Food at Heathrow and Gatwick airport: the best food and restaurants

Heathrow and Gatwick airports are the two largest airports in Britain. Combined, they handle around 126 million passengers on an annual basis; providing aviation-related services as well as functioning like food courts, malls, financial centres, etc. Providing the ever-flowing stream of travellers with meals and refreshments whilst they depart, arrive and pick up their loved ones from the London airports is a feat all in itself. Thinking about the logistics of doing so will give you a headache. Can you imagine organising a catering service for 800 thousand passengers each day?

Complicated right? We want to honour everyone involved in the chain of production and distribution of all the foodstuffs that provide travellers with the much-needed sustenance to endure a 20-hour itinerary. And so, today we have condensed a blog post about the best places to eat when in London’s main airports. If you find yourself waiting for a flight delay, or having to spend a night due to a cancellation at Heathrow, or Gatwick, then we can give you some recommendations on where to eat. No need to leave the aerodrome even!

By the way, if your flight is actually delayed or cancelled, do not forget about your rights: you’re entitled to compensation!

The best food at Gatwick airport

The airport is located to the south of London and it tends to be the welcome placard for travellers arriving from all over Europe. If you’re travelling from central London, it’ll take you around 30 mins from Victoria, on the Gatwick Express, to get there. If not, it can take up to 90 minutes, so plan accordingly. No need for a quick bite before heading out to the airport though, great places to munch on something worthwhile are spattered all around the facilities. Here are our top recommendations:

Wagamama

If you know what cuisine the Japanese restaurant franchise has to offer then you cannot go wrong with this choice. The restaurant offers everything from ramen to curry, especially if you’re a lover for spicy cuisine then a trip to Wagamama will not disappoint. Even if you are in a hurry but very hungry, Wagamama is the perfect option as the food is served at record speed whilst still being absolutely delicious.

Grain Store

The Grain store is famous, especially amongst Londoners. No wonder that this excellent restaurant has settled in one of Europe’s busiest airports. From breakfast to dinner, you are being spoilt with flavours and dishes ranging from burgers and fries to beetroot and walnut salad. In this place, there is something for everyone, whether carnivore, herbivore or even vegan! The cherry on top of the varied menu is the lavish cocktails that you are able to enjoy for such a low price!

Shake Shack

In the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport, you will be able to find the renown Shake Shack. The franchise is known for its extravagant burgers and milkshakes, as the name may already suggest. Also very popular amongst its London travellers, the restaurant will serve top-quality burgers and other fast food to satisfy your craving. From burgers to hot dogs, the restaurant has all your dream cheat meals and always freshly made.

Jamie Oliver anyone?

Jamie Oliver is well known to many British citizens and no stranger to the food industry. Lots of airports around the UK feature Jamie Oliver restaurant so it may not come as a surprise that Gatwick not only has one but 3 restaurants. Passengers at Gatwick airport have the choice between Jamie’s Italian, Jamie’s Coffee Lounge and Jamie’s Diner. Since the company managing the famous chef’s restaurants went bust, travelling via Gatwick might be the only opportunity you’ll get to try out these haunts. The service is all in Jamie Oliver’s style, offering you food, from a fancy meal to a burger and some fries, prepared with care. Excellent service, quick deliveries and delicious food, you cannot be disappointed by Jamie Oliver!

The best food at Heathrow airport

Gordon Ramsay’s Plane Food

The restaurant that has been based in Heathrow airport for the past 10 years and has just celebrated its anniversary with a major refurbishment. It has everything that you may want on the menu. Trying hard to please all tastes, the Jamie Oliver rival offers lavishly prepared dishes such as butter chicken-curry or roast cod. This dining experience offers a more exquisite, but also more exciting, arrangement of possibilities catered towards all tastes and preferences.

The Perfectionists’ Café

If you’re looking for a last quick British meal before jetting off into your holiday then this is the place for you. From a full English breakfast to a curry, this place has everything and the best thing is that it comes at ‘airport speed’. Which means that you are able to enjoy your meal without having to worry about missing your flight if you’re ever in a rush that is.

The Gorgeous Kitchen

This restaurant is situated right in the heart of the London airport and it offers more than just exquisite flavours. The restaurant has seasonal options, covering everyone’s preferences with a vast array of choices, vegetarian and vegan options considered and accounted for. If you are looking for a bit of a different dining experience then this place should satisfy all your wishes as well as your taste buds. From carefully selected options of fish to extravagant meat dishes, the Gorgeous Kitchen will fulfil your expectations.

Caviar House and Prunier

If you’re looking for a luxurious dining experience to start your holiday off in the most extravagant of ways, then you will not be disappointed with the choice of caviar from here! Having stalls at the all-time famous Harrods, the oyster bar offers goods from caviar to lobster. Every fish lover that has a desire for luxury dining experiences will be welcomed with champagne and a great choice of fish.

We hope that next time you encounter a delay, or if your flight gets cancelled, at Gatwick or Heathrow airports, you can at least take the time to enjoy some of these delicious food options.

However, what you should also know is that you could be entitled to compensation for your disruption. Simply enter your details in the claim calculator and find out if your flight disruption may mean that you could be up to €600!

Flight delayed, cancelled or overbooked at Gatwick or Heathrow airport?

Your passenger rights are protected by Regulation EC No 261/2004. According to the legislation, an airline has to pay its passengers compensation if their flight has been delayed for more than three hours, cancelled or overbooked. Depending on the exact circumstances, the compensation can range from £220.00 up to £528.00 per passenger.#

However, airlines tend to make claiming as difficult as it can be. Carriers will try to avoid paying compensation. Filing a claim on your own requires knowing your rights, being sure that the flight is eligible and back and forth communication with the airline. If you would prefer not to waste your time and test your patience, just let us know as we would be more than happy to assist you herewith. With an elaborate database on actual flight schedules and weather conditions, years of experience and a 98% success rate in court, we're more than well equipped to take on your claim. Did we forget to mention our no win, no fee structure? If we need to take your case further to court, we'll take on all of the risk and legal fees. Only if you get paid will we charge a 25% success fee.

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