Let’s face it; everything is better with a good meal. And that couldn’t be truer than for doing business. That’s why everyone from brokers to tech entrepreneurs is on the hunt for the perfect midday spot to grab a bit, woo a client and perhaps make a deal. But, there are a few locales—old and new—that power players gravitate to more than others. These are the five best power lunch spots in New York.
1. Lambs Club at The Chatwal, New York
Long associated with the theater industry by name, the Lambs Club restaurant is a throwback to the glitz of show-business with red leather banquette seating, black-and-white photos of Hollywood stars, and a floor-to-ceiling fireplace (actually a gift from architect Stanford White in 1905). It occupies the ground floor of The Chatwal, New York hotel—a landmarked building that once housed America’s first theatrical society. Writers, actors, directors, and businessmen continue to frequent Lambs Club at The Chatwal, New York for lunch meetings and drinks. Overseen by chef Geoffrey Zakarian, the TLC Hamburger is a classic while the pastrami sandwich and lobster roll are guest favorites.
2. CUT New York
CUT’s New York outpost is the Wolfgang Puck’s first Manhattan restaurant and is located at the Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown. It has a separate entrance off Church Street, so businessmen and women can pop in from off the street and enjoy everything from a black truffle grilled cheese to a full 32 oz porterhouse steak. Lighter bites like cures, crudo, and carpaccio are available in the intimate space. Bonus: you can grab a seat by one of the many large windows or request a curtain-drawn room away from prying eyes.
3. Delmonico’s
Delmonico’s in FiDi is a quintessential NYC power lunch landmark (they actually invented it!). For nearly two centuries, Delmonico’s gilded downtown dining room has been flocked to by everyone from OG power players (Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, J.P. Morgan, Oscar Wilde), to presidents (Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, JFK, etc.) to Wall Street power brokers and celebrities. Today, Delmonico's power lunch legacy continues with the debut of a new three-course prix-fix Power Lunch Menu featuring the restaurant’s most famous original dishes like the Delmonico steak, eggs benedict, baked Alaska and more.
4. Scarpetta
Handmade pastas? Bright dining room? Hip neighborhood? Yes, Scarpetta has all the makings of the perfect power lunch spot. Located conveniently at The James NoMad, the Italian hot spot is the ideal place to escape the typical midtown crowd. Head honchos chow down on creamy polenta, short rib and bone marrow agnolotti or expertly-prepared branzino while enjoying a selection fine wines. You're bound to close the deal after a meal here.
5. estiatorio Milos
This Mediterranean hot spot is quickly laying its claim as the power lunch spot by having a location in both Midtown and the new Hudson Yards. At both locations, estiatorio milos offers a three-course, prix-fixe lunch menu featuring offerings such as grilled octopus with Santorini yellow split pea fava; greek meze plate with tzatziki, taramasalata, htipiti; lamb chops with greek fried potatoes; astakomakaronada deep sea bay of Fundy lobster pasta, Athenian style; karydopita traditional greek walnut cake with honey lavender ice cream; Greek yogurt strained in-house and topped with crumbled baklava.
