The best restaurants in Raffles Place for business lunches

‘Value for money’ and ‘CBD’ aren’t usually mentioned in the same sentence but Beppe de Vito’s fine dining restaurant on Market Street bucks that convention. This osteria takes cuisine classics and updates them with modern techniques in à la carte, lunch and dinner menus. A section of the menu is dedicated to pastas, with the pork cheek pappardelle ($26) being one of the highlights. A light, red wine-laced sauce flavours al dente sheets of pasta and that final touch of seared bits of tender pulled pork is an inspired move. There's also a three-course power lunch priced at $48 available on weekdays.

Finding wholesome food in the CBD isn’t difficult at all, but Grain Traders is holding on to a winning ticket. The high-ceilinged space bears the good looks of a sun-kissed Aussie café cleverly worked into a chilled-out respite. The pick-and- mix bowls ($16) allow clean permutations with a base of salad greens, bulgur wheat or quinoa, roasted chicken and vibrant grilled and roasted vegetables. Even if you’re planning to go big on calories with grilled striploin or slow-roasted pork, white Japanese rice, fried garlic and shallots, bean salad and coconut curry sauce, the smiling counter staff are happy to oblige.

This casual restaurant has plenty to deserve a recommendation. Placed alongside the many food options in Marina Bay Financial Centre, the Nude name hints at the ‘nutritious and delicious’ philosophy applied to the small menu of seafood dishes. Crunchy red and white quinoa, topped with oozy onsen egg, accompanies a sticky-skinned, meaty fillet of Chilean bass and sesame-dressed sweet potato greens ($22). Pale Spanish mackerel is served alongside a garlicky risotto of pearl barley grains ($13). If eating clean is penance for weekend excesses, a meal at Nude is almost too easy.

This modern French Michelin-starred restaurant is housed in a long room on the second floor of One Fullerton, where tables of twos and threes get shimmery vistas of the Bay. Bigger groups of six can book a private room, or settle into one of the nooks carved out at the back of the echoey space. Helmed by Emmanuel Stroobant, meals are served in seasonal tasting menus: the four-course Classic menu ($148), the eight-course Discovery menu ($188) and the Adventure menu ($248). A meal here is for clients you really want to impress.

Housed in what used to be the Kwangtung Provincial Bank, this distinctive Art Deco space on Cecil Street has us feeling like Don Draper whenever we walk in. The handsome 130-seater ground floor dining room and showcase bar with the kitchen dishes out a two-course set menu during lunch that's priced at a cool $42. You get a starter like the refreshing blue swimmer crab salad and a main – we recommend its signature Black Swan Burger – and for an additional $6 you can also get a cheeky bite of dessert.

Lush greens, elegant furnishings and magnificent views of Marina Bay greet you as you step into this magical new CBD escape that is PS.Cafe One Fullerton. The latest outlet is its largest yet – spanning over 89sqm and accommodating up to 160 guests. Unwind in the bright and airy indoor area, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows and a private dining room that can accommodate up to ten. Pop in for a quick two-course executive lunch ($34) or stick to favourites like the PS. Truffle Shoestring Fries ($15), PS. Burger ($29) and the PS. Caesar Salad ($23) on its all-day menu.

With an onslaught of upscale steakhouses opening in the city, Wakanui stands out in a couple of ways. First, its location at the brand new Marina One complex means that it’s sure to be a favourite for business lunches and dinners, especially since there are three private rooms available if you prefer your meetings shrouded in secrecy. More importantly, its blend of quality produce from New Zealand prepared with Japanese sensibilities works – the meats are seductively simple and truly allowed to shine.

Take in picturesque views from Jade’s floor-to-ceiling windows, or be entranced by its recently refurbished interiors featuring pastel jade hues and specially commissioned wallpaper printed with birds that are native to Singapore. Modern Canto classics are served as a part of its set lunch (from $68) but if you don't mind a more casual experience, opt for the $58 dim sum lunch which has chef Leong Chee Yeng’s signature osmanthus char siew bao – the fluffy steamed buns are meaty and bear a hint of floral fragrance that perfumes each bite.

Decorated with feisty urban murals to reflect its philosophy and pop-culture credo, this 60-seater also prides itself on having fresh, well-sourced ingredients for innovative dishes. Set lunch options include a chirashi bowl ($40), Korubuta katsu curry ($26) and sushi sets that feature sever different types of nigiri ($36). Kinki also dispatches bento sets for office deliveries during lunch within the CBD.

Perched on the 43rd floor of the Ocean Financial Centre is Zafferano, an impressive circular space that boasts stunning views of Marina Bay from its floor-to-ceiling windows. Ideal for both intimate dates or client lunches, the Italian restaurant showcases seasonal produce in its dishes that are prepared by head chef Marco Guccio.