The Top Ten Restaurants for a Business Lunch

by Alex Blyth (June 2012)

Whether you want to impress a contact you’re meeting for the first time, or you need a quiet table to discuss the details of a deal, or you want somewhere to take your colleagues and celebrate, picking the right venue for a business lunch is a major decision. And with so many to choose from it can also be a very difficult decision. Here, to speed up the process and help you make the right choice first time, are my recommendations of the top ten restaurants in Britain for a business lunch.

1. Opus Restaurant

54 Cornwall Street, Birmingham

Independently owned, and located in the heart of Birmingham’s business district, Opus offers a menu containing free range produce that is sourced every day and which has so far garnered two AA rosettes. With its stylish decor, a professional welcome, and swift service it has become a firm lunch favourite among the city’s businesspeople.

2. Ocean Restaurant

The Atlantic Hotel, Le Mont de la Pulente, St Brelade, Jersey

Chosen by Lord Sugar as the location for the final treat in Series Six of The Apprentice, Ocean is a Michelin-starred restaurant overlooking a five-mile stretch of St Ouen’s Bay and the sparkling Atlantic Ocean. The menu is heavily influenced by the sea, with Executive Head Chef, Mark Jordan serving up dishes such as fillet of Jersey sole, crab with crushed Jersey Royals, and lobster ravioli. This year it became one of only 15 restaurants in the country to receive four AA stars, and at just £20 for two courses it is remarkably affordable. What is more, on a one-hour flight from London you will have extra time to woo your prospective client.

3. Hakkasan

8 Hanway Place, London

Tucked away in a basement in a fairly unremarkable street just off Tottenham Court Road, Hakkasan is a truly surprising experience. As you settle into one of the well-spaced tables, cleverly separated with dark-wood lattice screens, you will enjoy spectacular dim sum, exquisite dishes such as roasted silver cod with champagne and Chinese honey, or, if you really want to impress, the fabled waygu beef. It is Chinese food like you have never tried before.

4. Drake's Restaurant

The Clock House, High Street, Ripley

For a truly authentic British experience try Drake’s in the Surrey village of Ripley. Chef Steve Drake is passionate about creating contemporary British food, with diverse influences, using seasonal ingredients. For example, some 95 per cent of the cheese served at Drakes is British. He opened his restaurant in 2004 and within just months he had won a Michelin star, three AA Rosettes and been named Newcomer of the Year by the Good Food Guide.

5. The Ivy

1/5 West Street, London

For an afternoon of celebrity spotting there can be few better venues than The Ivy. Situated right in the heart of Theatreland, it continues to be the place to be seen for stars of stage and screen. The menu is eclectic ranging from simple sausages and mash right through to sautéed foie gras with caramelised apples and raisin jus. One word of warning: unless you happen to be a celebrity book early.

6. Greens

43 Lapwing Lane, West Didsbury, Manchester

Greens might be hidden away in the South Manchester suburb of Didsbury but it is nonetheless a magnet for food lovers across the region. Some come hoping for a glimpse of television chef owner Simon Rimmer, but most come for the remarkably good vegetarian food.

7. Chez Bruce

2 Bellevue Road, Wandsworth Common, London

Overlooking picturesque Wandsworth Common, Chez Bruce is the sort of restaurant everyone wishes they had in their neighbourhood. The Modern European menu changes frequently but whatever you choose remember to leave room for the unforgettable cheeseboard. Weekend dinners need to be booked a long way in advance, but for a midweek lunch meeting there are few better options.

8. Graze

42 Western Road, Hove, Brighton

Few restaurants succeed in achieving the right balance between quality food and unpretentious atmosphere, between attentive service and intrusion on a business conversation. Graze is one that does. Located midway between Brighton and Hove, and just minutes from the beach, for those with time there is a signature seven-course tasting menu or for those in a rush there is a three-course lunch menu for just £20.

9. The Dogs

110 Hanover Street, Edinburgh

Inspired by the seemingly inexorable rise of the gastropub in England, and spotting a gap in the Edinburgh market for good value, easy access venues, David Ramsden opened The Dogs in 2009. It has quickly become a firm favourite with Edinburgh business lunchers, drawn by its honest down-to-earth British food, as well as its relaxed and informal atmosphere.

10. CAU

274 High Street, Guildford

Located on Guildford High Street, Cau is the latest venture from the team behind Gaucho Restaurants, the nationwide chain of restaurants selling high quality Argentinean beef. At Cau, meat lovers can try the Tira de Ancho, an 18oz spiral cut of ribeye, marinated in chimichurri and grilled slowly for maximum tenderness.