‘Saveur’ Picks Five Great Airports for Dining

“Saveur” is among the most authoritative of the food and dining publications, so when it weighs in on airports featuring visit-worthy restaurants, as it did in the current issue, it warrants a look.

The magazine isn’t claiming that its picks are the five best airports for dining, only that they’re “five great airports to eat in.”

And they are:

• Hong Kong International – for its six-story mall, where travelers can treat themselves to “a delicately flavored sliced goose marinated in its own stock,” among other dishes
• Sydney International – featuring Caviar House & Prunier Seafood Bar, noted for its roe and “local delicacies like smoked Tasmanian salmon”
• Salzburg Airport W.A. Mozart – highlight: Restaurant Ikarus, which changes its head chef every month
• San Francisco International – with Live Fire Pizza among the “upscale food court’s” offerings
• Singapore Changi – featuring street hawker staples, “like like nasi lemak (steamed coconut rice in banana leaf) and char kway teow (stir-fried rice noodles)”

The availability of so much good airport food is one of the few positive trends in travel. Fine dining — or at least decent dining — at the airport is no longer an oxymoron.

At my own hometown airport, Los Angeles International, the choices include Sushi Boy, ink.sack, Border Grill, Luckyfish, Umami Burger, Gordon Biersch Brewery, Nate N’ Al’s Deli, La Brea bakery, Gladstone’s 4 Fish, Homeboy, B Grill by BOA Steakhouse, and Marmalade Cafe.

Airports as dining destinations? We’re not quite there yet. But at least the days of airport dining being monopolized by generic fast-food outlets are behind us.

Reader Reality Check

What are your favorite airport restaurants?

This article originally appeared on FrequentFlier.com.