What is a business lunch, and why is it better value than dinner?

A business lunch is a weekday midday set menu that's usually noticeably cheaper than the same restaurant's dinner. For a lot of people the biggest draw is being able to try high-end restaurants — ones you'd rarely splurge on at dinner — at a relatively affordable price.

For a first high-end business lunch, which category is the safest bet?

Steak is the most reliable. The names that came up most often on Threads are nearly all upscale steakhouses — A CUT, Smith & Wollensky, Morton's, Yaju Steak, Texas Roadhouse, and APreezz Steak & Wine. For a first high-end business lunch, steak is the least likely to disappoint.

Which business lunches suit a quiet, chatty weekday meal?

Sushi and Japanese restaurants tend to be calmer and steadier, which makes them better for a meal where you actually want to talk — for example Yo Sushi, MARU Sushi, and Chen Shou.

Taipei Business Lunch Guide｜Threads' Top Steak, Yakiniku & Sushi Picks (With Map)

A while back I saw a Threads post sharing a business-lunch list packed with high-rated restaurants that Taipei locals keep to themselves. I wanted to save it before the original post disappeared, so I plotted the places onto a map to slowly work through later.

My takeaway from putting this together: people's tastes are very concentrated — mostly steak, yakiniku, and Japanese food. If you're hunting for a Taipei business lunch for a get-together, a date, or just to treat yourself, this list is worth adding to your plans on the spot.

Many thanks again to this Threads post for sharing: original post

Taipei Business Lunch Map

I plotted the places mentioned on Threads onto an interactive map — you can check rough locations, ratings, and Google Maps links right here:

37 個地點 · © OpenStreetMap在 Google Maps 開啟完整清單 →

👉 You can also head to the Taipei Business Lunch · Map Collection to browse this list.

The Full Business Lunch List

Steak / American

APreezz Steak & Wine 艾朋牛排餐酒館
Texas Roadhouse 德州鮮切牛排 (Minsheng)
Texas Roadhouse 德州鮮切牛排 (Songgao)
A CUT Steakhouse 牛排館
Smith & Wollensky Taipei
Morton's The Steakhouse 莫爾頓牛排館
Lawry's The Prime Rib 勞瑞斯牛肋排餐廳
AJ Grill
Stanley's American Steak 史坦利美式牛排 (Fuxing)
Julie's Garden 茱莉金牛排餐酒館
Yaju Steak 雅室牛排 (Dazhi / Ren'ai Roundabout)
Hong Lu Steakhouse 紅爐牛排館

Yakiniku / Wagyu

Akatora 燒肉の名門赤虎 (Neihu)
Le Palais Wagyu 樂軒和牛專門店
Le Palais Matsusaka 樂軒松阪亭
Kanpai 老乾杯 (Xinyi / Nanxi / Qingcheng / Dazhi / SOGO Fuxing)

Sushi / Japanese

Yo Sushi 游壽司 (Zhongshan / Jinhua / Lishui)
MARU Sushi 丸壽司
Chen Shou 千壽
Jiujing 九井自慢料理

Other

Hua Xiang Teppanyaki 花香廳鐵板燒 (Brother Hotel)
Ji Yuan Sichuan 驥園川菜餐廳
Wei Lu Pickled Cabbage Hotpot 圍爐酸菜白肉火鍋
Deer's Hotpot Bistro 初衷小鹿
Hao日子 Korean Bar 好日子韓酒館
AL CICCHETTO HUASHAN BISTRO
L'IDIOT GRILL & PASTA 驢子餐廳

Taipei Steak Business Lunch Picks

The names that came up most often on Threads were almost all high-end steakhouse business lunches. For a lot of people (this stingy author included), the biggest appeal of a business lunch is being able to enjoy a high-end restaurant — one that's hard to justify at dinner — for a relatively affordable price.

A CUT Steakhouse
Smith & Wollensky Taipei
Morton's The Steakhouse
Yaju Steak
Texas Roadhouse
APreezz Steak & Wine

If it's your first time trying a higher-priced business lunch, I think steak is the least likely category to disappoint.

Taipei Yakiniku Business Lunch Picks

Besides steak, Taipei yakiniku business lunches were also a very hotly discussed category this time.

Le Palais Matsusaka 樂軒松阪亭
Le Palais Wagyu 樂軒和牛專門店
Kanpai 老乾杯
Akatora 燒肉の名門赤虎 (Neihu)

The last time I had yakiniku I even went all the way to Taichung — looks like Taipei's yakiniku is worth a try too.

Taipei Sushi / Japanese Business Lunch Picks

Sushi and Japanese food were also a popular category on this list.

Yo Sushi 游壽司 (Zhongshan)
MARU Sushi 丸壽司
Chen Shou 千壽

If you're sensitive to noise, or want a business lunch suited to a relaxed weekday chat, Japanese tends to be the safer bet.

A Few More Unusual Business Lunches

1. Brother Hotel — Hua Xiang Teppanyaki 花香廳鐵板燒

Mid-to-high-end teppanyaki rarely offers a business lunch, so when I saw someone recommend this one on Threads, it went straight onto my must-eat list. If you already love teppanyaki, this one feels well worth making time for.

2. Ji Yuan Sichuan 驥園川菜餐廳

Ji Yuan is one of Taipei's notoriously hard-to-book restaurants. Someone recommended polishing off the chicken-soup set (a two-person portion) solo for the business lunch — clearly it's hard to book for a reason.

3. Hotel COZZI 和逸飯店

Threads also mentioned the business lunch at a restaurant inside Hotel COZZI. Hotel restaurants usually have steadier environments and service, so if you happen to be nearby, I think it's a solid option for a get-together.

The One I Most Want to Try

If I had to pick the single restaurant I'm most looking forward to on this Taipei business lunch list, it'd still be Le Palais Matsusaka 樂軒松阪亭. I mean, sukiyaki + yakiniku — delicious plus delicious, it can't be bad, right?

If you have your own Taipei business lunch recommendations, or other hidden gems worth saving, feel free to share — let's all be Taipei foodies together. 😎