Jeff L.
Yelp
Was in Indianapolis for meetings with a group of co-workers and one of them recommended the Livery for a group dinner. There were seven of us, and we needed something that included vegetarian options, made a bunch of folks happy, and hopefully had outdoor seating. Livery met our criteria and is situated near downtown in the 'Mass Ave.' district, which is a collection of nicer dining options and more.
It's no surprise that I might have been the most 'basic' eater of the group, especially if you've read prior reviews. I don't need 'fancy' or 'pretty' food - I want good food in portion sizes that are the right for the price... anything else is icing on the cake. In short, Livery probably wouldn't have been my first choice just from looking at the menu and Yelp, but I didn't make the final choice and would rather my group be happy - and as a result I found somewhere new and ended up loving it.
Folks at the table ordered a wide variety of dinners, with the empanadas being most popular. All enjoyed their food and remarked that they were very happy with food, ambiance and service. I'll comment specifically on my experience and not on their meals other than to say I asked for their 'star ratings' and they were all 4's and 5's on the Yelp scale.
Service was good, our server was prompt and both drinks and food arrived quickly given how busy the restaurant was. We were fortunate to get a table on the upstairs patio and the space was beautiful. Great lighting, plenty of space between our noisy group and those around us and a good 'vibe' of dining outdoors above the street level hustle. Good drinks, good food, good people and good vibe - all worked out well.
I ordered the paella and it was fantastic. The portion size was as expected - smallish and not in a giant pan as I prefer, but there was plenty. Honestly the price point was low enough that I thought it might be and even smaller portion size. One scallop, three shrimp, bed of rice and some pretty salsas around the dish. Again, I would have preferred a huge portion especially because it was AMAZING but I got exactly what I expected and was very happy. The flavor was great - spicy but not overpowering. I considered licking the plate. I might also note that I ordered the house sangria with it and that was a great drink as well.
All in all, a very good experience and I will definitely return. My dish was perfect - maybe I'll just order two next time!