Long-haul dining is getting a distinctly sweeter update at Air France, as the airline extends its collaboration with acclaimed pastry chef Nina Métayer, for a fresh collection of Business Class desserts.
Designed specifically for passengers travelling out of Paris, the new menu continues Air France’s broader push to bring contemporary French gastronomy into the cabin.
Métayer, named World’s Best Pastry Chef in 2023, is no stranger to translating fine pastry into the unique conditions of flight. Her partnership with the airline began in 2024, and this new selection builds on that with desserts calibrated for altitude, where taste perception can soften and texture becomes all the more important.
A leading figure in modern French pâtisserie, Métayer’s path to the top has been unusually international. She first discovered her passion for baking during a formative stay in Puebla, Mexico, later refining her craft in Melbourne before returning to Paris to work in some of the capital’s most storied kitchens, including Le Meurice. From there came roles at Hôtel Raphaël, Café Pouchkine and Jean-François Piège’s Grand Restaurant, where her desserts quickly became a calling card.
Métayer currently runs several bakeries and patisseries, as well as a chocolate shop in La Rochelle and Paris.
Métayer, named World’s Best Pastry Chef in 2023, is no stranger to translating fine pastry into the unique conditions of flight…
A dessert menu for 35,000 feet
The two headline additions are a raspberry and coconut slice and a lemon and verbena slice, both created to feel rich enough for Business Class, while light enough for long-haul.
The raspberry and coconut slice pairs creamy coconut mousse with a fresh raspberry confit and a delicate white chocolate layer. The flavour profile promises enough brightness to cut through the muted palate of cabin air, while still delivering the indulgence travellers tend to crave.
The lemon and verbena slice leans more towards citrus freshness, offering a cleaner, more aromatic finish.
Métayer describes them as “true travel companions”, explaining: “I’ve created rich yet light pastries to take travellers on a sensory journey, whilst evoking the charm of faraway destinations.”
That travel-inflected approach fits neatly with the wider Business Class dining proposition, where her desserts sit alongside dishes by triple-Michelin-starred chef Régis Marcon. Marcon’s menus, inspired by nature and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, continue to anchor the savoury side of the experience.
Air France says the meals are developed with Servair using seasonal produce, with French-origin meat, poultry, dairy and eggs, alongside fish sourced from sustainable or domestic fisheries. Vegetarian options remain available throughout the cabin.
Business Class passengers can pre-select their main course up to 24 hours before departure.
Overlooking the Bay of Palma, from the edge of the historic Calatrava district, this delightful adults-only boutique hotel only opened in 2019 but already feels established as one of Palma’s finest places to stay – its design reflecting the history of Majorca’s capital. Swedish designer Magnus Ehrland has put his mark on the hotel, but…
Italian shipyard Sanlorenzo has expanded its innovative SL range with the new SL80A, a sub-24-metre motor yacht that brings the Italian builder’s distinctive asymmetric architecture to its most compact platform yet. Designed by Zuccon International Project, the yacht combines the space, comfort and speed of a larger vessel with the practical advantages of a smaller…
Air France is bringing a taste of Paris to London Heathrow with the opening of its new lounge in Terminal 4. Open daily from 5am until 10pm, the 750-square-metre facility seats almost 150 guests and is available to La Première, Business and Flying Blue Elite Plus customers, alongside eligible travellers flying with KLM and other…
The Luxe Review 
Long-haul dining is getting a distinctly sweeter update at Air France, as the airline extends its collaboration with acclaimed pastry chef Nina Métayer, for a fresh collection of Business Class desserts.
Designed specifically for passengers travelling out of Paris, the new menu continues Air France’s broader push to bring contemporary French gastronomy into the cabin.
Métayer, named World’s Best Pastry Chef in 2023, is no stranger to translating fine pastry into the unique conditions of flight. Her partnership with the airline began in 2024, and this new selection builds on that with desserts calibrated for altitude, where taste perception can soften and texture becomes all the more important.
A leading figure in modern French pâtisserie, Métayer’s path to the top has been unusually international. She first discovered her passion for baking during a formative stay in Puebla, Mexico, later refining her craft in Melbourne before returning to Paris to work in some of the capital’s most storied kitchens, including Le Meurice. From there came roles at Hôtel Raphaël, Café Pouchkine and Jean-François Piège’s Grand Restaurant, where her desserts quickly became a calling card.
Métayer currently runs several bakeries and patisseries, as well as a chocolate shop in La Rochelle and Paris.
A dessert menu for 35,000 feet
The two headline additions are a raspberry and coconut slice and a lemon and verbena slice, both created to feel rich enough for Business Class, while light enough for long-haul.
The raspberry and coconut slice pairs creamy coconut mousse with a fresh raspberry confit and a delicate white chocolate layer. The flavour profile promises enough brightness to cut through the muted palate of cabin air, while still delivering the indulgence travellers tend to crave.
The lemon and verbena slice leans more towards citrus freshness, offering a cleaner, more aromatic finish.
Métayer describes them as “true travel companions”, explaining: “I’ve created rich yet light pastries to take travellers on a sensory journey, whilst evoking the charm of faraway destinations.”
That travel-inflected approach fits neatly with the wider Business Class dining proposition, where her desserts sit alongside dishes by triple-Michelin-starred chef Régis Marcon. Marcon’s menus, inspired by nature and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, continue to anchor the savoury side of the experience.
Air France says the meals are developed with Servair using seasonal produce, with French-origin meat, poultry, dairy and eggs, alongside fish sourced from sustainable or domestic fisheries. Vegetarian options remain available throughout the cabin.
Business Class passengers can pre-select their main course up to 24 hours before departure.
El Llorenç Parc de la Mar hotel review: A delightful designer retreat in historic Palma
Overlooking the Bay of Palma, from the edge of the historic Calatrava district, this delightful adults-only boutique hotel only opened in 2019 but already feels established as one of Palma’s finest places to stay – its design reflecting the history of Majorca’s capital. Swedish designer Magnus Ehrland has put his mark on the hotel, but…
Sanlorenzo SL80A first look: The luxury yacht that suggests smaller may be smarter
Italian shipyard Sanlorenzo has expanded its innovative SL range with the new SL80A, a sub-24-metre motor yacht that brings the Italian builder’s distinctive asymmetric architecture to its most compact platform yet. Designed by Zuccon International Project, the yacht combines the space, comfort and speed of a larger vessel with the practical advantages of a smaller…
Fine wine, wellness and workspaces on offer in new Air France Heathrow lounge
Air France is bringing a taste of Paris to London Heathrow with the opening of its new lounge in Terminal 4. Open daily from 5am until 10pm, the 750-square-metre facility seats almost 150 guests and is available to La Première, Business and Flying Blue Elite Plus customers, alongside eligible travellers flying with KLM and other…
Share this: