Flying Air France La Première, the airline’s First-Class experience, is likely the most luxurious way to travel by plane. Not only do you get personalized service starting from your home or hotel and throughout the airport, but you also get your own large, curtained off room in the aircraft. The seat, which resembles an armchair, is of course, outrageously large and converts into a comfortable bed, but sleeping isn’t the best use of your time when flying La Première. You want to be wide awake to try out the Michelin-starred food instead.
Photos: Air France
Air France Brought in a Michelin Star Chef to Make the Most Indulgent French Meals in the Air
For the best part of a decade, Air France has been collaborating with French Michelin Star chefs and renowned pastry chefs for its First-Class menus. In the past, the likes of Daniel Boulud, Anne-Sophie Pic, Arnaud Lallement, Michel Roth, Dominique Crenn, and Nina Métayer have partnered with the airline to offer its guests the best inflight culinary experience possible.
Starting in December 2024, passengers in La Première will order from a seasonal menu designed by triple Michelin-starred chef Emmanuel Renault, and award-winning pastry chef Claire Heitzler.
A dish of scallop quenelles designed by Emmanuel Renaut. Photo: Air France
One of the pastry creations designed by award-wining pastry chef Claire Heitzler. Photo: Air France
Starter designed by Emmanuel Renaut. Photo: Air France
One the main dishes designed by Emmanuel Renaut. Photo: Air France
One of the pastry creations designed by award-wining pastry chef Claire Heitzler. Photo: Air France
Emmanuel Renault, has created five starters and eight main dishes that are oh-so-French and sound oh-so-delicious. Think Beaufort cheese soufflé; cream of mushroom with truffles; and foie gras with salsify, blueberry, and onion chutney for starters. For the entrées, the chef created, among others, polenta with wild mushrooms, spinach, and mountain cheese; and scallops quenelle with tangy cream sauce and root vegetables.
For those who don’t have a French culinary dictionary handy, let me explain a few of the terms listed above:
- Beaufort is a type of cheese from the French Alps made from raw cow’s milk
- Salsify is a root vegetable
- Quenelle is a mixture of fish or meat, cream, butter, egg, and breadcrumb that is poached and shaped like an egg with spoons
Claire Heitzler created seven deserts for the First-Class cabin, including a French regional specialty, the Castanéa, a dessert with Ardèche chestnuts and Corsican clementines; and a triple chocolate cloud, a dessert of crunchy chocolate shortbread and creamy dark chocolate.
It’s not the first time that Renault collaborates with Air France. In November 2023, he created eight main dishes inspired by his native French Alps for La Première, including farmhouse chicken confit with mushrooms and a vegetable mille-feuille; and a vegetarian dish or creamy blend of root vegetables, button mushrooms, porcini mushrooms and Beaufort.
For those who can’t afford to fly First Class with Air France, there are menus designed by award-winning chefs in Business Class and Premium Economy, too. The choice is just a little more limited. I personally tried one of the two dishes that Michelin-starred chef Frederic Simonin created for the Premium Economy cabin earlier this year, and it was the best food I’ve ever has in an airplane.
If you decide to book a First-Class seat for your next Air France flight to test out the elegant French food on offer, note that only specific routes are fitted with La Première cabins. In the winter of 2024, the La Première cabin is available on a selection of Boeing 777-300s that fly from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Los Angeles, Miami, New York-JFK, San Francisco, Washington-DC (US), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Singapore, and Tokyo-Haneda (Japan). 