Here’s a terminally online debate that shows no signs of abating; what is the best type of pint known to a person?
Is it the post-work Madri in the closest pub to the office, straight after shutting up shop for Christmas? Is it the lukewarm, halftime Creamflow, triumphantly chugged from a plastic pint when your team is winning? Or, is it the first Brothers cider in the Wednesday morning sunshine at Glastonbury, your tent safely erected and your spirits soaring?
Whilst all of those are plainly spectacular, for us it’s the 7am airport lounge beer as you wait for your flight – pre-holiday, of course. It’s one that feels crisper and colder than any other, chugged with wanton abandon and a tangible sense of possibility. Magic.
What perhaps isn’t so magic is the accompanying airport lounge meal, which promises only indigestion and a rather dehydrated, flatulent flight.
But not anymore. In recent years, the standard of airport food feels like it’s improved immeasurably, with some genuinely decent feeds to be found in the UK’s bigger airports.
Today, we’re kicking back in the country’s busiest. Whilst you could rely on luxury airport transfers getting you to the gate just in time for check-in, there’s something rather relaxing about giving yourself a bit of time at Heathrow, to savour that first pint and a slap-up meal in style before your onward flight. We think we’ll do just that; care to join us?
With all this in mind, here’s our guide on where to eat in London Heathrow.
Gordon Ramsay Plane Food – Terminal 5 (in departures, after security)
Recently named the UK’s busiest airport terminal by some distance, in Heathrow’s Terminal 5 you’ll find some respite from the crowds at Gordon Ramsay Plane Food.
This restaurant brings the Michelin-starred chef’s reputed high (though increasingly thinly-spread) standards to the airport, offering travellers a chance to bask in a sense of manufactured luxury before their flight.
The menu here aims to place an emphasis on fresh, high-quality ingredients – a welcome antidote to the usual airport Burger King, make no mistake. The restaurant also offers a ‘Plane Food Picnic’ – a take-away option that allows you to enjoy a gourmet meal on your flight.
For those staying grounded, the restaurant’s sleek, Mad Men-inspired design and runway views complement a menu of globetrotting classics with a twist. Perfect for a squad of disparate tastes and proving that any sense of decorum flies out of the window at the airport, why not start with salmon teriyaki skewers, pair them with a Caesar salad, and then move onto a butter chicken with garlic roti and some ramen? Because let’s be honest; where else would this be acceptable?
There’s a more keenly focused breakfast menu, to be fair, served between 5am and midday, daily.
Spuntino – Terminal 3 (landside, before security)
Over in Terminal 3, the satellite version of the acclaimed but now sadly closed Soho institution Spuntino (which means snack in Italian) is getting flyers well and truly lubricated with their fine selection of bourbon and a crackling, transportive blues soundtrack.
True to form for a place conceived by the already hugely missed Russel Norman, the snacks are where it’s at here – the stuffed, deep-fried olives would feel like a treat anywhere in London, whilst the chips with chicken salt and aioli are as more-ish as that old joke about heroin.
That said, Spuntino’s most iconic dish is undeniably the truffle egg toast, where fontina & gruyère cheese meet a poached egg and a good dousing of truffle oil. Their crab mac and cheese is a comforting dish to delve into, too, and larger plates further hone in on the idea of Italian/American comfort food, with thin crust sourdough pizzas, spaghetti and meatballs, and house hamburgers all several notches above what you’d usually find at an airport.
Look out for the restaurant’s original mural by famed Soho artist Neal Fox, which adds to the place’s eclectic charm, and don’t forget to end on a Spuntino donut, freshly fried and paired indulgently with a blueberry sundae.
Sure, they might need to wheel you out of Spuntino and take you to the boarding gate in one of those beeping electric cart thingys, but you’ll feel pretty satisfied and smug as you cruise through Heathrow, semi-comatose.
The Perfectionists’ Café – Terminal 2 (in departures, after security)
Created by superstar chef Heston Blumenthal, The Perfectionists’ Café is a tribute to the golden age of 1960s air travel, when every flight promised a glamorous and exciting adventure.
True to that tribute, the ‘café’ is somewhere you can genuinely sink into. Sure, airport restaurants are never toocomfy, and usually harshly lit – no doubt to stop us missing flights – but Heston’s is comfier than most, with expansive views of the airport below so you don’t forget where you are.
Back in the room, and it’s dominated not only by a frankly weird stained-glass style depiction of a cross-legged Blumenthal, but also by the flickering heat of a central wood-fired pizza oven, promising a pizza in just 90 seconds – ideal if you’re on a tight schedule.
