Heading back to the office means the return of business lunches – and we don’t mean sandwiches in a conference room. After two years of Zoom, the return of IRL client meetings deserves to be toasted with a spread to impress in a restaurant that does the schmoozing for you. From the capital’s hottest reservations to private nooks and ethically-inclined menus, these are the best spots for a business lunch in central London.
The foodie client
Got a client who has been everywhere, eaten everything and is judging your choice like a Michelin inspector? Here’s where to go.
St John
Clerkenwell - 26 St John Street, London EC1M 4AY
A British institution that has engendered endless top chefs, Fergus Henderson’s St John is an enduringly irresistible prospect for the restaurant-literate. Lunch here is a hallowed ritual, be it a full nose-to-tail feast, or simple provisions of soup and Welsh rarebit.
BiBi
Mayfair - 42 North Audley Street, Mayfair, London W1K 6ZR
CVs don’t get more impressive than Chet Sharma’s, with L’Enclume, Moor Hall, The Ledbury and Gymkhana under his belt. The contemporary Indian menu at his solo Mayfair restaurant is unsurprisingly garnering plaudits aplenty – an essential for those clients chasing the next big foodie star.
Clipstone
Fitzrovia - 5 Clipstone St, London W1W 6BB
From the team behind Quality Chop House and Michelin-starred Portland, Clipstone is a lesser-mentioned gem for those in the know. In an airy setting doused with a comfortable amount of industrial cool, enjoy fresh pasta, verdant salads and superb meats which easily please all.
The fashion-forward client
For the impossibly cool client, who has one eye on your outfit and the other on Instagram, these are London’s best spots.
Sessions Arts Club
Clerkenwell - 24 Clerkenwell Green, Farringdon, London EC1R 0NA
Is there a hotter ticket in town? The decayed grandeur of this Clerkenwell spot’s stunning surrounds has Instagram in raptures, while Florence Knight’s food makes a very welcome return to the London scene. Order the calamarata for an ice-breaking game of ‘squid or pasta’.
MiMi Mei Fair
Mayfair - 55 Curzon Street, Mayfair, London W1J 8PG
A heady mix of glitz, glamour and Peking duck has made this Mayfair newcomer a seductive spot for London’s lovers of luxe. Seriously stylish restaurateur Samyukta Nair presents a colourful interpretation of Chinese cuisine inside the lavish Georgian home of fictional ‘Empress MiMi’.
Toklas
Temple - 1 Surrey Street, London WC2R 2ND
Frieze founders and kings of art world cool Amanda Sharp and Matthew Slotover are behind this new upmarket canteen for the creative set. Ex-Moro chef Martyn Lyons serves Mediterranean fare to guests surrounded by Brutalist decor, punctuated with exhibition posters featuring Emin et al.
The client who respects influence
If you want to demonstrate the ultimate power play, bag that near-impossible reservation with your “contacts” (read: calls the restaurant to check for cancellations)
A Wong
Victoria - 70 Wilton Road, Victoria, London SW1V 1DE
Inside what used to be his parents’ takeaway, Andrew Wong has built the first two-Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant outside of Asia. Thanks to this – and Wong’s immense talent – the chance to enjoy the restaurant’s superlative 11-course dim sum lunch is a highly coveted one.
Ikoyi
St James - 1 St. James’s Market, London SW1Y 4AH
West African restaurant Ikoyi is among the most desirable culinary experiences in town, particularly since it joined the rarified club of restaurants with two Michelin stars this year. Even better news for foodies, its shorter lunch tasting menu comes in £110 cheaper than dinner so you can impress without blowing the entire hospitality budget.
Kol
Marylebone - 9 Seymour Street, London W1H 5BT
It was a 'good luck getting reservations' spot immediately upon opening (you're in with a fair chance of a celeb spot here), but Santiago Lastra’s Noma-pedigree and deeply clever Mexican cooking have ensured Kol continues to be a massive hit. Serving a fine dining menu unlike any other in London, its Michelin-starred langoustine tacos get snapped up fast.
The old-school client
These restaurants are perfect for the client who knows what they like – good food and no surprises.
The Wolseley
Mayfair - 160 Piccadilly, London W1J 9EB
Breakfast at The Wolseley may be the most beloved service in the capital, but lunchtime in its whimsical dining hall has its own distinct charms. A deft Prix Fixe offers salmon rillettes and a Souffle Suisse, while the famed omelette ‘Adrian’ with lobster and caviar is a definite treat.
Hawksmoor
The City - 10 Basinghall St, London EC2V 5BQ (and others)
Nothing says “power lunch” like a steak – and steaks don’t get much more impressive than at Hawksmoor. A sharing portion of Porterhouse (with triple-cooked chips, grilled bone marrow and a sublime anchovy Hollandaise, of course) will do the business, even if you don’t.
Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill
Mayfair - 11-15 Swallow Street, London W1B 4DG
For more than a century, the “grand dame of Swallow Street” has provided Mayfair with the finest British seafood, with Richard Corrigan masterfully steering the ship these days. Raise a glass to deals done with Champagne, a dozen Jersey rocks and Dover sole meunière.
More about Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill
For the privacy-inclined client
If you’re having a confidential rendezvous where eavesdropping ears are to be kept at a safe distance, here’s where to book.
Bob Bob Ricard City
City of London - Level 3, 122 Leadenhall St, London EC3V 4AB
No one does booths like Bob Bob. In Soho, they are secluded settings for romantic tête-à-têtes, while in the City, they make fine cubicles for more business-like affairs. If things go well, the “Press For Champagne” button is ready and waiting alongside a menu that features classic French cooking, caviar matched with vodka and an amazing chicken and Champagne pie.
More about Bob Bob Ricard City
Trivet
London Bridge - 36 Snowsfields, Bermondsey, London SE1 3SU
Business and pleasure blend seamlessly at this Bermondsey spot from Fat Duck alumni Jonny Lake and Isa Bal. With tables spaced deftly so as to float like little private islands, Lake’s Michelin-starred food - an informal take on classic fine dining - is always paired perfectly with the chosen excerpts from Bal’s award-winning wine list.
Holborn Dining Room
Holborn - 252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN
It is easy to get lost in the clattering buzz of Holborn Dining Room. High ceilings preside over a maze of banquettes and booths – meeting here feels like hiding in plain sight, while Calum Franklin’s unbeatable pies make for exquisitely hearty rations.
More about Holborn Dining Room
For the ethical client
This is where to go if you’re entertaining an eco-conscious, ethically minded client who wants to know you’re on their wavelength.
Native at Browns
Mayfair - 39 Brook St, London W1K 4JE
No time for fast food or fast fashion? Set inside the designer department store, Native at Browns celebrates foraged ingredients, seasonal British produce, regenerative eating and biodynamic wines. The seriously stylish dining room is also decorated using sustainable, often reused, materials.
Fallow
St James - 2 St James’s Market, London SW1Y 4RP
For those who like to waste not and want not, Fallow’s menu turns scraps into sensations. Delve into a cod’s head smothered in sriracha butter, or chow down on a Dairy cow burger. Choose the £30, three-course set lunch menu and you’ll save some pennies too.
Warehouse at The Conduit
Covent Garden - 6 Langley St, London WC2H 9JA
As part of a member’s club that focuses on fostering social and environmental change, ethical cooking is the name of the game at Warehouse. Rethink your meat choices with dishes of ewe with date sauce and venison tartare, and fill up your five-a-day with a bevvy of British veg.
More about Warehouse at The Conduit
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