Food Review: Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at Heathrow Airport

Virgin Atlantic pulls out all the stops for their clubhouse at their airline hub at Heathrow Airport. There is even a private terminal for upper class passengers to use!

Long considered an Oasis at an otherwise bustling Heathrow Airport, the Virgin Atlantic clubhouse is arguably one of the nicest lounges that I have ever been to. It even has the ambiance and appearance of a trendy hotel lobby rather than an airport lounge.

I was stopped in London on a relatively short 3 hour layover on a flight from Mumbai, but even given my time restraints I knew that I had to check out the Virgin Atlantic clubhouse. I was starving, and ready to get a good meal before my departure.

The first thing I noticed was how spacious the Virgin Atlantic clubhouse is. Sporting a huge open floor plan, there are plenty of couches, tables, and booths to sit and hang around in.

Immediately upon entering you are faced with a large prepared food bar. And it’s not just a run of the mill, ordinary hot bar. Impeccably clean and well designed, there was a ton of variety in the freshly prepared dishes that were plated and ready to grab and go.

They even have an interesting and unique hanging donut wall displayed in the back!

Prepared Options and Donut Bar

This area is earmarked for those patrons that are in a rush. Spot a dish that looks appealing? Just grab and eat straight away. Since it was morning when I arrived, I went down the line and found a wide selection of salads, fruit bowls, oatmeal, and other various breakfast foods.

Prepared Breakfast and Salads

The salads actually looked pretty good, and given that there was a decent amount of foot traffic in the lounge, the dishes were being replaced pretty frequently.

Prepared Meats, Cheeses, and Eggs

The station also had plates that were filled with smoked salmon, meats, eggs, and cheeses. A light and simple way to start off the day or fuel up between flights.

Hot Bar Sandwiches and Pretzels

If you craved something more filling, the station also provided pre-made breakfast sandwiches and pretzels to choose from.

Pastry and Muffin Selection

Rounding out the pre-made bar was a freshly baked assortment of muffins and pastries that smelled great.

What I really appreciated about the prepared food section was that there were 2 employees hard at work behind the bar that will mix and max any dishes that you choose. A nice, personal touch for the Virgin Atlantic clubhouse.

Want a sandwich but don’t see what you’re craving? Not a problem. With a large selection of fresh bread, meats, cheeses, and vegetables, there was something to prepare whatever is desired.

While I grabbed a few things on a small plate to nibble on, I didn’t want to fill up. I had heard rave reviews about the a la carte dining, so I decided to have my main meal off that menu.

A La Carte Dining Menu

I was pretty surprised upon opening the menu. It was decently expansive, and had a great selection of meals to choose from.

The breakfast menu had 7 different cooked dishes to order. The last time that I had stopped in the lounge I enjoyed a delicious bowl of ramen, so I knew the food would be pretty good. This time I was excited to try something new.

Drink Menu

The drink menu has a pretty extensive selection of coffee, tea, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages.

There was only one issue that I came across while ordering. I was trying to eat vegan at the time, and there wasn’t much food to choose from that satisfied my diet. 6 out of the 7 breakfast dishes contained eggs, which made them a no go.

But the best part of the a la carte dining is the dedicated waitstaff. My waitress was extremely friendly and helpful, and was happy to accommodate changes to the dishes based on diet. She recommended the shakshuka, minus the eggs.

Beautifully Plated Shakshuka

The dish came pipping hot and looked great. I was super impressed at the restaurant level quality of the meal’s presentation.

A shakshuka without the eggs is basically an elevated tomato soup. This dish was well seasoned, and I really enjoys the garnish of fresh greens that was added on top.

The meal was really good, and ended up working out well and not getting me too full, allowing me to feel light for my upcoming flight. I also had the chance to indulge in some delicious food aboard the Virgin A350 from London to JFK.

All in all, the Virgin Atlantic clubhouse is really a unique lounge, and almost a must stop when traveling through Heathrow.

The good news for Delta frequent flyers is that they are granted access to the clubhouse with Platinum and above status, or when flying first class.

When given the chance I would definitely come back to the Virgin Atlantic clubhouse. The food is reliable and tasty with many options to select from, and the space itself is luxurious and comfortable. Virgin Atlantic is no stranger to having a bit of a trendy edge in their offerings, and this lounge certainly lives up to the standard.