The best restaurants for business negotiations. Etiquette rules: business lunch

The life of the metropolis is in full swing, and the main question today is where to spend business meeting with business partners in Moscow. What should young entrepreneurs do if a boring office no longer inspires great achievements, and it is expensive to drive customers to expensive restaurants? There is an exit! Sweet Smoke is the best cafe for business meetings! Moscow knows and loves this place.

In the Middle East, the hookah has long been an indispensable attribute of important negotiations, but not only Arab princes appreciated the benefits of fragrant smoke, which helps create a warm, trusting atmosphere. Time spent in a hookah lounge flies by unnoticed, and work turns into pleasure.

Recently, our business elite also prefers to hold business meetings in Moscow exclusively over a hookah pipe. Why do people choose us? We asked this question to frequent visitors to Sweet Smoke. All who wrote their review received a free hookah and a cup of coffee as a gift.

Denis (realtor): "This restaurant is ideal for business meetings. It is located a five-minute walk from my office, there is convenient parking, and it is easy for my clients to find a building in the city center. The main thing, of course, is hookahs. I have traveled far and wide in Russia, but such a rich choice I haven't seen any tobacco anywhere. I like to treat guests to my favorite Starbuzz Blue Mist - it's always on sale here."

"Comfortable, soft sofas that traditional business meeting places cannot boast of. Pleasant lighting, calm music, upholstered furniture. For hookah and coffee you can sit for hours. I sometimes come here just to surf the internet. I often recommend this cafe to my friends."

Michael (entrepreneur): "Now I have somewhere to spend my weekends. For meetings in Moscow, I always choose Sweet Smoke. You can always try something new and make useful contacts. Businessmen, accountants, lawyers, officials ... hookah unites everyone. Common enthusiasm helps completely different people find language with each other. It is easy and pleasant to hold a business meeting here."

"When my friend decided to open his own cafe - I advised him to first visit Sweet Smoke. Now he opens his own institution with a hookah and a game of Mafia. Surprisingly, the local administrator helped him with the selection of tobacco, you don't meet such people every day."

Pavel (insurance agent): "I have two favorite places where to negotiate with clients in Moscow. If the client is a non-smoker, I take him to a Chinese restaurant. If he smokes, only here. I tried hookah myself five years ago - I like to treat myself from time to time. Here I like an excellent tobacco card.

Large selection of my favorite tobaccos, and if you have money, you can take Tangiers (expensive moissel from the USA). The employees of the cafe also know how to cook excellent hookahs on fruits, where grapefruit, pineapple or coconut are used instead of the usual silicone or ceramic bowl. On Mondays there are discounts on them, I always take the opportunity."

Elena (assistant to a deputy of the Moscow City Duma): "I live in Khimki, and if there is a business meeting in the center, I might be a little late. My guests are not bored here, they can smoke hookah, play on the console ... A good choice berry tea. Prices in Sweet Smoke are low, we order a hookah for 490 rubles and sit all evening. The staff does not bother, you can work calmly.

I am a non-smoker, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found out about tobacco-free blends. They look like fruit jam and taste the same. As the waitresses explained to me, there is no nicotine and tar in them - only harmless vapor. As if you find yourself in a fairy tale "1001 nights", I do not regret at all that I chose this place."

Attention, action!

Now you know exactly where to negotiate with a business partner if you do not have an office. Here, over a pipe and a cup of coffee, serious people solve problems, make useful contacts and make money.

The prices here are low, but you can save extra if you follow our promotions. We remind you that each new visitor receives a valuable gift from the institution. V daytime discount - 30%, and that's not all ...

"Svit Smok" is a restaurant ideal for business meetings. Moscow, st. Petrovka, 17. We are waiting for you from 13:00 to 00:00. We work until the last client. To ensure that your work meeting goes off without a hitch, we recommend booking a table in advance, especially if there will be a lot of guests. Call now.

Choosing a place for a business meeting is a responsible task. If the music is too loud, and instead of chairs there are relaxing sofas, then it will be more difficult to make the right impression on the interlocutor. In the first issue of the “Question” column, frequent participants in business meetings tell how not to make a mistake with the choice. In this section, we will answer questions that concern entrepreneurs. Submit your topic suggestions to [email protected] marked "question".

