The Best Airport Restaurants In The World, According To Business Power Travelers

Everyone who’s traveled commercial lately knows the drill: Most flights, even long ones, don’t serve meals, so once you get to the airport you wolf down whatever’s available. Doughy sandwiches, salty packaged carbs and limp french fries are invariably your best options.

At least they used to be. Since fall, three airports in Spain have let you dine on playful creations from chef Dabiz Muñoz, the culinary wizard behind the three-Michelin-star restaurant DiverXO. His futuristic, fantastical Madrid dining room—where a multicourse meal costs €450 ($464)—ranks No. 4 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

In September, Muñoz introduced Hungry Club, a counter at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport, where the dark green signs advise travelers to “Remove Your Hunger Before Flight.” There, a shredded pork rib club sandwich with cheese melting over the sides will set you back about €20, with a drink.

Four months in, Muñoz has five Hungry Club locations: three in the Madrid airport, one in Barcelona and one in Málaga. More are coming soon.

This is promising news. Alongside the proliferation of premium lounges such as American Express Centurion, Chase Sapphire and Delta One, vendors are getting ambitious with what they serve before you board. Muñoz’s partner in Hungry Club is Swiss-based retailer Avolta AG, which runs food and beverage and duty-free outlets in 73 countries worldwide.

Meanwhile, travel continues to boom on this side of the pandemic. Airports Council International estimates that 9.5 billion people will have traveled by air in 2024, a 10% increase year over year from 2023, and 104% of the number that flew in 2019.

“Airports are no longer just stopovers. They’re evolving into dynamic lifestyle and culinary hubs,” says Xavier Rossinyol, chief executive officer at Avolta. Travelers, he continues, “crave more than convenience—they seek immersive, culturally rich and bespoke experiences from the moment they set off.”

We asked the globe-trotting editors at Bloomberg to share their top dining finds. Next time you fly, bring your appetite.

Hong Kong International (HKG)

Duddell’s
The Michelin-star Cantonese stalwart slings barbecued meat and dim sum at this handsome Terminal 1 outpost. Seek out the honey-glazed barbecued pork and soup noodles, the restaurant’s famous sweet shrimp dumplings and, for breakfast, the salted egg custard buns.

Tokyo Haneda (HND)

Yakiniku Champion
At its multiple locations around the city, Yakiniku specializes in premium A5 beef, sourced from all over Japan. At Tokyo Haneda’s Terminal 3, diners can choose from more than a dozen gorgeously marbled meats and offal, including short ribs and intestine, to be cooked over flames. The wagyu roll, stuffed with lightly charred beef and kimchi, and wrapped in Korean lettuce leaves and rice, makes a nifty to-go snack.

Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas (MAD)

Hungry Club
As you’d expect from one of the world’s more forward-thinking chefs, Muñoz’s counter specializes in inventive offerings like thick potato-and-egg tortilla inside a burger bun; ramen, complete with runny eggs; and Iberian “pyzza” topped with stracciatella, ham and confit tomatoes. For dessert, pressed-flat croissants are coated in white chocolate and marshmallows.

London Heathrow (LHR)

Le Café Cyril Lignac at Louis Vuitton
Tucked inside the undulating entryway to the sparkling new Terminal 2 store, this upscale cafe marks the first collaboration between LVMH and acclaimed French chef Cyril Lignac. “Being at Heathrow is a great opportunity to meet clients from all over the world,” the chef observes. His croque monsieur, with or without truffles, and a Caesar salad embellished with smoked chicken and gluten-free croutons are present and accounted for—as are Lignac’s famous pastries.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL)

One Flew South
Seasoned travelers have been known to route flights through the world’s busiest airport just to spend time at chef Todd Richards’ excellent bar and restaurant in Concourse E. In the wood-ceilinged dining room, he serves peppered pork belly ramen with collard greens in a rich broth and a BLT&E featuring meaty bacon, pickled green tomatoes and a fried egg. For early flyers, there’s a cold-brew-laced red-eye martini.

Austin-Bergstrom International (AUS)

The Salt Lick BBQ
The Central Texas destination has been smoking meat over oak and pecan for more than 50 years. Its local airport spot, between gates 20 and 21, serves travelers platters of caramelized pulled pork and brisket and spiced Hill Country sausage.

San Francisco International (SFO)

This no-nonsense Vietnamese enterprise in Terminals 1 and 3 is part of the reason Food & Wine has dubbed SFO one of the best food airports in the US. The classic banh mi sandwiches come stocked with sweet grilled pork, fatty mortadella and pâté de campagne in a toasted baguette. “We don’t disclose our bakery, but it’s local and Vietnamese owned,” says Denise Tran, the founder and CEO. Also on the menu: fun twists such as a rib-eye steak dip served with a side of flavorful pho broth.

Benito Juárez International (MEX)

Iwashi Sushi
If your Mexico City connection is tight, make other plans, because Iwashi is walk-in only and there’s always a line. But the best thing you can do at MEX is hit Edo Kobayashi’s Terminal 2 counter for expertly crafted sushi using seafood flown in from Japan. Selections include nigiri such as octopus and shimaji (striped jack), plus less conventional options like eel with foie gras and vegetarian shiso with plum. You’ll also find the occasional unusual “Japanese fishing special.”