If you spend more than few months here, you’ll definitely hear about the rotating restaurant, The Eagle’s Nest, downtown. There are some restaurants that are iconic in Indy and this is one of them. After living here for years, it felt like everyone else in the city had been here except me, and I finally decided it was time to remedy that.

I went to the Eagle’s Nest in a group of three on a Saturday night and we arrived exactly at 5 pm when the restaurant opened. We opted for valet parking ($35 normal price, but when validated by the restaurant it’s only $17) and headed into the Hyatt Regency hotel, where The Eagle’s Nest is located. There are two clearly-marked elevators in the lobby, and within those elevators, there is a labeled “R” button for The Eagle’s Nest.

With such an early arrival, there were only 5 or 6 other people in the restaurant when we arrived. We were seated immediately given water and a bread basket. Our waiter spent a few minutes going through the most popular items on the menu and left us to look at the menu.

We ordered the charcuterie for an appetizer in lieu of salads and it was an excellent choice. There was only one item we all didn’t like on the charcuterie board, so it was a worthwhile pick to start with. The first basket of bread was cold and dry, but I asked for another basket, which was fresh and warm. The two breads — plain rolls and a salted caramel walnut bread — were both good, but the walnut bread was by far the most delicious, especially with a little dollop of whipped butter on top!

While we were enjoying our appetizers, I overheard four people order the prime rib. Now, I had come into the restaurant having my heart fully set on getting the filet, but with so many people ordering the same thing, I figured it had to be good, and decided to order the 12 oz. prime rib myself, cooked medium.

I was incredibly happy with that decision because the prime rib was pure perfection. Unlike every other prime rib cut I’ve had, this one was actually grilled on one side so that it had a slight bit of a crispy char that enhanced the flavor, along with the mixture of herbs sprinkled on top. The au jus that came with the entree was excellent, and I ended up pouring it all over everything — the prime rib, mashed potatoes, and veggies. Meanwhile, I was still devouring that warm salted caramel walnut bread because it was so addictive.

I also had a little taste of the braised pork cheeks entree and it was delicious too. It came with polenta, which I love, and I would have been just as happy with that for an entree as I was with my prime rib.

I only ate about half of my “real” food because I absolutely had to save a little room to try some of their desserts. The table ordered the coconut cheesecake, champagne cake and smores chocolate mousse cake. Out of the three, I thought the champagne cake was the tastiest, though the coconut cheesecake came in a close second. The mousse cake incorporated dark chocolate that was not nearly sweet enough for my taste.

The entrees at The Eagle’s Nest ran $30-$50, appetizers were $10-$20, salads and soups were around $10, cocktails were $10, and desserts were $8. If you have a Discover Indy coupon book, there is a coupon in there for a buy-one-get-one-free entree (up to $30), which keeps costs down a bit for two people.

I loved dining at The Eagle’s Nest! The food was amazing, the view was spectacular and the service was stellar. It’s a bit pricey and a long drive from where I live, so it definitely won’t become a weekly or even monthly stop, but I can see bringing out-of-town guests here or coming back to celebrate future special occasions.