When it comes to cutting that all-important lunchtime deal with a prospective client/buyer/partner, there are few places in Suzhou more likely to impress than the Sheraton Towers. The importance this award-winning hotel places on fine dining is evident from the prominent placing of its flagship Garden Brasserie restaurant. It lies at the very heart of the building in an airy atrium that reaches up two floors and gives an overwhelming sense of light and space. Diners can choose from a number of seating areas including a central raised platform that leads out onto to four corner wings (reminiscent of a temple) all enjoying unimpeded views of the classical garden outside and its bonsai-bordered pool.
The buffet itself is as close to authentic western-style food as you'll find in the city. (For dishes with a more Chinese flavor, you can try the adjacent Celestial Court, a feature of all of Sheraton's China hotels). The open kitchen has chefs on hand preparing meals from scratch throughout the lunch period. So whether it's a creamy carbonara sauce you fancy with your pasta or a spiced-up Teppenyaki, all you have to do is ask. And for something a tad healthier, the salad bar features a selection of cured meats you'd be lucky to find in a local delicatessen. And if that exquisite piece of Rocquefort doesn't manage to win round your companion by the end of the meal, then at least you'll know it wasn't your choice of restaurant that was to blame.  

Buffet lunch: 108 RMB + 15 per cent surcharge (Mon-Fri); 128 RMB + 15 per cent surcharge (Sat); 198/328 RMB +15 per cent surcharge (Sunday Brunch)