Best Business Lunch Restaurants in NYC (2026)
Classic power-lunch rooms, quiet tables for a real conversation, FiDi and Hudson Yards picks, and prix-fixe lunches under $50.
The best business lunch restaurant is not necessarily the fanciest restaurant in New York. It needs good food, reliable service, comfortable seating and, most importantly, a room where you can actually have a conversation.
For this guide, we prioritized restaurants that serve a real weekday lunch, take reservations, handle business diners well and are good enough that inviting someone there feels intentional. Some are old-school power-lunch institutions. Others are newer restaurants that work better for a modern client meeting.
We also considered the type of lunch each restaurant is best for. There is a difference between trying to impress an important client, catching up with a longtime colleague, recruiting a candidate and sitting down for a sensitive negotiation. Every pick also lists the days lunch is served, because a surprising number of New York's best restaurants skip it on Mondays or serve it only a few days a week.
The Quick Answer: Best Business Lunch in NYC by Need
| If you need... | Our pick |
|---|---|
| The quintessential NYC power lunch | The Grill |
| A quiet, high-end conversation | Fasano |
| The best modern all-around option | The Modern |
| A dependable Midtown client lunch | Avra 48th Street |
| Media, advertising or creative-industry lunch | Michael's New York |
| A serious lunch near Grand Central | Aretsky's Patroon |
| An expense-account splurge | Le Bernardin |
| The best Hudson Yards option | Ci Siamo |
| Polished without power-lunch stiffness | Union Square Cafe |
| The best downtown client-impress lunch | Manhatta |
| A strong prix-fixe value | Benoit |
| A quieter hidden gem | Cellini |
| A private room for the whole team | Smith & Wollensky |
| In and out in an hour near Penn Station | The Dynamo Room |
Best Business Lunch Restaurants in Midtown East & Grand Central
Park Avenue is where the power lunch was invented, and it still has the deepest bench in the city. If your guest works in a tower between Grand Central and 59th Street, start here.
THE GRILL
Seagram Building, 99 E 52nd St, New York, NY 10022, USA
Best for: high-stakes meetings, senior clients, investors and classic power lunches. If someone asks for the classic New York power lunch, this is still the answer. The landmark former Four Seasons room in the Seagram Building gives a meeting weight before anyone has ordered, and two private rooms seat 15 and 22. It's neither casual nor inexpensive, the dress code is enforced, and the room can buzz at peak lunch. Vibe: formal, important, unmistakably New York. $$$$. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Fasano Restaurant New York
60 E 49th St, New York, NY 10017, USA
Best for: confidential conversations, CEOs and senior clients, quiet luxury. Fasano may be the best pure business-meeting restaurant in Midtown. The Northern Italian dining room feels expensive without feeling theatrical, tables are comfortably spaced, and service is formal but unobtrusive. Choose it when you don't want to shout across the table or navigate a scene. The private Boardroom seats up to 24. Vibe: elegant, restrained, unusually civilized. $$$$. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Avra 48th Street
141 E 48th St, New York, NY 10017, USA
Best for: finance, consulting, lawyers and recurring client lunches. There may be no restaurant more naturally suited to a Midtown business lunch. Greek seafood works for almost everyone, the room has energy without becoming a party, and the three-course prix fixe is $41.95 from 11:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Vibe: busy, polished, unmistakably corporate Midtown. $$$. Lunch daily.
