For executives and workers planning a business lunch or just one with friends, there are choices galore in Manhattan. Several varieties of cuisine may be found and a number of establishments receive five star ratings.

“Blake & Todd Restaurant” – and caterers – is a Midtown staple lunch stop for hungry local businessmen and women. They are known for their prompt, polite serving staff. Five-Star quality pizza and deli foods are their mainstay. Blake & Todd’s can handle last minute catering duties for office functions. They also deliver, so any lunchtime dining situation is easily covered.

The “21 Club” was originally a speakeasy with elaborate ways to dump the alcohol into the sewer system in the event of a Prohibition raid. Old traditions remain in its jacket-required policy. This landmark four-story townhouse contains a ground-floor bar that still holds a Capote-like air. Classic à la carte offerings such as crab-crusted halibut, grilled venison, elk and bacon-wrapped wild boar and Berkshire pork belly comfit may be more expensive than the lunch crowd ordinarily pays. The Club also offers a more affordable prix-fixe menu that contains savory choices to suit everyone’s taste.

“The Modern” is a Midtown restaurant inside the Museum of Modern Art. Its French cuisine focuses on Alsatian specialties that feed the body while the surrounding art feeds the eyes and soul. The dining room offers magnificent views of the Sculpture Garden. Their casual Bar Room provides the same wonderful menu only with smaller snack-sized portions. The location and affordability of lunch at “The Modern” make it a favorite stop for the hungry Manhattan lunch crowd.

The “Bukhara Grill” is one more Five-Star eating establishment in Manhattan – Midtown East – serving traditional Indian cuisine. Its cozy evening atmosphere provides the perfect surroundings for a romantic date. This is the restaurant’s best known quality. Luncheon crowds, however, are more interested in the remarkable quality of the food. The quiet atmosphere and serving staff that won’t hover during the meal make it a great place to conduct a lunch meeting or visit with a group of friends.

“Cibo” is located in Midtown East Manhattan. It offers fantastic contemporary Italian dishes to please any diner. Its menu includes veal tenderloin, New Zealand baby lamb rack and Tuscan white bean ravioli. The décor verges on the outlandish, filling the space with knick-knacks and frills that tend to grab the patrons’ attention. The attentive staff and fantastic flavors of the food make up for any distraction.

These restaurants are a small sample of the variety available to Manhattan residents and workers who want an enjoyable lunchtime meal.