Service was exceptional, food was so delicious and unique, it was a good amount of food for each serving. It's expensive but this is one where I say it's worth the price tag. You won't find food like this anywhere else in Indy with this level of service. Ambiance was nice and quiet. Since it's smaller it's more intimate. We had the 7 course meal and order a couple bottles of sake. All the dishes were beautiful and just scrumptious.

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I really hate to write a negative review about Hinata, and while there were definitely some positives about our meal, the overall experience was disappointing. The positives: ambiance and service were great. It feels like an upscale place, and they make you feel very welcome and taken care of throughout the meal. It's also a neat experience to try several different courses. The negatives: the food itself was a bit disappointing overall. While none of the courses were particularly bad, I never felt myself saying "oh my gosh this is amazing." Normally this wouldn't be a huge deal, but considering you are paying at least $150-200 per person with tip, I would expect the quality of the food to match the high price tag. At the end of the day, it was a neat experience but unfortunately not a place I would return to in the future. **Also, a minor complaint, but be aware this restaurant is for some reason registered as a "retail" business and not dining/restaurant, so if you are hoping to gain any bonus points for a credit card you're using related to dining, this won't apply. I figured that out after looking at my credit card statement.**

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Had a fun tasting last night at Hinata, enjoyable experience start to finish with a chill counter to engage the chef! Everything was prepared well and the fish was all very fresh. Price is on the high side for what you're actually eating but it solidly fills the niche of fine Asian dining without leaving town.

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My son and I tried Hinata for the first time this past Saturday evening. There is a parking garage next door to the restaurant and we chose to park in there ($8). They opened the door for us to come in and seated us at the counter as I requested. The ambiance was nice, low lights, very quiet. Our appetizer came and the plate was beautiful. There were 5 items on the appetizer plate. My memory is not great so I do not remember every item but I do remember I loved the cracker with the water chestnuts on it and the daikon and carrot salad. The middle amouse bouche dish had salmon roe on top adding a nice saltiness. All 5 items were very good. The following dish was the catch of the day. This sashimi dish contained cuttlefish, tuna, salmon, wasabi, shredded daikon, lettuce, and a slice of lemon. So now I know I am not a fan of cuttlefish, it has an odd texture. Does not mean I did not eat it though. This course was served with soy sauce on the side. Again the preparation was beautiful. Sitting at the counter we could see the preparation and how extremely sharp the knives were. Each dish was explained to us as they sat them down and they encouraged questions through-out the meal. The next course was the soup course, Zoni. I did forget to explain that the menu changes monthly and can be found on their website. This month the menu was all associated to the New Year. The soup was good as well. This is a traditional New Year soup and it contained mushroom, mochi rice cakes (we were told to chew those well), fish cake, daikon, carrot, fish, seaweed, and broth. Excellent soup. The next dish was the fish dish, Buri Daikon, and I could drink a barrel of the broth this was served in! They did warn that there could be a bone in the fish, so exercise care. I did not find any bones. The fish, a yellow tail, was simmered with daikon radish and the skin was left on the fish, it was meant to be consumed. The fish was soft and delicate and I loved this dish. The next dish was a beef dish, Grilled Miso marinated U.S. Prime Beef, it was filet mignon. Loved the salty miso on top of the steak and it was perfectly cooked to a tender medium rare. This was served in a hot pot and it definitely was extremely hot to the touch. Along side the beef was a very creamy mashed potato, a roasted zucchini slice and a sliver of red bell pepper. This was delicious as well. The next dish was the rice dish, Sekihan. This came on a seaweed sheet and was meant to be picked up like a taco. I do not remember what was in the rice but on top it looks like shredded cheese but was actually finely sliced egg. Interesting flavors and textures with the seaweed paper. Lastly was dessert, we were celebrating our Valentine's birthdays. My son and I were born on the same day and it is the holiday so I rarely make it out on my actual birthday as it is too busy. The brought out cheesecake and a dense chocolate piece on a plate with a candle that said happy birthday. Very nice. I am not a cheesecake fan so I had one bite and then my son ate both of them and liked it. The chocolate was good though. When we entered we took our coats off at the door and under the counter was a cloth basket to place my purse in. As we exited the held our coats for us to put them on and then opened both doors for us to exit. The service here was top notch. If a drop of water hit the table the wiped it up when they came by, they kept our water glasses full as well. It does came at a price but I would recommend this for the experience as well as the delicious food.

