draw me back to City Market often.
Maybe I’ll start to love it when they have their farmers market.