Since 2023, Air France has entrusted the creation of its premium dishes to Frédéric Simonin, Michelin-starred chef and Meilleur Ouvrier de France. Customers can choose from two hot dishes, which are regularly updated, including a vegetarian option. These creations are already available on flights departing from Paris, Pointe-à-Pitre, Fort-de-France, Cayenne and Reunion Island. From February 2026, they will also be available on all Air France flights departing from the United States and Canada.
To create his dishes specially designed for the Premium cabin, Simonin worked with Servair, the world leader in airline catering. He uses fresh and seasonal produce. Among the creations customers can enjoy on board are small scallops with tapioca pearl sauce and asparagus pasta, and trofie pasta bake with porcini mushrooms and hazelnuts.
This winter, Air France is flying to Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York-JFK, New York-Newark, Orlando, Phoenix, Raleigh-Durham, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington DC in the United States. In Canada, the airline serves Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and Ottawa.
In Premium, Dedicated Culinary Delights
Depending on the flight schedule, customers travelling in the Premium cabin are served a glass of champagne immediately after take-off.
Each passenger is then served a full French-style meal. The menu consists of appetizers, a starter, a choice of two hot dishes created by Simonin on departure from certain stations, followed by cheese and a gourmet dessert.
On daytime flights departing from Paris and lasting more than nine hours and twenty minutes, artisanal ice cream made in the south of France is available between meals, vanilla or milk chocolate with caramelized almonds.
A selection of hot and cold drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, is also available throughout the flight. A selection of French wines and beers, chosen by Xavier Thuizat, France’s Best Sommelier 2022 and Air France’s head sommelier, complements the champagne selection available on board.
About Frédéric Simonin
Frédéric Simonin is a master chef who became the First Young Chef of the Year in 2004, then Chef of the Year in 2011. He was awarded the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 2019 and the Gault et Millau “trophy for culinary excellence” in 2022. At 18, he was named best apprentice in Brittany. He began working with chef Ghislaine Arabian at the Pavillon Ledoyen. He worked in renowned establishments such as Le Meurice, Taillevent and Le George V with Philippe Legendre.
(© Guillaume Savary)
At 27, he was awarded his first Michelin star at Le Seize au Seize restaurant. Simonin continued his career with Joël Robuchon, who offered him the position of head chef at “La Table de Joël”. Frédéric was awarded two Michelin stars and opened two other restaurants for Chef Robuchon in London, each of which earned him a Michelin star. In 2010, he returned to Paris and opened his own restaurant, for which he was awarded a Michelin star.
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