José Andrés Elevates Airport Lounge Food at DCA

A new lounge at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is taking airport dining to new heights. Capital One Landing opens today at DCA, designed in collaboration with chef José Andrés, with a 5,500-square-foot restaurant serving tapas, a pop-up caviar cart, and soft serve ice cream.

“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. "We worked together on the menu, the design, and the entire experience to create an oasis for travelers to feel welcome, eat something tasty, and recharge." 

Capital One has been operating lounges since 2021, with a presence in airports that include Dallas Fort Worth and Denver, and Landing is the financial corporation's latest culinary-focused concept.

“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 new lounge is José Andrés Group’s first foray into airport dining, and Andrés is taking the same approach to the menu at Capital One Landing that he does at his fan-favorite and Michelin-starred restaurants. Travelers can order from the menu of Spanish tapas, including pan con tomate, gambas al ajillo (shrimp swimming in garlicky olive oil), and chicken-filled croquetas. Ingredients like olive oil and jamón from Spain are thoughtfully sourced from the chef’s longstanding purveyors, and dishes are 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 has a menu of signature cocktails, including 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, the Continental Sour is made with rye whiskey and a Spanish Tempranillo red wine floater. There’s also a thoughtful list of spirit-free cocktails, and for dessert: Basque cheesecake, flan, and delightful 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. Depending on the day and time, it 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. Beyond aesthetics, though, it was designed with traveler conveniences in mind, with power outlets at every seat and plenty of luggage nooks and bag hooks.

The adjacent “On the Fly” cafe serves a menu of 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.

While the cafe is accessible to all travelers at the airport, Venture X and Venture X Business cardholders get a 50% discount on purchases. These cardholders also get unlimited complimentary access to Capital One Landing and can pre-book a reservation in the Capital One app, while Venture and Spark Miles cardholders can purchase entry for the discounted rate of $45. (It’s $90 for non-cardholders to enter.)

The new Capital One Landing lounge at DCA is in Terminal 2 near Concourse D, and another is slated to open in New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) soon.