St. Augustine’s newest industrial-themed restaurant is taking “dinner with a view” to a whole new level—or altitude.
Hangar One Bistro, located at the Northeast Florida Regional Airport off US-1 in St. Augustine, offers a sleek yet casual steampunk-esque environment with quality-sourced cuisine and views of the airport runways.
The eatery and full bar hosted a soft opening on Feb. 26, offering a variety of samples from their menu, as well as a chance to talk to the owners and chef—along with an open bar of bottomless mimosas.
The eatery served samples of its wagyu slider with white cheddar and bistro sauce, quickly becoming a signature favorite as guests swiped each burger as fast as the kitchen could plate them.
“They didn’t last long at all,” said Hangar One guest Raymond Hall.
For more veggie-friendly options, the eatery also offers bistro pies that come with either a vegetable or chicken filling. Regardless of the choice, Hall’s wife Lee thinks there is no wrong answer.
“I’ve already had about three of these,” she said, laughing, as she pointed to one of the veggie pies.
“The filling is salpicão,” said Hangar One’s chef Tiago Joaquim. Salpicao is a Brazilian dish with chicken, herbs and spices.
Joaquim is from Brazil, as is Calebe Pereira, husband of Hangar One owner Rainer Pereira Da Silva.
Da Silva is a German-born pilot who runs the flight school at the airport, Florida Flyers, and is also the man behind the eatery. He was inspired to fuse the cuisines for a place where guests and students can relax and socialize.
“It was really lacking a restaurant for the customers and pilots that fly in,” Da Silva said about the airport. “I thought it was a great opportunity. I initially turned in my concept in 2016, and we couldn’t really decide on common ground. I came back in 2019 with a different concept. It was accepted and here we are.”
Da Silva and his team remodeled the entire location, creating two indoor patios for the view and a full liquor bar, adding St. Augustine craft beers and liquor from the St. Augustine Distillery.
Da Silva is running a restaurant out of a regional airport, but with a local mindset.
“We want to stay local,” he said, “and support local businesses like us.”
Photos by Daniela Toporek
