Review: British Airways Concorde Room Lounge London Heathrow Terminal 5

Many frequent flyers would find that the Concorde Room remains one of the world’s great lounges. Located in Terminal 5 at London’s Heathrow Airport, this lounge is known for awesome hospitality and service. My visit certainly was a fine example of both. The Concorde Room is not the Emirates First Lounge in Dubai — nor is it trying to be that. Some might feel that the Concorde Room is lagging along but I think that they have marvelous attention to detail that makes your visit truly enjoyable.

ACCESS

Very exclusive, 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

Past the Terminal 5 First Check-in you will find the Concorde room s adjacent to the Galleries First Lounge in the middle level of the terminal. The First Lounge is a fantastic option as well but has nowhere near the food quality, service or champagne/sparkling wine selection as the Concorde Room.

SURROUNDINGS

In the entrance there are wood floors throughout with many cozy seating options, although few with charging stations. I have to say that despite the many options for seating my favorite spot to pony up is their world class bar which serves as variety of snacks, drinks and fantastic champagne. Yes, they no longer serve the Laurent Perrier ‘Grand Siecle’ but they have moved on to another killer vintage champagne. The lounge has a range of sofas to relax at but I chose to begin my visit at the bar with my friend, immediately indulging in the top champagne with some espresso.

Here are the red wine selections at the bar which were not particularly good. They did have their top champagne and also a world-class Rose, available. I tasted the new ‘Rock Angel’ which was fabulous in terns of texture and stony character. This retails at roughly 50 dollars USD. White wine selections are also substandard for a top lounge.

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 2023. You can even have Johnny Walker Blue Label scotch if you fancy which retails for 250 USD.

NEW CHAMPAGNE: 2006 CUVEE LOUISE

While many people have been complaining of the new champagne choice in the Concorde Room, this 2006 Cuvee Louise is drinking right at peak maturity and is round and generous. It is nothing short of a top champagne and you can easily argue that this wine drinks better than the previous Laurent-Perrier ‘Grand Siecle’ which was its 24th edition (not as impressive as 25 or 26 editions).

The list of sparkling wines that they serve definitely rivals anything in the world and is a finer sparkling wine selection than the Emirates First Lounge. You can taste a killer vintage Hattingley Valley vintage sparkling wine alongside the 2006 Cuvee Louise. Still wines definitely do not eclipse the Emirates First Lounge, though.

Coffee and espresso is fantastic at the Concorde Room, made by Union Coffee Co.

The Concorde Room no longer have cabana rentals or their partnership with 40 Winks for a rest area. If you want to take a nap there are really no private areas to do so. Prior to the Pandemic 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:

Bathrooms remain functional but severely outdated. They do have Elemins products for soap and lotion. Showers are also very sterile. I personally do not worry about the quality of the bathrooms as much as some other Concorde Room patrons. These are clearly functional and not fancy. They are also cleaned non-stop which I really like.

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. 

BREAKFAST:

Breakfast food quality was fabulous in both the Eggs Royale and full English breakfast that I ordered. It was also served to me quickly. I managed a few bites of each which was comparable to breakfast at the Emirates First Class lounge in Dubai

THE TERRACE:

The terrace is an expansive area in the Concorde Room where you can see all the happenings of Terminal 5. It is a great spot to relax and watch other planes take off. The terrace has some large couches if you want to hang out with friends and also several seating options with charging stations. This is an improvement over the past few years as they have clearly bought some new furniture in this area. The terrace very rarely can be busy in the afternoons but my experience is that there is always enough comfortable seating for you.

CONCORDE DINING

Really one of the stars of the Concorde Room is the Concorde Dining is located in the heart of the Concorde Room. This is a very elegant setting which serves both breakfast and lunch. It is particularly fun if you have many friends with you.

I immediately ordered the beef carpaccio which was fabulous and a great portion as well. The presentation for the carrot soup was awesome and the soup was filled with rich flavor without being heavy with cream. The scallops also were perfectly cooked and very fresh — definitely one of my all-time favorite entrees from an airport lounge. My friends and I really enjoyed tasting a wide range of foods including fresh pasta, and pate which was one of the stars of the meal.

COCKTAILS:

Cocktails were fabulous during our stay. The espresso martini was perfectly made, not too sweet and heavy on espresso flavor. It was beautifully served as well.

BOTTOM LINE

Frequent fliers for British Airways are constantly complaining about their food or service experiences at the Concorde Room. As a One World Emerald there are certainly no US lounges that rival this level of service or dining experience. The American Airlines ‘First Dining’ comes close but has poor service consistently. Sure the decor in the Concorde Room is a bit dated and the bathrooms are reminiscent of a cheap hospital.

I personally don’t come to a fancy lounge to worry about the bathrooms. There are plenty of comfy seating options in the Concorde Room with an expansive terrace area. Want world-class champagne, excellent food quality, a killer espresso martini all served with top class service? Then come to the Concorde Room and I think you will be pleasantly surprised.