Business lunches are always a fine balance between finding a place that respects your busy schedule and equally delivers value for money. As the President of the Vietnamese chapter of La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, the world’s oldest and most respected gastronomic and hospitality society, it’s my job to stay on top of what’s happening in the F&B and Hospitality industries throughout Vietnam, while showing the world that this country offers more than cheap beers and plastic stools.
My top restaurant picks might just give you enough confidence to venture out for a great business lunch away from your regular haunt. As always, don’t forget to call or message ahead (normally Facebook is the quickest messaging method) as good places can become popular quickly.
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have some great options for dining, but business lunches can be risky. The restaurants need to be able to provide the right type of atmosphere for conversation, serve excellent food, and have quick and quality service. Many venues offer one or two of these criteria but it is rare to find all three.
Restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City
The Reverie Boutique
57- 69F Dong Khoi, District 1
Nestled inside the Reverie Saigon Hotel on the second floor (take the escalator up from the Dong Khoi entrance), the Reverie Boutique offers light meals or gourmet bites including salads, sandwiches, pizzas and simple pastas to order.
Price-point is approx. 200k VND to 400k VND per person for lunch and seating is ideal for 2-3pax.
Open seven days a week.
Agave
13 Pasteur, District 1
The post-pandemic revamp of Macho Taco is located on the second floor of 13 Pasteur in District 1. Only metres away from Vo Van Kiet and Ham Nghi, Agave has plenty of low-traffic ingress and egress to get you to your next meeting on time. Agave is a substantial upgrade from its predecessor, featuring an expanded menu with truly authentic flavours from all of Mexico. The super spicy confit of pork Macho Taco remains on the menu. If a liquid-supplemented lunch is your thing, their tequila and mezcal list continues to expand, and the Michelada is a must-try.
Expect to pay around 160k VND to 250k VND per person and seating is ideal for groups of 2, 4 or even 6.
Open seven days a week.
P’Ti Saigon
52 Ngô Quang Huy, Thảo Điền, District 2
Thao Dien has become quite the culinary epicentre since Covid, with dozens of new eateries seemingly opening up monthly. P’Ti Saigon, with their highly-skilled and decorated Executive Chef, Sakal Phoeung, is, and remains, the bastion of fine dining in the Thu Duc District. It features chic al-fresco dining, indoor dining, and a welcoming bar top allowing for seating configurations of any size.
Guests can expect a two or three-course set menu, which is revised daily, ringing in at between 250k VND and 300k VND, with wine accompaniment for approximately 180k VND to 200k VND per glass.
Open every day except Monday.
Red & Round
15 Hung Gia 3, District 7
If it’s a perfect pizza that you crave, Red & Round in District 7’s Phu My Hung area is a superb choice. Pizzas are cooked by the Biga method (40 hours of dough prep, making the pizza crispier and easier to digest), and are delivered within a short time of your order.
A Margherita pizza will set you back 130k, whereas the award-winning truffle and salmon pizza goes for 309k. A shot of limoncello to finish the meal is complimentary. Seating is ideal for groups of 2 or 4.
Open seven days a week.
Restaurants in Hanoi
Culina
142 P. Tu Hoa, Tay Ho District
The newest entrant to the Vietnamese upscale dining scene has arrived with Culina Gastro Café & Modern Dining, located in Hanoi’s West Lake District. Chef Nico Ceccomoro presents menu items to cater to a broad range of clientele whether it be café-goers on the main level craving a coffee, tea, pastry or small panini with imported ingredients (40k VND – 60k VND), to a full dry-aged Australian Wagyu tenderloin, 1.8 million VND.
Downstairs, seating best accommodates 2 to 4. Upstairs and on the lakeside deck, the restaurant can accommodate larger groups.
Open seven days a week.
Colette
12 P. Lo Su, Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem District
Colette French Bistro & Wine Bar is the newest iteration of Colette 32, a wine bar that got its name by offering 32 different wines by the glass). Colette is now located on Lo Su Street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, close enough to main thoroughfares that you can get in and get out quickly. Don’t worry, despite the name change, there are still 32 wines by the glass available, and the restaurant has a 395k lunch deal featuring a soft drink, a starter, a main, a dessert and tea or coffee to finish. Wine extra.
Open every day except Monday.
About Raj Taneja:
Raj Taneja is a Canadian-born technologist and investment banker who found his passion for good food and upscale hospitality at a young age. He is the President of the Vietnamese chapter of la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, the world’s oldest and most-respected gastronomic and hospitality non-profit society with over 25,000 members in 90 countries. His role in Vietnam is to assemble the people who care about the advancement of Vietnam’s culinary and hospitality scenes while preserving this country’s rich history and culture. You can find out more at www.rotisseurs.vn.
