Bloomington

Italian. Pizza & Pasta. They have a million toppings to choose from and it's fun to create-your-own pizza (though it can get pricey, as the toppings are all à la carte. The specialty pizzas are creative and tasty, in unexpected. Will work with food allergies. Pasta dishes are large but bothing special. Monday is half-price bottles of wine and Fridays are $10 buckets of beer. Dine-in, Carryout, Delivery, & Catering.

Red Chopsticks

Fresh sushi and cooked Asian cuisines from China, Japan, Korea, Thai. The best sushi in Bloomington, for sure! It's fresh and worry-free for this picky connoisseur. What's more, it's clean and the service is fabulously friendly. You can easily end up with rude servers at other sushi shops in town.

A little off the beaten path, but well worth the trek, this tastefully decorated gem offers a full menu of Thai dishes, and they aren't afraid to add some extra spice. Considered to be some of Bloomington's best Thai food, the chef describes her restaurant as having sensual, contemporary ambiance with a traditional Thai aesthetic. Now in its second generation of family cooking. Dine-in or carryout. Call ahead for faster service and watch out for the midday siesta.

Nick's English Hut

The traditional place to eat in bloomington. a hotspot for alumni and the older bloomington crowd "older" just meaning "non-student". arguably the hallmark institution of kirkwood avenue. be sure to play "sink the biz," the drinking game for which the restaurant is known.

Noodle's and Co.

A chain that was recently opened in an old theater building. serves italian, asian and american style noodle and pasta dishes.

Opie Taylor's

Great burgers with an awkward atmosphere. there's always takeout.

Puccini's

Arguably the best italian in town. awfully pricey, but serves quality food.

Roots

Organic juice bar and vegetarian restaurant, with all the hippy ambiance that implies. the owners believe air-conditioning isn't environmentally friendly, so it gets warm in mid-summer.

Runcible Spoon

A wonderfully comfortable restaurant, converted from a house complete with living room furniture and bookshelves. delicious entrã©es all around, with great coffee brews, very veggie/vegan friendly, cheap wine, good selection of beers, and a good but pricey breakfast. definitely come for the ambience and pretty alternative girls. excellent food and coffee, but your coffee will be cold by the time your food gets there, as speedy service is not their forte.

Afghan. This is a "white tablecloth" sort of place with a variety of dishes like Kebaabs, Vegetarian Dishes, Rack of Lamb, Manto, Aushak, and more. Dinner is a rather formal and somewhat expensive affair. Try the lunch buffet if you're uncertain. It's a great variety and under $10 and it's great to be able to sample some of the very spicy dishes without making a huge commitment. They suggest reservations on weekends and with groups. This is particularly important if there is anything going on at IU that might bring parents to town.

American. Pizza. Delicious brick-oven pizzas and other menu items like Greek salads and sub sandwiches. Beerpub atmosphere with some local drafts and unusual imported beers. Acoustic music is featured most Thursdays, while Sunday is Open LP Night bring your favorite vinyl side for a spin on their turntable! Monthly poetry slams. Dine-in and carryout.

Scotty's Brewhouse

Three large-screen tv's and a bar, suitable for late-night student partying, but family-friendly before 9pm. kids eat free on sundays.

Snow Lion

Tibetan- owned by the dalai lama's brother.

Sobon

Korean. Cafeteria-style Korean home-cooking. Their strength lies in their soups, all amazingly rich and flavorful, with lots of edible meats. Very reasonably priced and a favorite hang-out for Asian students. Extremely clean place with self-service filtered water and very friendly servers.

Soma

Cliquish hipster heaven, where anyone who's alternative, fashionably or otherwise, goes to be seen everyone looks up at the door when it opens to see who's coming in. don't forget to drop a few coins in the tip jar or be prepared for snide comments and dirty looks. good coffee nonetheless.

American. Organic. Utilises all local, artisan ingredients whenever possible. With whimsical and creative flavor combinations, this is a true foodies' paradise. Check out their website for the seasonally changing menu. Try the 5-course taste menu, served family-style, for a mind-blowing experience. More casual fare with a lower price point available on the bar menu. Dine-in only. Reservations recommended.

