Giraffe – Heathrow Airport

I’ve never had a place that I always go to in an airport. So funny!
My husband and I have made a routine of eating breakfast here before our flights to the states. It’s always packed and crazy, so we make sure to decide what we want by the time we sit down. Wait staff is always in a hurry, and not always the friendliest, but I’m sure they see their fair share of assholes. They never make mistakes though, so they’re great!
Their hummus toast and breakfast burrito are wins. They’re happy to accommodate you if you prefer the burrito without meat. They also didn’t look at me weird when I whipped out an avocado from my purse and plopped it on my burrito– I couldn’t let it rot in the flat while we were gone!
I’m also really impressed with their fresh juices. Sometimes they run out, but they’re all great and tasty.

Giraffe is a decent breakfast restaurant located in terminal 1 of heathrow. They have the standard menu of eggs, yoghurt, fruit etc. I had salmon and eggs and it was good quality. Service was friendly. They promise to deliver all food within 15 minutes.

As airport eats go, this gets 3 stars. Anywhere else, 2 stars.
The Great:
+ Staff were friendly (we sat at the bar)
The Average:
o Nachos — decent
o Drinks — Large pours
The Poor:
— Low % Stella?! WTF
Overall Giraffe did what I needed it to (pass time + alcohol), and for that I give it 3 stars. A-​OK!

While waiting for our flight back to Paris for our final leg back to the U.S., we decided to grab brunch at Heathrow. Giraffe appeared to be our best bet considering the limited time we had. It’s a London-​based chain featuring a selection of salads and burgers.
Despite a rather long line, the wait wasn’t that bad. There’s plenty of seating inside and the kitchen turned out food rather quickly.
Chicken Caesar Salad [8.95 pounds = $ 13.93]
Torn lettuce, foccacia croutons, cherry tomatoes, avocado, Italian hard cheese, boiled egg, smoky garlic dressing
The chicken caesar was simply OK, featuring torn lettuce tossed in the ubiquitous dressing. There wasn’t much chicken, but the few bits we found were relatively moist. The salad was topped with some Italian hard cheese and small bits of avocado and cherry tomatoes. It also came with some over-​boiled eggs.
The «Giraffe» [11.35 pounds = $ 17.66]
Smoky bacon, mature cheddar
The «Giraffe» burger wasn’t that much better. The beef wasn’t seasoned much and was a tad dry. The smoky bacon was crisp though and the sharp cheddar brought out a nice funk to each bite. Sadly, the «chips» weren’t as crisp as I normally like them and were a bit starchy.
Overall, Giraffe didn’t really hit the spot — at least at the Heathrow Airport location.

I LOVE giraffe at heathrow. I seriously look forward to turning the corner at terminal 5 security and seeing that damn giraffe on the other side. I’m usually hubbing through London to another side of the world in my work in international development and on the road for long stints where my only access to potable water is in a plastic, tightly sealed bottle and if my food hasn’t been slow cooked into complete mush, it’s probably not safe to eat. Giraffe is my first stop to a quinoa salad, egg white omelette with avocado or a green smoothie and the staff are over the top friendly and running at a clip unlike any other place to get busy travelers in and out in 15 mins or less. It’s amazing and every time I turn that corner I’m beyond grateful it’s still there,…especially at 5:30 in the morning.

Really disappointing. Me and my group of friends were killing time before our flight and wanted a bite to eat. I got the veggie pesto sandwich and honestly, the focaccia bread was falling apart. I don’t think focaccia is supposed to do that… My other friend got the classic burger. Let’s just say he hated it. The only good thing about this place for us was the plastic giraffe stirrers in our drinks, only because it was amusing for one of us.
My other friend got onion rings and it wasn’t like «OMG these are the greatest onion rings I’ve ever had in my entire life!!!» But it wasn’t disgusting either. The best part about her order was the barbecue sauce. Keep that up bc it was one of the best things on our dining table.
Just know that If you go here, don’t get the veggie pesto focaccia sandwich or the classic burger. The onion rings are okay though.

Who isn’t intrigued by giant giraffe sculptures overlooking a few tables of plates piled high, and surrounded by the most delicious smells wafting throughout the air? I ordered their jambalaya risotto, and it did not disappoint. I wasn’t expecting it to taste like jambalaya, and it didn’t. It did have a pleasant congruence of flavors and meat, meat, meat. They surely didn’t skimp on any ingredients, and that’s a plus when you still have an entire day of awaiting a flight. I also tasted a wing from someone else’s dish/​appetizer, and it was pretty good. The service was prompt, but not quite friendly. I’m not sure if this was because our server was very busy, or if she saw a table with a couple of babies and got freaked out. Anyway, Giraffe gets a solid three stars from me.

