Coat Check Coffee, Indianapolis

8 May 2023

Coat Check Coffee is a coffee counter located at the “coat check” of The Athenaeum, a historic German landmark in the heart of Indianapolis. We were driving through the city and stopped to grab a coffee and bite to eat at arguably one of Indy’s best cafes.

The exterior of Athenaeum in Indianapolis.

Coat Check Interior

The interior is honestly stunning. Coat Check Coffee is a not a typical cafe, but a coffee counter located in the lobby of The Athenaeum. The Athenaeum was historically known as Das Deutsche Haus. It’s an ornate building dating back to 1898 associated with the German American community in Indianapolis.

When going to Coat Check, you get to appreciate the ambiance, architecture, and woodwork of this beautiful building. Photographs and memorabilia from the early Germans in Indianapolis adorn the walls. It’s fun to read about while sipping on your latte, especially if you’re a history buff like me.

Photographs on the wall in The Athenaeum.

The Menu at Coat Check

Their coffee menu is short but well-crafted. It consists of hot or iced coffee, espresso, flat white, and several signature lattes. To craft their drinks, they use locally roasted Tinker Coffee, house-made syrup, and farm fresh local milk from 100% grass-pastured cows. I opted for the pistachio latte which they flavor with lemon and rosewater. It was a surprising and unique combination that I loved.

They also have a variety of pastries and bialy sandwiches. I tried the pain au chocolat, blueberry muffin, and pesto sandwich. The pain au chocolat was perfectly soft and buttery, and probably the best pain au chocolat I’ve ever had. However, the blueberry muffin wasn’t my favorite. The pesto sandwich tasted good but was served cold, which was disappointing.

Coat Check Coffee counter in The Athenaeum in Indianapolis.

Overall Rating and Comments

7/10. Coat Check Coffee knows how to do coffee and pastries right! Both the pistachio latte and pain au chocolate were to die for. I would be interested in going again to try other options off their sandwich menu. They’re creative in their flavor profiles and clearly care about local ingredients and the quality of their coffee. It was a great spot to try as we were traveling through!