No great holiday should start with a bad airport food order. To help minimise the risk of such a fate, we’ve asked some of the biggest names in food to reveal their departure dining picks

Airport dining has not always been a bastion of culinary stardom. But, in recent years, the sad sandwiches and burnt-bean coffees of yore have slowly but surely been usurped by a new generation of infinitely more exciting offerings: authentic noodles, high-end gelato, local oysters, hydrating smoothies... Today’s travellers want something that will not only act as fuel for flights and transfers, but also help us to feel connected to wherever we are in the world. To help you find the spots offering just that, the world’s best chefs share their most memorable airport eats around the globe.

Where is your favourite airport restaurant, and why? Email theclub@cedarcom.co.uk with your story and see your words in a future issue of The Club

Garima Arora on noodles in Bangkok
“When I’m flying from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport, I always head straight for Luk Kai Thong. Here you’ll find food that feels ‘mum-made’ and properly authentic, but still refined enough to make you sit up and notice. The menu is made up of Royal Cooking dishes, which were traditionally served to the Thai royal family, and have become famous for their finesse over more common, everyday meals. I love the noodles here, so I usually order a plate of the glass noodles with whatever combination of vegetables and protein I fancy that day. Absolutely delicious and a must-try.”

Garima Arora was the first ever Indian woman to win two Michelin stars. She runs GAA in Bangkok, where she serves fine dining Indian food in a beautiful Thai house with a modern, minimalistic interior. She is also a judge on MasterChef India and her restaurant features on the list of the 50 Best Restaurants in the World.

Jacob Kenedy on gelato in Milan
“I’m often flying in and out of Milan on research trips or holidays, and whenever I’m there I snap up the opportunity to have a last gelato before I board my plane. One of my favourite spots at Malpensa airport is Venchi. There are at least two locations, so you can’t miss them. Venchi is a pretty big fine chocolate chain that just a few years ago started serving gelato (a good move). While it might not be truly artisanal, it is pretty good quality – and actually better than a lot of gelato you would buy in Italy. I’d have one of the darkest of the chocolate flavours, along with either a hazelnut or nougatine gelato.”

Jacob Kenedy is chef patron of award-winning Bocca di Lupo in London, one of the city’s most loved Italian trattorias where food and family intertwine over traditional, pared back cooking. He also runs Gelupo – “the finest gelato this side of the Alps” – and Plaquemine Lock. Jacob has also written three books, presents his own YouTube channel and recently wrote a travel guide to Rome for the Financial Times. 

Kristian Baumann on burgers in Copenhagen
“I fly in and out of Copenhagen Kastrup airport regularly, and whenever I’m there I’ll get a burger from Gasoline Grill – my favourite burger place. It started in a small gas station in the middle of Copenhagen, only producing 100 burgers a day to ensure the quality was up to standard. It has grown a lot since and, even though it has opened multiple locations all over Copenhagen, I still think it produces the best quality burgers. My favourite site is the original location at the gas station, but if I’m craving a burger at the airport, this is a great substitute. I always choose a cheeseburger since it’s my favourite, but there are multiple great options – even for vegetarians.”

Kristian Baumann’s culinary journey was kick-started in some of the world’s best kitchens, including a stint at Noma. After travelling the world, he settled back in his homeland of Denmark and opened Koan, a restaurant inspired by his Korean roots. Here, he’s come full circle, earning two Michelin stars himself, and securing his own creation as one of the world’s best restaurants. 

Elizabeth Haigh on satay in Singapore
“Located in Singapore’s Jewel Changi airport at Terminal 1, Violet Oon is a Nonya-style restaurant, with a sophisticated atmosphere that reminds me of a Singaporean Fortnum & Mason. I’ll always go for a refreshing Singapore Island Iced Tea – made with gula melaka syrup, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf – with my first order of chicken satay and kueh pie tee. My boys describe the kueh pie tees as little ‘top hats’ – crispy little cups filled with a savoury mix of prawn, turnip and bamboo shoots. For the main event, it’s babi pong tay. This slow-cooked pork belly stew, rich with comforting spices and melt-in-your-mouth tenderness, brings back fond memories of home-cooked meals with my por por (grandmother). One of the perks of dining at Violet Oon’s is the ability to pre-order your meal, which is especially useful if you’re short on time. If you can’t eat in, you can collect a bento box, so you’ve got the most envious in-flight meal of all. For me, Violet Oon’s at Changi airport isn’t just a restaurant, it’s a celebration of Singaporean culinary heritage.”

A former MasterChef contestant, Elizabeth Haigh is a Singaporean-British chef who won a Michelin star for Pidgin in London when she opened it as head chef. She’s now the founder of Mei Mei in Borough Market – a casual kopitiam serving the food of home for her – and runs a YouTube cookery channel.