Oksana Belyaeva Director of Marketing Department consulting company IPT Group

Our clients are well-known businessmen and have presented large companies so it is important that the place is not too crowded. At the same time, the level of the institution is an important fact. A prerequisite is the absence of a deposit in the institution, this obliges. The location must be chosen neutral for both sides. It is better to discuss this with the customer: taking into account the traffic congestion in Moscow, any place in the center may not be suitable. But there are also traditionally accessible streets - for example, on Bolshaya Nikitskaya you can almost always find a parking space. In 85% of cases, our clients make an appointment during lunch. I think this is a universal option.

In the business community, it is customary to choose establishments with European cuisine. If you have a choice, book a table in a room where there is no loud music and not so many people. It will be good if there is an outlet near your table. Now rarely come to meetings without a laptop. Do not choose tables with sofas, they distract from the working mood. A corner table with chairs is best. Chairs should be with a margin so that it is convenient to put the bag.

Service staff also matters at business meetings. It is advisable to warn the administrator about the upcoming event before the arrival of customers and give necessary instructions. We ask you not to interrupt the conversation during an intense conversation, to follow the signals of the meeting participants and not to joke. The wishes are harsh, but if the waiter neglects them, he will become an annoying factor in the meeting. In one place we had a meeting with a client on the issue of deoffshorization, and the waiter there began the conversation with an obligatory joke. The situation was serious, and in the midst of a conversation, a waiter approached us with a joke about hiding income. Perhaps, in another situation, we would have laughed at the coincidence, but in our case, the client began to worry that the waiter heard our conversation. But in any case, never be rude to the waiter and do not swear with the staff. Such moments are especially noticed by top managers of companies, they will draw conclusions about your behavior.

It is better to look at the menu in advance on the restaurant's website (if it is not available, then find out about interesting dishes in a preliminary conversation by phone). In this case, you will not waste time looking for what you need in the menu and will be able to help the interlocutor with the choice. It's very accommodating. There will be an awkward situation if someone orders food, and someone only drinks coffee. Adjust to your customer.

Inna Alekseeva CEO PR Partner

Foreign clients prefer to meet near the hotels where they are staying. This happens to be very convenient. For example, in a Swiss Hotel, you can ask restaurants to allocate a separate area and not to seat other visitors nearby. In addition to silence and unobtrusive service, parking and transport accessibility are extremely important, so the most successful restaurants in this regard are located either in shopping and office centers (Lotte Plaza) or in separate buildings inside the ring (Gusyatnikoff). It also matters who you meet. You can meet with an old client in the morning at Bagel, but if you are meeting for the first time, then the place must be chosen more carefully. Many foreigners and regionals are very fond of going to restaurants like Pushkin and Turandot: the first are attracted by the cuisine and the name itself, and the second by pathos. Although I personally prefer French cuisine restaurants, modest and unpretentious, such as Ragout. When Lent was on, we were looking for establishments with a Lenten menu. Usually, assistants agree on the menu in advance by phone, as well as who and how will pay for the meeting. It is important to choose neutral, non-kitchen restaurants. For example, "Dr. Zhivago on Mokhovaya is good in terms of cuisine, service and bills, but still too tied to the Soviet theme. Panels and red carnations on the tables are not always appropriate. We never take our foreign clients to their restaurants. national cuisines, because what they serve there is usually very different from what they are used to in their homeland, especially the Chinese and Japanese.

Mikhail Simonov President of the Russian Association of Marketing Services

Over the past three years, approximately 70% of my business decisions have been made in restaurant meetings. The status of the restaurant should correspond not only to the level of the interlocutor, but also to the level of the issues discussed. I discussed issues of affiliation with the head of a large international agency in Pushkin. I discussed the educational marketing program with colleagues from other Russian agencies at Petrovich.

It must be understood that a status restaurant requires an appropriate dress code. I won't go casual to Pushkin or Turandot. The pricing policy of the restaurant also depends on the theme. If cooperation with a large budget is discussed, then it is better to do this in a restaurant where lunch will cost $ 100 per person, excluding alcohol. If you save money, then this can lead to the wrong thoughts: what if the partner will save on trifles in the project?

There are no strict rules on the time of a business lunch. I know many who start their working day with a business breakfast. My earliest business breakfasts start at 8:30 in the morning. The latest supper started at one in the morning. Lunch at 2 pm and dinner at 7 pm are considered classics. In the European tradition, after the conclusion of the deal, the partners go to a restaurant. And if you hire me and pay money, then I treat you. In 1996, I placed the first advertising campaign for a Russian brand in Europe, and a representative of the agency invited me to a restaurant after signing the contract. This dinner informally sanctioned the deal.

