The 10 Best Airports for Food, From Istanbul to Atlanta

28.06.2024 - 11:29 / cntraveler.com

This article is part of our airport food survival guide, which includes tips and tricks—even a hot take or two—that challenge the notion that airport meals are always dull, overpriced, and tasteless.

We are never quite ourselves at the airport—perhaps that’s why airport food similarly tends to taste like a lesser version of the real thing. Fortunately, not every airport is a vacuum of flavor and diversity; in fact, a select few have consistently received accolades for their dining experience.

The World Airport Awards, known within the industry as the “Oscars of Aviation” recently released its 2024 ranking of the best airports for dining, considering the overall food selection, variety, and quality of the airport’s restaurants (including cafés, bars, restaurants, and fast food), including their value for money. The winners were selected based on the results of global airport customer satisfaction surveys administered by the UK-based consulting firm Skytrax.

Happily, the majority of the airports that made the ranking are supported by Traveler editors, via a roundup of their most memorable airport meals from around the world, which includes a lokum burger in Istanbul; xiao long bao in Singapore; ramen in Seoul; paninis and gelato in Rome; fried chicken and omakase in Atlanta; and vegetable gyoza in Tokyo Haneda.

So, the next time you find yourselves at one of the airports below, pull up a chair and dig in.

Singapore's Changi Airport has some of the best airport food in the world.

1. Istanbul

There’s no shortage of Turkish delights at the Istanbul Airport, which boasts 117 dining venues. The Turkish Airlines hub is also known for its world-class airline lounges, notably the Turkish Airlines Business Lounge, which serves up mouth-watering dishes like gözleme, manti, and mezze—all made better with with a glass of Öküzgözu.

2. Singapore Changi

Singapore Changi is consistently ranked one of the best airports in the world by our readers in our our annual Readers’ Choice Awards. But the airport does food particularly well, with a whopping 194 eateries. To help navigate your way through them, read our helpful guide to where to eat in Changi airport.

3. Seoul Incheon

Seoul Incheon International Airport is one of the best in the world, according to our readers, with a shiny new Terminal 2 built in 2018. There are a total of 19 Korean food restaurants in the airport serving traditional dishes such as nakji-bokkeum (spicy octopus stir-fry), naengmyeon (cold noodles), and bibimbap (rice bowls). If you're in search of local cuisine in Terminal 1, check out the “Korean Cultural Street,” styled like a traditional Korean home.

4. Doha Hamad

Hamad International Airport in Qatar was named the best airport in the