4 /5 Rich Deerdog: So this is the hotel restaurant at the Crowne Plaza Heathrow Terminal 4.
It always feels like perpetual night in this hotel, because of the way it is built. Lots of liminal space…
Anyhow. Last time I stayed here it was the tail end of Covid and the terminal was closed – they had the restaurant shut then and were just doing a bar food service – so this was my first meal here.
I don’t usually do hotel restaurants as they tend to be pretty average and there is generally better nearby. This hotel being at an airport, there is no better nearby. I wondered if that made a difference to the usual rule and, do you know what? It does.
Whilst the surroundings have all the charm of a waiting room ,the food here was actually very good – the restaurant obviously serves a lot more meals than competitors in a city centre would and they have clearly put more effort in as a result. The menu is a mix of Indian and western cuisine – the curries looked delicious.
I had the fish and chips on this occasion – I wouldn’t normally have it but I saw someone else with it and it looked delicious. Looks did not deceive. Lovely, flaky fish with a good portion of chips, tartare sauce and crushed, minted peas on the side. Really good, fresh food. Even more excellent for the fact it was the end of the service period.
For dessert there was brownie – this was actually five small brownies of the type you’d get a conference buffet – ok, but nothing to write home about.
The beer was Cobra, served in an unmarked glass. An undercover snake, as it were. There was also Staropramen, which I used to love, but find it gives me a headache these days.
An unusual mix, in the traditional way of airport hotels – lots of solo diners watching things on iPads or playing with phones. The murgh makhani was popular.
I’d eat here again if staying over before a flight.
