Best business lunch spots in Sydney's CBD

A business meeting over a meal does not have to be minus the mirth. Whether you need to brainstorm with colleagues, plot a Machiavellian takeover, grab a quick power lunch or buy some sandwiches to eat at the boardroom, there are plenty of fabulous inner-city venues to match your corporate mood.

Grab lunch on the go @ Bridge St Garage Bar & Deli

While Bridge St Garage may well be a top spot to linger for a long work meeting, those keen to smash their sales targets might be better placed to grab a quick bite at the new Garage Bar & Deli, which you can access via the back entrance in Bridge Lane. Grab and go a toasted sourdough sanga with slow-cooked brisket, grated spiced tomato, salad and salsa. Garage Bar & Deli, 17-19 Bridge Street (access via Bridge Lane), 9251 9392, bridgestgarage.com.au

Enjoy a long, boozy lunch @ Alpha

You will feel as if you have won the corporate lottery if you can afford to remain ensconced on one of the comfortable banquettes at Alpha all arvo. Midweek, this gorgeous space attracts a mostly suit-and-tie crowd because of its central location, gorgeous Grecian-inspired interior, friendly waiters and fabulous food. Loosen the tie over a few bottles of Greek wine matched with food made to share: taramasalata with triangles of pita, barrel-aged feta, eggplant moussaka and the 12-hour spit roast of suckling lamb with lemon roast potatoes and stuffed artichokes. 238 Castlereagh Street, Sydney, 9098 1111, alpharestaurant.com.au

Food with a view @ Balla and Pizzaperta

Impress the boss with a lunch booking at Balla, where the Fancy a Quickie option is made to please time-poor, budget-conscious business bods. Express lunch options include one, two or three-course menus with dishes such as chicken-liver pate with grilled ciabatta, twisted pasta with snapper, tomato, chilli and garlic or a wood-fired whole fish of the day. Nearby, Pizzaperta is another Star attraction and top place for a Friday tipple. 80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont, 1800 700 700, star.com.au

Close a deal with discretion @ 117 Dining

Moody lighting and a discreet dining room help ensure your meeting with a high-profile media mogul won't be fodder for the gossip columns the next day. Sweeten the deal with a feast that includes Hutt River marron crayfish with persimmon, slow-cooked short rib and foraged mushroom or take it up a notch with an indulgent Taste of Truffles degustation dinner. Take a seat at the luxurious bar to toast your promising new partnership. InterContinental Sydney, 117 Macquarie Street, Sydney, 9253 9000, icsydney.com.au

Quick healthy bite @ Lotus Dumpling Bar

Escape the drudgery of your desk and power walk to Walsh Bay, which will really get the creative juices flowing. This contemporary Asian eating house is about as far from the cut and thrust of corporate life as it gets and a go-to choice for creatives who have an edgy clientele. Gorge guilt-free on gorgeous xiao long bao (Shanghai soup dumplings), before dashing back up the sandstone stairs to the office. Expect cameos of dancers, celebrities and models, who are known to pop in for a pre or post-show lunch or dinner. 3/16 Hickson Road, Dawes Point, 9251 8328, lotusrestaurant.com.au

Plot a takeover @ glass brasserie

The credit-crunch-defying corporate lunch for under $30 in glass wine bar includes options such as a wagyu burger with fries, pork and veal shish kebabs, or a quesadilla with a complimentary beverage. In the evenings, the restaurant's central CBD location makes it a popular choice for the grand poobahs of big business. Plot your next move while ordering with confidence off the a-la-carte menu, which includes snapper fillet, crispy prawns, Thai salad and spicy broth or sumac-spiced venison loin with coffee, parsnip, pickled cherries and chocolate jalapeno sauce. Level 2, 488 George Street, Sydney, 9265 6068, glassbrasserie.com.au

Lunch for a fiver @ Sydney Porkrolls

For those with deep pockets, you can't go past the banh mi thit, named Sydney's best pork roll in the CBD by food blogger Thang Ngo, of Noodlies. You won't need to worry about blowing the corporate expense account when you take a colleague to lunch at this hole in the wall. 627 George Street, Sydney.

A pub meal and a pint @ Le Pub

Join fellow power brokers to contemplate profit and loss ratios over French-inspired cuisine and a pint of pilsner at Le Pub. The fact that Le Pub runs through the guts of the CBD means business is brisk at the underground bunker, which is a magnet for everyone from publishers to politicians. Bond with your workmates over French fare such as cassoulet de canard or pie au boeuf bourguignon and then beat a hasty retreat out the back entrance in York Street if the boss discovers where you've been for half the day. 66 King Street, Sydney, 9262 3277, lepub.com.au

Good food in a timely fashion @ Pei Modern Sydney

Send a strong message to time-poor business associates by advocating a power lunch at Pei Modern. The Eat Pei Quick menu changes daily and includes two courses for $39 or three courses for $49 with tea or coffee. Join captains of industry for elegant entrees such as watermelon, mint and peas or Spring Bay mussels, jamon and organic zucchini, or fancy mains such as strip loin, grilled cucumber and caramelised yoghurt. Four Seasons Hotel, 199 George Street, Sydney, 9250 3160, peimodern.com.au

Schmooze a major client @ Rockpool Bar and Grill

Neil Perry's Rockpool Bar and Grill has the sort of decadent dining room purpose built for deal making. With its Italian leather chairs, soaring ceilings, heavy drapes and tinkling jazz tunes, the 1936 Emil Sodersten-designed art-deco skyscraper in the CBD is as much about pageantry as productivity. If you're going to try to grease the wheels of a major business deal, this sexy two-hatted steakhouse is the place to do it. Impress your colleague by ordering an over-the-top selection of wood-fired meats and seafood and wines chosen from a world-class list. 66 Hunter Street, Sydney, 8078 1900, rockpool.com