The rise in restaurant service within airline lounges offers a newfound luxury. No more waiting in line for mediocre grab-and-go or queuing for a seat at the overcrowded airport bar. Scratch kitchens and chef- driven menus now make the entire flying experience more enjoyable. You might actually want to arrive with extra time to experience them.

Further, since these meals are made-to-order, the pre-flight dining experience translates to better- tasting, healthier meals that keep you satiated beyond take-off. Here are four lounges with exceptional restaurant service.

DELTA ONE LOUNGE BOSTON
Tucked off the Delta Sky Club in Boston Logan International Airport’s Terminal E, this Delta One location differs from others, as it’s a room entirely dedicated to the restaurant. Elegantly lit and never overcrowded, thanks to a strict reservation system, here sliding into a chair at a candlelit table or leather-backed barstool feels like a fine-dining experience. Foodie-focused flyers can choose to sit near the open kitchen for a peek at the made-from-scratch process with popular dishes such as Snake River skirt steak, warm Maine lobster roll and the rotating grill item à la plancha.

© Cathay Pacific

TURKISH AIRLINES INTERNATIONAL LOUNGE
The à la carte menu at this flagship lounge in iGA Istanbul Airport provides travelers with plenty of opportunities for one last taste of the local cuisine, from mezze to manti (spiced meat dumpling) as well as international delights to satiate any comfort food cravings before their journey begins. There are also live cooking stations pre- paring the likes of gözleme (Turkish stuffed flatbread) for a pre-flight dinner and a show.

CATHAY PACIFIC HONG KONG
No matter what class they’re flying, passengers know they will eat well on the ground (and in flight) thanks to Cathay Pacific’s unparalleled attention to cuisine. At Hong Kong International Airport, first-class passengers enjoy a seasonally updated menu at The Dining Room in The Pier lounge, while business-class travelers can access the Coffee Loft in The Wing for brewed-and-frothed-in-front-of-you cappuccinos. Then there’s The Noodle Bar, a beloved feature in the upper-class lounges specializing in made-to-order dan dan noodles and Singapore laksa.

BRITISH AIRWAYS CONCORDE DINING
This exclusive dining area in London Heathrow’s Terminal 5 Concorde Room offers private booths and a formal à la carte menu
that changes throughout the year. A selection of British dishes always tantalizes, from duck confit to meat pies … or for early departures, a full English fry-up.