Once I held a business dinner, to which I invited representatives from 4 parties, 3-4 people from each side. Only 15 people. Accordingly, a large table was ordered, but 5 people came. We had a choice: either stay at a table that is 1/3 full, or suffer inconvenience and ask the restaurant management to transfer 5 people. We went according to the second option, lost half an hour, all this time as an organizer I felt out of my element. There were also cases to the contrary. Twenty came for dinner for 8 people - we had to expand right along the way, change something.

Had a business lunch with a girl. We made an order, and only then I found out that the restaurant does not accept credit cards, because the terminal broke. The nearest ATM didn't work either. I returned with a question to the girl: “What should I do?” She easily paid for both.

Today, more and more companies are switching to the "virtual office" mode. And more and more often business meetings are held on neutral territory - in cafes, restaurants. The director of the school of etiquette "Final School" told about the intricacies of the etiquette of a business lunch meeting "Special dish"

Of course, if there is a need for a “round table” or a presentation, you can rent a room in a coworking center for these purposes. But business lunches are popular because eating together adds a touch of informality and fosters more trusting partnerships.

What are the rules for scheduling and holding meetings on neutral territory?

First of all, you need to agree on a time and place that is convenient for all participants in the meeting. And the more you, as an organizer, are interested in the meeting, the more convenient the proposed conditions should be for your partners.

Reserving a table is the responsibility of the inviter. He must also pay, if at the time of the invitation the partner did not stipulate the independent payment of his dinner. Do not enter into altercations, but agree, a person has the right to this and is not obliged to explain to you the reasons for his actions. The same rules apply to inviting women, because this is a business meeting, in a business setting people are not divided into men and women.

If at the time of the invitation the partner did not stipulate self-payment, then it is already too late to do this at the time of submission of the invoice: neither you nor the waiter are ready for this. Never do this yourself and try to stop your partner by offering to solve money issues outside the establishment. As a last resort, if the partner persists in order not to attract attention with altercations, let the partner pay half, saving the waiter from an unpleasant scene. And, of course, do not make comments to your partner: his ideas about etiquette are his own business.

There are a few phrases that will help clarify who will pay for what in advance.

.“Let me invite you” - the entire bill is paid by the inviter
. "Let's go" - the account is divided equally

You can also ask the waiter in advance to record dishes on separate accounts.

As a rule, the bill is brought to the one who voiced the order. Therefore, the general list of dishes to the waiter is voiced by the one who pays.

If you still need any documents for a business meeting, take them with you, but never examine them while eating. Do this either before serving or after. In addition to the fact that you will avoid the danger of getting them dirty, you will prove to be a responsible person who understands the importance of his work and does not combine it with less important things or pleasures.

During lunch, beware:

. To show that you do not know how to properly handle food will undermine your prestige. (Order familiar dishes that you can easily eat)
. Chatter to the interlocutor too much about the details of your personal life- it will destroy your professional image. (Despite the fact that the meal brings together)
. Drink too much alcohol - they may think that you have a problem with this; in addition, an immoderately drunk is also a problem for others: he is annoying, poorly managed, does not control his words and deeds. (Alcohol and business are incompatible)

A business lunch suggests that business issues will be resolved during it. Even more so, a business breakfast does not encourage drinking alcohol: you still have to work all day. Unless at the end of a business dinner, when things have already been discussed, you can afford to relax a little.

Business dinner: business meeting etiquette in a restaurant

Dinner in a warm friendly company or with family is one thing, a business meeting for dining table- completely different. Business lunches are quite common, as it is believed that the atmosphere at the dinner table is conducive to trust, but this does not mean that you should treat colleagues the same way as friends or family members.

There are rules of etiquette that have come through generations of corporate fighters: these rules help to combine business conversation with a rather intimate process, like eating and getting out of the water dry. The main thing to remember is that the purpose of a business lunch is not the lunch itself, but communication and interaction, so this is where you should focus your attention.

Introduce yourself and shake hands with all the participants of the dinner before you sit down at the table

Business etiquette no longer distinguishes between men and women, and shaking hands is accepted regardless of gender. However, this rule is not universal: be guided by the circumstances, in some cultures women do not shake hands. You need to introduce yourself before everyone takes their seats, and your task is to remember the name of the interlocutor to the right and left of you (unless, of course, you have never met them before).

