By Sunny
Gatwick has quietly become one of the better airports in the UK to eat at. Both terminals have been rebuilt around their restaurants, and if your flight leaves at an awkward hour, or you are staying overnight before an early one, you can eat properly without leaving the airport. This guide covers where to eat at Gatwick terminal by terminal, what opens early, where to eat with children, and the solid local options a short drive away if you have a hire car.
North Terminal restaurants
Wondertree.
The biggest name in Gatwick dining. Wondertree is the large dining hub in the North Terminal, a full restaurant rather than a grab and go counter, with a wide menu built for a proper sit down meal when you have time before your flight. It is the first thing most people see when they come through security, and it takes walk ins.
Shake Shack.
The burger chain's Gatwick North branch is one of the airport's most popular stops. Fast, family friendly, and reliably busy between flights. If you are feeding children who have already decided today is a burger day, this is the shortest argument.
The North Terminal also runs seasonal restaurant rotations, and the dining mix has changed several times since the terminal was refurbished. The Gatwick Airport site lists the current line up with opening times, and it is worth a two minute check before you travel, because airport restaurant lists on third party sites go stale quickly. The old Jamie's Italian that featured in earlier versions of this guide closed years ago.
North Terminal quick options
Pret A Manger, M&S Food and Leon cover sandwiches, salads and hot food to take to the gate. The M&S is the one to know about if you are flying with a budget airline that does not include food: a meal deal from M&S costs less than half the onboard price.
If you are eating before security at the North Terminal, the landside options are thinner than airside. Eat after security if your schedule allows.
South Terminal restaurants
wagamama.
The South Terminal wagamama serves the full ramen and donburi menu. It consistently ranks among the most searched restaurant pages for Gatwick, and it is a safe bet for a hot, fast, filling meal between flights. The noodles arrive in minutes, which matters when your boarding call is in 40 minutes.
PizzaExpress.
The familiar Italian chain at the South Terminal. Family friendly, and one of the few airport options where a child's meal is genuinely cheap. Pizzas come out quickly and the menu is the same one picky children have already memorised.
Giraffe.
The South Terminal's all day dining option. Burgers, brunch dishes and world plates, open from breakfast through to evening flights, and forgiving of families with luggage. Giraffe's breakfast menu makes it one of the better early options in this terminal.
Hilton London Gatwick Airport.
Attached to the South Terminal and connected by a covered walkway, so you do not need to go outside or have a car. The hotel restaurants serve non residents, so if you have a long wait or an overnight stop, it is a full restaurant meal without going anywhere.
Breakfast at Gatwick
If you are on one of the many 6am departures, the question is what opens early. Both terminals have coffee and pastry options from the first flights, and the sit down restaurants start serving breakfast from around 5am. Giraffe and PizzaExpress at the South Terminal and Wondertree at the North are the main early sit down options. The official Gatwick breakfast page lists current opening times by restaurant, and it is worth checking your terminal the night before, because early lists change with the season.
Eating with children at Gatwick
Gatwick publishes a children's dining guide, which tells you most of what you need to know: this is an airport that expects families. In practice the family friendly short list is Shake Shack and Wondertree at the North Terminal, Giraffe and PizzaExpress at the South. All four do children's portions at normal rather than airport-inflated prices, and all four have high chairs. The M&S Food at the North Terminal is the budget version: build your own picnic for a fraction of restaurant prices and let the children eat it at the gate.
Before security or after?
A practical note that catches people out. At both terminals, most of the good restaurants are airside, after security. If you are meeting someone who is not flying, or you have a six hour wait and have not checked in yet, your landside options are limited to the coffee shops and the Hilton at the South Terminal. Check in, go through, then eat. Security at Gatwick is usually quick outside the morning peak, and nobody has ever regretted having a sit down meal and a table rather than balancing a coffee near the check in desks.
Restaurants near Gatwick, if you have a hire car
The airport sits on the edge of Crawley, and the town centre is about 10 minutes away by car. That puts a full high street of restaurants within reach if you are staying locally, collecting a car, or killing time before a return flight. Horley, the nearest town to the airport on the A23 towards the M25, is even closer for most terminal hotels, and its high street has pubs and small restaurants at town prices rather than airport prices.
This is also where airport staff actually eat. The independent places change more often than the airport chains, so rather than name specific restaurants that may have closed by the time you read this, use Tripadvisor's Gatwick restaurant list, which is the most current resource for independents, and filter by Crawley and Horley.
If you are planning to explore while you are here, our Gatwick car hire page covers pickup at both terminals, deposit amounts and one way rentals. Our guide to the top Gatwick hotels covers where to stay the night before an early flight, and our sights guide covers what is worth seeing within an hour of the airport.
Gatwick Airport dining FAQ
What restaurants are in Gatwick North Terminal?
Wondertree is the main sit down restaurant, with Shake Shack alongside it, plus Pret, M&S and Leon for food to take to the gate. The North Terminal dining mix changes regularly, so check the Gatwick Airport site for the current line up.
What restaurants are in Gatwick South Terminal?
wagamama, PizzaExpress and Giraffe are the main sit down options, plus the restaurants at the Hilton London Gatwick Airport, which is connected to the South Terminal by a covered walkway and serves non residents.
Is food expensive at Gatwick?
Somewhat. Airport pricing adds roughly 10 to 20 percent over high street prices, and sit down restaurants cost more than grab and go counters. Wondertree and the chain restaurants post menus with prices online, so you can see the cost before you arrive.
Do I need to book a Gatwick restaurant in advance?
Rarely for airport branches. Walk ins are normal at wagamama, PizzaExpress and Giraffe, and wait times are longest between 5am and 7am and around midday. Book ahead only for the Hilton restaurants at peak dinner time.
How do I get between terminals for a restaurant?
The two terminals are connected by a free shuttle that runs every few minutes, day and night, and takes about two minutes. If you have a hire car, both terminals have their own pickup points, covered in our Gatwick car hire guide.