Paris Café

Paris Café Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & décor: Fans of nostalgia, The Jetsons and the 60s in general will feel right at home when they enter the TWA Flight Center-turned-hotel at New York City’s JFK International Airport. Utilizing the striking design elements that defined the space as conceived by Eero Saarinen, the hotel and its Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant, Paris Café, are an instant time trip to 1962. The white color scheme of the restaurant is one of the past, with accent hues adding dimension to the swoops of the steps, lights, chairs and counter. Choose to sit at a super-mod table or at seats hugging the swirling counter where you’ll be treated to servers knowledgeable in the whys and wherefores of Jean-Georges’ very appropriate cuisine.

Likes: It’s fun to drift into the past in this authentically retro space.
Dislikes: If you’re not staying at the hotel before or after a flight, this is a location that’s a bit tricky to navigate.

Food & Drinks: The all-day menu draws inspiration from vintage in-flight TWA menus with choices including burgers, fish & chips, and Parmesan-crusted organic chicken breast. Among the dishes with the most prominent Jean-Georges stamp are the refreshing spring pea soup, crispy salmon sushi and black truffle pizza. You’ll want to try an expertly prepared cocktail with an updated 60s moniker like the Passionfruit Whiskey Fizz made with a savory-sweet combination of Maker’s Mark whiskey, passionfruit and chili. If you prefer wine, a baker’s dozen by the glass are offered along with a menu of European and West Coast vintages. But you might want to trade in dessert for a cocktail at Connie, the original TWA plane converted into a lively cocktail lounge with seating both theater-style and facing each other as in a luxury jet. Guests actually climb stairs to board the plane from outdoors. A reservation is a must, as are classic in-flight libations like Negronis and martinis. If you’d like to get into the swing of it, you can purchase a TWA flight bag at the gift shop to tote during your dinner.