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My wife and I came here on Fri 1/12 to celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary. We selected Hinata based on the many five star reviews here and on other sites; we were really looking forward to dining here. Course by course: the appetizers were ok, some seemed to have been sitting around for a day or two. Some of the flavors were muddy and tired, but on the whole we were not unhappy, yet. The sashimi was excellent. In retrospect, this was the one course that depended solely on the quality of the ingredients, and the kitchen had not touched it. It also was paired with an outstanding sake, Tokubetu Honjozo from Niizawa Brewery. By far the best course. Next came a soup, Zoni, which featured a small piece of fish, the mouthfeel of which made me think it had been sitting in the hot broth for quite some time; it was as firm as well-done steak, and not at all what I would have hoped for. Chewy fish, and gummy mochi. The next course was simmered yellowtail with daikon. Again, the fish was overcooked. Nothing nice about it at all. Two different servers came by to warn us to watch out for bones, and they were not wrong. Then grilled miso-marinated beef in hot pot. Nothing to complain about here, high praise for this meal. The final savory course was sekihan, red bean rice. Sounded nice, but what we got was a tired, favorless bar of dry, compressed rice on a piece of nori. Two servers (again!) stopped by to say that it should be eaten as a taco, which made me wish for some salsa, or anything that might have given it some flavor. I felt and tasted like it had been sitting around in the walk-in since maybe Wednesday morning. Dessert was as unmemorable as the rest of the meal, a tiny wedge of dry cheesecake, and something else. At this point we didn't really care what it was. The bill came and we left. We gave negative feedback to the servers three times, and there was no follow-up from management at all. No one cared. Service was middling, not what you might hope for from a final bill of $470 for two w/tip. I'll never forget this meal, but I'll wish that I could.

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Absolutely can't say anything bad about this place! We went out on a limb following recommendations from strangers on Facebook and had one of the best times ever! From the moment we entered, we were given the absolute best service. We did the chefs choice menu which was 7 courses of heaven. I tried so many new things! We did the wine and sake pairing which I highly recommend! We got a personalized desert for our anniversary which was so sweet!

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The attentiveness and effort this restaurant puts into its diners' experience is unmatched. They provide great explanations of each dish and offer advice on drinks that will go well with the meal. Everything was delicious but the sashimi and filet were by far my favorites.

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This is a really special restaurant, and I would say you need to be a little bit adventurous to enjoy this experience. The menu is seasonal and changes monthly, a set menu of eight courses. I say you might need to be a bit adventurous because the courses cover a variety of textures and flavors and includes cooked and raw foods. The plates/servings seem small but I have always been satisfied by the meal and thoroughly enjoy the variety of items and the different flavors and textures. Everything is prepared and cooked perfectly and made by chef just for you! They only seat around 20 people a night or so; with service at 6 pm and 7 pm. It's intimate and unlike any other Indianapolis restaurants I have experienced. And I think it is well worth the price considering the quality of the food and of the experience; the meal is about $120 a person. They also have a wonderful wine and sake meal pairing for $75 a person (1 1/2 oz pours). Great place to escape from the world of screens and have a unique dinner experience with your favorite person. You will be talking about the food! And decompressing from your day in the warm, neutral and insulated atmosphere. Seriously, I feel the stress melt away when I am there. My favorite dish is the Japanese custard (savory) which is melt in your mouth comfort food (served HOT, watch out!). I have been there 3 times and always feel welcome and appreciated, as well. & Every time I have left with the thought and feeling that "I can't wait to come back!" They will confirm your reservation the day before, and if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies they invite you to let them know on the phone call. They do not take walk-ins, and reservations for Fri/Sat are often booked out weeks in advance. I didn't add any photos because honestly every time I just want to relax and enjoy the experience. But, they do post the monthly menu with pictures every month on their Facebook page. A treasure of a place!

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It would cost twice as much in a big city. Every bite was fun and different

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