The New York Power Lunch Playbook: 15 Tables Where Deals Still Get Done

The power lunch obituary gets written every few years—usually by someone who’s never closed a deal over Dover sole or a mound of Petrossian. Here’s what they miss: Manhattan’s midday theater isn’t fading. It’s just gotten more strategic and, as the kids say, “aesthetic.” Sure, twenty-somethings on social media might pan these old-school establishments, but step inside and you’ll find the same mahogany-paneled dining rooms, the same waiters who remember your usual order from four years ago. The difference? The real dealmaking has spread throughout the city like smart money chasing returns.

Midtown still draws the corporate card crowd—those places with the dramatic tableside Caesar salads and rolling dessert carts that give you something to look at while discussing hostile takeovers. But pay attention to where the actual decision-makers go these days. You’ll find venture capitalists in NoMad’s boutique hotel restaurants, creative directors stealing talent in Hudson Square bistros and private equity types discovering Haitian cuisine in Financial District hot spots.

The new rules are simple: ideally there’s wifi that doesn’t cut out mid-pitch, lighting that makes everyone look closable and service that knows when to disappear. Whether you’re interviewing someone you’ll lowball, celebrating a deal you almost lost, or sitting down to the lunch that determines if you’ll need to update your LinkedIn, these 15 New York City restaurants still drive more business decisions between noon and two than any boardroom in Manhattan. The legendary three-martini lunch can still be found—though it might have evolved into a bottle of organic Sancerre, and the server probably already knows about your nut allergy.

The Grill

• 99 E 52nd St, New York, NY 10022 (Midtown)

Midtown’s power scene, with a capital P. Housed in the landmark Seagram Building, The Grill channels mid-century swagger through Major Food Group’s lens—a matinee of silver carts, carved meats and creamed spinach so rich it tastes like a promotion. Icy martinis poured tableside from dramatic heights, prime rib carved off a rolling trolley, salads tossed in giant wooden bowls under theatrical lighting. This is what power lunches were always meant to be.

Le Bernardin

• 155 W 51st St, New York, NY 10019 (Midtown)

Still among the city’s finest restaurants after decades, some things never change: service that glides, lighting that hits each plate perfectly and a three-course prix-fixe lunch that runs with stopwatch exactitude. Chef Eric Ripert’s iconic seafood progression—”Almost Raw,” “Barely Touched,” “Lightly Cooked”—is why you’re here; the hospitality (and famously sharp wine program) is why your client relaxes. 

The Modern (Bar Room)

• 9 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019 (Midtown)

The Modern splits its personality: a formal dining room overlooking the MoMA’s garden, and a sleek Bar Room built for swift, high-level lunches. Choose the Bar Room for à la carte flexibility, share-friendly plates and flawless service. Book a banquette for conversational privacy.

Union Square Cafe

• 101 E 19th St, New York, NY 10003 (Union Square)

Danny Meyer’s flagship still nails the midday brief: delightful service and greenmarket cooking in a  dining room that is simultaneously cozy and professional. The lunch menu is a near-match for dinner, which means the beloved bibb salad, seasonal pastas and the iconic USC burger are all in play. 

L’Artusi

• 228 W 10th St, New York, NY 10014 (West Village)

For West Village charm with executive utility, lunch at L’Artusi brings the greatest hits—silky crudo, stellar roast chicken, crisp salads and expert-prepared pastas—plus a tight dessert list (the olive oil cake justifies a late return to your office). The floor team reads the clock expertly, getting you back uptown or downtown right on schedule.

Peak with Priceless

• 30 Hudson Yards, 101st Floor, New York, NY 10001 (Hudson Yards)

If your client responds to altitude, this is your play. From the 101st floor, Peak pairs skyline drama with a sharp two- or three-course lunch prix fixe ($77/$89). Chef Rose Noel’s menu shows impressive range, from a brisket burger with real heft to steelhead trout with rutabaga and fennel, supported by a 1,600-bottle wine list that leans heavy on French and Italian while covering all bases.

Avra Estiatorio

• 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020 (Rockefeller Center)

Three floors, 400 seats and a Rockwell Group showpiece that doubles as Midtown’s Greek seafood exchange. Browse the market display, select your fish by the pound (sea bass, sea bream, maybe Dover sole?) and let the kitchen grill it simply with house Peloponnese olive oil. Or work the $39.95 three-course prix fixe (daily, 11:30 a.m.–4 p.m.)—Greek salad or spinach pies, grilled octopus, then your choice of Faroe Islands salmon, swordfish or branzino, finishing with baklava or orange cake. 