Trojan Horse

Excellent greek & american food with the best atmosphere, and usually the best servers, in bloomington. tavern upstairs. corner of kirkwood & walnut

Burmese. Lots of rich meat and vegetable curries, noodle soups, exotic desserts, and flavorful salads vagetable salads. The most famous is a salad of preserved green tea leaves, tomato, shredded cabbage, nuts, chilies, garlic, and lime juice, called lepet tout. Try the Tilapia with tamarind or samosas. LOTS of vegetarian options. Closed for much of June & July. Dine-in, Carryout, Delivery S2YD.

Village Deli

The perfect american breakfast. over-priced, as with all breakfast foods, but do not leave without ordering paxton's potatoes not take 2. the home fries will win you over here. packed on the weekends, but generally a crowd pleaser.

Yogi's

Best place to go if you're in a group of four or more. largest beer selection in bloomington.

Amol Indian Restaurant

Indian. Excellent Indian cuisine, and quite affordable compared with typical "white tablecloth" establishments. The service leaves something to be desired, but if you go at all, you should go for the lunch buffet which is huge, cheap $8, and all-you-can-eat. Great for those new to Indian food. Dine-in, carryout and catering.

American. This dowtown restaurant has a high-end feel to it, with soft jazz, a baby grand in the corner and servers all in black; but, it remains affordable for students and non-students alike. Billing itself as casual California-style dining with a menu inspired by Wolfgang Puck, Malibu serves tasty, if not-so-memorable, pastas, chicken, fish, etc. Boasts Bloomington's only wood-fired pizza oven. Go early and sample one of their delicious specialty martinis. Dine-in only.

Turkish & Mediterranean. This wonderful restaurant has delicious, inexpensive food, as well as complimentary Turkish tea and other unique beverages. The feel is relaxed and cozy. This place is great for people with food allergies, as they are willing to work with you! Excellent, friendly service! Dine-in and carryout.

Tibetan, Thai, Indian. Try the curries, the salad dressing they do sell this, and the Pad Thai. The Indian Tea is amazingly good chai.

Lennie’s introduced gourmet pizza to Bloomington, and has since become one of the town’s most popular and eclectic eateries. Lennie’s set another local landmark in 1994, with the addition of the first commercial brewery in Monroe county and the first brewpub in Southern Indiana. Take home one of their "Growlers," a mason jar of fresh-brewed beer now on Sundays too! or hang out and do a "flight" of local and international wines. Love the focaccia appetizer and cucumber salad. Dine-in and carryout.

Le Petit Café

French. The atmosphere is warehouse-chic, with plants and cheery lighting - owned and operated by a husband and wife team who also live on the premises. Menu changes daily based on what's fresh and in-season, but generally includes your choice of a beef, chicken, pork, of fish entrée. Check the chalkboard out front. In addition to evening menus, Le Petit Café provides a Thursday lunch buffet and a prix fixe Sunday brunch. The opening of the B-Line Trail prompted a walk-up window where passers-by from the Farmer's Market can order freshly-made treats such as strawberry shortcake and quiche. Dine-in and catering.

Mother Bear's Pizza

This place is ancient, a bloomington tradition. bbq cheese pizza for one - absolutely amazing. this, along with nick's, is arguably the most famous and treasured restaurant in the city. claims to have been voted "4th best pizza in the country" a few years back.

American. A chain restaurant that feels like a hometown eatery. One of the more popular places people go to watch sports. Midwestern sports bar-chic with TVs everywhere and a menu that includes buffalo wings, sandwiches, salads and such. Walking distance to campus and open late. Parking is scarce without a campus permit, so park on Kirkwood and walk. Dine-in and carryout.

Casablanca Café

Moroccan, Greek, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern. Go for the Moroccan Mint Tea only two places have it in town and stay for the beautiful outdoor dining. Food is great, but atmosphere is better, frequently hosts belly dancers. Despite weird hours, it's great for a romantic dinner, business lunch, or visiting parents. Lunch is much more affordable. Beer and wine. Dine-in and carryout.