Aretsky's Patroon
160 E 46th St, New York, NY 10017, USA
Best for: finance, law, private equity and traditional corporate lunches. Patroon is useful precisely because it isn't trying to be the hottest restaurant in town: professional service, proper tables and a traditional American menu that needs little explanation. It's convenient to Grand Central, with private rooms from the 8-seat Humidor Room to the 60-seat Gibson Room. If The Grill feels like too much of a statement, book here. Vibe: old-school New York, polished but less showy. $$$. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Aquavit
65 E 55th St, New York, NY 10022, USA
Best for: serious conversations, senior executives and quieter expense-account lunches. One of the strongest options in Midtown when conversation quality matters more than scene. The two-Michelin-star Scandinavian dining room feels more controlled than the louder Italian and steakhouse rooms, and lunch comes as two or three courses. Good for a sensitive discussion or a client who has eaten at every Midtown institution already. Vibe: refined, minimalist, calm. $$$$. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Le Pavillon
One Vanderbilt Ave, New York, NY 10017, USA
Best for: clients arriving by train, senior meetings and a serious lunch on a schedule. Daniel Boulud's Michelin-starred restaurant sits at the foot of One Vanderbilt, steps from Grand Central. Lunch is a two- or three-course prix fixe, so the meal has a predictable shape, and the bar and lounge stay open through the afternoon. Business casual; athletic wear and shorts are turned away. Vibe: airy, modern French, polished. $$$$. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Casa Lever
390 Park Ave at, E 53rd St, New York, NY 10022, USA
Best for: Park Avenue regulars, finance and real estate, long lunches. The Park Avenue crowd's Italian canteen, inside Lever House. Lunch runs from noon to 4 p.m., a real advantage when the meeting can only start at 2. It's more of a scene than Fasano, so choose it when being seen is part of the point. Vibe: sleek, social, Milanese. $$$$. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Four Twenty Five, a Jean-Georges Restaurant
425 Park Ave, New York, NY 10022, USA
Best for: impressing a client with something new, design-minded executives. Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Park Avenue restaurant is the modern counterpart to The Grill a block away, with a bar and lounge under 45-foot ceilings and a mezzanine dining room with an open kitchen. Pick it for the client who has done the classics. Vibe: soaring, sleek, contemporary. $$$$. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Santi
11 E 53rd St, New York, NY 10022, USA
Best for: Italian food lovers and client lunches with a predictable bill. Michael White's Midtown Italian restaurant offers a lunch prix fixe at $59 for two courses or $72 for three. For this neighborhood and this level of cooking, that's a fair price, and it keeps both the check and the clock under control. Vibe: polished contemporary Italian. $$$. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Le Jardinier
610 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022, USA
Best for: lighter lunches, health-conscious clients and calm conversations. Chef Alain Verzeroli's seasonal French restaurant is the answer when your guest would prefer vegetables and fish to a steak. Lunch is two courses for $78 or three for $98, and nobody goes back to the office feeling heavy. Vibe: serene, modern French. $$$$. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Smith & Wollensky
797 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10022, USA
Best for: team lunches, private rooms and traditional steakhouse clients. The practical pick for a group: second-floor private rooms seat anywhere from 22 to 130. For a one-on-one that doesn't need the full production, Wollensky's Grill next door is the more casual room. The burger and the Cobb salad are both $25 at lunch. Vibe: classic, clubby, big-city steakhouse. $$$ to $$$$. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Cellini Italian Restaurant in Midtown Manhattan
65 E 54th St, New York, NY 10022, USA
Best for: quiet conversation, conservative clients and last-minute Midtown lunches. Cellini isn't where you go to show you know New York's newest restaurant. It's where you go when you need to hear the person across from you. Calmer and more reserved than the headline names nearby, with familiar Italian food and four private rooms for 18 to 75. Note that lunch runs Monday through Thursday only. Vibe: traditional Italian, understated. $$$.
Business Lunch Near Rockefeller Center, Midtown West & Central Park South
Media, law and banking overlap in the blocks between Sixth Avenue and Central Park South, and the cooking is as good as it gets at lunch in New York.
The Modern
9 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019, USA
Best for: executives, sophisticated clients, finance and professional services. Two business-lunch options inside MoMA. The Bar Room is the better all-around choice: upscale enough for a client, flexible enough that it doesn't become a two-hour production. For a more important meal, the formal Dining Room serves a three-course prix fixe at $115 per person. Vibe: contemporary, polished, efficient. $$$ to $$$$. Lunch daily.
Michael's New York
24 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019, USA
Best for: media, advertising, publishing, entertainment and relationship-building. Michael's is less about culinary fireworks than the role it plays in New York's business culture. For decades the dining room has been an informal clubhouse for media and creative executives. Weekday lunch runs noon to 2:30 p.m., and the Garden Room handles private parties of 20 to 120. Vibe: clubby, social, institutional. $$$. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Il Gattopardo
13-15 W 54th St, New York, NY 10019, USA
Best for: longtime clients, European visitors and quiet Italian lunches. A good counterpoint to Midtown's giant corporate dining rooms. The Southern Italian restaurant has an intimate townhouse feel and suits a lunch that should feel personal, not transactional. The food is familiar enough for a mixed group. Vibe: elegant townhouse, warm, not corporate. $$$. Lunch daily.
