The business lunch isn’t dead. It’s just changed shape. Gone are the days of three courses, a bottle of Chablis and a cab back to the office. Now it’s sparkling water and a single course. But the unspoken rules haven’t budged, they’ve just never been properly written down.
How a Business Lunch Ends Up in the Diary
There was a time when a business lunch came after years of knowing someone. You’d swapped emails, maybe done a bit of work together. Eventually one of you would suggest lunch and it’d feel like a natural thing to do.
That still happens, but it’s not the only way anymore. Plenty of these meetings now come through a UK appointment setting agency, where the guest has already been screened on budget and decision-making authority before anyone’s glanced at a menu.
Either way, the host books the restaurant. That part’s non-negotiable. They’ll usually confirm the day before by email or text. If you’re the guest and haven’t heard anything by 4pm, drop them a message.
Who Arrives First, and Where They Sit
The host gets there first. Five to ten minutes early is about right. If you’re the guest and you beat them to it, wait near the entrance or at the bar. Don’t sit down.
The host takes the worse spot: the one facing the wall or catching the draught. The guest gets the better view and the comfier chair. If there’s a banquette, the guest sits on it. You don’t announce any of this. You just do it.
When to Bring Up Business
This is where most people go wrong. Don’t mention the reason you’re both there until the main course arrives, at the earliest. The first twenty minutes are for small talk: the journey in, whether the weather’s turning, how the restaurant came recommended. It doesn’t need to be interesting, but it needs to be polite.
Once food’s on the table, the host will usually steer things towards business. If you’re the guest, let them lead. Some lunches never get to business at all, and that’s fine. The relationship is what matters.
The Question of Alcohol
Twenty years ago, wine at lunch was standard. Now, ordering a glass will get you a sideways look in most industries. The safe rule: follow the host. If they order wine, you can too. If they go for water, you go for water.
Media, publishing and the creative industries still treat a lunchtime glass as unremarkable. Finance and law, less so.
How Long You’re Expected to Stay
An hour to ninety minutes is normal. Anything under forty-five minutes feels rushed. Anything over two hours is a different kind of lunch entirely. The host will signal the end, usually by asking for the bill or glancing at their watch. If you need to leave first, mention it early.
How the Bill Gets Settled
The host will have sorted this in advance, either with a card behind the bar or by paying after the guest has gone. The goal is that nobody sees a bill and nobody reaches for a wallet.
Client entertaining isn’t deductible for corporation tax in the UK, and you can’t reclaim VAT on it either. That explains why the modern business lunch tends to involve a set menu at a mid-range place instead of a tasting menu somewhere with a six-month waiting list.