Power Lunches and Dinners: Where to Wine and Dine in SF

You may not be able to enjoy a three-martini lunch at this Nob Hill steakhouse since they don't open until 5:30pm, but you should definitely indulge at dinner, especially if someone else is picking up the tab. Signature aged beef steaks are best complimented by oysters on the half shell and spinach-bacon salad, not to mention a requisite 'tini or three.

If you're in the know (or at least know that faking it is good business sense) this Embarcadero restaurant is simply where you go. Don't be alarmed by the price tag--this is the sort of place where you start your meal with a Maine lobster and finish a couple hundred bucks poorer.

For a casual business meeting that's sure to impress, go for the chef's table at this Financial District eatery. There, you can dine on Greek classics like souvlaki, lamb chops and moussaka while discussing how to increase your profit margin.

This light-filled Upper Market powerhouse turns out order after order of their legendary burger at lunch, but come dinner, it's all about the roast chicken for two--designed for a date but works just as well with a business partner during an intimate tete a tete.

Treating the big dogs? Head indoors at this SoMa hot spot for pricey comfort foods like focaccia French dips and meatloaf with potato puree. Treating the interns? Pick up casual barbecue like po' boys and rib racks in the courtyard and grab a seat outdoors.

With a spacious, sunny patio literally on the bay, this is pretty much the spot to impress that visiting CEO or wavering recruit. It doesn't hurt that this Pier 1 ? resto also serves up some of the best Peruvian food--including butter-soft cebiches and colorful main dishes--in town.

It's fairly easy to plow through $200 for a sushi dinner at this impossibly good Japanese restaurant overlooking the Bay Bridge, but you can easily have a first-rate lunch for $20 if an expense account isn't one of your company perks. Plus, an abundance of non-raw lunch items like tonkatsu and ramen make it easy for fish-phobes to also eat with ease.

Historic Tadich Grill may be next door, but this classy modern Italian joint provides a much more culinarily impressive spot for talking shop. The lovely dining room and simple but top-quality cuisine make this one of the most popular power lunch places in town.

Simple, ancient-recipe Italian and jovial, authentically old world service make this SoMa spot feel more familial than fine-dining--perfect for an upscale but casual experience shared with coworkers (or dates, for that matter).