Le Rock
45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10111, USA
Best for: Rockefeller Center meetings, stylish clients, creative and financial executives. One of the best choices for anyone working around Sixth Avenue, and more contemporary than The Grill or Patroon, which helps with younger clients. The caveat is noise: better for an energetic client lunch than a confidential negotiation. Vibe: fashionable French brasserie, polished and lively. $$$$. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Marea
240 Central Park S, New York, NY 10019, USA
Best for: important clients, luxury and finance, Central Park meetings. One of the safest upscale choices around Central Park South. The seafood-focused Italian menu feels special without a tasting-menu commitment, and it works well when your guest is staying at a Midtown hotel. Two private rooms seat 24 and 30. Vibe: sleek, expensive, polished. $$$$. Lunch daily.
Le Bernardin
155 W 51st St, New York, NY 10019, USA
Best for: major clients, celebratory deals and important lunches. Not the answer for a routine Wednesday catch-up. The dining-room lunch is a three-course $139 prix fixe, and the Lounge offers a three-course City Harvest lunch for $94. Service is exceptionally polished and the room is quiet enough to talk. Allow time: this isn't the place when everyone has a 1:30 call. Vibe: formal fine dining. $$$$. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Benoit New York
60 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019, USA
Best for: value-conscious client lunches, French food and Midtown meetings. One of the sneakiest business-lunch values in Midtown: two courses for $39 or three for $45 at weekday lunch. The room still feels like a proper restaurant, which matters when you're paying personally and not putting it on a corporate card. Vibe: classic Parisian brasserie. $$ to $$$. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Business Lunch Near Penn Station, Times Square & Hudson Yards
The newest office district in the city now has the restaurants to match, and Penn Station has real options for a guest with a train to catch.
Keens Steakhouse
72 W 36th St., New York, NY 10018, USA
Best for: out-of-town clients, classic New York atmosphere and steak lunches. One of the best answers when a client wants a restaurant that feels like New York: pipes on the ceiling, dark wood and well over a century of history. It's practical for anyone coming through Penn Station, and the lunch menu has entrée salads and seafood alongside the steaks and the famous mutton chop. Vibe: historic, clubby, old New York. $$$$. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Gallagher’s Steakhouse NYC
228 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019, USA
Best for: steakhouse lunches, Times Square meetings and prix-fixe value. The three-course lunch special is $34 from 11:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., with choices like sliced filet mignon, salmon and chicken paillard. That's an unusually strong deal for a full-service Manhattan steakhouse. It gets busy with the Theater District nearby, so it's less conversation-first than Fasano or Cellini. Vibe: classic New York steakhouse. $$ to $$$$. Lunch daily.
Ci Siamo
440 W 33rd St Ste 100, New York, NY 10001, USA
Best for: Hudson Yards, tech and media clients, modern team lunches. Our favorite business lunch around Manhattan West and Penn Station. It has enough polish for a client without feeling like an expense-account restaurant designed in 1995. Live-fire Italian and excellent pastas in an energetic room, which makes it better for relationship-building and recruiting than confidential conversations. The private dining room has its own bar and terrace. Vibe: stylish, energetic Italian. $$$. Lunch daily.
Locanda Verde Hudson Yards
50 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001, USA
Best for: corporate lunches around Hudson Yards, larger groups and mixed tastes. Almost purpose-built for the office towers around it: polished without being formal, with a menu broad enough for a mixed group. One of our first suggestions when someone wants a reliable client restaurant at Hudson Yards and doesn't need the meal to be the event. Vibe: polished Italian, lively but approachable. $$$. Lunch Mon–Fri.
The Dynamo Room
2 Pennsylvania Plaza, New York, NY 10121, USA
Best for: one-hour lunches, guests catching a train and meetings before an event at the Garden. Right at Madison Square Garden and Penn Station, with the most useful quick lunch in the neighborhood. The $35.95 Express Lunch brings Parker House rolls, a salad and a choice of spaghetti pomodoro, broiled salmon or steak frites (a $10 supplement). Vibe: lively steak-and-martini room. $$ to $$$. Lunch Mon–Thu.
Business Lunch in NoMad, Flatiron & Gramercy
Tech, media and advertising lunch here, and the mood is looser than Midtown.
