Air France is opening a pop-up restaurant this summer during the Paris Olympics. As an aviation geek, I love this concept, and am (almost) sad I won’t be in Paris for the Olympics…
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Air France’s restaurant at Palais de Tokyo in Paris
The Paris Olympics will be taking place in late July and early August 2024. Air France is one of the sponsors, as of course this is a huge event for the airline. To celebrate the occasion, Air France will have a special pop-up at Palais de Tokyo in Paris, from July 27 until August 11, 2024.
This will include a freely accessible area spanning over 850 square meters (~9,150 square feet), showcasing all kinds of things having to do with Air France. Between 11:30AM and 6PM daily, visitors will be able to try out Air France’s newest business class seat, there will be a virtual reality Airbus A350 cockpit visit opportunity, and much more.
However, here’s the coolest part — Air France is opening an 80-seat pop-up restaurant, offering a dining experience just like onboard. Now, of course the concept of voluntarily eating airplane food on the ground probably sounds bizarre to most people, but I’m sure I’m not the only aviation geek who would sign up for this in a heartbeat. Besides, Air France has among the better catering out there.
The restaurant will be serving food from Air France’s long haul business class cabin. Each meal will consist of an appetizer, starter, main dish, a cheese selection, and dessert, as well as a selection of wines, champagne, and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
The presentation will even be similar to how you’d be served on a plane, with the use of a meal tray. The dishes will be created by French chef Arnaud Lallement, while the desserts will be created by pastry chef Nina Métayer.
This experience costs €85 per person
While visiting the exhibition is complimentary, a meal in the Air France restaurant costs €85 per person. This is available from July 27 through August 11, 2024, with reservations available daily between 11:30AM and 3PM.
The price includes all the food, plus alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. You can make your reservation at this link.
This is the coolest opportunity we’ve seen to enjoy airplane meals on the ground in quite some time. The only cooler thing I can think of is back in 2020, during the early stages of the pandemic, when Singapore Airlines transformed an A380 into a restaurant (temporarily).
Bottom line
Air France is opening a pop-up restaurant at Palais de Tokyo during the Paris Olympics this summer. For €85 per person, you can enjoy a multi-course meal plus drinks, just like you’d get onboard. While paying to enjoy airplane food on the ground will probably make most people chuckle (especially in a foodie city like Paris), I dig this idea.
Are any OMAAT readers attending the Paris Olympics and planning on checking this out?
If it’s the menu served in the La Premiere Lounge I can understand.
Looks very Kool but i will be staying away from France and Paris this year...
I am attending the Olympics. I will be checking out the pavilion although I won't be paying to eat airline food.
Like taking a bag lunch to Parisian restaurant. If it’s like my CDG-SFO flight a week ago, they will serve what looks like baby food mash, fail to deliver the entree I ordered two days prior, and serve a random dessert that doesn’t match the menu.
Woah: normally the baby food shows up for the second meal in Y/PE. Though I'd pay money to see people pay money to get that meal.
Some years ago, on a layover in one of the old CDG 2F lounges, I stumbled across a Euro business meal test. They sat me down, brought me some champs, then a meal tray and a glass of Bordeaux. It was kinda fun.
85 Euro for the long haul menu? It depends on how they cook it.
Can't seem to order KSML MOML. Discrimination catering?
I'd do this in a heartbeat if I was going to be anywhere near Paris during the Games! Besides, AF business class is really pretty good. Now, if they only offered an "upgrade" to first class!
Asinine. They better be cooking the dishes a la minute or this is basically 85 euros for all you can drink. Seems only worth it if you down 2 bottles of champagne per person.
As a reminder, airplane food can only be heated by a microwave, aka, steaming.
On flat earth no resto charging 85 euros per person would ever sear something and then steam it. Paul Bocuse would hang you himself from the grave. Hell, no home cook would do that on purpose.
It's true that Air France's catering is pretty good, however, given that it's also in Paris, which is a city of gourmet food, there's infinitely better options almost everywhere?
Seems like a purely novelty or publicity kind of attraction.