About Vida

Since its opening in 2016, Vida has received critical acclaim, earning AAA’s coveted Four Diamond award every year. This award is earned by only two percent of nearly 30,000 restaurants reviewed annually. Vida is one of a very few Indianapolis restaurants to be honored with this distinction.

Four Diamond Award

How did we do it?

Both of our dining menus—a seasonal à la carte menu and a rotating, six-course tastings menu—showcase Vida’s dedication to fresh ingredients and culinary technique. Each dish is carefully constructed with ingredients from local farmers, local vendors, and an in-house hydroponic wall of greens.

Our talented chefs offer an evolving array of imaginative dishes inspired by the changing Indiana seasons, childhood memories and their own personal bests.

We carefully curate an extensive wine collection to fully complement Vida’s menu. Using a Coravin wine extraction system to protect the integrity of the wine, we offer distinctive wine pairings and featured wines by the glass that you won’t find anywhere else in Indianapolis. You’ll also find a collection of rare spirits in our fully stocked bar that appeals to those from the most educated enthusiast to the most casual consumer.

Vida’s talented chefs and highly trained Sommeliers work together to create an unforgettable dining experience for our guests. Here’s an introduction to our team.

Our Team

Chef Thomas Melvin

Chef Thomas Melvin
Executive Chef

Chef Thomas began his career in the Center Grove area working in local restaurants. From there he gained experience at the Country Club of Indianapolis, Canterbury Hotel, Mo’s a place for Steaks, and Prime 47. During his tenure at Prime 47, he took on the role of corporate executive chef – this allowed Chef Thomas to mentor chefs over 5 locations in Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin. In 2014 he joined Cunningham Restaurant Group as Executive Chef of Union 50. This is where his creative voice started to emerge. Under Chef Thomas’s direction Union 50 made Open Table’s list of 100 Hottest Restaurants in America for two consecutive years. In 2017, Chef Thomas transitioned to Executive Chef at Vida where his culinary artistry and respect for the craft has maintained AAA’s 4 diamond award every year since.

When Chef Thomas finds time away from his busy restaurant schedule, he enjoys spending time with his wife Amanda and their two children Grant & Stella. Thomas even finds time to work with his wife on their local nonprofit, Stella’s Solemates Inc. Fundraising to support the local Down Syndrome organization as well as the needs of other organizations who work towards a common goal of advocacy, education and inclusion for those with special needs.

Vida Mobile Logo

We are located at 601 E New York St, Indianapolis, IN 46202 and you can reach us at 317-420-2323. Vida is part of the Cunningham Restaurant Group.