Where to book for a business lunch in Paris?

The ultimate headache for the girlboss and Parisians chaining business meetings? Finding a well-located restaurant, convenient for everyone, truly good, fast, chic but not overpriced, to invite their client / future collab’ / wannabe investor for lunch. To avoid a misstep and put your target in the best conditions, we have sorted through and selected our safe bets between fancy new addresses, revamped institutions, and express formulas that everyone agrees on. Your turn to play!

The neighborhood: Triangle d’Or.

Inside the walls: We love the pocket-size format and the velvety decor of this lovely spot just a stone’s throw from the Champs-Élysées. Freshly opened, Maison François 1er hosts business (or not) meetings from breakfast to dinner, every day, continuously. This former wine bar has undergone a superb makeover in the hands of Nathan Litera, who has transformed it into a setting both cozy and friendly, where you can choose to sit on benches, around a round table, on the terrace, at the bar, or at a cool high table (our favorite). Also top-notch: the incognito lounge at the back of the restaurant.

At lunch: We love the crudo de bar olive oil and lemon (€28), the small creamy risotto (€18), the cod béarnaise (€36), the pepper-crusted beef fillet (€46), and the supreme chicken with morels (€34). For the sweet part, our favorites from Bread & Roses are in charge: chocolate tart, cheesecake, lemon tart (€16), mythical nougat Sénéquier (€18)... not to forget the delicious homemade madeleines offered with coffee.

Maison François 1er, 64 rue François 1er, Paris 8th. 09 67 47 94 04. Open every day continuously from 8 AM to 1 AM. Online reservation.
© Matthieu Salvaing

The neighborhood: Madeleine.

Inside the walls: In the former location of the mythical Café Pouchkine facing the Madeleine Church, Magdalena delivers bourgeois cuisine in a wildly Parisian decor, all marble and . After the bar, a proud staircase leads to a large upstairs dining room with a breathtaking view of the majestic monument, hosting wild weekend nights with DJ sets and beautiful people. Great for groups: at the very back, upstairs, a private lounge allows booking a discreet corner for up to 18 people with its own kitchen.

At lunch: No specific lunch menu, but comforting dishes brought by a grand brasserie-style service. Gratinated onion soup (€13), scallop carpaccio (€25), prawn salad (€28), linguine with half-lobster (€55), seabass fillet (€32), or truffle ham coquillettes (€25). Chic: the dessert trolley delivers serious delights like pastry flan (€13), Paris-Brest (€15), or creamy lemon tart (€13).

Magdalena, 16 place de la Madeleine, Paris 8th. 01 53 81 08 17. Open on weekdays continuously from 7 AM to midnight and on weekends from 7 AM to 2 AM. Online reservation.
© Jessica Elineau

The neighborhood: Vendôme.

Inside the walls: The very refined Hotel Castille, a 5-star establishment located on Paris’s chicest street (Cambon, of course), is still too little known. The menu at L’Assaggio was designed by Michelin-starred chef Ugo Alciati, showcasing specialties from Northern Italy. The ultimate highlight: the elegantly toned dining room opening onto an extraordinary tree-lined patio, where the fountain and fresco transport you into a Fellini movie.

At lunch: The best option at L’Assaggio for a quick lunch is the Business Lunch. A weekday set menu of Antipasti + Pasta + Dolce (dessert) for €45, changing every three or four days based on arrivals and the chef’s inspirations. For us: tuna tartare with citrus mayonnaise, spinach ravioli with tomato sauce (al dente, of course!), and a rum baba with whipped cream. Yum: they obviously bring a lovely basket of breads, crispy grissini, and ultra-soft homemade focaccia to dip in olive oil.

L’Assaggio, 37 rue Cambon, Paris 1st, 01 44 58 44 58. Open Tuesday to Friday from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM and 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM and Saturday from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM. Online reservation.
© Alban Couturier

The neighborhood: Étoile.

Inside the walls: The bon vivants of the French Riviera already gathered for dinner at Mido, a fancy hotspot during the Cannes Film Festival. From Cannes’s Carré d’Or to Paris’s Triangle d’Or, it was just one step! Now settled on Avenue Marceau, at the foot of L'Intercontinental Paris Champs-Élysées-Étoile, its decor is a traveler’s dream. In the kitchen, chef Christopher Brugnaux offers Nikkei cuisine, blending Japanese and South American flavors with sushis, ceviches, and tiraditos.

