London’s Best Restaurants For Business Meetings
FOR TIMELESS APPEAL
45 Jermyn St.
This fine-dining restaurant near Fortnum & Mason is a go-to spot for those in the know. Buzzing by 8am and still full in the evening, it’s got slick decor, flawless service and a handy location on its side. The lunch menu is classic, with meat and seafood dishes cooked over the grill and served with buttery mash and seasonal veg. In the evening, look out for generous portions of Welsh rarebit, followed by beef wellington with dauphinoise potatoes or seabass with ginger and Thai chilli broth.
45 Jermyn Street, St James’s, SW1Y 6JD
Visit 45JermynSt.com
FOR A HISTORIC VENUE
The Midland Grand Dining Room
This slick recent opening is named after The Midland Grand hotel – the 19th-century Gothic-revival hotel which first occupied the building that’s now the St Pancras Renaissance hotel. Headed up by Allegra’s Patrick Powell, the restaurant takes inspiration from the original incumbent, which was renowned for its French haute cuisine. Highlights from Patrick’s menu include comte gougères; crab toast with elderflower and shellfish sauce; chalk-stream trout with sorrel, smoked butter and vermouth beurre blanc; plus a soufflé of the day. Out to impress? Start with pre-dinner cocktails in the handsome adjoining bar.
St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, Euston Road, King’s Cross, NW1 2AR
FOR ADDING SOME SPICE
BiBi
Chef Chet Sharma's debut restaurant showcases an array of cuisines from the Indian subcontinent. Part of JKS Restaurants – which includes Gymkhana, Hoppers and Brigadiers – BiBi has light and elegant Indian dishes you won’t find elsewhere. Guests can sit at the counter, but if you’re entertaining clients take a table in the main dining room with its modern interiors and artwork. The set menu offers plates like oyster and pear jal jeera, Devon scallop nimbu pani, buffalo milk paneer, lobster seekh kebab, and Lahori chicken. Finish the meal with coffee from Karnataka, or a signature ‘Monsoon Martini’ made with vodka and Indian spices.
42 North Audley Street, Mayfair, W1K 6ZP
Visit BibiRestaurants.com
FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT
A Wong
Guests can sit up close with the chefs at this two Michelin-starred Chinese – Andrew Wong himself is often on hand to talk guests through their meal. Menus showcase traditional dishes inspired by flavours from multiple Chinese provinces. At lunch, there’s excellent dim sum à la carte – or a five-part ‘Touch of the Heart’ menu featuring multiple dishes like ‘Memories of Peking duck’ and Isle of Mull seared scallop and honey-glazed Iberico pork cheung fun.
70 Wilton Road, Pimlico, SW1V 1DE
Visit AWong.co.uk
FOR SOMETHING STYLISH
Maison François
This St James’s restaurant and wine bar pays homage to the grand brasseries of Paris, Lyon and Alsace. Decorated with mirror-filled arches, art-deco chandeliers and curved banquettes, it’s an all-day place that keeps its cuisine classic. Start with house-made breads, followed by champagne pâté, lamb belly brochette, and jambon noir to share. Main courses include whole fish and cuts of meat cooked over a wood-fired grill. Before or after the meal, head downstairs to Frank’s, a cool spot with a 250-bottle wine list.
34 Duke Street, St James’s, SW1Y 6DF
Visit MaisonFrancois.London
FOR A TALKING POINT
Mount St Restaurant
Late last year, Artfarm – the company behind the Fife Arms in Braemar and Somerset’s Roth Bar & Grill – opened Mount St. above the Audley Public House, a 200-year-old Mayfair landmark that’s been transformed into a next-level pub. Upstairs is the striking restaurant, which brings together food, drink and world-class modern art – including original pieces by Lucien Freud, Andy Warhol and Henri Matisse. Food from chef Jamie Shears is hearty and fun thanks to dishes like lobster pie, Cornish monkfish with ‘Brick Lane curry sauce’, and braised lamb shoulder with mint jelly.
First Floor, 41-43 Mount Street, Mayfair, W1K 2RX
Visit MountStRestaurant.com
Simon Brown
FOR SOMETHING SLICK
The Twenty Two
This hotel, restaurant and members club has transformed an Edwardian manor on Grosvenor Square into a richly decorated west London hideaway. The dining room is a striking blue space that serves everything from generous breakfasts to Sunday roasts. Through the week, it’s filled with deal makers enjoying oyster platters and seafood dishes like grilled tiger prawns with seaweed butter, tuna niçoise and octopus croquettes.
22 Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, W1K 6LF
Visit The22.London
FOR SOMETHING FUN
Brigadiers
Tandoors, charcoal grills, rotisseries, wood ovens and classic Indian smokers – Brigadiers deploys them all. Alongside some great roasted Indian dishes, the laid-back restaurant offers live sport and free-flowing drinks from self-serve taps – there’s even pool and classic card games. We recommend ordering a selection of curries and grilled meats with a pot of house daal and platter of condiments – and getting stuck in.
1-5 Bloomberg Arcade, City, EC4N 8AR
Visit BrigadiersLondon.com
FOR A BREAKFAST MEETING
The Wolseley
If you want to impress in the AM, book a table at The Wolseley – the late, great AA Gill’s favourite restaurant. This Piccadilly institution has an ornate art-deco dining room reminiscent of grand European cafés. Breakfast features baked items from its Viennoiserie, plus classic dishes including a full English.
160 Piccadilly, St James's, W1J 9EB
Visit TheWolseley.com
FOR A BEST-OF-BRITISH EXPERIENCE
Bentley's Oyster Bar & Grill
On a side street off Piccadilly, Bentley’s has been in the seafood business for over a century. Loved and acclaimed for its fresh oysters (the team shuck 1,000+ every day), grilled fish and steaks from around the British and Irish Isles, it has been under the care of Richard Corrigan for nearly 15 years. He does a great example of fish and chips with proper tartare sauce and mushy peas, but there are also shellfish platters featuring lobster, dressed crab, prawns, oysters, mussels and whelks.
11-15 Swallow Street, Mayfair, W1B 4DG
Visit Bentleys.org
FOR CLASSIC STEAKS
Goodman
This steak-focused mini-chain has three sites around town: Mayfair, the City and Canary Wharf.
The latter sits right on the water’s edge. Meat is sourced from the UK, Nebraska and Spain, aged on site, then cooked over fire, and served with peppercorn sauce and fries. There are crowd-pleasing boneless ribs or calamari to start, and a bottle of red to suit all palates on the extensive wine list.
Quay Square, Canary Wharf, E14 9RU
Visit GoodmanRestaurants.com
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