Union Square Cafe
101 E 19th St, New York, NY 10003, USA
Best for: relationship-building, recruiting and professional lunches without stiffness. Proof that a business lunch doesn't need marble, white tablecloths and a room full of investment bankers. The hospitality is the selling point: bring almost anyone and expect them to feel looked after. Vibe: warm, polished, hospitable. $$$. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Gramercy Tavern
42 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003, USA
Best for: important but relaxed meetings and food-focused clients. The credibility of one of New York's great restaurants without the stiffness. For business lunch we like the front Tavern, which gives you the service and cooking in a more flexible format. The formal Dining Room suits a bigger occasion, and a private room seats 22. Vibe: refined New York institution. $$$ to $$$$. Lunch daily.
Scarpetta
88 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016, USA
Best for: NoMad meetings, Italian food and clients who want something lively. An easy recommendation around Madison Square Park. It feels expensive enough for a client lunch but not ceremonial. Lunch runs 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with mains in the mid-$30s and house-made pastas from the high-$20s to low-$30s, so the check is easier to control than at the big power-lunch rooms. Vibe: upscale contemporary Italian. $$$. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Café Carmellini
250 5th Ave, New York, NY 10001, USA
Best for: senior clients, celebratory lunches and fine dining without a tasting menu. Andrew Carmellini's dining room in The Fifth Avenue Hotel is the most formal lunch in NoMad and one of six restaurants on Michelin's New York power lunch list. The house asks you to "dress your best," though jackets aren't required. Vibe: grand, dressed-up, Italian-French. $$$$. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Hawksmoor NYC
109 E 22nd St, New York, NY 10010, USA
Best for: steak lunches on a budget, recruiting and paying out of your own pocket. The best lunch deal in this guide. The midweek menu is one, two or three courses for $25, $40 or $55, and steak frites is the $25 option. It looks and feels like a serious steakhouse, so nobody reads it as the budget pick. Two private rooms seat 12 and 14. Vibe: handsome, relaxed steakhouse. $$ to $$$. Lunch Mon–Sat.
Business Lunch in the Financial District & Tribeca
Downtown has a view restaurant that's worth it, the oldest lunch address on Wall Street, and some of the best-value set lunches in the guide.
Manhatta
28 Liberty St 60th floor, New York, NY 10005, USA
Best for: impressing a client downtown, visiting executives and milestone meetings. The downtown choice when you want wow factor without sacrificing the meal. It sits on the 60th floor of 28 Liberty, and the skyline does a lot of the work before the first course arrives. Lunch runs 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. daily. For a visiting client with one afternoon downtown, this is near the top of our list. Vibe: spectacular but still sophisticated. $$$$.
Delmonico's
56 Beaver St, New York, NY 10004, USA
Best for: Wall Street tradition, steak lunches and large private groups. The Financial District's lunch address since 1837, and still the pick when a downtown lunch should feel like an occasion. The Delmonico ribeye is $89, Chicken à la Keene is $48, and Baked Alaska is the dessert to order. Private rooms take groups of 10 to 120 at lunch. Vibe: historic, formal, old New York. $$$$. Lunch daily.
Crown Shy
70 Pine St, New York, NY 10005, USA
Best for: food-driven client lunches and younger finance and tech crowds. The more energetic FiDi option, on the ground floor of an Art Deco tower and on Michelin's power lunch list. A prix fixe is available at lunch alongside an à la carte menu that includes a pork katsu sandwich for $29. Choose it when atmosphere matters more than the quietest table. Vibe: energetic, stylish, high-ceilinged. $$$. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Tamarind Tribeca
99 Hudson St, New York, NY 10013, USA
Best for: downtown executives, Indian food and larger business groups. Business-lunch lists get boring when every pick is steak, Italian or French. The large Tribeca dining room is elegant and professional, and Indian food suits groups that want to share or have different diets. The Executive Lunch is $38 or $43 depending on the regional menu. Vibe: spacious, upscale, professional. $$$. Lunch daily.
