NINA NOELLE-HALL recommends venues that will appeal to the discerning executive’s palate

Take your business elsewhere, out of the dreary boardroom and into a more amicable ambiance (with better food and on-hand service, too). Private dining for business meetings and events – an industry hard hit by the downturn – is back on the up. As the Asia-Pacific region regains its course, business eateries are ready to cater to the corporate class

Open to the public

THE CLARIDGES HOTEL, DELHI

Tucked into a corner of Claridges’s executive lounge is a diminutive domain that could be mistaken for a professor’s office (pictured below right). But it’s not – it’s a private dining room. Bookcases mark the corners of the room (about 30 sq m), but in its centre is a thick wooden roundtable for eight. Between the books, there’s just enough space for an LCD screen and independent wine holders (the restaurant has an impressive wine list). Menus must be set in advance to accommodate Indian, Chinese or continental tastes. www.claridges-hotels.com/delhi

THISTLE PORT DICKSON RESORT, PORT DICKSON, MALAYSIA

Go from the beach to the boardroom and then to the dance floor at Thistle Port Dickson’s Cumulus, the resort’s happening outdoor club that features (rather randomly) two enclosed private dining rooms perfect for business meetings. Select from a tapas menu, or order in from any of the beachside resort’s four other restaurants, like Chinoise, which serves only truly classic Chinese dishes. Port Dickson is a 45-minute drive from KL’s airport. www.thistle.com

PRESS CLUB, MELBOURNE

Keep up with the times at this fine dining restaurant situated on the ground floor of the Herald and Weekly Times building. Despite the name, Press Club is neither reserved for media nor for exclusive members – but it does have a boardroom-like space that seats 18 for private affairs. An atmospheric venue, the Club serves modern Greek family-style fare for your business events. www.thepressclub.com.au

Members only

TARAKURA JAPANESE RESTAURANT, HONG KONG

International business means time in transit – so turn that into quality time and do business on-the-go at Tarakura at Hong Kong International Airport. Serving contemporary Japanese cuisine (complete with a long list of sake selections), private dining rooms here can be sectioned off – or patrons can parley next door in the swanky cigar lounge. With window vistas overlooking scenic Lantau Island and Kowloon Bay, the restaurant is situated atop the Airport World Trade Centre, a club for which membership is necessary. www.wtchkia.com

PACIFIC CITY CLUB, BANGKOK

Whatever your or your client’s culinary whim may be, Pacific City, with its gentleman’s club feel, has it covered. Private dining facilities range from local Thai for 10 in the Saranrom room, to a spacious setting for 20 at the Cantonese Sai Si Palace, as well as a Western-style, eight-person wine space enclosed by glass. There are 11 venues in all, some of which can be opened up to join each other for seating parties of up to 100. Alternatively you can just rent out the private theatre. www.pacificcityclub.com

TOWER CLUB, SINGAPORE

Taking up the 62nd to 64th floors of Republican Plaza, Tower Club is all about its two main restaurants – Atlantic and Ba Xian (pictured top left) – and the near-panoramic spectacle of Singapore’s business district. Ba Xian offers a taste of the Orient, and among its decorative Chinese screens, houses six private dining rooms that can entertain between six and 20 guests. The club extends memberships by invite only, but encourages people to express interest. www.tower-club.com.sg