Just like nonna used to make: Cathay Pacific brings Pirata’s classic Italian comfort cuisine on board

The next time you’re taking off at Hong Kong International Airport, you won’t have to worry about leaving behind the city’s top eateries. Popular Italian restaurant Pirata will be joining you on board bringing a piece of Hong Kong and a taste of its homestyle, honest Italian fare to your flight.

Opened in 2014, Pirata is Pirata Group’s flagship Italian restaurant in Wan Chai, specialising in familial regional specialties served up in large plates to share. Long journeys can be physically draining even for the most seasoned of travellers, so being able to impart that taste of familiarity and comfort to our passengers was key. This collaboration comes as the latest in a series of successful menu partnerships with Duddell’s, The Coffee Academics and most recently, Veda, in our continued efforts to elevate and diversify our inflight dining offerings. 

 “We wish to enhance the inflight experience with authentic and exceptional dining experiences, and these are some of Hong Kong’s most exciting brands that share our commitment to the finest quality food and drinks,” says Vassilios Georgakopoulos, Head of Dining and Hospitality at Cathay. 

“Our partnership with Duddell’s builds upon ‘Hong Kong Flavours’, a curation that celebrates our home city’s food heritage and offers a taste of Hong Kong in the skies. With Veda, we have developed a refreshed plant-forward menu that elevates our inflight wellness dining proposition. The collaboration with Pirata complements these offerings by forging our suite of international favourites – specifically timeless Italian dishes that focus on sophisticated simplicity, traditional flavours and quality ingredients.” 

The brand new menu, created by Pirata Executive Chef Emanuele Canuto, is now available until 31 March 2025 for passengers in Premium Economy on long-haul flights departing from Hong Kong, and will be extended to medium-haul flights from September 2023 onwards. 

“When designing the inflight menu for Cathay Pacific, I wanted to adapt the spirit of Pirata – honest, authentic Italian – into each dish, tailored specifically for this unique collaboration.” says Chef Emanuele Canuto. 

“I wanted to evoke the warm feeling of a Sunday family lunch. The dishes I chose are reminiscent of the large, shared platters often placed at the heart of Italian family gatherings. It's about creating a sense of unity and togetherness, even while thousands of feet in the air.” 

Embarking on a culinary tour of Italy, you’ll be served scrumptious vegetable-laden starters like the Caprese with tomato and bread salad, respectively combining two timeless classics from Campania and Tuscany. From our selection of mains, discover the decadent pork saltimbocca with mushroom jus, inspired by a Roman specialty – or try the Calabrian-style orecchiette pasta with Italian sausage, ‘nduja and cherry tomatoes which provides just a hint of spice.

For a truly memorable experience, complete your meal with a glass of premium DOCG Prosecco (classified under the Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin – the highest level of quality for Italian wines) born from the hillside vineyards of Italy’s Veneto region. The sparkling wine, alongside the new Pirata dishes, will be available on rotation in our Premium Economy cabins from September 2023 on medium- and long-haul flights.

“By bringing the tastes of Italy into the air through these classic recipes, we hope to transport our guests on a culinary adventure across different regions of the Bel Paese” says Georgakopoulos. Book your next getaway with us to experience these delightful dishes for yourself. 

Learn more about our inflight dining here. 

This article was originally published in August 2023 and updated in March 2025.