As well as bearing a bumbag full of boarding passes and executing military-style planning, an airport dad is known for being at the gate long before it opens. After one too many near-missed flights and loudspeaker call-outs, I’ve become the childless version. Along the way, I’ve discovered that the airport can be a delightful, calming place – if you give yourself enough time.

It’s the stuff of Love Actually reunions and Brian Eno soundscapes. Everyone else rushes past, locked into their schedules, while I sip coffee and peek over a magazine I just grabbed for the journey.

On my first-ever flight, I was swept away by the domestic terminal’s barrel-vaulted skylight and cloud-white ceiling. As an adult, it’s more about dining – especially since Brisbane Airport’s hospitality offering got a touch-up via the $5 billion Future BNE transformation project.

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Now, dining under that 450-metre skylight feels like a mile-high meal, minus the anxiety about turbulence and your elbow movements. Whether you’ve got a few minutes or a few hours, here are the best new spots at the domestic terminal to get a feed before you board.

The best final bite of Brisbane

For a final bite of Brisbane, outbound residents and curious transiters alike should turn towards venues Local and The Independent. Both offer a taste of Brisbane’s sit-down-and-stay-a-while hospitality. Inspired by Queensland beer gardens, Local is a sprawling 360-degree eatery with a tall native fig tree as the centrepiece. A menu of pizzas, burgers and breakfast (until 11am) are served alongside a selection of local and international beer, wine and spirits. It’s on the southern end of the Domestic Terminal, which primarily services Virgin Australia flights.

Then, positioned between gates 40 and 41 at the domestic terminal is The Independent. Here, chef residencies will bring an entirely new menu every few months, with a focus on local producers. The Independent walks and talks like an inner-city restaurant, save for the occasional airport announcement. It was launched with celeb chef Luke Mangan (Bistro Bisous, Luke’s Kitchen, Glass Brasserie) at the helm; the current menu is by chef in residence Frank Burger.

Best bites for the whole family

Only got time for a sensible feed? At gate 25, The Common has an egg-forward menu ranging from a full breakfast and eggs Benny to Turkish eggs and avo toast. But it’s got more than just brekkie, so you can grab a bite there no matter what time your flight is: there’s also a cake and sandwich cabinet; a solid share-plate menu, including calamari and kingfish sashimi; and pub-style mains such as a parmie and fish’n’chips. Want something with a bit more pizzazz? Premium mains also include crispy pork belly with potato puree, and a flaked salmon salad with cured ham, avocado and pangritata. Plus, a menu for kids with Napoli sauce linguini or a plate of chicken nuggets and chips.

For something more fast-casual, New York Burger Bar in the Northern Food Court (Qantas end) does exactly what it says on the tin. Come for burgers in the style of an NYC diner, including a classic American cheeseburger and The New Yorker, with bacon, lettuce and tomato. And Mi Casa Burritos serves up a Mexican-style street fare, with choose-your-own-adventure burritos, nachos, tacos and more.

Brews and bites before the gate opens

Moving between time zones presents the excuse to scramble breakfast and cocktails. If you’ve got time before boarding, this is best done near gate 23 at The Aviary, an airy cafe-and-bar hybrid with a full brekkie menu, tapas and a cocktail list beginning with a Bloody Mary.

Bellissimo is the airport outpost of a local coffee institution that claims the title of Australia’s highest awarded coffee roaster. It started as a small-batch roastery, cafe and barista school in Fortitude Valley in 2009. Since then, two of the original three owners opened an all-day eatery in a converted Bulimba warehouse, and a cafe and roastery headquarters in Coorparoo (but the quick-service counter in the Valley is a firm favourite).

Then, over near gate 26, there’s the Lord Lamington. It’s a bar and bistro inspired by the first Governor of Queensland, who’s said to have invented the lamington when unexpected guests arrived at Government House. Here, however, no guests are unexpected – so there’s an all-day menu, a list of mostly local beers and wines, awaiting you. It’s a good spot to get everyone seated and connected before travelling (and bring up my favourite fun dad fact about Brisbane Airport – its cameo in the 2002 live-action Scooby Doo film).

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Brisbane Airport Corporation.