Juanba Agreda on sandwiches in Barcelona
“I fly from Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat airport Terminal 1. When I arrive – typically early in the morning – many of the restaurants, cafés and bars aren’t yet open. Because of that, I stay loyal to one place that is usually operating at that time – Sibarium. It is a mix between a gourmet shop and a bar, and serves really high-quality products, such as cheeses, cured meats, caviar, wines and oils. The service is always very good, and they serve you quickly – so you’ll never stress about not having enough time. It’s also handy that you can buy a gift and a snack for the plane, all at the same destination. I usually order a seeded baguette with Iberian ham, a coffee and a water. The quality of the ham is particularly good. They give you the option to have it with tomato or oil and everything is prepared in front of you, which makes it even better.”

Juanba Agreda is the gastronomic director of Los Reyes Del Mango, a Barcelona-based restaurant empire that recently expanded to open its first international outlet in London, The Campaner at Chelsea Barracks. Juanba draws on traditional Spanish flavours to create his modern take on menus that sees the group’s restaurants packed every night of the week.

Tony Messina on cheese pizza in Boston
“Santarpio’s is an old school pizza spot in East Boston (where I grew up) that’s been around for more than 100 years. It’s my favourite pizza in all of Boston so, naturally, when it opened in Logan airport, I became a regular. Plain cheese pizza and (or) a Caesar salad are my go-to choices. Is the pizza as good as the original location? No, but it certainly is nostalgia on a plate.” 

Boston-born Tony Messina was named as the best chef in the northeast by the James Beard Foundation in 2019 and was the executive chef/partner of Ken Oringer’s modern Japanese restaurant, Uni, for almost nine years. He’s now settled in LA, where he works with some of the area’s best restaurants on guest appearances and pop-ups. 

Sandia Chang on quesadillas in Los Angeles
“One thing I will always miss about California is Mexican food. So the last thing I do before heading back to London from Los Angeles is to get a bit of Mexican flavour in me from Border Grill. Also, the ingredients they use at Border Grill are always fresh and the dishes are cooked to order. I usually get the citrus chicken quesadilla with rice and beans and extra guacamole, plus a classic margarita.”

Californian-born Sandia Chang runs two-Michelin-starred Kitchen Table in London with her husband James Knappett. She has a particular interest in, and knowledge of, grower Champagnes and has won numerous industry awards for her expert sommelier skills. 

Elliott Grover on Welsh Rarebit at Heathrow
“Whenever I’m catching a flight from London Heathrow’s Terminal 5, I go straight to Fortnum & Mason. It’s a real treat. You know they’ll only have the best sourced products and ingredients on offer, and the taste will be fantastic. Grab a seat at the bar and you can enjoy that it’s a working counter, with a view of drinks being poured and food being prepared. They have a great selection of shellfish and, considering the airport location, amazing oysters. Now that’s the way to kick-start your holiday. To go alongside my oysters, Fortnum & Mason does what is hands down the best Bloody Mary, so I start with one of those. Finally, I’d have the Welsh rarebit toastie with tomato compote. It’s so simple but absolutely delicious and a perfect pre-flight snack.”

Elliott Grove is executive chef of five-star hotel, 45 Park Lane. His role includes heading up CUT at 45 Park Lane created by chef founder and one of the world’s most famous chefs, Wolfgang Puck. Through his work with Wolfgang, Elliott has cooked for the Oscars for the past two years, bringing British classics such as fish and chips and trifle stateside for celebrities such as Lady Gaga and Lenny Kravitz. 

Jonny Lake on poutine in Toronto
“When flying into Toronto, look out for Booster Juice when you arrive in Terminal 1. It’s not a short flight from London to Toronto, so a juice bar is just so refreshing and sets me up for rehydrating after the flight. There are two juices I particularly like – the Mango Hurricane smoothie with mangoes, strawberries, guava, passion fruit and yoghurt, and the Ginger Hammer, a juice of apple, carrots and ginger. Basically the only ones without banana in! There’s also Smoke’s Poutinerie. That is like my last bit of Canada before I leave to go back to England, or wherever else I’m heading. Poutine is (unfortunately, some might say) a very iconic Canadian dish. Smoke’s Poutinerie is a good one – it has a menu of all these different toppings, but you just want to have the plain one, which is fries, gravy and cheese curds.”

Canadian-born Jonny Lake is chef-founder of Trivet in Bermondsey, which holds two Michelin stars. His career started when he volunteered for a meals-on-wheels charity in Montréal – a move that would launch his interest in food and eventually lead to him becoming executive head chef of The Fat Duck Group under Heston Blumenthal before going on to open Trivet. 

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This article has been tagged Food + Drink, Travel Tips