La Marchande
88 Wall St, New York, NY 10005, USA
Best for: Wall Street meetings, stylish finance lunches and French food. One of the most dependable modern business-lunch picks in FiDi: polished, central and built for the people who work around Wall Street. The bistro format works for a quick one-on-one or a larger client meal, and the hotel setting means it's used to business travelers. Vibe: contemporary bistro in The Wall Street Hotel. $$$. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Maison Passerelle
80A Broadway, New York, NY 10005, USA
Best for: fashion, design and creative clients, and prix-fixe value. Inside Printemps at One Wall Street, and one of the more interesting newer additions downtown. Gregory Gourdet's menu combines French cooking with flavors from the broader French diaspora, in a dramatic dining room with far more personality than a standard corporate restaurant. The three-course lunch prix fixe is $45. Vibe: dramatic, design-forward French. $$ to $$$. Lunch daily.
Nobu Downtown
195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007, USA
Best for: crowd-pleasing client lunches, visitors and a known name at a fair price. Everyone knows Nobu, which is exactly why it works for a mixed table. The weekday lunch special is three courses for $45: a cold dish, a hot main and dessert. For this name and this room, that's a bargain. Vibe: big, sleek, recognizable. $$ to $$$$. Lunch Mon–Fri.
More Business-Lunch Restaurants Worth Knowing
Fifty-seven more restaurants that serve a proper weekday lunch, with the neighborhood and lunch days for each. This is where you'll find SoHo, the Village, the Upper East Side and Brooklyn. Several of the biggest downtown names serve lunch only part of the week, so check the days.
The Lobster Club
98 E 53rd St, New York, NY 10022, USA
Midtown East. Stylish Seagram Building alternative when Japanese food and a more contemporary scene make more sense than a classic grill. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Lex Yard
550 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022, USA
Midtown East. A polished Waldorf Astoria option. Lunch is served in the Bar Room, 11:30am to 3pm Mon–Fri; private spaces hold up to 38.
L’Avenue at Saks
8 E 50th St, New York, NY 10022, USA
Midtown. Especially useful for fashion, luxury, retail and Fifth Avenue client meetings. Lunch daily from 11:30am.
Monkey Bar
60 E 54th St, New York, NY 10022, USA
Midtown East. The old Hotel Elysée dining room, with a lunch menu that runs from a cheeseburger to lobster spaghetti.
Sparks Steak House
210 E 46th St, New York, NY 10017, USA
Midtown East. Serves straight through from noon to 10pm on weekdays, so a 2:30 lunch is no problem.
Benjamin Prime
23 E 40th St, Between Madison &, Park Ave, New York, NY 10016, USA
Near Grand Central. A steakhouse whose weekday lunch menu adds sandwiches and entrée salads. Mon–Fri.
Grand Central Oyster Bar
89 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017, USA
Grand Central Terminal. The most convenient lunch in the city for a guest catching a train. Casual, and better for a catch-up than a negotiation. Mon–Fri.
Hutong New York
Inside Beacon Courtyard, 731 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022, USA
Midtown East. Northern Chinese with a lunch prix fixe from $38 and private spaces for 8 to 20 and up. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Sushi Yasuda
204 E 43rd St, New York, NY 10017, USA
Near Grand Central. Outstanding sushi at lunch Mon–Fri. Be on time: arriving more than 10 minutes late carries a $100 per person fee.
Nerai
55 E 54th St, New York, NY 10022, USA
Midtown East. Upscale Greek with a private wine-cellar room and a private garden. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Ai Fiori
400 5th Ave #2, New York, NY 10018, USA
Midtown. A second-floor dining room at The Langham, away from street noise. Lunch Mon–Fri; breakfast daily.
Gabriel Kreuther
41 W 42nd St, New York, NY 10036, USA
Bryant Park. Two Michelin stars and a three-course lunch for $120. Lunch Wed–Fri only.
Jupiter
Rink Level, 20 W 50th St, New York, NY 10020, USA
Rockefeller Center, Rink Level. Pasta and Italian wine from the King team, with all-day service Mon–Sat.
NARO
Rink Level CO, 610 5th Ave #04, New York, NY 10020, USA
Rockefeller Center, Rink Level. Modern Korean from the Atomix team, for the guest who has done every steakhouse in Midtown. Open daily from 11:30am.
Nobu Fifty Seven
40 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019, USA
Midtown West. One of the most-booked business tables in the city. Lunch daily.
estiatorio Milos Midtown
125 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019, USA
Midtown West. Greek seafood in a big, airy room, with four private rooms for 18 to 64. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Quality Meats
57 W 58th St, New York, NY 10019, USA
Midtown West. A modern steakhouse with private rooms for 24, 30 and 40. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse
1221 Ave of the Americas, New York, NY 10020, USA
Midtown West. A three-story steakhouse on Sixth Avenue with a two-course weekday prix fixe lunch.
