Looking for a lunchtime venue for a power lunch to finalize a business deal? Bangkok has several places offering set lunches that are ideal for conducting business while enjoying a great meal.
by Michael Moore.
Bent upon snaring the lunchtime business trade, and then enticing them to return in the evening, many of Bangkok’s most attractive restaurants feature set lunchtime menus offering food for a fraction of what it would cost at dinnertime.
To make our list a restaurant must not only have a great set lunch, it must also have an atmosphere suitable for conducting business. On top of this, we only selected restaurants that are easy to reach by either car or public transportation, meaning there must be adequate parking or a nearby BTS sky train or underground MRT station.
Lower Sukhumvit
Rossini’s (02-649-8363, www.rossinisbangkok.com/en) at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit has a set lunch that is highly regarded by the city’s business types. This bastion of fine Italian food is easily reached by from both the Asoke BTS station and the Sukhumvit MRT by an overhead walkway leading from the BTS station. Its business set lunch includes three courses plus coffee or tea. We recently enjoyed a marvelous lunch of stuffed calamari, pan-roasted seabass, artisanal rum raisin ice cream and coffee for only THB 980++. Rossini’s has also just launched an Executive Breakfast set.
If you want Japanese food, try the business set lunches at Kisso (02.207.8000, www.kissojapaneserestaurant.com). Located across the street from the Sheraton on the eighth floor of the Westin Grande Sukhumvit, Kisso has a variety of set lunches and a charming atmosphere. Options include a Sushi Kaiseki Course set at THB 1200++ with an appetizer, three kinds of sashimi, a grilled main course, seven kinds of seasonal sushi, miso soup, and a signature dessert.
Upper Sukhumvit
Blessed with its own parking lot and easily reached by car from either Sukhumvit or Rama IV roads, Indus (02-258-4900. www.indusbangkok.com) not only serves some of Bangkok’s finest Indian food, it possesses a marvelous setting filled with South Asia artifacts and both indoor and outdoor seating. Prices for a Thali-style set lunch with several small dishes and rice is THB 399++, a great bargain.
Located on Sukhumvit Soi 53, just a short walk from the Thonglor BTS station and with limited on site parking, Bo.lan (02-260-2962, www.bolan.co.th) has some of Bangkok’s best Thai food. Its prix fixe THB 980++ set lunch with four courses and an amuse bouche is a marvelous bargain. We are recently enjoyed an amuse bouche, soup, salad, stir-fry, curry – a marvelous red curry with free range chicken – and dessert.
For a New York style grill that features steaks, try Madison (02-126-8866, www.siam@anantara.com) at the Anantara Siam Bangkok. Located adjacent to the Rajdamri BTS Station, it has a business set lunch menu that changes weekly. The Salad Table runs THB 795, a two-course set THB 895 and a three-course set THB 945. Main courses include items like grilled tuna with sautéed mixed mushrooms and haricot beans.
If you are into authentic Japanese flavors, but want something innovative and unique, try the set lunch at Zuma (02-252 4707, www.zumarestaurant.com), located in the elegant St. Regis Hotel and accessible directly from the Rajdamri BTS Station. The THB 780++ set lunch is served with a starter, white miso soup, salad with barley miso dressing, and a variety of unique main courses.
A new business set lunch menu is now available at Red Sky (02 100 6255; email: diningcgcw@chr.co.th), on the 55th floor of Centara Grand at Central World. The new 3-course set menu has a genuine French touch that be enjoyed against 360-degree city skyline. Served daily from Monday to Friday, 11:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m., the business lunch is priced at THB 1,055++.
Silom/Sathorn
One of our favorites is Aubergine (02-234-2226. www.aubergine.in.th), a French restaurant located in a charmingly converted villa near both the Silom MRT and Saladaeng BTS stations that has onsite parking, a rarity in this area. Prices for their set lunches during a recent visit were B390 for a 3-course THB 490 for a 4-course offering; great food and one of the city’s best dining bargains.
Nahm (02-625-3388; www.comohotels.com/metropolitanbangkok/dining), operated by award winning chef David Thompson, offers highly regarded Thai food. Selected by San Pellegrino as one of the world’s 50 best restaurants, Nahm is located in the Metropolitan Hotel on Sathorn Road. The set lunch is THB 1600++, a hefty amount, but considering the quality of the restaurant, it is a remarkable bargain. A great place to impress while dining on world-class Thai food.
Riverside
Shang Palace at the Shangri-la Bangkok Hotel is one of the city’s most highly regarded Chinese restaurants. The hotel can be reached by car or from the nearby Saphan Taksin BTS Station. This elegant spot is ideal for enjoying great Chinese food at lunch.
Inspired by Shanghai’s legendary Art Deco period, The China House (02- 659 9000, ext. 7393) at the Oriental Bangkok is a stunning Cantonese restaurant located in an awesomely renovated mansion adjacent to the hotel. From Tues-Saturday, it serves an impressive set lunch for THB 2088++ for five courses or THB 8888++ for nine-courses.
