For my journey home from London, I was flying with Norse Atlantic. My flight was departing from Gatwick Airport’s South Terminal. I’ve seen pictures of the lengthy queues for check-in at Norse Airlines since they don’t offer any online check-in. Furthermore, Norse Airlines is known to thoroughly weigh all bags to ensure that they comply with the weight limit, and if they exceed it, the airline levies an additional fee before allowing passengers to check in.
Norse Atlantic opens check-in for flights four hours before the departure time. I ended up arriving about two hours in advance, which I was worried was cutting it close. Fortunately, I was wrong, and there wasn’t any line to check-in. I had my boarding pass and bag tags and was on my way to security. There was also little wait for the automated gates for security, and I was through the X-ray checkpoint with 90 minutes until boarding.
Priority Pass Lounges Gatwick South
I’d checked in advance and knew there were several lounge options at the Gatwick South Terminal which I could access with Priority Pass:
However, when I read reviews of these lounges online, comments were mixed. While some people said the lounges were nice, others said they’re often crowded, with below-average food options. That is, if the lounges even accepted Priority Pass members since many guests reported the lounges regularly deny access due to being at capacity.
There was another option that I opted for instead. I headed to The Grain Store Cafe & Bar.
The Grain Store
The Grain Store Cafe & Bar is located on the second floor of the Gatwick South Terminal. Outside, there is clear signage stating that they welcome Priority Pass members.
Remember that not all Priority Pass Select members get to use the restaurant benefit. Both American Express and Capital One restrict benefits to lounges only. Priority Pass Select cardholders from a Chase card or the Citi Prestige can receive £15 off the bill for themselves and one additional guest.
The Priority Pass website states that you need to present your card to the restaurant before ordering. I did this at the front podium, where the host swiped my card and gave me a £15 voucher to give to my server.
When I placed my order at the restaurant, I had limited time available. I informed the staff that I needed to eat quickly to catch my flight. The restaurant promotes that it can serve customers within 15 minutes if they are in a hurry.
The Grain Store has a large selection of foods, including salads, pizzas, sandwiches and burgers.
I put in an order for the Fish & Chips. I had a 9-hour flight on Norse, and while I did order a meal for the trip, I wasn’t sure how good it would be. The price was just over my £15 voucher but was reasonable for a sit-down airport restaurant.
Various seating options are available, including a sophisticated bar area. During my visit, I was seated in the front half of the restaurant, which suited me just fine. The restaurant has installed several monitors throughout the space, displaying information about departing flights. This is particularly useful since Gatwick Airport only announces the departing gate shortly before boarding begins.
Food & Service
My meal arrived in around 10 minutes, which was perfect. I’m sorry I didn’t take any pictures of my food, as I was on the phone with Sharon when it arrived. I’d be without Wi-Fi on Norse and we were finalizing plans for my arrival.
My meal was satisfying with several pieces of fish and a decent amount of chips. The food was hot and not oily. Shortly after receiving my food, my server returned and asked if I would like to settle the bill or wait until I was finished. Normally, I’d find this odd, but since I had mentioned I was in a rush, I think it was very proactive. I paid the remainder of my bill over my credit and went to finish my meal.
About 1/2 way though, I received an alert from TripIt about my departing gate. Not knowing the length of the walk, which can be quite long, I headed out shortly thereafter.
Final Thought
I’m glad I chose to eat at The Grain Store instead of visiting one of the airport lounge options. While the Priority Pass credit wasn’t enough to pay for an entire meal, it did cover most of the cost of the main dish, which is the same as I’ve found at other airport restaurants on Priority Pass. I’d put The Grain Store towards the top of Priority Pass restaurants we’ve visited and recommend stopping by if you’re traveling through the South Terminal of Gatwick Airport.
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