Cooler Laden um zwischen den Flügen erwas zu essen, leider gibt es die coolen Ripps nicht mehr, ansonsten kann man halt alles essen, aber hier fängt natürlich schon die gewöhnungsbedürftige Englische Küche,…

I had a salad and they made it to order… the greens were very fresh and crisp. It had a great flavor and the service was prompt. I have eaten here several times… this is the first time I ordered the salad and I must say it was great.

We chose well for our last meal in London before flying back to the U.S. It was our first time in Heathrow’s Terminal 1, and after touring Windsor Castle on the way, we were beyond ready for a big mid-​afternoon lunch.
Never one to pass by potstickers, I began with tasty Chicken Potstickers as a starter, which were pan fried and served with orange carrots and a nice Miso Glaze. After swiftly dispatching them, I enjoyed my entrée of Chili King Prawn Linguine prepared with big prawns, Chili Sauce, slow roasted crushed tomatoes, roasted red pepper, «Rocket,» and of course linguine. This turned out to be a very good mild tomato-​based dish with succulent shrimp and weird unknown greens with little taste. But the shrimp, linguine, and other ingredients harmonized well after being tossed together. It was an English variation on seafood pasta commonly found in many comfort food restaurants and gastropubs in the U.S. I washed everything down with some ice water and two tall glasses of Coca-​Cola, which helped to restore some energy after sweating profusely while lugging suitcases and carry-​ons around before we were able to dump off the bulky luggage when checking in.
Meanwhile, Diane was very pleased with her Beer Battered Fish & Chips that looked like a big writhing snake on her large plate. Service was very friendly and quick, which is important at an international airport. Then, fortified with good food and drink, we were off to catch our plane.
If a Giraffe existed in Nevada or southern California, I would definitely dine there.

I’m not a huge fan of this Giraffe. Left disappointed.

The fact that Heathrow Terminal one has about 3 million eateries and yet Giraffe still have a constant queue to get into it speaks volumes; the burgers are well worth the wait!

Was seated right away but service was mediocre at best. «Rodeo» chicken sandwich was average and vanilla latte arrived lukewarm :(ambiance is nice and got to sit by the window and see planes outside. Prices are okay
Would have tried huxley’s if I were hungrier or wagamama if I felt like Asian food, both are very nearby

Irene and I didn’t choose to eat at Giraffe. Instead, we were making the best of an unfortunate situation. We were pretty much stuck at Heathrow Terminal 1 for a 5−½ hour layover, long enough that we were tempted to try to run into London for lunch — but since I’ve heard horror stories about how long it takes to clear emigration, and we had no idea how long it would take us return through security, we needed to make the best of a bad situation. And I ended up pleasantly surprised.
When I looked around to make a decision for lunch, most of the choices seemed either uninspired or unpopulated. I found the latter more disconcerting than the former, for a staff that looks bored and glum which waiting for their customers isn’t a great advertisement for what you’ll find inside. But Giraffe was hopping, the décor was clean and upbeat, and its menu seemed to have the most variety — so from outward appearances, it won against the competition.
And when we got our table, we ended up with a delightful young server from the Ukraine, who managed to break through our exhaustion from the long flight across the pond with her bubbly personality, upbeat attitude, and humor. Not often do I get a server who brings me a smile, but this one did.
Both my wife and I ordered the haddock fish and chips — well, my wife had the chips, while I ordered potato wedges. The tartar sauce had some bite, and the mushy peas were slightly minty. The fish was crisp and flavorful and much better than I’d expected from airport food.
I’d certainly return if ever in a similar situation.

Stopped in here for lunch while waiting for my flight. Was seated right away. I ordered the avocado, hummus, and tomato sandwich and it came out very quickly. The tomato was roasted really well and the hummus was nice and light. The pesto wasn’t too oily but the avocado wasn’t ripe enough yet. The server (Maria I think) was really nice and attentive. She was even helping a woman at another table who had missed her flight. Really nice, would be happy to stop back here next time I’m in heathrow 1.

I’ve eaten here a couple times and find it to be perfectly fine. I like the name first off, and there is a trendy vibe in there and an enormous menu. Lots of good sandwiches and it is hard to pick! My one beef with this place is that the service has never been particularly fast and there are no TVs. I would like the place to have at least one TV so I can at least catch some headlines or a game or something for entertainment while waiting.
Still that isn’t a huge complaint. They have decent food here and a wide variety of choices so there is something for everyone if you are in a group. Not bad.