Smith & Wollensky

• 797 Third Ave, New York, NY 10022 (Midtown)

The green-and-white townhouse still defines the Midtown steak lunch with white tablecloths, servers with decades of muscle memory  and sub-zero martinis. Order like a regular—clams casino, textbook Caesar—then split two mains like the massive prime rib (bone-in, rosy, properly beefy) and the bone-in dry-aged filet with its crusty sear and butter-soft center. Sides are unapologetically classic and table-sized. That rectangular coconut cake? Best to order it just in case.

L’Avenue at Saks

• 611 Fifth Ave, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10022 (Midtown)

Philippe Starck’s two-level aerie remains fashion’s daytime clubhouse: a Paris export overlooking Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick’s. The French-American menu swings between light and luxe—avocado with king crab, spicy lobster pasta, textbook Dover sole, or that burger (go ahead, add the Petrossian Osciètre). Dessert matters here: L’Avenue is the only U.S. outpost serving Pierre Hermé pastries, reason enough to extend for a macaron flight.

Delmonico’s

• 56 Beaver St, New York, NY 10004 (Financial District)

America’s original power table (est. 1837) still closes deals with firm handshakes. Lunch runs Monday through Friday, noon to 3 p.m., where you can overindulge in the overindulgent: Kumamotos, crab cake with potato strings, then signature sandwiches (prime rib with shallot marmalade and black truffle, or the dry-aged Wagyu burger) or entrées like Faroe Islands salmon or Chicken à la Keene. Steaks scale from 8-ounce petite filet to 18-ounce bone-in strip, all with optional sauces and compound butters.

Scarpetta

• 88 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016 (NoMad)

Scarpetta delivers exceptional Italian: Start with the warm stromboli and creamy polenta with truffled mushrooms—both morale boosters. Keep it light with crudo (scallops with passionfruit “caviar”) or commit: the famous spaghetti pomodoro for minimalists, or short rib agnolotti if you’re here to enjoy yourself. 

Gramercy Tavern

• 42 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003 (Flatiron/Gramercy)

Two restaurants under one roof, but the front Tavern is your lunch play: daylight, wood beams, service that anticipates. Run the $80 three-course or go à la carte with citrus-cured fluke, then the lobster roll with pickled peppers or hanger steak with eggplant and shishitos. The Snowdance Farm chicken arrives with onion rings—no notes needed. The burger delivers Midtown quality without Midtown hassle. Close with hazelnut tart or take the regular’s exit: cookies and milk to-go.

Altro Paradiso

• 234 Spring St, New York, NY 10013 (Hudson Square)

A sunlit room and Italian sprezzatura go hand in hand here. Open with the fennel salad (Castelvetrano olives, provolone—both absolutely non-negotiable) or octopus with chickpeas. Pasta is a must, either the candele cacio e pepe or malfatti with pancetta and sungolds; for protein, grilled tuna stays boardroom-friendly while pollo al mattone or skirt steak with roasted Jimmy Nardello peppers are deliciously hearty—and potentially a nap risk.

Lex Yard

• 301 Park Ave, New York, NY 10022 (Midtown)

The Waldorf is back, and this two-level Art Deco brasserie from Michael Anthony (yes, the Gramercy Tavern one) couldn’t be a better fit for the property’s glamorous resurgence. Built for executive deals: all-day menu, polished bar for quick hits, upstairs dining room where the seasonal market menu keeps things moving. Start with the “New Waldorf” salad (where else are you going to get one?), then halibut or a properly tall Lex Burger. But to guarantee better terms on your next deal, order the loaded lobster roll. 

Maison Passerelle

• 1 Wall St, New York, NY 10005 (Financial District)

FiDi’s most fashion-forward lunch spot hides inside the new Printemps flagship, where chef Gregory Gourdet turns out high-gloss, high-vibe plates built on French technique and Haitian-Asian verve. The open kitchen hums like a well-run studio, with oysters in pikliz mignonette, preserved lemon roast chicken and cane-syrup-glazed duck that’s earned staple status. The menu is largely gluten- and dairy-free, but nothing feels like a compromise—especially once the coconut chiboust or chocolate ganache hits the table. Add a quick toast at the upstairs Champagne Bar before or after your meal.