At lunch: The best quick option remains the Bento Box Signature (€55), featuring miso soup, spinach salad, then depending on the box choice (fish, meat, veggie): fish sashimis, poultry or veggie gyozas, salmon roll, miso salmon or teriyaki chicken, ultra-tender miso eggplant or a vegetarian roll, all served with white rice.

Mido, 64 avenue Marceau, Paris 8th. 01 88 81 21 24. Open every day for lunch and dinner. Online reservation.
© Pierre Baëlen

The Neighborhood: Faubourg Saint-Honoré.

Inside: One could easily have lunch here every day in this chic restaurant, where top lawyers and other notable figures from the district gather religiously. Les 110 de Taillevent is as famous for its vol-au-vent signature dish as it is for its extraordinary wine cellar. In fact, each appetizer and main course comes with suggested pairings: the wine references are noted on a small tag at the base of your glass, making it easy to take it with you and purchase the bottle directly from the shop just across the street…

For Lunch: The lunch menu offers an unbeatable price-to-quality ratio (€49). For instance, the current selection includes artichoke velouté, green lentil salad, sea bream fillet, veal kidneys with gratin dauphinois, and even a competitive millefeuille. But for your first visit, let yourself be tempted by the sublime vol-au-vent signature dish with sweetbreads and crayfish (€45) or the pithiviers of confit vegetables with truffle and truffle coulis (€30), which will surely impress your guests.

Les 110 Taillevent Paris, 195 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris 8e, 01 40 74 20 20. Open Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 14:30 and from 19:00 to 22:30, and Saturday and Sunday from 19:00 to 22:30. Online reservations available.
© Marie de Chesse - Marco Strullu - Julie Limont

The Neighborhood: Étoile.

Inside: Founded in 1985 by Chef Pascal Fayet, this establishment is one of the “great Italian” restaurants in Paris, where ministers, business leaders, and artists have their reserved spots! Taken over in 2019 by Franck Potier-Sodaro, a renowned oenologist and close associate of Pascal Fayet, this Italian institution continues to be a favorite for business meetings. A retro-cozy atmosphere, a grand dining room, three highly sought-after private lounges, an intimidating wine cellar with over 500 references, fine gastronomy, and impeccable service make Sormani a top-tier choice.

For Lunch: A €58 menu featuring an appetizer, main course, and dessert is an attractive deal considering the level of the establishment, with options like vegetable pizzette or beef carpaccio, linguine alla Boscaiola or risotto alla Milanese, and chestnut panna cotta or pineapple carpaccio. But our heart belongs to the house’s star dish: the legendary rigatoni with roasted lobster, perfectly al dente and absolutely divine—something you must try at least once in your life (€55)! Other highlights from the menu include the sea bass carpaccio with bottarga (€40) and, for meat lovers, the delicate veal piccata with lemon, tortellini, and morels (€48).

For dessert, indulge in the Gigantesco, a liter of vanilla ice cream with meringue and nougatine (€36), made for sharing—deliciously indulgent! Prefer something just for you? The tiramisu with caramel ice cream is simply breathtaking (€15)!

Sormani, 4 rue du Général Lanrezac, Paris 17e. 01 43 80 13 91. Open Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 14:00 and from 19:00 to 22:00. Online reservations available.

The Neighborhood: Opéra - Quatre Septembre.

Inside: Once owned by Gérard Depardieu, this iconic Opéra district institution is now in the hands of the Fitz Group (Hollywood Savoy, Vesper…), who are restoring its former glory. Along with its legendary terrace centered around a fountain worthy of a film set, the interior has been transformed by Madrid’s star designer Lazaro Rosa-Violán. His signature? Lavish tapestries, plush velvets, luxurious carpets, antique paintings, and a mix of materials like wood, marble, and mirrors, leaving no space untouched. Simply stunning!

For Lunch: In the kitchen, Marie-Victorine Manoa (formerly of Aux Lyonnais) presents generously elegant dishes, including wild mushroom tart (€23), herring with potatoes in oil (€22), celery pithiviers (€30), or steak tartare with fries (€32). Also noteworthy: a cool weekly special lineup, featuring braised beef cheek on Mondays, poultry in vin jaune on Wednesdays, and pot-au-feu on Thursdays (daily specials priced between €28 and €32). Nice touch! Psst: Be sure to mention if you’re on a tight schedule upon arrival.

La Fontaine Gaillon, 1 rue de la Michodière, Paris 2e. 01 83 64 82 94. Open daily from 12:00 to 2:00. Online reservations available.
© Yann Deret - Sarah Jocteur

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