Ivy Tech Culinary and Conference Center

When I visit students at ivy tech to check in on them, I love posting up in this location for the day. The lobby is very comfortable and there is a little cafe run by the students.The drinks and treats are delicious! Check it out if you have the chance, I'll continue using this space as long as I am able.

This review is only for the Conference Center's Rental Space. Inside Ivy Tech's Culinary Center is Courses Restaurant, the culinary-student-run restaurant on the Penthouse floor. The Ivy Tech Culinary Center is located on the corner of Meridian and 28th Streets. The Red Line construction has lighten up in front of the Culinary Center and you can now enter the parking lot off of Meridian Street.We scheduled an appointment for information and a tour of the Courses Restaurant and the Ballroom for an event next Spring. The culinary students catered two events in the past for EFRC and it was a huge hit. We had two other private dinner events at Courses Restaurant several years ago which was a delight and extremely successful. Nonprofit organizations are eligible for a 25% discount on room rental fees. The preferred caterer of choice is MBP Distinctive Catering as well as their own culinary students. You work directly with the caterer on the menu and table settings.On the second floor is the Boardroom with 300 sq. ft and seats 12 at the board table. The Ballroom is also located on this floor with a large 5,750 sq. ft area and seating capacity around 225. The rooms comes with audio/video equipment and a IT consultant to confirm all equipment functions as promised. The room is quite large, an impressive space with high ceilings, a stage and podium, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Meridian Street and oodles of natural lighting. The color scheme is neutral with armless, tan chairs and 5 ft. round tables. A beautiful room for any large event. There are 4 Conference Rooms on the first floor that can be configured from 1,700 sq. ft - 7,000 sq. ft and with three types of seating from banquet, classroom or theater seating. Depending on seating selection the maximum seating ranges from 392 banquet seating, 252 classroom seating or 720 with theater seating. Something for all mid to large size groups.Lastly, Courses Restaurant and the Penthouse Meeting Room is located on the Penthouse level. The restaurant is stunning with original, dark wood trim, a stain glass window in the lobby, several columns and archways, windows on three sides of the restaurant with a beautiful view of the city. The 2,525 sq. ft area is slightly broken up into private areas with a large bar, a cocktail lounge, fireplace seating and an intimate dining area for 124 guests at wooden restaurant tables. I look forward to dining here in the near future. Perfect location for a special occasion such as a wedding reception, graduation or retirement party, anniversary parties, or a corporate dinner. The Penthouse Meeting Room has windows, is a good size at 1,400 sq. ft. with seating for 28 - 92 depending on seating style requested.The more advanced culinary students prepare Courses Restaurant's high-end meals for lunches, dinners and special occasions. Each meal has a specific theme based around a region of the world and is always changing.Not only are you dining on delicious food but you are supporting the new students entering into the hospitality industry. The kitchens include the Courses Restaurant and the Courses Breakfast and Brunch in the lobby, which is run by students in their first semester. The students have to work downstairs and upstairs and have over 200 hours of work experience before they can graduate. The menus I've had at previous events prepared by the students was delicious. Possibly they'll be preparing a menu for us next Spring.

What a great event venue! This space is definitely one of Indy's hidden gems. The students, faculty, and staff at the Ivy Tech Culinary and Conference Center really know their stuff. The food was delightfully prepared, the facility was clean and well appointed, and the staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. I really like the idea that much of the food is prepared by the students in the culinary program at Ivy Tech.The space is very large and includes a good sized second-floor ballroom, along with smaller conference rooms which can be used for breakout sessions. There is also a fairly large space on the first floor, which can be used as a ballroom, as well. If you're looking for a space to host your next small to mid-size conference in Indy, definitely give this space a look!

(DISCLAIMER: I work at Ivy Tech.) I go here a lot for meetings. The food service here is run partly by culinary arts students as a learning experience. The "food" itself has always been good, but sometimes the "service" side of the equation is a bit slow, especially in the breakfast area right inside the lobby which does get quite a bit of traffic. I've attended an event in the Courses restaurant on the top floor and it was an enjoyable time with great food. The meeting rooms are well equipped with technology and I don't ever recall any tech issues. All in all it's a valuable part of the Indy campus.

**Congratulations to all of the other Fall 2018 graduates from Ivy Tech Community College.**The culinary and conference center is really a beautiful building. It was spacious and (for the most part ) there was enough room for everybody throughout preparation and the ceremony. Only downside of the day was the microphone they had. Whenever we clapped, it did that high pitched ringing noise. Otherwise, everything went amazingly. I look forward to graduating here again once I finish my second degree in 2020.

Today was Paris and Brittany. 1. Service was perfection. Knew the whole menu and could advise on all aspects. Service was team organized and worked well.2. Food was delicious and creative. Best French onion soup ever and I have had it in France. He told us they used fresh ingredients like ramp and added shallots. I had the duck and it was properly cooked, moist on the inside and with a carmelized skin. Dessert was a plateful of different tastes and textures and lovely. We ate every single bite.3. Atmosphere quiet with linens and a wine/beer menu. Music appropriate. No rush in any way.It was a perfect lunch and cannot wait to go back.

I come here often for different conferences and association programs. The location is outstanding (besides the current construction issues on Meridian) and easy for people to find. All of the rooms are equipped with all the appropriate technology you'd need for presentations. The penthouse area is clad in beautiful woodwork, with astonishing views of the city. Honestly, some of the best views I've ever seen. There are however some criticisms that could make it way better. First is the employees, oftentimes you can find them lounging around in the middle of an event, it's unprofessional. The second is the food, it's very inconsistent, and you can't have food catered in, so it's the only option. I understand it's an educational institution, however I believe the standard could be held a little higher on both areas.

I held an event here for my program. The staff was so helpful I got nervous. Everything was set up before I arrived, I literally just plugged in my presentation and waited for my guests to arrive. I would love to host something in the Courses Restaurant because of the awesome view, but this event was too large.

Such an amazing gem in the city with a spectacular view of downtown! The servers, bartenders, chefs, and hosts are all students of the college and supervised by their professors and dean. So, everything is exceptional! The menu is diverse and well thought out. You can try new dishes for a fraction of the cost you would ordinarily pay at a high-end restaurant. And the ambiance is amazing!

Came here for the Indianapolis Monthly Best Restaurants event, so I can really only review the venue itself and the desserts, which were made by students.This is a great place to hold a large event. A large area to have different vendors and a lovely dining area with lots of windows and a totally uncramped feel. The bar area looked like a really nice so spot to hang out with a couple of friends.The desserts (small samples so you could taste everything) were really good and you could tell the students are really talented.