Jean-Georges
1 Central Prk W, New York, NY 10023, USA
Columbus Circle. Two Michelin stars and one of the most formal lunches left in the city. No jeans or sneakers. Lunch Tue–Sat.
Nougatine by Jean-Georges
1 Central Prk W, New York, NY 10023, USA
Columbus Circle. The more casual front room at Jean-Georges, open for lunch daily.
Bad Roman
3rd floor, 10 Columbus Cir, New York, NY 10019, USA
Columbus Circle. Loud, maximalist Italian. Ask for a corner booth, or book one of the private rooms for 40 and 45. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Peak with Priceless Restaurant & Bar
30 Hudson Yards 101 Floor, New York, NY 10001, USA
Hudson Yards, 101st floor. Useful for visiting clients when the views are part of the appeal; better for impressing than for a sensitive conversation. Lunch daily.
Zou Zou’s
385 9th Ave Suite 85, New York, NY 10001, USA
Manhattan West. Eastern Mediterranean, with a private Mural Room for up to 48. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Bar Primi Penn District
349 W 33rd St, New York, NY 10001, USA
Penn District. A casual pasta spot for a working lunch with a colleague. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Zaytinya
1185 Broadway Ground Floor, New York, NY 10001, USA
NoMad. Strong for groups and mixed dietary preferences, with a shareable Eastern Mediterranean menu. Lunch daily.
L'Adresse NoMad
1184 Broadway, New York, NY 10001, USA
NoMad. A calmer, less expensive option when space to talk matters more than scene. Lunch Mon–Fri.
La Tête d'Or by Daniel
318 Park Ave S, New York, NY 10010, USA
Flatiron. Daniel Boulud's steakhouse, with prime rib carved tableside and three private rooms. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Upland
345 Park Ave S, New York, NY 10010, USA
Flatiron. California-Italian pizzas and pastas for a casual team lunch. Lunch Mon–Fri.
abc kitchen
35 E 18th St, New York, NY 10003, USA
Union Square. A reliable pick for creative and fashion clients. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Rezdôra
27 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003, USA
Flatiron. Handmade pasta in a small room. Best for two. Lunch Tue–Fri.
The Capital Grille
120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271, USA
Financial District. Predictable in the best sense when the group specifically wants a traditional corporate steakhouse. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Wall Street Grill By Bordeaux
128 Pearl St, New York, NY 10005, USA
Financial District. One of the more useful upscale kosher options for a FiDi business lunch. Lunch Mon–Thu.
Le Gratin
5 Beekman St, New York, NY 10038, USA
Financial District. Daniel Boulud's Lyonnais bistro in The Beekman hotel. Lunch Mon–Fri.
The Fulton by Jean-Georges
Northeast corner of Pier 17, 89 South St, New York, NY 10038, USA
Seaport. Jean-Georges's seafood restaurant on the water, with a $38 lobster roll at lunch. Mon–Fri.
Harry's
1 Hanover Square, New York, NY 10004, USA
Financial District. The Hanover Square steakhouse, with a steak salad and dry-aged burger at lunch. Tue–Fri.
Locanda Verde Tribeca
377 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10013, USA
Tribeca. The original, with a private room for 60. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Frenchette
241 W Broadway, New York, NY 10013, USA
Tribeca. A lively French bistro for a lunch that should feel like fun. Lunch Mon–Fri.
The Odeon
145 W Broadway, New York, NY 10013, USA
Tribeca. The neighborhood brasserie, serving weekday lunch from 11am to 4pm.
Balthazar
80 Spring St, New York, NY 10012, USA
SoHo. The brasserie everyone knows. You'll probably see someone you know. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Le Coucou
138 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10013, USA
SoHo. The most formal lunch south of 14th Street, with two- and three-course menus. Lunch daily.
Manuela
130 Prince St, New York, NY 10012, USA
SoHo. The right table for a lunch with writers, designers and gallery types. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Lure Fishbar
142 Mercer St, New York, NY 10012, USA
SoHo. Seafood, sushi and a raw bar from 11:30am. Lunch Mon–Fri.
