The Finest Enterprise Class Lounges for Airport Eating

The thrash of journey makes one crave the comforts of house—and this contemporary, spacious lounge meets that second with wall-to-wall wooden paneling, deep lounge chairs, soft upholstered sofas, and vegetation in every single place. Areas are separated by wooden screens that permit in pure gentle, which makes the textbook-perfect renditions of wonton soup (with all of the pickled sides), steamed pork baos, and dim sum baskets pop in pictures. For a quieter, extra intimate setting, there’s the Teahouse, with its inexperienced tile partitions lined with black canisters of top-quality unfastened leaf teas. —Kate Berry

Following its current merger with Asiana Airways, Korean Air is within the midst of a serious lounge growth by way of 2026. If the primary absolutely redesigned enterprise class lounge, which opened in August 2025, is any indication, the meals is clearly not an afterthought. I’d make a beeline to the newly launched stay cooking stations, the place cooks make Korean specialties to order utilizing native substances, from hearty kimbap (seaweed rice rolls) to restorative janchi guksu (banquet noodles) and tteokguk (rice cake soup)—there’s nothing like a soothing broth to set you proper if you’re touring. Luxurious lodge vibes meet considerate design touches all through the house, like a nod to hanoks, conventional Korean picket homes, and a separate wellness space with nap-ready therapeutic massage chairs. —Frances Kim

The glitz of Air France’s latest CDG enterprise class lounge has been aglitter since 2018—and a stranded Season 6 Emily Cooper (of Emily in Paris) stood agog there amid the copious self-serve buckets of champagne, VR headsets, saunas, and free of charge Clarins spa remedies. Add all that to the model’s newest eating and bar menus—curated by Ducasse Paris and Lodge Lancaster—and also you’ll be delighted, too —Kat Craddock

Capital One has been quietly redefining what an airport lounge might be, with every new house channeling the character of its house metropolis. The most important of the bunch is that this slick new JFK lounge, a full-blown love letter to New York, full with a Central Park-inspired eating space and a “bodega” slinging hand-rolled Ess-a-Bagel sandwiches (my neighborhood spot!). There’s La Colombe espresso on faucet, and Loss of life & Co., TALEA Beer Co., and native ceramics from Franca on the bar. The crown jewel, although, is a cheese bar staffed by an honest-to-goodness Murray’s-trained cheesemonger. Free for premium cardholders, this lounge is mercifully open to anybody else prepared to pay, with entry charges starting from $45 to $90 per particular person. —Kat Craddock

Bucking cafeteria-style buffets, Capital One paired up with cooks José Andrés and Patricia Blanco to reimagine airport lounge eating. This Washington, D.C., lounge, opened in late 2024, is free for top-tier Capital One cardholders (and $90 for normal vacationers). Inside, vacationers are handled to serene service and Andrés’ tapas-driven delicacies. On-tap sangria, a gin and tonic cart, and NA cocktails are bar standouts, whereas eating room highlights embrace crisp pan con tomate, sliced-to-order jamón ibérico, tableside caviar service (no joke), and wedges of deeply browned Basque cheesecake.  —Kat Craddock

With its earthy tones, leisure pods with twinkling “constellation” lights, and customized Purple Rock Canyon-inspired ceramics, this new Nevada lounge was a welcome oasis of calm on my final journey again from a jam-packed convention on the Strip. The bar menu options each boozy and NA choices from native favourite Herbs and Rye, all obtainable with non-compulsory wellness photographs to assist company “hydrate,” “chill out,” or “energize.” The menu skews healthful and Mediterranean—assume braised quick ribs with ratatouille, falafel hummus bowls, and marinara pasta with turkey meatballs—all individually plated, with nary a buffet trough in sight. (In the event you’re very fortunate, you may even catch a spherical of caviar service). “Each day Rituals” like Italian-style shakeratos, afternoon tea service with macarons from Suzuya Patisserie, and a sundown champagne toast deliver slightly ceremony to the day. —Kat Craddock

