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American Express is refreshing the Centurion Lounge experience in two big ways — both in what’s on the menu and how travelers will soon be able to drink and dine before flights.
First, Amex is rolling out The Culinary Collective — a new partnership between several James Beard Award–winning Resy chefs to create a revamped menu of dishes and cocktails for U.S. Centurion Lounge locations. Then, in 2026, Amex will launch a new quick-access lounge concept it’s calling Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge.
Here's what to know about these upcoming Amex Centurion Lounge initiatives.
Amex Centurion Lounge Culinary Collective
On July 29, 2025, Amex is launching The Culinary Collective by The Centurion® Lounge, a new food and beverage program set to debut across all 15 U.S. Centurion Lounges. Instead of dedicated chefs responsible for creating menus at individual locations, Amex is partnering with four James Beard Award-winning chefs and a celebrated mixologist to curate a standardized, seasonal menu available nationwide.
Each chef brings a different international cuisine to the table — or, well, the buffet:
- Kwame Onwuachi: Afro-Caribbean cuisine
- Mashama Bailey: Southern-inspired dishes
- Mike Solomonov: Israeli cuisine
- Sarah Grueneberg: Italian cuisine, including vegetarian and vegan options
Behind the bar, mixologist Harrison Ginsberg is curating a new cocktail menu, including a new signature vodka-based drink called The Centurion, along with zero-proof concoctions like The Green Tea Tonic.
Amex appears to be cross-promoting these chefs' restaurants with a dedicated Culinary Collective Resy list.
New Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge Concept
Amex says many travelers spend less than an hour in Centurion Lounges, so it’s launching a new lounge concept built specifically for shorter visits called Sidecar by The Centurion Lounge. The first version of the new concept will open in Las Vegas (LAS) in 2026.
Here’s what we know so far:
- Designed as a quick-stop option for travelers short on time
- Will serve exclusive small plates and cocktails from The Culinary Collective
- Speakeasy-inspired design with earth tones, stone, and greenery
Access will generally work the same as Centurion Lounge locations. However, travelers must be departing within 90 minutes to access this quick-service space.
Our Take
One of the unique aspects of Centurion Lounges has been the locally focused menus and location-specific cocktails. Now, Amex is shifting away from this model toward a more consistent food and drink experience across its U.S. lounge network.
Amex is also tackling its constant lounge overcrowding problem with the introduction of a new quick-service lounge concept, similar to what Capital One is doing with its Capital One Landing dining concept. Hopefully, this will be an easy concept that Amex can roll out in more locations to serve as pressure relief from its overcrowded Centurion Lounges.
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