The Dutch
131 Sullivan St, New York, NY 10012, USA
SoHo. An easy, unfussy weekday lunch. Mon–Fri.
Sant Ambroeus Soho
265 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012, USA
SoHo. All-day Milanese café service, good for a coffee meeting that turns into lunch.
Torrisi
275 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10012, USA
Nolita. Far easier to book at lunch than at dinner. Private room for 18 to 32. Lunch Wed–Sat.
Carbone New York
181 Thompson St, New York, NY 10012, USA
Greenwich Village. Lunch is your best shot at a table. Tue–Sun.
Minetta Tavern
113 MacDougal St, New York, NY 10012, USA
Greenwich Village. Red leather booths and a famous burger. Lunch Wed–Fri.
Via Carota
51 Grove St, New York, NY 10014, USA
West Village. Continuous service from 11am and walk-ins welcome. Go at 11:30.
Pastis
52 Gansevoort St, New York, NY 10014, USA
Meatpacking District. The brasserie near the offices along the High Line. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Café Chelsea
218 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011, USA
Chelsea. The French bistro in the Hotel Chelsea. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Le Veau d'Or
129 E 60th St, New York, NY 10022, USA
Upper East Side. A tiny old-school French bistro with an $85 set lunch. Tue–Fri.
The Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges
25 E 77th St, New York, NY 10075, USA
Upper East Side. The Mark Hotel's dining room, with a private room for 22. Lunch Mon–Fri.
Café Boulud at Maison BARNES
100 E 63rd St, New York, NY 10065, USA
Upper East Side. Daniel Boulud's restaurant at Maison Barnes, with two private rooms of 20. Lunch Wed–Fri.
Harry Cipriani
781 5th Ave, New York, NY 10022, USA
Upper East Side. An international business crowd, open straight through from noon daily.
Le Crocodile
80 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249, USA
Williamsburg. The Wythe Hotel's brasserie, with two courses for $45 at lunch. Mon–Fri.
Peter Luger Steak House
178 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11211, USA
Williamsburg. The burger is served until 3:45pm. No credit cards. Open daily.
Cecconi's DUMBO
55 Water St, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
Dumbo. Italian on the waterfront, with a private room facing the skyline. Open Mon–Fri from noon.
Best Business Lunches in NYC by Situation
| If the lunch is... | Start with... |
|---|---|
| For an important client | The Grill, Fasano, The Modern, Marea or Manhatta. The Grill carries the most classic power-lunch weight; Fasano is better when privacy and conversation matter. |
| A quiet business lunch | Fasano, Aquavit, Cellini and Il Gattopardo. Noise varies by day and table, but these are generally safer than the city's most fashionable brasseries. |
| Near Grand Central | Le Pavillon, Aretsky's Patroon, Avra 48th Street, Fasano and The Grill. Le Pavillon is closest to the terminal. |
| In FiDi | Manhatta to impress, Delmonico's for tradition, Maison Passerelle for something newer, Tamarind for Indian food or a group, La Marchande for a classic Wall Street bistro lunch. |
| Under $50 | Hawksmoor (from $25), Gallaghers ($34), The Dynamo Room ($35.95), Benoit ($39 or $45), Avra 48th ($41.95), Maison Passerelle ($45) and Nobu Downtown ($45). Prices exclude drinks, tax, gratuity and supplements. |
| One hour, start to finish | Avra, Benoit, The Dynamo Room, The Modern's Bar Room and La Marchande. Give Le Bernardin or The Modern's Dining Room significantly more room. |
| For the whole team in a private room | Smith & Wollensky (22 to 130), Delmonico's (10 to 120), Michael's (20 to 120), Cellini (18 to 75), Aretsky's Patroon (8 to 60) and Fasano's Boardroom (24). |
| On a Monday or a Friday | Check the days. Cellini and The Dynamo Room serve lunch Monday through Thursday. Gabriel Kreuther, Café Boulud and Minetta Tavern are Wednesday through Friday. Jean-Georges, Carbone, Le Veau d'Or, Harry's and Rezdôra skip Monday. |
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Mark spends an unreasonable amount of time researching the best places to eat, drink, stay, and explore. He helps build RoamRecs’ city and travel guides using firsthand experience, local recommendations, community research, and a lot of digging through the internet to find the places actually worth knowing about.
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