Valentine's Day is two weeks out. If you haven't made a reservation yet, now's the time.

Indianapolis has plenty of options beyond the usual "expensive steak and roses" playbook. Whether you want white-tablecloth romance, a low-key night out, or something completely different, we've rounded up the best things to do for Valentine's Day in Indianapolis this year.

Here are 12 ways to celebrate Valentine's Day in Indianapolis, organized by vibe.

Classic Romance (Splurge-Worthy)

1. St. Elmo Steak House — Downtown

The Indianapolis institution since 1902. World-famous shrimp cocktail (brace yourself for that horseradish kick), excellent steaks, and old-school ambiance that feels like stepping back in time. It's a splurge, but it's St. Elmo. Reservations are already filling up—book now.

Price: $$$$ Location: 127 S Illinois St

2. Bluebeard — Fletcher Place

Farm-to-table done right in a converted warehouse in the Holy Rosary neighborhood. The menu changes seasonally, the cocktails are excellent, and the vibe is romantic without being stuffy. A James Beard semifinalist and consistently one of the best restaurants in the city.

Price: $$$ Location: 653 Virginia Ave

3. Tinker Street — Herron-Morton Place

New American with a constantly evolving menu packed into a small urban cottage on 16th Street. The space feels like a neighborhood gem, because it is. The wine list is strong, and the tasting menu is worth it if you want to go all in. Note: Tinker Street is 21 and over only.

Price: $$$ Location: 402 E 16th St

4. Spoke & Steele — Downtown

Located inside Le Méridien Hotel, Spoke & Steele delivers moody lighting, great cocktails, and an upscale American menu with French influences. The atmosphere does a lot of the work here. Good for pre-dinner drinks or a full meal.

Price: $$$ Location: 39 W Jackson Pl

Pro Tip: If you're heading to Spoke & Steele, parking downtown can be a nightmare on Valentine's Saturday. Use the valet at Le Méridien.

Unique Experiences (Not Just Dinner)

5. Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra — Hilbert Circle Theatre

The ISO is performing Mahler’s "Resurrection" Symphony on Valentine’s weekend (February 13–14). It is a massive, emotional production featuring nearly 200 musicians and a full choir.

The Saturday (Feb 14) performance starts at 5:30 PM, making it the perfect "appetizer" for a late-night dinner reservation downtown immediately following the show.

Location: 45 Monument Circle

6. Indiana Repertory Theatre — Downtown

Live theater is underrated for Valentine's Day. Check the IRT's February schedule—the intimacy of live performance makes for great conversation afterward.

Location: 140 W Washington St

Photo by Carol M. Highsmith 

7. Newfields — Midtown

While Winterlights wraps up in early January, February is the prime time to visit THE LUME. These immersive, floor-to-ceiling digital art galleries are climate-controlled (perfect for an Indy February) and offer a much more intimate, wandering date experience than a standard seated dinner. Grab a cocktail at the curated bar inside the exhibit to sip while you take in the art.

Location: 4000 N Michigan Rd

8. Cooking Class — Sur La Table, Carmel

Sur La Table in Carmel offers couples cooking classes. You learn something together, you eat well, and it's more interactive than sitting across a table. Book early—Valentine's slots go fast.

Location: 14390 Clay Terrace Blvd, Carmel

9. Topgolf — Fishers

Not traditionally romantic, but hear me out: heated bays, good food, drinks, and you're actually doing something together instead of staring at each other over breadsticks. Works great for couples who don't want a stuffy dinner.

Location: 9200 E 116th St, Fishers

10. Candlelight Concerts — Various Locations

Fever’s Candlelight: Valentine's Day Special is back for 2026, with many performances hosted at the Scottish Rite Cathedral. Watching a string quartet play romantic classics under the glow of thousands of candles in one of Indy’s most historic ballrooms is arguably the most "Instagrammable" date on this list.

Low-Key but Good (Budget-Friendly)

11. Milktooth — Fletcher Place

Brunch date instead of dinner? Milktooth is one of the best brunch spots in the country—James Beard-recognized, with lines out the door on weekends. Smaller crowds on Valentine's Day since everyone's focused on dinner.

Last Chance: This is the final Valentine’s season for Milktooth before it transforms into Arlene’s this April. If you've been meaning to try their world-famous Dutch babies, this is your last window to do it.

Price: $$ Location: 534 Virginia Ave

12. Pizzology — Carmel

Really good Neapolitan pizza, solid wine list, casual vibe. Not every Valentine's date needs to be formal. After dinner, walk around the Carmel Arts & Design District.

Note: The Mass Ave location closed—Carmel is the only one left.

Price: $$ Location: 110 W Main St, Carmel

Date Night Ideas by Vibe

Need help deciding? Here's a quick cheat sheet:

• "Impress Them" → St. Elmo + ISO Symphony

• "We're Foodies" → Bluebeard or Tinker Street

• "Keep It Casual" → Pizzology + walk around the Arts & Design District

• "Do Something Different" → Cooking class at Sur La Table or Topgolf

• "Brunch People" → Milktooth + Newfields afternoon

Pro Tip: Consider the 13th or 15th

Because Valentine’s Day 2026 falls on a Saturday, expect the entire city to be at 100% capacity. If you want to avoid the "Valentine's Prix Fixe" markups and the heavy crowds, look at Thursday, Feb 12 or Sunday, Feb 15. Most restaurants will be celebrating all weekend, but the Saturday rush will be significantly more intense than a mid-week holiday.

If you find these 12 are booked up, keep these two in your back pocket:

• Kan-Kan Cinema and Brasserie: In Windsor Park. You can have a high-end dinner and then catch an indie film in a luxury theater without leaving the building.

• The Fountain Room: In the Bottleworks District. It has that 1940s glamour that rivals St. Elmo but feels a bit more "New Indy."

Whatever you're planning, make your reservations now. The best spots in Indianapolis fill up fast, and waiting until the week of is a gamble you don't need to take.