In comparison with TAP’s Michelin-star studded in-flight eating program, its no-frills Lisbon lounges are understated. However the smaller, much less crowded lounge based mostly within the non-Shengen space is a welcome reprieve for sweets lovers connecting or profiting from the airline’s well-liked stopover program. A bounty of contemporary fruit may embrace the Algarve’s legendary citrus and honey-sweet pineapple from the Azores, whereas a formidable unfold of conventional pastries and puddings—together with pastel de nata, bolo de laranja, and baba de caramelo—add a glimmer of sunshine for morning meal connoisseurs jaded by rubbery airport eggs.—Kat Craddock

As a substitute of the same old buffet, there’s devoted desk service and multicourse eating at this newcomer, which opened in fall 2024. Whether or not you go for a tasting menu or go à la carte with steak frites, made-to-order sushi, or avenue corn pizza, you shouldn’t skip ingenious signature drinks corresponding to an “antipasto martini” garnished with a charcuterie skewer. The feast is on your eyes, too, with décor curated by Missoni, extravagant lighting fixtures, and a botanically plentiful terrace. Publish-nosh, seize some shut-eye in a nap pod or zero-gravity therapeutic massage chair—simply don’t miss your flight! —Alyse Whitney

I had the privilege of passing by way of JFK’s Delta One Lounge simply earlier than Thanksgiving and was handled to a feast that felt like house: juicy turkey, sage-scented stuffing, all of the fixings, and sufficient pie and champagne to ship me right into a soporific daze. On my return, I settled in for a three-course meal at Brasserie—hand-chopped steak tartare; a zesty Little Gem lettuce salad; and featherlight diver scallops with these irresistibly crackly edges. Subsequent time, I hope to carve out slightly zen in one of many marble-clad bathe suites. —Benjamin Kemper

Get a crash course in Turkish delicacies at this hovering airport Eden with live-action stations serving every little thing from braised greens to freshly baked simit to bowls of thumbnail-size manti dolloped with yogurt and spicy tomato sauce. These delicate meat-filled pockets are made across the clock by a delegated dumpling chef, whose dextrous crimping is nearly as good leisure because the golf simulator down the corridor (give it a whirl after a pair glasses of bubbly). After getting your repair of savory, swan over to the dimly lit tea room for baklava, truffles, cookies, and a variety of looseleaf brews poured straight from the samovar. —Benjamin Kemper 

I really like an excellent full English breakfast, and British Airways’ Heathrow lounges ship that—and extra. Throughout the board, they provide a reliably stable expertise with clear, comfy areas and glorious meals and beverage choices. The Concorde Room is the standout; when you have entry, it’s the place luxurious actually reveals up. However the usual lounges offer you a style of English hospitality, too, even in the event you’re simply passing by way of.  —Thomas Payne

South America’s largest lounge feels just like the foyer of an city lodge, with its beaded chandeliers, sky-high ceilings, and impartial shade palette echoing the rugged surrounding panorama. The house reportedly operates on 80 % renewable vitality, and the eye-catching sculptures that punctuate the halls are comprised of upcycled supplies (ribbons, copper wire, and even citrus peels) by 21 rising artists. Lengthy layovers right here go by very quickly, because of well-made pisco sours and devoted sleeping areas—greatest loved in that order.  —Nicholas DeRenzo

A part of an enormous growth in time for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, this mezzanine lounge for Qatar Airways’ premium passengers overlooks an indoor tropical backyard beneath an undulating glass roof. The plentiful pure gentle and seating areas subsequent to gurgling water evoke conventional Arab structure, whereas fashionable facilities embrace showers with Diptyque toiletries and a play room with foosball and pool tables. Befitting of Qatar Airways’ bigger-is-better ethos, there’s additionally a Louis Vuitton-branded lounge inside a lounge, with menus by Michelin-star magnet Yannick Alléno. —Nicholas DeRenzo

This Indian Ocean island nation off the coast of Madagascar is the place you’ll discover Africa’s most charming lounge. It spans two ranges: The primary-floor Tamarin Lounge has a dwelling wall and leisure rooms, whereas the upstairs Chamarel Lounge gives views over the runway beneath a ceiling of summary white sculptures that think of the it’s-a-bird-it’s-a-plane emblem of Air Mauritius. The buffet is a celebration of Mauritian specialties, together with the island’s favourite avenue meals, dholl puri, a crepe filled with spiced yellow break up peas. —Nicholas DeRenzo