It’s officially back to school (or work for those of us in the professional world) after the summer break.

And as things ramp up in September and we head into the final quarter of the year, we’re all about to be booked and busy, especially in Dubai. But the best way to mix business with pleasure in the city? A business lunch, of course.

In Dubai, a midday meeting can mean a table overlooking the skyline, a dining room designed to impress, and a menu that makes an hour away from the office feel more indulgent. From DIFC power spots to Palm Jumeirah locations, GRAZIA brings you a list of business lunch offers for your next office escape.

Zuma

A Dubai business lunch list would feel incomplete without Zuma. The DIFC institution keeps its weekday offering relatively streamlined, with a Dhs159 menu built around two dishes and miso soup. Sushi, gyoza and robot feature among the choices, making it an easy option when you want somewhere recognisably luxurious without committing to a long lunch. The setting and reputation do most of the rest.

Estiatorio Milos

This location will make the midday meal feel like an occasion. Set within Atlantis The Royal, the Greek restaurant offers a three-course lunch for Dhs200, with views across the hotel’s fountains. The menu moves from grilled octopus to the fish of the day or Black Angus tenderloin, before finishing with traditional Greek Karydopita.

Il Gattopardo

Italian dining gets a distinctly Dubai treatment at Il Gattopardo, perched on the 51st floor of ICD Brookfield Place. The restaurant pairs its Mayfair-inspired interiors with expansive skyline views, while the weekday business lunch comes at Dhs155 for three courses.

Shanghai Me

Shanghai Me brings together Chinese and Japanese influences in a setting inspired by the energy and opulence of 19030s Shanghai. Its current business lunch offers a choice of soup, appetiser, and main for Dhs130, or a four-course version for Dhs170. With the menu changing weekly, expect dishes spanning everything from dim sum and sesame prawns to Szechuan beef and shredded duck.

SUSHISAMBA

If the brief is luxury with a little more energy, SUSHISAMBA delivers. Sitting high in Palm Tower with the perfect panoramic setting, It’s Vivo Business Lunch brings together Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian influences, with miso soup, two starters and a main. The menu is Dhs168, or Dhs219 if you want to add a drink.

La Petite Maison (LPM)

There’s a reason LPM remains a DIFC favourite when lunch needs to feel elevated but still work within a busy schedule. Its Le Petit Menu offers two courses, while the Le Grand Menu stretches to three courses for Dhs185. The menu also changes with the season, so the experience never feels the same.

Josette

Inside ICD Brookfield Place, the Parisian restaurant’s theatrical interiors set the tone before the first course arrives. Their business lunch offers a two-course meal of a starter plus a main course for Dhs135 and a more substantial option of two starters, a main course and a dessert for Dhs185. Expect French classics in a setting that is almost as memorable as the meal itself.

Ristorante Loren

For a business lunch with a little Italian glamour, Ristorante Loren brings three courses of classic Italian cooking to West Beach. The weekday business lunch menu includes dishes such as burrata, truffle-topped artichokes and porcini risotto, with desserts rounding things off for Dhs160.

Mina Brasserie

At Four Seasons Hotel DIFC, Mina Brasserie makes a convincing case for a classic hotel business lunch. The setting is elegant and understated, while the weekday menu offers two or three courses, with the three-course option priced at Dhs190. Coffee, tea or ice cream is included, making it an easy choice for a meeting that needs to feel polished but not overly formal.

Gloria Osteria

A business lunch that feels more like a trip to Milan than a break between meetings. Gloria Osteria Dubai brings Italian flair to DIFC. Set at The Ritz-Carlton, the Big Mamma Group restaurant leans into a lively, distinctly Milanese atmosphere, with Italian classics given playful touches. Its weekday business lunches start at Dhs115 for two courses and Dhs150 for three, with dishes including piccola caprese, carpaccio di vitello, spaghetti cacao e quattro pepi and lobster spaghetti, followed by the unbeatable classic tiramisu for dessert.

Ce LA Vi

For a business lunch with a view that does most of the talking, CÉ LA VI is hard to beat. Perched 54 floors above Downtown Dubai at Address Sky View, the Michelin-recognised restaurant pairs modern Asian cuisine with sweeping views of the Burj Khalifa. Its award-winning three-course business lunch is currently available Sunday to Friday from Dhs125, with a Grand Business Lunch option at Dhs180. Signature dishes include the Black Truffle Sushi Rice, Risotto and Mango Basil Tart.

China Tang Dubai

Located in The Lana in Business Bay, the restaurant brings refined Cantonese cooking into an elegant setting overlooking Downtown. Its weekday business lunch is Dhs148 for two courses or Dhs168 for three, with a beverage included.

Le Petit Beefbar

This place brings a relaxed Art Deco brasserie mood to DIFC. Created by Riccardo Giraudi, the restaurant pairs mirrored ceilings, wood-panelled walls and a buzzy atmosphere with Beefier classics and playful street food. Its business lunch runs daily 11:30am to 4pm, with two options: Dhs125 for one street food and one comfort dish, or Dhs160 for two street food dishes and a comfort dish. Think avocado tzatziki, KFC, quesadillas and dragon shrimps followed by steak frites, lasagna or lacquered salmon.

Alici

Alici’s Pranzo in Costiera brings the Amalfi Coast to Bluewater’s. The weekday lunch focuses on Southerns Italian flavors and seasonal ingredients, with options such as burrata, seafood pasta, fried calamari and cannoli. At Dhs155 for a starter and a main and Dhs180 for plus dessert. It is slightly more relaxed interpretation of the luxury business lunch; one that happens to come with a Mediterranean state of mind.

Avli by Tashas

A Greek-inspired destination located in Gate Village Building 9 at DIFC features marble floors inlaid with gold mosaic and interiors inspired by the artistry of the Cyclades. Their business lunch offer includes a choice of a starter and a main for Dhs139. The perfect choice to experience the Mediterranean hospitality on a weekday and take a moment to enjoy yourself.

Chic Nonna

The Italian restaurant at the heart of DIFC offers a great business lunch deal of two courses for Dhs130 and three courses for Dhs140. Antipasti options like Pizzetta marinara and Gamberi e Caponata, Caserecce al Pesto and Filetto di Salmone for the main and of course a tiramisu or a gelato for dessert. Available Monday to Friday, 12 PM to 4 PM.

La Niña

A Latino-Iberian cuisine with vibrant flavours. The business lunch deals are Dhs115 for a starter and a main, Dhs155 for two starters and a main and Dhs180 for two starters, a main and dessert. Think Wagyu Crudo, Tartar de Turner, Salmon al Horno, Carne asada and to finish off, Aguacate, Flan or a Sorbete. The kind of experience that lingers long after and makes you want to go back for more.

The Artisan

There will never be enough Italian restaurants, and for good reason. Located in the luxurious Waldorf Astoria DIFC, The Artisan offers authentic Italian cuisine with business lunch deals starting from Dhs95 for a main dish and a soft drink or coffee, a two-course meal for Dhs119, and a three-course one for Dhs135. Pizzetta, pasta, risotto and many other options that you can choose from.

Sexy Fish

Sexy Fish brings its signature sense of drama to DIFC. The Japanese-inspired restaurant pairs sushi, seafood and robata-grilled dishes with immersive interiors by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio filled with Damien Hirst artworks, while its terrace looks out towards the Burj Khalifa. Its Kanso business lunch is Dhs158 for three courses, served Monday to Friday, with a detox shot and edamame hummus to begin. The menu moves through options including prawn gyoza, black cod croquettes and yellowtail maki.