Eat

We had breakfast and it was good quality and warm. We ordered from the table using the QR code which was very straightforward. Food arrived quickly. We had refillable hot drinks and there were plenty of drinks machines so no queuing. There were lots of seats and we didn't have to queue to get in. The staff were polite and attentive. Prices were about double what you'd normally pay but that's pretty normal for airport food.

Sadly quite a few staff seem to suffer from "Rock Star" afflictions and demonstrate that they are too cool to even do part of their hospitality duties. Unfortunately ALL the cask beers were off and we settled on a common beer which was tasty and refreshing. There really is a great range of drinks, food and seating. This is a good choice for passing time in an airport establishment, but it's Russian roulette with the staff!!!

You usually know what you're going to get at a Wetherspoons pub: Cheap food and drink and average service. The Red Lion being in Gatwick North airport makes for a different experience. For starters there's no bespoke carpet to stick to, but you do have a bit of a trek to the nearest toilets, so at least least some traditions have been kept from the high street venues. Unfortunately, as you may expect with it being at an airport, Wetherspoon prices are cranked up to beyond the average high street price (£6+ for a pint of lager and over £9 for a panini roll with chips or salad). As it's the start of a holiday I thought I'd treat myself anyway as there's only so many times you can walk round WHSmith without raising the suspicion of staff (do people actually buy anything from there?). With a couple of hours to kill thanks to a flight delay I felt sure I could order and consume things without getting indegestion. Indeed, the pint of San Miguel arrived promptly after I'd ordered from the comfort of my stall. I could see a waitress with a panini doing the rounds of the tables a few minutes later but my efforts to make eye contact were in vain as she took it off to the bar and spoke to a colleague who pointed in my direction. Lunch was eventually served. It's a shame the panini looked like a 747 had run over it. I've seen thicker pancakes. The accompanying chips, however, were well cooked well(can't really go wrong cooking a chip, surely?). Acquiring a bottle of vinegar to go on them was a challenge as I didn't want to leave my food, drink and case as I hunted one down (apparently they are stored on a table at the bottom of the stairs to the upper mall), but eventually managed to flag-down a rushed waiter who nabbed one from another table. The staff were polite and very on-the-ball considering how busy it gets - they've even extended the dining area out into the main part of the departure area. A larger plane departure screen would be appreciated for those of us without 20/20 vision, but that's likely the airport's issue rather than the pub's. And more vinegar bottles!

I am very impressed with the speed of service here. It was really busy when we arrived but still managed to get a table. Upstairs is definitely better as it's quieter and less full-on! Great selection for breakfast, prices are higher than normal Weatherspoons, but that's what you'd expect. We got our food and drinks quickly and the staff were really friendly. The food was really well cooked and delicious!