4 Bangkok business lunch oases

Come high noon in the capital, you’ll want to stay away from sweaty shophouses serving bowls of steaming noodles, and woks, like cauldrons, sending up plumes of smoke that make your eyes water if you're looking to conduct a business lunch. Try some of Bangkok's fancier international locales instead, or even if you simply prefer your meals cold, as in air-conditioned.

These four midday oases offer relaxed ambience, impeccable service and (often) lunchtime set menus that are incredible value for money. They also serve some of the city’s best international cuisine. 

Off Bangkok’s main vein of Sukhumvit, Le Beaulieu might be one of the best restaurants in the world -- hosted by a serviced apartment, that is. The non-descript location makes its brilliant haute French cuisine seem all the more remarkable. You have to be good to survive in this location and this one does.

Chef Herve Frerard, established as one of Bangkok’s best chefs, pulls it off with his flavorful soups, sauces and desserts. With ingredients sourced from the Thai king’s royal projects and around the world, a Frerard dish is always extremely fresh-tasting and elegantly balanced.

A three-course "Business Lunch" is only 495 baht ++ while the meatier three-course “Executive Lunch” is 795 baht ++. 

Ground floor of the Sofitel Residence on Sukhumvit Soi 19, BTS: Asoke, tel +66 (0)2 204 2004

Housed in a restored colonial-style home, Indigo feels more like an upscale restaurant you’d find in Phnom Penh or Hanoi than Bangkok, which is exactly its appeal. Enter the leafy patio area and the bustle of nearby Silom Road will feel as far away as either of those cities.

The cuisine here matches the atmosphere: homey and traditional. Mediterranean and French dishes, especially seafood ones, dominate the menu. You won’t find the delicacy of Chef Herve’s Le Beaulieu but a hearty, two-course meal for 340 baht ++ plus reasonably priced wine by the glass will leave you closer to a satisfying siesta.

6 Convent Road, BTS: Saladaeng, tel +66 (0)2 235 3268

Of all Bangkok’s hotels, The Four Seasons remains a favourite of local businesspeople, in part because of its combination of easy-going but professional service. Madsion Steakhouse, set off the courtyard area, epitomizes the clubby comfort of the hotel.

Designed by the famed Tony Chi, it's elegant yet cozy. Once seated, you can dive into an extensive a la carte menu or just stroll around the massive salad bar. Its lunch deal promises a two-course-meal (690 baht ++) or three-course-meal (740 baht ++) in less than 60 minutes. Of course, beef is the star here.  

Four Seasons Hotel on Rajdamri Road, BTS: Rajdamri, tel +66 (0)2 126 8866 

No one will ever call Jim Thompson House a tourist trap even though many tourists become trapped there. The problem is it’s hard to leave.

If the tour of the Silk King’s teak house doesn’t win you over then lazing by the lotus pond, snacking on prawn cakes or pomelo salad will snag you. The mixture of Thai and fusion cuisine here have more in common with a New York museum restaurant -- in other words, pretty tasty but not really worth a trip in itself -- but you can’t dismiss the charming cool of hanging out in the expatriate legend’s garden. Open only until 6pm.

Soi Kasemsan 2 near Siam Square, BTS: Siam, tel +66 (0)2 216 7368