You can sit at the table only after the invitation of the organizer of the dinner. While the guests are gathering, the participants socialize among themselves on their feet (with a drink if aperitifs are offered).

you can take the Napkin from the plate only after the dinner organizer has done it

Business etiquette provides that the rhythm of the dinner is set by its organizer (the one who chose the place and gathered those present at the table). Until the organizer sits down at the table himself and picks up his napkin to attach it to its intended purpose, the participants do not touch anything on the table and just communicate with their neighbors.

The same rule applies to the menu: follow the lunch organizer. Asking the waiter about each dish, thinking about the order for 10 minutes, or ordering more dishes than the rest of the dinner participants is a sign of lack of education. It is ethical to ask the host of the dinner to recommend dishes from the menu, this will create a climate of trust.

Save the spaghetti, burgers and crab for family dinners. Choose meals that you can easily handle without embarrassing yourself or your neighbors.

Do not order the most expensive dish, and do not order unfamiliar dishes - culinary experiments are not for business lunches.


Control your alcohol intake

It is assumed that alcohol during a business lunch is an addition to the menu, and not a way to unwind. It is customary to limit yourself to a glass of wine or beer (when ordering alcohol, be guided by the organizer of the dinner and the choice of the majority).

Cutlery

A business lunch is the perfect place to remember all the good manners your mom taught you. Use all cutlery for its intended purpose, if there are several forks and knives next to the plate, then you should always start with the outer pair, and take the next closest to the plate when changing dishes.

According to international rules etiquette, a plate of bread is always on the left, a glass of water or juice is always on the right of the plate. Cut all food into small pieces that you can immediately put into your mouth. Don't bite on weight, and don't forget to chew with your mouth closed.

It is customary to hold the fork and knife with the thumb, middle and index fingers, the index finger should lie on the edge cutlery. At the end of dinner, the fork and knife should be placed in the center of the plate, the fork with the teeth up, the knife blade away from you (the cutlery is placed like “hands at 4 hours and 20 minutes”).

Sauces and common plates

If some dishes are served on common plates, then such a plate should always be passed counterclockwise to the neighbor on the left. Food is taken from common plates only by special serving devices; you should not pull a piece of meat with your fork. The sauce in a common dish is also served on its own plate using a special spoon; for obvious reasons, you cannot dip your food in a common saucepan.

During lunch, be sure to keep up a conversation with your neighbors. Be careful not to swing your hands with the appliances. If you want to tell or explain something, and you cannot do without gestures, then put the cutlery on the plate, and not next to the plate. Mom's "don't talk with your mouth full" at a business lunch elevated to the rank of commandment number 1.

In society strangers and potential colleagues or partners, it is not customary to discuss politics or religion, unless these are the topic of dinner.

Listen more than you talk. Do not go into personal details, even if the interlocutor asked you the question “do you have children”, this does not mean that you need to immediately tell him what the younger one had been ill with and what progress the older one is making in the chess section. “Mirror”: return the interlocutor his questions (within reason, otherwise he will think that you are mocking him).


"Thank you" and "please"

Don't forget the magic words. Your interlocutors had no chance to know the full depth of your personality before this meeting, so you will be judged by your manners (and draw conclusions about your professionalism as well).

Payment and invoice

Let the dinner organizer decide how it will be paid and how much to tip. If this has not been agreed in advance, have the necessary amount with you (just in case).

Be sure to thank the organizer of the dinner for the time spent, compliment the menu and the place. According to the rules of etiquette, if it is appropriate, then a little later you can also send a thank you letter to the organizer for the invitation or an SMS message if such a form of communication is accepted between you.

Stephen O'Connor, Director of Business Development AIG/Lincoln Russia: « summer terrace"Scandinavia" is one of the key places in Moscow for concluding contracts and holding important meetings. Near Tverskaya street and Pushkinskaya square, pleasant calm atmosphere in the shade of trees. Well, the Swedish Sandra, the administrator summer veranda, perhaps the best expert in his field in Moscow. When she's at work, the restaurant's service is second to none in the entire country. However, in the winter "Scandinavia" is no worse. Victormichaelson, general manager PR agency "Communicator": “I choose Scandinavia for business meetings. In such cases, it is important that the music in the restaurant is not played loudly and the tables are placed so that you do not have to whisper, being afraid to be heard. Pavel Teplukhin, President of Troika Dialog: “Coffeemania on Bolshaya Nikitskaya is a great place for business breakfasts.” Vladimir Gerasichev, President of Business Relations: "In "Coffeemania" - best coffee in Moscow".

