June 22nd, 2023

Best restaurants for a business lunch in London

Whether you want to impress an investor in one of the Capital’s best-loved institutions or pitch to a potential client at the hottest place in town, there’s a restaurant to suit your needs. Here are five of the best spots for a business lunch in London.

For impeccable service: Mayfair

Want crisp white tablecloths, knowledgeable sommeliers and polished service? Mayfair is your best bet. Long a spot for serious lunches, it’s become more fashionable in recent years and you’ll find everything from French stalwarts to Michelin-starred Indian restaurants here these days. Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill has been serving British seafood since 1916 and is now presided over by revered chef Richard Corrigan. Meanwhile, for more intimate chats, the cavern-like private vaults of Michelin-starred Indian restaurant Gymkhana are novel places to talk business.

Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill, 11-15 Swallow Street, W1B 4DG Gymkhana, 42 Albemarle Street, W1S 4JH

For trad business lunches: The City

In the beating business heart of London, the skyscraping skyline comes punctuated by restaurants designed to impress.  Thanks to the open kitchen at M Threadneedle Street, you can gaze at joints of Kobe and Wagyu beef before they make it onto your plate in the slick grey and blue dining room.  There are four private rooms too, as well as wine tasting tables. Alternatively, if you want a stand-out view, zoom 40 floors up to the top of Heron Tower, where Duck & Waffle London serves American-inspired dishes with a side-serving of 360 vistas. Its private dining room seats 16.

M Threadneedle Street, 60 Threadneedle Street, EC2R 8HP

Duck & Waffle London, 110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY

For hipster hangouts: Shoreditch

Once beloved of underground clubbers, Shoreditch has changed significantly over the past decade and is now home to a profusion of boutique hotels, designer shops and cool coffee joints. Set in the area’s former town hall, the two Michelin-starred Clove Club was one of the restaurants that put the area on the map. Chef patron Isaac McHale, who has worked alongside Michelin-starred chefs such as Tom Aikens, serves tasting menus full of delicate dishes such as veal sweetbread baked in hay while there’s also a menu especially for vegetarians. Alternatively, for something less formal, Daffodil Mulligan combines the warm communal atmosphere of an Irish pub with the precision of modern European dining.

The Clove Club, Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, EC1V 9LT

Daffodil Mulligan, 70-74 City Rd, London EC1Y 2BJ

For show stopping vistas: Battersea

With the Power Station finally reopened after its extended overhaul and hip new art’otel on the horizon, Battersea is one of the capital’s most exciting up-and-coming areas. In the latter, JOIA is a sleek new space on the 15th-floor presided over by two Michelin-starred chef Henrique Sa Passoa. With close-up views of its next-door neighbour, a sunny rooftop bar and the option to eat at a chef’s table, it’s a memorable spot to entertain. Alternatively, work your way through the Capital’s most renowned ramen at Tonkotsu. An informal spot with a cult following, it’s a great place to take out of towners for a quick lunch.

JOIA, 1 Electric Boulevard, Nine Elms, SW11 8BJ

Tonkotsu, 6 Arches Lane, SW11 8AB

For something a bit different: Tottenham

Raw and edgy, Tottenham is gaining a reputation as the place for innovative start-ups and independent businesses. Show your cool credentials by booking The High Cross, a tiny pub that serves up British comfort food in a refurbished public toilet. Pasero is an alternative if you need a quiet place to work on your laptop during the week, or to arrange a networking lunch on a Friday. Small plates include oysters in sorrel oil and clams in prawn butter.  

The High Cross, 350 High Road, N17 9HT

Pasero, 120a West Green Road, N15 5AA

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