Inside The Swanky Speakeasy At Amex's Brand New Centurion Lounge At JFK

As if you needed a reason to take a flight going literally anywhere, American Express is finally debuting its uber luxurious Centurion Lounge at John F. Kennedy Airport this week. Spanning over 15,000 square feet and two floors, this New York City outpost is the largest one yet - beating the LAX location by around 1,000 square feet.

Eligible Amex cardholders with access to the Terminal 4 lounge are in for plush amenities like (duh) WiFi, private workspaces, and even an Equinox Body Lab, where you can partake in self-guided meditation and stretching sessions using the Variis by Equinox app, a vibro-acoustic chair, and more. But the one offering that has everyone buzzing? The exclusive on-site speakeasy. 

Dubbed the "1850" speakeasy bar (a nod to the year American Express was born), the swanky space is full of prohibition-era vibes, from copper paneling to Art-Deco details. Perhaps the bigger draw, though, is the duo who's helming it: none other than Chef Ignacio Mattos, the four-time James Beard Award nominee behind Estela, Café Altro Paradiso and Flora Bar, and bartender Jim Meehan, the mixology master of PDT fame. Together, they're cooking - and mixing - up some serious bites and sips. So far, we know that the food menu includes a caciocavallo and egg sandwich with tomato marmalade and provolone, and steak with romesco and taleggio sauce, while drink offerings range from espresso martinis (perfect before a morning flight) to the "Cosmonot," a riff on the cosmopolitan that pays homage to seminal New York cocktail bar Milk & Honey.

Even if you're traveling for business, you're sure to find plenty of pleasure at this new airport hot spot.

[Photos via American Express]