Igor Lanskoy, Chairman of the Board of Communications Group Creatoric: “One of the few high-class fish restaurants in Moscow. In its menu, you can choose a dish from a list of several dozen positions. Porto Maltese is very high level service, nothing to complain about. Plus, a pleasant atmosphere, not burdened by the strained pathos of the glamorous Moscow catering.

Vladimir Andrienkov, Executive Director by Trafica: “Porto Maltese is usually quite quiet, you can talk. Good wines. Some fish and seafood dishes are successful, some are not, it is better to ask the waiter for advice.”

Oleg Dobronravov, Director of Westland Finance Advisory: "Fresh food, there are decorative cabinets that provide privacy during negotiations." Dmitry Ivanov, General Director of Olma Media Group: “Very interesting cuisine. Usually I spend all my business meetings here, if I don’t go to Pushkin. Vadim Dymov, owner of the company "Dymov" and the network of bookstores "Respublika": “A good business restaurant is a place where, first of all, good lunches. And also where you can sit and talk quietly during the day, during working hours. And these are not expensive restaurants, but simple places, light, democratic. Like, for example, Correa's. In general, business can be discussed anywhere - the simpler the place, the faster the kitchen, the more comfortable I am. Igor Karpachev, General Director of Molotok.Ru":" Correa "s is mine favorite place both for business meetings and for meetings with friends. Good service, business atmosphere and always tasty here. Pizza with smoked salmon, sour cream and red caviar leaves no one indifferent.” Denis Gruzintsev, general producer of Russian Entertainment Awards, vice president of VOGUE Agency LTD: “One of the main criteria when choosing an informal place for negotiations in Moscow is the transport accessibility of the institution. Moscow traffic jams make themselves felt. Therefore, we can recommend "central" restaurants. Correa "s on Bolshaya Gruzinskaya always pleases with friendly staff and the possibility of easy parking."

Emil Yusupov, director of network and sales management at Absolut Bank: “My last discovery is the Bolshoy restaurant. You can come to it both for a business meeting and for an informal dinner. I enjoy looking at the work of artists and sculptors. There is something to think about, to switch from a purely business environment to a more creative way.

Christian Kremer, President of BMW Group Russia: “Excellent cuisine, excellent staff, which makes it possible to negotiate comfortably, in a good atmosphere. Here you can meet a large number of acquaintances from the business sector and, without planning ahead, take the opportunity to communicate.

Andrey Movchan“This restaurant is always easy to get to. For half of the businessmen, it is on the way home, as it is located in Khamovniki. The Semifreddo is really tasty. The restaurant itself, of course, does not resemble Italy, but the cuisine is worthwhile. There is a lot of space inside, and the musical accompaniment is barely noticeable. These are just the ideal conditions for a business meeting. Favorite dish is artichokes with fried squid.

Maxim Kashirin,owner of the Simple company and the Grand Cru wine chain: "Restaurant Semifreddo - a calm and elegant interior does not distract from an important conversation, plus amazingly delicious cuisine."

Olga Pleshakova, CEO of Transaero:“Vanil is a great place for business lunches. In this restaurant, you can sit isolated from the common hall, so that extra people will not see and hear you - in niches near the windows. And Vanili has the best burrata in Moscow.”

Igor Mishin, Vice President of the MEDIA-1 TV holding (MUZTV and 7TV):“Vanil is good because it is very easy to explain how to find it to non-Moscow partners.”

Marlen Manasov, Member of the Board of Directors of UBS Bank: "Tasty, private, beautiful, convenient to drive from anywhere."

Aras Agalarov, President of the Crocus Group of Companies:"Convenient location". Sergei Lomakin, Sun Investment Partners CEO: " Of course, "Pushkin" - the best place for negotiations. And foreigners can be taken there, and the food is good, and the place - there is no "centre", it is convenient for everyone to go. All business meetings are only there, you can’t even think of another place.” Andrey Movchan, co-owner of the investment company "Third Rome":“Pushkin is always sound, clear, and there is a choice of food for a variety of business partners, regardless of personal taste preferences. The restaurant is open around the clock and therefore suitable for any meeting, you can always have a delicious lunch at a time when someone at the next table can only have breakfast. Parking is a separate plus. I drive quite often, so being able to drive up and give the keys to the car to the person who parks it is very relevant.”