The combination of a wild mushroom soup and an Aperol cocktail isn’t typical airport meal—unless you’ve managed to snag a table at the new United Polaris Lounge dining room at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). (EWR).
The airport is synonymous with the airline. New Jersey Hub is with United Airlines—the airline accounts for a whopping nearly 75% of the airport’s flight traffic. Newark is the closest airport to me of the three New York City Airports. I have spent a lot of time in every United lounge, many of which were newly renovated or opened in the past three years.
The airport speakeasy, which had only 32 seats with two private restrooms and was open to invite-only guests until October 2024, has been closed. The area behind the French Brasserie Saison (enroute to gates C120-C139) was transformed into a new Polaris Lounge, which opened in June 2025.
This is the newest of four United lounges at Newark Airport, which are open daily from 5am to 10pm. You can find out what each lounge has to offer if you are deciding where to wait while you await a flight or need to kill time during a long delay.
United Club Near Gate C123, Terminal C
The 30,000-square foot space, with more than 480 seats, will welcome passengers for the first time in May 2022. Design is at the forefront of this space. The lounge has a hotel lobby vibe, from the wooden bookshelf with eclectic decor and vibrant flooring to the fruit-infused drinking water station. Travelers will be struck by the wall art. United has collaborated with the The Newark Museum of Art Newark is a Newark-based Gallery Aferro Murals by local artists include Gilbert Hsiao You can also find out more about the following: Dahlia ElsayedThe music and history of the region are captured in this artwork. The lounge’s various sections, including a coffee bar with full service, a premium bar, a wellness room and a spa-like shower, have a unique feel. They combine practicality and connectivity, as well as a chilled pre-flight atmosphere. With chefs and servers stationed behind the buffet, the food—which includes a salad bar and entrees served in cast-iron skillets—tastes fresher than standard lounge offerings. Business travelers will relish in the sleek recessed workstation booths and plush couches—and the firm sense of place delivered by New York subway-style wall tiles and signage. Look out the huge windows to see the Manhattan skyline in the distance as you relax from the chaos. One of my favorite lounges is the United Club Workspace. I posted this on Instagram once: “If United offered workspace memberships at EWR, I would be there every day.”
