Fine dining: Newark's secret restaurant

It's interesting to know which places not everyone knows or which frequent establishments you should be invited to enter. You are part of an exclusive circle. The bar tradition still exists today, especially in larger cities in the USA. Sometimes you needed a password, sometimes you had to search downstairs or behind a side door, or you had to be invited by someone who was already a regular guest.

So-called bars emerged during the Prohibition era, when the possession and serving of alcohol was prohibited in the United States. In New York City alone there were said to be about 30,000 bars at the end of Prohibition in 1933. These days, the term “speakeasy” is making a comeback, and you increasingly hear about exclusive clubs that often serve high-quality drinks.

Between gates 102 and 120

In keeping with this New York tradition, United Airlines runs a secret restaurant at Newark Airport. The name already sounds ambiguous: Categorized. It is located in Terminal C between gates 102 and 120 of the French restaurant Saison. Anyone who has reserved a table at Classified must report for the season and are then directed through a dark, secret entrance, at the end of which you stand in front of the secret restaurant.

Show in the restaurant. Photo: United Airlines

The restaurant has 38 seats and offers a direct view of the square. Aircraft enthusiasts can observe the plane up close. The interior is classic and high quality. The tables are simple and furnished with brown leather chairs. The ceiling is decorated with white swirls and bronze ceiling lights reminiscent of the wind. Soft jazz music plays in the background.

Gourmet restaurant at the airport

The restaurant opened in 2017 as part of the remodeling of Terminal C, which is used exclusively by United Airlines and United Express. The restaurant closed during the coronavirus pandemic before reopening in mid-September 2022 after a two-and-a-half-year hiatus. United operates the restaurant in collaboration with catering company OTG.

But what makes Classified so exclusive? First, obviously the food. The gourmet restaurant is dedicated to serving fine American cuisine, whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner. Apparently the food is so good that guests chose to eat at Classified rather than fly to New York City.

Member of the Elite 1K Club

Among the dishes offered are steak tartare with quail egg yolk or Arctic char with champagne vinaigrette. Salads, seafood and a variety of steak dishes are also available. But for breakfast, many egg specialties are also available from eggs Benedict to French toast.

The Classified has a classic look. Photo: United Airlines

Uniqueness is much more important. For Classified dining, United passengers will receive an email from the airline inviting them to make a reservation. The airline remains silent about the conditions that must be met and the amount of miles that must be filled in the mileage calculation. There's speculation that you have to be a member of the airline's elite 1K club, which means you fly 100,000 miles a year with United.

The visit is not free

Unlike airline lounges, food in the secret restaurant is not free. The airline pays well for this experience. A main course can cost around $70. But if you list it, you can always make a reservation – similar to pubs in the 1920s.