Aside from the pizzas, and taking inspiration from the chef’s In Search of Perfection TV series and books where he explored and reinvented Britain’s favourite dishes, the menu is a blend of British favourites and international classics, all executed with Blumenthal’s signature flair and attention to detail.
For breakfast (still haven’t located that decorum), you’ll find ‘extraordinary fish and chips’ perhaps aimed at departing tourists who’d missed out on the national dish during their time in the UK. Heston’s version is genuinely excellent, with, in true perfectionist style, a special beer batter that’s been aerated through a syphon, creating a light, crunchy texture. Chips are served with an atomiser, allowing diners to spritz over that unmistakable chippie smell.
Those ‘Heston’ touches are found again in a pea and ham soup sandwich and in the chef’s signature liquid nitrogen ice cream, which comes in a variety of freshly-frozen flavours. Sure, it’s not the Fat Duck, but it’s about as much fun as you’ll have eating airport food just about anywhere in the UK.
La Belle Époque at the Sofitel Hotel, Terminal 5 (landside, connected to Heathrow via covered walkway)
For those with a penchant for French cuisine and a desire for a proper sitdown meal away from the check-in queues and boarding gate chaos, La Belle Époque at the Sofitel London Heathrow offers the airport’s most outwardly sophisticated dining experience.
As Heathrow’s only restaurant with serious designs on fine dining (not many airport restaurants boast 2 AA Rosettes, that’s for sure), La Belle is a unique proposition. There’s certainly nowhere else at Heathrow could you feast on a smoked duck liver parfait with grilled brioche, or on a thick portion of expertly roasted Cornish hake, served with pommes puree and a red wine ‘Matelote’ reduction. And for that, La Belle Époque has to be applauded.
The dim lights and royal purple hues, alongside impeccable service and that precisely-cooked food, make it an excellent choice for a business meeting, or for a farewell meal with someone special before your flights. Cheers!
Fortnum & Mason Bar – Terminal 5 (in departures, after security)
For a quintessentially British experience (enthusiastically drinking in an airport), the Fortnum & Mason Bar in Terminal 5 is the place to be.
Known for their luxury picnic hampers, Fortnum & Mason have brought their grazing expertise indoors, and to Heathrow, offering a selection of teas, wines, and light bites at their central bar. You’ll find a range of elegant finger foods here, from smoked salmon to Welsh rarebit and beyond, making it the perfect spot for a relaxing drink before you board and a meal that won’t weigh too heavy around the plane seatbelt.
Caviar House & Prunier Seafood Bar – Multiple Terminals (departures, after security)
If you have a penchant for (risking it all by having pre-flight) seafood, the Caviar House & Prunier Seafood Bar is something of a Heathrow haven.
Located airside in four of the airport’s terminals (Terminal 1 is missing out, hey?), this ubiquitous stand specialises in Prunier caviar and Balik smoked salmon. The menu also features a variety of seafood options, including oysters and seafood platters, all paired with a selection of fine wines and champagnes. It’s the ideal spot for luxurious pre-flight indulgence in less than luxurious surrounds.
Read: 11 of the world’s most luxurious foods and how to recreate them at home for less
Shan Shui, Terminal 2 (departures, after security)
Few people enjoy flying after a massive roast dinner or something similarly substantial. And those that do, you certainly don’t want to be sitting next to…
For a feed that will liven you up rather than put you down pre-flight, Shan Shui in Heathrow Terminal 2 is probably your best bet. The all-halal menu at this Old Shanghai-inspired eatery features a continent-spanning roll call of spirited pan-Asian dishes, including Cantonese roast duck rice, chicken satay, beef rendang, and even a cheeky katsu sando. You can even enjoy a dim sum lunch if you so desire, with three pieces of har gau or vegetarian teochew clocking in at just £6.25.
Sure, this perhaps isn’t the spread for you if you’re flying to Beijing, Penang or Phuket, but if you’ve spent the last week eating fry-ups and steak and ale pies, the serviceable, spicy food at Shan Shui will be a welcome change.
Vagabond, Terminal 5 (departures, after security)
Having been open since late-2022, the pour-your-own wine bar group Vagabond now occupy a sprawling spot in Terminal 5, their more than 100 wines available in self-pour machines complemented by a fine range of artisan cheese and charcuterie (the duck rillettes is particularly good).
A range of craft beer taps follows the same DIY-format.
The Bottom Line
Who said airport food had to be boring? The restaurants at London Heathrow may not be winning a star anytime soon, but as an accompaniment to that first glorious holiday pint, the options for a decent meal have vastly improved in recent years. Cheers!