The "iron birds" are now not only used as a means of transportation, but in some places, they have been used to "magically" transform into ideal destinations for diners who love to experience new feelings. Below are 8 of the restaurants formed from airplanes that if you have the chance, you should try once!
El Avión Restaurant, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
El Avión Restaurant and Bar is a dinner-only restaurant with a history lesson. This unique restaurant is housed inside a Fairchild C-123 plane in the middle of the Costa Rican jungle. It originally had a twin brother, a US cargo plane, but the other was shot down over Nicaragua in 1986 during the Iran-Contra arms scandal. The plane was then abandoned and forgotten until 2000, when it was purchased, refurbished, and transported to its current location on a Costa Rican cliff. As for the name, El Avión means “the plane” in Spanish.
Info: El Avion Restaurant and Bar, 22 Manuel Antonio Street, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica; +506 2777 3378
La Tante Restaurant DC10, Accra, Ghana
Once a Ghana Airlines aircraft, this McDonnell Douglas DC-10 now serves Ghanaian cuisine daily from a prime location right next to its airport. The “business” cabin now serves as a lounge, while the economy cabin is the main location for drinks or dinner. The middle seats, in particular, remain in their neat rows, but have been converted into sturdy dining tables that resemble a proper restaurant. While the food served here may not earn La Tante DC10 a Michelin star, it does offer diners a taste of what an airplane restaurant in Africa could be like.
The La Tante DC10 operated as a passenger aircraft from 1983 to 2005.
Info: La Tante Restaurant DC10, Kotoka International Airport, Airport Road, Accra, Ghana; +233 50 704 0598
Hawaii Adda Restaurant, Ludhiana, India
While most airplane restaurants consider the original “iron bird” space a valuable detail to attract diners, Hawai Adda chooses to go against the grain with a completely luxurious interior makeover. The Air India Airbus 320 has been refurbished into a luxurious space, while the menu remains faithful to traditional vegetarian dishes.
Inspired by the Maharaja Express – India’s most luxurious train, Hawai Adda proves to be a formidable contender for the on-the-runway dining experience and also boasts of being the first aircraft to pioneer its kind in the South Asian country.
Hawai Adda serves a variety of international dishes, including pizza.
Info: Hawai Adda, Verka Park, Ferozpur Road, Ludhiana, Punjab 141001, India; +91 70870 21031
Steaks on a Plane Restaurant, Bolton, England
Made from the wingless end of a stolen Boeing 737, Steaks on a Plane is notable for its location, clever design, and its polystyrene-coated steel mesh. The restaurant is set up as a convenient takeaway food truck. If you decide to dine inside, try to get a good spot in the cockpit.
Details: Steak on a Plane, 120 to 126 Deane Road, Bolton, BL3 5DL, UK
Runway 1 Restaurant, Haryana, India
The father-son duo behind Runway 1 saw India's first airplane restaurant, Hawai Adda, do well and wanted to create one of its own. Opened in late 2017, the restaurant focuses heavily on its novel concept with unique "routines."
Diners are required to show their boarding passes before heading to their table, while the cockpit area features India’s only 3D flight simulator. However, once you move through the cabin, the refurbished interior of this old Airbus A320 will take your breath away.
Info: Runway 1 Restaurant, Haryana, Mohri, Haryana 134003, India; +91 93064 51970
The Airplane Restaurant, Colorado Springs
In the fuselage of this massive Boeing KC-97 tanker, commissioned by the US Air Force in 1953, 42 lucky diners can freely learn about aviation history through valuable memorabilia, while enjoying seafood or sandwiches.
The owners decided to open the restaurant back in 2002, making it a pioneer in the US for offering an in-flight dining experience on the ground. Diners will have to make reservations to ensure they have a good spot to enjoy the food on the plane.
The restaurant is located inside a 1953 Boeing KC-97 tanker.
Info: Airplane Restaurant, 1645 Newport Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80916; +719 570 7656
McDonald's Restaurant, Taupō, New Zealand
This is one of the most unusual McDonald's in the world.
One of the most popular attractions in Taupō, New Zealand, is the McDonald's restaurant inside a disused plane. This is a Douglas DC-3 that belonged to South Pacific Airlines in the 1960s. After it was decommissioned, the fast food giant leased it in the 1990s and repurposed it into a restaurant for about 20 diners, repainted in silver with red stripes and the famous McDonald's font.
Inside the restaurant
Info: McDonald's, 48 Roberts Road, Taupō 3330, New Zealand; +64 7 378 8679
Space Shuttle Cafe, New York
The Space Shuttle Café looks like a space shuttle in the middle of the city. But it was actually built from Douglas DC3 parts, not a rocket. People have been waiting for years to get a burger from this special Space Shuttle Café food truck. But in fact, its current owner is having to sell Space Shuttle Café with a starting price of $230,000.
Info: Manhattan Collision Garage, 428 W. 19th Street, New York
