This summer, Air France redefines luxury and brand experience by opening a spectacular pop-up restaurant atop Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann, inviting guests to savor its signature Business Class cuisine in one of the city’s most iconic settings. Running from June 25 to August 20, 2025, this exclusive rooftop experience offers a unique fusion of high-end inflight dining and panoramic Parisian charm.
Perched on the eighth floor of the legendary department store, the restaurant gives diners sweeping views over the Parisian skyline — with the Eiffel Tower, Opéra Garnier, and Montmartre all visible from the terrace. With a decor palette mirroring the airline’s elegant identity — navy blue, crisp white, and subtle touches of vibrant red — the space radiates the understated sophistication of Air France’s premium lounges, only now under the open sky.
An Exclusive Setting Above the City
The atmosphere is purposefully intimate. Only 20 seats are available for each service, preserving a private lounge-like ambiance. With two lunch sessions daily, diners enjoy a slower pace and refined service often elusive in city dining. The space even features sun beds and an outdoor lounge, transforming lunch into a leisurely escape that feels both worldly and serene.
While 35,000 feet in the air usually defines Air France’s gourmet standards, the rooftop height brings its own version of altitude glamour. The airline has taken the immersive brand approach to new heights—blending culinary art, design, and aviation culture in a setting where every detail matters.
Signature Dishes by Michelin-Starred Chefs
Régis Marcon, a legend with three Michelin stars, leads the culinary vision, crafting a seasonal menu that mirrors Air France’s onboard Business Class selections. Alongside him, Nina Métayer, known for her innovative French pastry artistry, creates indulgent desserts that close the meal with flair.
Dishes are not only flavorful but are plated on designer tableware created by Jean-Marie Massaud, reinforcing the airline’s commitment to aesthetics and detail even on the ground. Each tray mimics the inflight service layout, offering a true-to-experience encounter that aviation enthusiasts will especially appreciate.
Sample Menu for June 2025:
- Appetizer: Artichoke and ash goat cheese combination
- Starter: Green vegetables and herbaceous coulis, salmon trout back and horseradish cream
- Main Course Options:
- Braised beef with tangy jus, spicy carrot flan, button mushrooms
- Chicken with morels, pilaf rice, green asparagus
- Salmon with vegetable fondue, bulgur, and Beluga lentils
- Ratatouille cake with basil, zucchini, and celery
- Cheese Selection: A curated flight of fine French cheeses
- Dessert: Hazelnut caramel entremet by Nina Métayer
Each element is carefully engineered to reflect the kind of gastronomy that transcends conventional airline fare — proving that when it comes to culinary innovation, Air France is flying ahead of the competition.
Pricing, Reservations, and What’s Included
Priced at €93 per person, the experience is surprisingly accessible considering the exclusivity of the space and the pedigree of the menu. That fee includes:
- A multi-course French-style meal
- Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages
- Service in an atmospheric, elevated rooftop setting
Reservations are essential and available through an online portal, with slots open daily from 11:30 AM to 3:30 PM. This limited-time opportunity is designed for those who appreciate the intersections of travel, design, and gastronomy.
Not Just a Meal — A Statement of Brand Identity
This is not Air France’s first venture into pop-up gastronomy. In 2024, the airline hosted a similar concept at Palais de Tokyo, leveraging the Olympic season to promote its presence. However, this year’s installation distinguishes itself through elevated execution and a more refined ambiance, emphasizing experience over spectacle.
What makes this pop-up particularly compelling is how deeply it channels the brand’s DNA. Rather than a gimmick, this is a meticulously crafted branding exercise that leans into France’s global culinary reputation, while celebrating the art of air travel. From the music to the plating, every detail aligns with Air France’s ethos of French excellence and hospitality.
In contrast to global competitors, many of whom lag behind in passenger culinary satisfaction, Air France turns its Business Class service into a physical destination — a bold marketing move that few other carriers are poised to emulate. It’s difficult to imagine, for instance, American Airlines offering a fine dining pop-up, unless ironically sponsored by a fast-food chain.
The Flavor of Flight — Grounded
Critics may argue that part of the uniqueness of airline meals lies in the atmospheric context — the cabin pressure, the altitude-altered taste buds, the jet engine hum. Certainly, food prepared in a ground kitchen and served fresh won’t taste exactly like it does inflight, where dishes are reheated and often over-salted to compensate for flavor dulling at cruising altitude.
However, that’s part of the intrigue. The rooftop version allows you to enjoy the same recipe profiles, plated with fresh precision, without the compromises of airline galley constraints. You taste the intent of the chefs without the turbulence of travel.
For those curious about how their favorite inflight dish might taste in its original form — or who simply enjoy the novelty of airline branding in a high-fashion environment — this is a playful and memorable way to explore culinary aviation.
Galeries Lafayette: A Landmark Worthy of the Concept
The choice of Galeries Lafayette as the venue is no coincidence. Often dubbed the most beautiful department store in the world, it stands as a symbol of Parisian elegance, attracting millions of tourists annually. Its rooftop has become a social hub for locals and visitors alike, where fashion, art, and gastronomy intersect in spectacular fashion.
By placing the pop-up here, Air France taps into a dense flow of global travelers already immersed in the luxury shopping experience. The airline isn’t just promoting its food — it’s positioning itself as an extension of French lifestyle and design, right in the heart of the city.
Final Thoughts: Worth the Climb
Is €93 expensive for a lunch in Paris? Yes. Could you find a Michelin-starred prix fixe menu elsewhere in the city for the same price? Possibly. But that’s not the point. The Air France rooftop pop-up is about more than food — it’s about immersing yourself in a sensory experience that bridges air and ground, travel and destination, imagination and reality.
It’s about sipping wine while looking out over Paris, knowing you’re eating what passengers flying to Tokyo or New York might be enjoying right now — just with fresher ingredients and no turbulence.
For the aviation enthusiast, the luxury traveler, or simply the curious epicurean, this rooftop lunch is more than a novelty — it’s a curated moment of airline identity brought vividly to life.
Book it for the food. Stay for the view. Remember it as a highlight of your Paris summer.
