Which UK airport restaurants offer £18 credit to Priority Pass cardholders?

Airport lounge access card Priority Pass is not just about lounges. It also has deals with many airport restaurants where you can receive a free or discounted meal by showing your Priority Pass card.

The list of participating UK airport restaurants is constantly changing, so we produced this master list which is re-published whenever there is a change. Today we have added a new site in Manchester Airport Terminal 2.

At any of these restaurants, you will receive £18 credit towards a meal or drinks. If your Priority Pass allows a free guest and you arrive with someone else, you will receive a £36 credit between you.

Unfortunately these deals are NOT available to anyone who gets their Priority Pass via American Express. It is available to anyone who gets their pass directly from Priority Pass or via another card such as the HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard, the £15 per month Lloyds Bank World Elite Mastercard or (for SME owners) the Capital on Tap Pro Visa card.

Remember that you can visit multiple sites on the same day if you wish, or visit a restaurant before or after visiting a lounge.

London:

London City Airport

• Juniper & Co
• Soul & Grain

London Heathrow

• Big Smoke Taphouse & Kitchen (Terminal 2)
• Evergreen Bar & Restaurant (Terminal 3)

London Gatwick

• Tortilla (North)
• Juniper & Co (North)
• The Breakfast Club (North)
• BrewDog (North)
• Pizza Express (South)

Pizza Express is the only venue on this list which DOES accept American Express-issued Priority Pass cards.

London Luton

• Avalon Crafted Coffee
• Big Smoke Taphouse & Kitchen
• Nolito

London Stansted

• The Camden Bar & Kitchen

Outside London:

Bristol International

• Starbucks
• Cabin Bar
• Tortilla
• Brigg & Stow

Cardiff

• Y Castell

Glasgow International

• Bird & Signet

Liverpool John Lennon

• Sable & Co

Manchester International

• Starbucks (Terminal 1)
• The Grain Loft (Terminal 1)
• The Evergreen Bar & Brasserie (Terminal 2)

Newcastle International

• Aster & Thyme Bar & Kitchen

But if your Priority Pass is issued by American Express ….

There are a grand total of TWO restaurants globally that Amex-issued Priority Pass customers can use.

One is Pizza Express at London Gatwick’s South Terminal. Given that this is the British Airways terminal, it is at least convenient for most HfP readers. The other is the Moevenpick Cafe in Berlin Brandenburg which offers a €23 credit.

My best guess is that Priority Pass wants to charge American Express a higher fee for restaurant visits, as it pays out more than it pays a lounge operator, and that the two parties could not reach an agreement.

Unfortunately the chances of this changing are slim. Sentiment is going the other way – both Chase and Capital One in the US have recently banned restaurant visits from the Priority Pass cards they issue.

You can find out more about these new Priority Pass options by searching for an airport via its website.

PS. Without wishing to state the obvious, you should not take part in any of these restaurant deals if you have a ‘pay per use’ or – if you’re not alone – a ‘pay for guests’ Priority Pass. The guest fee is now £24 and you are getting £18 of restaurant credit so you can see the problem!

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How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (December 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with two free Priority Pass cards, one for you and one for a supplementary cardholder. Each card admits two so a family of four gets in free. You get access to all 1,500 lounges in the Priority Pass network – search it here.

You also get access to Eurostar, Lufthansa and Delta Air Lines lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th January 2025, the sign-up bonus on The Platinum Card from American Express is increased to 80,000 Membership Rewards points. This converts into 80,000 Avios! The spend requirement is changed to £10,000 in six months for this offer. Click here to apply.

You can apply here.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for the first year. It comes with a Priority Pass card loaded with four free visits to any Priority Pass lounge – see the list here.

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four more free visits for every year you keep the card.  

There is no annual fee for Amex Gold in Year 1 and you get a 20,000 points sign-up bonus.  Full details are in our American Express Preferred Rewards Gold review here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th January 2025, the sign-up bonus on ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is increased to 30,000 Membership Rewards points. This converts into 30,000 Avios. Click here to apply.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 although it may be cheaper to pay £60 for a supplementary credit card for your partner.

The card has a fee of £290 and there are strict financial requirements to become a HSBC Premier customer.  Full details are in my HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard review.

Got a small business?

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum which has the same lounge benefits as the personal Platinum card:

You should also consider the Capital on Tap Pro Visa credit card, which has a lower fee and also comes with Radison Rewards VIP status:

PS. You can find all of HfP’s UK airport lounge reviews – and we’ve been to most of them – indexed here.