If you’ve flown out of Reagan National lately, you may have noticed a restaurant near the National Hall in Terminal 2 that isn’t open to random walk-ups. That’s Capital One Landing, the sit-down lounge featuring acclaimed chef, Jose Andres. The lines are long and the entrance semi-exclusive, but the flights are probably delayed, so why not?

The lounge opened in 2024, but it seems to be having a moment. Axios recently called it “D.C.’s Hottest Club,” and getting in isn’t casual. A Capital One Venture X or Venture X Business card will get you entry for $45, or $90 per person if you aren’t a cardholder. You’ll also need a boarding pass for a same-day flight within three hours of departure. Reservations run through the Capital One app.

The 90-seat space skips the usual buffet-line lounge format. Servers bring Spanish-style tapas built around the Jose Andres Group’s menu: jamon flown in from Spain, boquerones, piquillo peppers, chilled pea soup, olive oil fried eggs with fries, and a croissant-churro hybrid called a xuixo for dessert. The bar pours a Cynar-forward “media combinacion” gin cocktail, and every so often a cart of caviar-topped ice cream cones makes the rounds. Some tables have runway views.

For a National Landing crowd that flies out of DCA more than most of D.C., this is essentially a neighborhood restaurant with a security checkpoint in front of it. Capital One has already brought the same Landing concept to LaGuardia, with more airports reportedly on the way, but the company says DCA still sees the most repeat visitors of any location. Not bad for a restaurant most of D.C. will never get to eat at.

Sources: Axios, The Washington Post