Mexican. Traditional fare in a contemporary atmosphere. Has an identical menu to La Charreada, but the service blows them away. Molé is the brown variety, salsa is the runny type, and white Queso is by far the best appetizer. Good stand-by type of place. Full bar. Dine-in and carryout.

Café Django

Asian Fusion. Though it might be closer to "Everything Fusion." There is both indoor and outdoor seating and live jazz and eclectic music is on Friday and Saturday evenings. The restaurant is owned by the founder of Cafe Norbu and is named after French jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt

The Laughing Planet Cafe

Mexican fusion. Fresh, organic burritos with unusual daily specials. Chipotle is a block away, but don't let it distract you. Seriously.

Ice Cream. An old fashioned walk up ice cream stand that is a Bloomington tradition. As for a "torch cone," if you just want a taste. Owner gives out his personal e-mail for complaints. Exemplary service. Carryout only.

Chow Bar

Taiwanese and Chinese. This is neither a pretty nor friendly restaurant and the refill aren't free, but it is excellent authentic Taiwanese cuisine. There is some standard "Chinese-American" fares, but you should go on Sundays for "homestyle" Chinese and Taiwanese. The lunch buffet is great if you time it when the food is just coming out. There's always a fresh seafood dish that I've never heard of. Also serves decent bubble teas. Try the Szechuan Black Angus Steak or Crispy Whole Fish. Dine-in and Carryout.

La Torre

Family-owned & operated, the bestest Mexican in Bloomington. Try the reasonably-priced Chimichanga accompanied with Dos Eqqis Beer.

Italian. New York style pizzas, calzones, heaping salads, and pastas with a Louisiana "flare." Good wine list. 10% discount for seniors. Dine-in, carryout, and delivery.

Thai. An outstanding Thai restaurant. Can be noisy when crowded, and the atmosphere is lacking, but Esan Thai serves some of the best food in Bloomington, period. Beware the spice. Esan claims that ordering your food too spicy or simply not liking it is not grounds for sending it back to the kitchen. Call ahead or make reservations for weekends and large groups. Dine-in and carryout.

Israeli. In Jerusalem culinary traditions from all over the world have blended together with the local cuisine. For many generations Arabs, Jews and other Mediterranean immigrants have brought the culinary traditions of their homelands to Jerusalem, This richness has created a new kind of eatery in Israel: the “Mizrahi” restaurant, which combines the best of various Middle Eastern dishes. Dine-in, delivery, carryout, and catering.

This is the brand-new Bloomington wonder-child. All organic, mostly local, fresh-as-possible, often raw and vegan. Atmosphere is super-trendy-shabby-chic. Clientele is upscale or wants to be. Breakfast here is great and starts early. Good choice for brunch. The ROOTcellar Bar in the basement is hip and understated and not too expensive. Food is a bit wacky, but generally good. Pan-seared Tuna is simple and to die for. Inventive cocktails are a nice touch. Can't go wrong.

Irish Lion

Irish Pub. Try the Guinness with shamrock art, and the fabulous Irish Coffee. Great ambience, great service, great people. Lots of dead things on the walls. Dine-in.

International Market

Mediterranean. Gyros, spanakopita and other Greek and Middle Eastern dishes. Very cheap and tasty. An authentic deli experience with a dine-in order. Dine-in and carryout.

Janko's Little Zagreb

Yugoslavian, Hungarian. Famous for steaks and all things meat. Specialize is St. Lois style BBQ - the ribs are unreal. Surprisingly features a number of vegetarian options. Bring plenty of cash. Dine-in only.

Japanee

Japanese. Decent sushi, good selection of Japanese beer, sake, and local wine. This little gem is most notable for their private karaoke rooms which will house up to 10 or so people. With leather couches, flat screen TVs, and goofy video-sing-alongs. This is a great place to bring a crowd for some Sake bombs and singing. Rooms run $30/hour payable in food and drinks, so it works best if you bring a group of 5 or more to split the cost.

La Charreada

Mexican. Dine-in and carryout.