Taking off at the Runway 34 Restaurant in Zürich

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The concepts of "airline" and "restaurant" have been combined many times all over the world. And fortunately for anyone in the Zürich area, the best airline themed restaurant is right next to the ZRH airport!

The hangar which houses the Runway 34 restaurant was actually built around a retro Russian Il-14 airplane. The cabin of this massive centerpiece has been re-purposed as a smokers lounge, and fleets of stairs lead upstairs to the Wingwalker Bar and Aviator Lounge (seminar room).

As soon as you enter the restaurant, the experience hits you as two air hostesses greet you with a friendly smile: "Welcome aboard!"

A stroll around the restaurant is worth it, as the view from the cockpit is pretty awesome and the items for sale at the gift shop very tempting... Once ready, a flight attendant will lead you to your assigned destination. Our table was marked "MIA" - Miami.

My tip: When making a reservation, ask for a "First Class" booth like the one below! Have you ever eaten a first class meal in a first class seat? No turbulence here, either...

The menu is essentially a trip into the world of aviation, with meals such as Fuelstop in Montreal (pumpkin soup), Bird Strike (Thai chicken) or All Nippon Maguro (seared tuna)!

We felt truly entertained by the "full immersion" airline concept of Runway 34. Picking bread rolls from a basket and being served from a cabin trolley is so airline-ish!