Del Posto's $39 three-course lunch prix fixe is the best midday meal deal in New York City. In his book Restaurant Man, Joe Bastianich explains that the restaurant doesn't make any money on lunch. The whole point is to introduce diners to Mark Ladner's inspired take on Italian cuisine and the unique style of service of the restaurant, in the hopes that they will come back at night for the main attraction. Standout dishes include: the vitello tonnato with caper berries, the orecchiette with lamb neck ragu, the Sardinian lamb with artichokes, and the diver scallop carpaccio with garlic bread soup. If you've got $100 to burn, call out sick from work and order the prix fixe with wine pairings. Available Monday through Friday.

Harold Dieterle's Thai-influenced Village restaurant offers a $20 three-course weekday lunch prix fixe that can't be beat. Right now you can choose from things like coconut milk soup, a stir-fry of aquatic vegetables, black rice noodles, steamed chicken meatballs with dried shrimp, and spicy skate and calamari. A scoop of sorbet is offered for dessert, to sooth the palate. Kin Shop is still slam-packed at night, but during the day, the dining room has a relaxed, airy vibe. Lunch is served seven days a week.

At his Flatiron District restaurant, George Mendes serves Portuguese-influenced food that is both inventive and immediately satisfying. During the week, Aldea offers a $25 three-course lunch menu that includes standouts like the mussel soup with chorizo and the skate wing with pickled cauliflower and carrot. This is a cool choice for a business lunch.

The press scrutinized Lincoln's every move after the restaurant opened two years ago, and the hype has died down a bit. But Jonathan Benno and his crew are still turning out excellent Italian food, and some diners think that the restaurant has improved by leaps and bounds over the years. Although Lincoln does not have a three-course prix fixe during lunch, the restaurant offers your choice of two savory courses for $35 and all the desserts are $10, so think of this is a stellar $45 three-course menu. The savory dish list includes pappardelle with veal ragu, lamb ravioli, pici with Duroc pork, roasted chicken with polenta, and a grilled hanger steak with parsnips.

Alfred Portale's 12th Street classic offers a three-course $33 "greenmarket lunch." This is a great way to sample Alfred Portale's vibrant modern American cuisine at a relaxed price. Right now options include a celery root soup with red wine marmalade, roasted monkfish with bacon, butternut squash ravioli, and slow-cooked chicken with grilled eggplant. Although the menu does not include the classic tuna tartare, the equally famous chocolate cake is listed as one of the dessert options. Lunch is serves Monday through Friday.

Shea Gallante's cozy Flatiron Italian restaurant is an ideal place to dine during the last stretch of winter. The "lunch market menu" includes a few of the chef's killer pasta dishes, plus a savory crepe, soup, salad, a broccoli rabe sandwich, and homemade cheesecake for dessert. Choose any two savory dishes and one sweet dish for just $20.12. Seriously, that's just a few dollars more than a sandwich from a average New York deli. Served Monday through Friday.

Babbo started serving lunch less than a year ago. It is incredibly relaxing to eat this food during the middle of the day in that intimate first floor dining room, especially if you don't have to go back to work. The $49 lunch menu includes four courses plus an amuse. Although these dishes are smaller than the entree portions, you will not leave hungry. Right now the courses are: eggplant with pickled chiles, orecchiette with broccoli rabe pesto, grilled heritage pork loin with agrodulce, and a slice of Gina De Palma's superb olive oil cake with gelato. Wine pairings are $35.

Tribeca Grill has a great vibe during the day. The dining room is packed with a mix of business people, downtown artsy types, and people that look (or are) rich and famous. During lunch, you can order three courses for $25, with options like a perfectly grilled piece of salmon and a juicy herb-roasted chicken with sweet potatoes. If you're lucky, you might the King of Tribeca, Drew Nieporent, might stop by your table to say hello. Lunch is served Monday through Friday.

Masaharu Morimoto's Chelsea restaurant offers a helluva bento box deal. For $25, you get your choice of wagyu beef, sea bass, black cod, or winter vegetables, plus salad, soup, sushi, tempura, and pana cotta. This is a great way to get reacquainted with a solid restaurant that you might have completely forgotten about. Lunch is served Monday through Friday.