At lunch, the main course seals the deal

The Life: If you need to shine while you dine to clinch that big business deal, here Rupert Wright looks at the best places to do so.

The new Jones the Grocer in Khalidiyah. Silvia Razgova / The National

Many of the biggest business deals are conceived over lunch, the terms scrawled out on napkins as executives parry between courses.

Q&A: Get down to business - slowly

Last Updated: June 1, 2011

Why should I have lunch with somebody? Isn't it easier just to phone them? You're missing the point. It's your chance to wine and dine them, impress them with your charm and seduce them. And leave them with a sense of obligation. After all, there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Point taken. So what are the key things to remember? Don't order food that you can't eat with dignity. For example, avoid pasta unless you grew up in Italy. And steer clear of oysters or asparagus unless you know how to eat them with confidence – with asparagus it's de rigueur to use your fingers. Attack them with a knife and fork and you risk being considered uncouth, with no idea of how to behave properly.

Should I launch straight into business? Under no circumstances. Think of it as a gradual affair, starting slowly and working up to the business in hand. Certainly nothing business related until the main course.

Should we split the bill? On no account. But make sure your credit card is working or better still, carry a bundle of cash.

But choosing the right locale, with the right crowd, is critical.

Here in Abu Dhabi, managers at Mubadala Development can be seen lunching in Jones the Grocer on 4th Street, while the big cheeses at Adia prefer Vasco's, the Portuguese restaurant on the Corniche.

A new popular lunch spot for the ladies is the Cafe Arabia, where the well-groomed can mingle with the well-heeled and a smattering of journalists from Abu Dhabi Media's offices.

The most serious lunches - and the most expensive - take place at the Emirates Palace Hotel, the community centre that at about midday doubles as a canteen.

Mezzaluna is popular for its light Italian food, while the Emirati restaurant Mezlai is a good choice particularly if you are dining with locals. The opening of a new branch of Jones the Grocer in Khalidiyah, is good news for companies with offices nearby. At the moment they go to Firenze, an Italian cafe for pasta, sandwiches and grilled dishes, or to the Khalidiyah Mall, to the food hall that smells of caramel. And there's another Jones opening soon in Al Raha Beach, although that's quite a way to go for lunch.

Of course, if you don't have the time or the inclination to leave your airconditioned conference room, you can either order in sandwiches that come down from Dubai, or call in one of the local delivery men.

From midday to past 3pm every day a stream of pizzas, curries and burgers are brought in and somehow consumed in our offices. No wonder few journalists live beyond the age of 50.

For the rest of the UAE's business crowd, there may not be such a lunching culture as in Paris, London or New York, but it's beginning to catch on.

Top 5: Business lunch spot

1 Toki

2 Mezzaluna

3 Jones the Grocer

4 Cafe Arabia

5 Yacht Club

One Emirati friend, who has a chef prepare her meals to ensure she eats healthy food, says she is the outlier. "I'm probably the only GCC national who carries a lunchbox," she says.

The Quote: "Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what's for lunch." Orson Welles