Modern airport with direct subway to DC; José Andrés dining
2401 Smith Blvd, Arlington, VA 22202 Get directions
"Placed No. 27 globally and third in the U.S. for family-friendliness, this airport offers an unusually large selection of dining with 43 restaurants, plus one play area, five breastfeeding stations, and rentable strollers; it does not, however, offer designated family-friendly security lanes." - Opheli Garcia Lawler
"A Swiss chocolate company is hosting a two-day pop-up where travelers can literally step into a chocolate box and experience the LINDOR layover in Reagan’s Concourse C. The pop-up (December 19–20) features premium Lindt chocolates to sample, prizes to win, and treats to buy and take home." - Emily Venezky
"Opened on Nov. 19, the new 5,500-square-foot lounge at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Terminal 2 near Concourse D is a culinary-forward airport concept designed in collaboration with chef José Andrés. "DCA is my home airport, so it was the perfect place to create a completely new airport experience with our friends at Capital One — one that is centered around great food and drinks, giving travelers the quality and taste they’ve come to know at our José Andrés Group restaurants," chef José Andrés told Food & Wine. “There's not really a blueprint for what we're doing here,” says Jenn Scheurich, head of Capital One Travel + Retail Experience. “We're trying to do something that's entirely new.” The José Andrés Group’s first foray into airport dining offers a menu of Spanish tapas — including pan con tomate, gambas al ajillo (shrimp swimming in garlicky olive oil), and chicken-filled croquetas — with ingredients like olive oil and jamón from Spain thoughtfully sourced from the chef’s longstanding purveyors and prepared in a full commercial-quality kitchen on-site. "Here you will find some of my favorite dishes — including croquetas like my mom used to make. Of course, everything is better with a great glass of Spanish wine or a cocktail on tap," Andrés added. "Travel should be an adventure, and that starts with the food and drink." The full-service bar features signature cocktails such as Ben Franklin’s Milk Punch made with Torres 20 Spanish brandy and the Fino Red Snapper, a sherry-based spin on a Bloody Mary; on tap for quicker service is the Continental Sour made with rye whiskey and a Spanish Tempranillo red wine floater, plus a thoughtful list of spirit-free cocktails. For dessert there are Basque cheesecake, flan, and tahini soft serve ice cream drizzled with olive oil. Just as delightful, the same cart that rolls around Andrés’ D.C. restaurant The Bazaar will make appearances in the lounge and, depending on the day and time, will deliver mimosas, gin and tonics with various garnishes, cheesecake with a host of toppings, or caviar and labneh in tiny handheld cones. The space’s design — with a warm color palette, leather banquettes, and local art — takes inspiration from José Andrés restaurants as well as other Capital One lounges, but it was also designed with traveler conveniences in mind, with power outlets at every seat and plenty of luggage nooks and bag hooks. An adjacent "On the Fly" cafe serves coffee and grab-and-go meals and snacks from the José Andrés Group, like Xuixo (Catalan pastries filled with chocolate or vanilla cream), salads, and sandwiches; Venture X and Venture X Business cardholders get a 50% discount on purchases. Access and pricing are tiered: Venture X and Venture X Business cardholders receive unlimited complimentary access and can pre-book a reservation in the Capital One app, Venture and Spark Miles cardholders can purchase entry for the discounted rate of $45, and it’s $90 for non-cardholders. Capital One has been operating lounges since 2021, with locations including Dallas Fort Worth and Denver, and this Landing concept is the company’s latest culinary-focused approach, with another Landing slated to open soon at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA)." - Regan Stephens
"A glam new 5,400-square-foot restaurant and bar inside Reagan National Airport's Terminal 2 (at the intersection of National Hall and Concourse D) seats 90 and aims to deliver the award-winning Spanish cooking of José Andrés Group through fast-moving tapas and cocktails. The upscale ambiance is defined by woven basket lights, greenery, abstract art from locals, sleek blue booths, mod ceramics and Mediterranean cookbooks framing a stylish wraparound bar, glass-enclosed views of planes taking off, and power outlets at every seat. Capital One tapped Andrés two years ago to design the menus at a cluster of airport lounges, and the operation includes a small “On the Fly” takeout market next door with prepared foods and front-row stools to watch passengers racing to their gate. Service features roving carts stocked with morning mimosas and juices, afternoon cheesecake and sauces, and gins and tonics that take cues from the tableside service at his avant-garde Bazaar in D.C.’s Waldorf-Astoria hotel; José Andrés Group’s same purveyors supply Spanish breads and olive oils, and special knives used to finely shave luxe jamón ibérico required a sign-off from TSA. Sit-down diners order hot dishes (which take 10 minutes or less) from a table QR code or swing by the tapas bar; early menu highlights include gambas al ajillo, daily croquetas, pan con tomate, eggplant and tofu donburi, roasted piquillo peppers infused with garlic and thyme, grilled zucchini with yogurt, grilled hanger steak slathered with mojo verde sauce, a grilled three-cheese sandwich, and Cantabrian Sea anchovies cured in salt and preserved in extra virgin olive oil — which are a "must," Andrés proclaimed during a media preview last week. For dessert there’s burnt Basque cheesecake, silky flan, and soft serve. The beverage program is pronounced — a Landing G&T built with Mediterranean tonic water and Barr Hill gin; "Ben Franklin’s" clarified milk punch featuring brandy, lemon, and nutmeg; a sherry-based spin on a Bloody Mary; cava poured in a porrón; fast-moving draft drinks including an espresso martini with a tropical banana touch, Negroni, Continental Sour, and sangria; plus Spanish wines and brews ranging from Dulles, Virginia (Ocelot) to Madrid (Estrella). Both areas are open to the public but sit-down visitors pay a flat fee: Capital One Venture X and Venture X Business members get free unlimited access and the ability to bring a plus one, Venture and Spark Miles cardholders pay $45, and all other guests pay $90; guests can check in with a host or make reservations in advance. Operational details and context: daily lounge hours are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. (market 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.), this is the first big local opening since Andrés passed the torch of his culinary empire to Sam Bakhshandehpour (who became global CEO this spring while Andrés remains executive chairman), and Bakhshandehpour tells the New York Times that the group's culinary director and a few longtime employees will be on-site during the first few months. The project is presented by the credit giant as striving to bring "elevated dining to the heart of the terminal," and it represents a personal project for the superstar chef — his first-ever restaurant Jaleo opened across the Potomac more than 30 years ago, he is a Bethesda resident who says the majority of his career miles were spent flying in and out of DCA, and he recently returned from Valencia where he helped those affected by floods under his humanitarian role with World Central Kitchen." - Tierney Plumb
"This Washington, D.C. airport features terminal layouts and quick access to the metro that experienced guide dogs can reliably navigate to immediately upon deplaning, enabling many travelers to proceed independently through the two terminal areas to public transit." - Thomas Panek and Rachel Chang
