It is always such a treat being able to visit one of the world’s great lounges, the Concorde Room, located in Terminal 5 at London’s Heathrow Airport. In this case I had graciously been guested in by my friend Jamie Moore. This occasion marked one of the finest examples of service and hospitality that I had ever experienced there.
Access
You can only access this illustrious lounge if you are flying First Class or have a British Airways Concorde Room card which grants you access to Concorde Room regardless of your ticket class.
Location
Located in Terminal 5, the Concorde Room is adjacent to the Galleries First Lounge in the middle level of the terminal. During the fist leg of the trip we had utilized this excellent First Lounge which although impressive offers nowhere near the amenities and hospitality of the Concorde.
The Surroundings
Extremely spacious and well-appointed with many seating options, my favorite spot to pony up is their world class bar which serves as variety of snacks, drinks and one of the world’s great champagnes, the NV Laurent Perrier ‘Grand Siecle’ which retails for roughly 150 euros ($165 USD). The lounge has a range of sofas to relax at but I chose to begin my visit at the bar with my friend, indulging in the fine champagne. Every sip was savored.
At the bar there are a range of world class cocktails and whiskeys. I ordered an espresso martini which was without a doubt the best one I have tasted since my last visit to the Concorde Room in February 2020.
If you have extra time you can rent a cabana which gives you a private area with your friends or loved ones. The cabana area is also a peaceful oasis if you desire some extra sleep between flights. Prior to Covid the First Class Lounge had an Elemis Spa where all First Class ticketed passengers could enjoy a 15 minute spa treatment. Since Covid has happened the spa sadly remains closed. Bathrooms at the Concorde Room are cleaned constantly with their styling being a bit outdated.
One of the great parts of the lounge is that you can order any amounts of food at anytime, so you will never go hungry and it is always fun to taste a range of food options. Service for both drinks and food is ridiculously prompt with top class British hospitality.
The Terrace
A serene deck called ‘The Terrace’ is the perfect spot to relax while watching planes take off. This part of the lounge is also open air making it particularly Covid friendly. There are options to dine at your table or you can always eat at the bar or at their fine dining option. We ended up choosing a place closer to the bar as my friends had arrived and seating for 4 made the terrace not available.
Concorde Dining
Always such a treat to visit, the Concorde Dining is located in the heart of the Concorde Room and has a range of booths to sit and enjoy food which is served a la carte. On the menu there is a wide range of foods that are served based on your flight time. We had entered around 10:30 AM so by the time the lunch menu was ready to be served at noon we had gathered our things and sat down at the end of the dining room with our friends. Of course we ordered more ‘Grand Siecle’ champagne and i chose to start with succulent smoked salmon while my wife enjoyed some country style pate.
For my main dish I naturally selected the burger which came with mature English cheddar and a delicious accompanying sauce that was also perfect for dipping my fries.
Feeling a bit hungry I ordered a fish cake which was one of their signature dishes. This was crisp and also aesthetically beautiful.
Bottom Line
There are few negatives about my visit to the Concorde Room. Some of the styling of the lounge might be a tad old-fashioned and needing a refresh. In terms of overall performance with food quality and service, the lounge gets top marks, with a world-class champagne at your disposal anytime. Fancy the best espresso martini you’ve ever had? Then this might just be the place for you.
