Pilots Bar & Kitchen

£23 / British, Vegetarian options
Heathrow Airport, Terminal 5, Wallis Rd, Longford

Awards

Excellent Sandwiches 2024

Opening hours

6AM-9PM
  • Sunday 6AM-9PM
  • Monday 6AM-9PM
  • Tuesday 6AM-9PM
  • Wednesday 6AM-9PM
  • Thursday 6AM-9PM
  • Friday 6AM-9PM
  • Saturday 6AM-9PM

Exceptional Service Shines at Heathrow Dining

As I navigated my way through the vibrant chaos of Terminal 5, the bustling artery of Heathrow Airport, I found solace and sustenance at Pilot’s Bar & Kitchen. An unassuming oasis amidst the neon-lit frenzy that proved more comforting than it needed to be, the restaurant offers a mostly delightful array of culinary staples. Their unwavering service narrative reads like an ode to hospitality — personified through servers such as Charles and Paulina, whose names echo with the kind of personal gratitude you’d expect in the handwritten notes of satisfied patrons. With swift servitude, these stewards ensure that each diner is treated less like another tick on the boarding list and more like long-lost kin briefly recouped. One can’t help but tip their cap to their unwavering commitment to defy the indifferent norms of airport service, though the same cannot always be said for every aspect of their fare.

True, eyebrows may be raised at the £4 bottled "filtered" tap water — a cheeky push of the premium envelope considering one is, after all, just an escalator ride from an open plane ticket refund desk. Yet, just as quickly as this hiccup disrupts your composure, the more palatable bends of Pilot's offerings smooth out the daredevil undertakings. Those traditional English breakfasts and quintessential plates of fish and chips are prepared with both efficiency and hearty goodness that stands tall even amid sky-high pricing. Despite the odd dry muffin overlooking the famous Eggs Benedict moment and the occasionally underwhelming house-made hummus—one might ponder if they missed the conceptual boat when bottling flavor—it still feels quite right. So here's to flights of fancy in edibles that marvel travelers with generous portions and food items that, thankfully, help keep those age-old jet-lagged hunger pangs at bay. Thus goes a paradoxical airport experience where getting lost temporarily can be a rather surprising delight. — Penelope Savory

How to get there

Heathrow Airport, Terminal 5, Wallis Rd, Longford

Heathrow Airport — 1.42 mi

Heathrow Terminal 5 - 271 yd