Swanhunter

The quality of the table service product seems higher than the slop dishes on the buffet. While the service speed can be a bit irksome if in a hurry, overall the table service is way nicer.

buffets are just naff - very Holiday Inn or Las Vegas.

choosethedrew

Ordinarily, I would take table service every time, because that would usually guarantee more inventive and cheffy dishes. However, BA being BA, I don't feel the food is any more ambitious or interesting than what's provided by the buffet. As the ability to customise is reduced, the portions smaller and the wait time far longer, more is lost than gained for me.

camdentown

IMHO I don't think table service would get more cheffy dishes in any UK airport.
If we want table service to be good/cheffy then it has to be in a dedicated restaurant area in the lounge. The best example I know is the Qantas run lounge at Los Angeles (LAX) .
The food there is genuinely good. Way better than the Concorde lounge in LHR T5. This is because there is a full kitchen there and everything is cooked from fresh.
Similar in the Cathay Pacific Lounge at Hong Kong.
UK/USA/Europe airports/airlines don't seem to be able to manage this . (Might be exceptions in AF CDG First or LH Frankfurt First, not tried those, but have read about them here).

orbitmic

Very much so. The AF La Premiere Lounge is yet a significant step above the likes of QF F lounges (you mention the LAX one but to be honest, I think that the SYD and MEL ones are better), the LH F Terminal, etc (and I personally do not find food in the CX F lounges that amazing. It is good but not great, and in my view nowhere near the best part of the otherwise excellent CX F lounges).

FlyingScientist

"We apologise for a late arrival of your breakfast."

HIDDY

Over the lips, past the gums, look out stomach here it comes!!

Stripe

If table service meant food prepared to order then I would prefer that all the time. However, one assumes that the GF servers just go back to a steam table and pile on whatever they need. It takes as long as it does because they are understaffed.

Allan38103

No, I don�t (except sometimes). But thanks for asking.

choosethedrew

Thanks, having also tried the vastly superior offerings in overseas lounges you mention, am aware. Which is a shame, as if I could only forget them, I might think BA was half decent again.

The QF and VS lounges manage a more ambitious table service at LHR perfectly fine so it is possible here.

moral_low_ground

The best thing about the buffet is that you can at least have some choice of how things are cooked. I hate under-done sasuages or bacon where the fat has hardly seen the pan. With a buffet at least you can fish around for the "better cooked" sausages, eggs, bacon etc although I will admit that on the whole the buffet in GF tended to have more "under cooked" food IMHO (not to say it is not cooked, just not cooked well enough for me).

Also, as per above, I do not like not being able to customise my breakfast. I'd rather have 3 slices of bacon, one sausage etc etc so this whole table service thing for me is a faff and I'd much prefer we go back to the buffet style/help yourself style of service

DYKWIA

To be fair, I didn't eat every time. It was generally the breakfasts that were lukewarm. And there'd always be issues - forgotten toast, forgotten brown sauce (should be mandatory for any fry up) and disappearing staff when wanting a coffee top up.

And it wouldn't happen with Emirates. The F lounges at DXB (CCR equivalent) have full service restaurants with a great variety (Pok� bowls, sushi, curries, noodles, burgers etc.). Food is always cooked to order and piping hot. And you don't have to wander around trying to find somebody to serve you...

Grace B

Buffet is far superior to table service, IMHO.

Unless, of course, you have total control over the order (according to your wishes), and have recourse to remediation if not satisfied with what's delivered.

Lets BA out then...

And how can this nonsense be more "Covid friendly" than people behaving responsibly at a buffet? Oh wait...

South London Bon Viveur

Yes and I bloody hope so

CarefreeBA

GF is OW Emerald only and a large proportion of GC is OW Sapphire (and their respective BA status equivalent). I'm not sure of BA's thinking w.r.t an airport, but it's not somewhere I want to necessarily spend a lot of time. I haven't arrived at an airport more than 1hr before departure in the last 12 months and use the lounge merely as a pit stop for about 10 mins before rushing to the gate.

Sometimes, yes, I prefer a la carte as it's a much more relaxed experience. When the lounges initially reopened, it was all fairly quiet and quick service. However, my 'travelling style' just isn't catered for with the sheerness slowness, even at 7pm in a deserted GC North (and it still took 10 mins...). I do agree the standard of food has improved dramatically.

MaxFlyer

I prefer a buffet in that you can select what and how much you want but agree with the horror at seeing how bad some peoples' hygiene habits are. A pet peeve of mine was when people would use the same tong to pick up meat and non meat items, not thinking about cross-contamination and that some people for religious or personal diet reasons don't want meat cross contamination.

The table service could be improved if you could build your own meals, like what has been introduced with the breakfast offering. Also, allow people to state how many of each item and if they want white or brown toast would be good.