We arrived at Heathrow Airport earlier than expected, and went through security with ease. It was only 7am and we ran into Gordon Ramsey’s. The hostess said they would open early at 7:15am, so we sat with an older couple awaiting a scrumptious breakfast.40 minutes later, the Manager came out & said they were going to open late.
We decided to find something closer to our gate, and when we went up the escalators, we saw the coolest restaurant! A big globe that said «Eat Live Love» greeted you with life size Giraffes in the middle of the restaurant. An open type of restaurant with an array of different types of seating including a Surfboard Bar.
It was only 7:50am and it was the busiest place in the airport! We sat down and was greeted with smiles from all the servers. My husband ordered the Huevos Rancheros, which he orders when we go to San Diego, and said it was one of the best breakfast dish he’s had!
And he washed it down with a spicy Bloody Mary! (We were on vacation) :)
I ordered the Free Range eggs on Focaccia Bread & a side of roasted cherry tomatoes with a Peach Mimosa. Now it doesn’t sound too «breakfasty» so I also ordered a side of bacon,
Wow! The tomatoes and Focaccia Bread made the dish! In Europe, the bacon is different, it’s more like Crispy Ham, I prefer American bacon. And the Peach Mimosa had chunks of real Peach, yum yum!
If you are ever in Heathrow Airport or in London and run into a bunch of Giraffes, jump right on in, and Eat, Live and Love!

It was a toss up between Wagamama and Giraffe for a quick breakfast before catching our flight. I know! Wagamama do breakfasts — who knew?!
Well, we decided on Giraffe for a full English and a mimosa — classy birds we are, right? We were in kind of a hurry to order and it took a while to flag down a waitress who, when she arrived, was in no danger of winning any ‘Personality of the Year’ awards.
Anyway, we ordered the food and it arrived unnervingly fast but no time to dwell — we tucked in. It was good! The sausage, the beans, the wedges were anyway. The bacon and scrambled eggs were kind of disappointing. The bacon was far too underdone for my taste and with far too much white, stringy fat on it (gross fact about me — I like the fat when it’s burnt! Yum!) The scrambled egg was watery and tasteless. They must just make huge vats of everything for all the breakfast orders, hence its ridiculously fast arrival but its definite lack in quality.
Anyway, we got what we wanted, a quick and reasonably priced breakfast, and got on the plane pretty full. I would go again if I was in the airport, but I might not get the full English and instead opt for a sandwich or something. Or I might give Wagamama a try… did you know they do breakfast?!

Okay… so why aren’t the cafes in American airports this good?
Breakfast at Giraffe was delicious. I had a breakfast burrito that was large, flavorful, and satisfying — but without weighing me down for the long flight ahead. The service was fast and friendly. I guess the only downside is that unlike American restaurants, you don’t get free coffee refills. And when you’ve arrived at the airport at 5:30am, you want plenty of the stuff!
If you’re flying out of Terminal 1 and have some time to spare, this should your go-​to place for a meal.

I really liked this place and being American I know how difficult it is to find a healthy spot to eat in our American airports. This was SUCH a pleasant experience that I didn’t even feel like I was at the airport.
Our waiter was pleasant and helpful and there were so many vegetarian friendly options for me to choose from. I actually had a hard time choosing due to how many dishes sounded appetizing to me.
I was not disappointed either. I had a glass of Chardonnay from their global wine list and truly enjoyed the food here.
I highly recommend grabbing a bite to eat here before you head back (like I was) to America and only have McDonalds, Burger King and Sbarro to choose from.,…spare me!

Recently I had a 3.5 hour layover in Heathrow Airport and after my 9 hour flight from Houston I was pretty hungry. I decided to check out Giraffe in lieu of a few places that served traditional English breakfast that I had passed up. It was so bright and colorful and had a cool juice/​tea/​coffee bar that looked enticing. Plus the place was pretty crowded so I figured it couldn’t be that bad to have so many people dining at 8 in the morning.
I opted for the Huevos Rancheros Mexican Style Breakfast because I was curious what England considered a Mexican breakfast. Plus I could have killed for some breakfast tacos and figured this was probably the closest thing I was going to get.
It was… different. The meal consisted of free range fried eggs, chorizo, black beans, cheddar & jack cheese, adobe sauce, avocado & tomato salsa on a warm tortilla. I wouldn’t have thought to pile a bunch of ingredients on top of a toasted tortilla and I wasn’t entirely sure how to eat it. I tried folding it over and that seemed a bit awkward so I used cut off pieces with my silverware. The chorizo really threw me off though. It was thin and flat like sliced salami and when you buy it in the States (or actually in Mexico) it’s sausage that you take out of the casing. Very odd but not bad.
It was an interesting breakfast though but hit the spot and wasted a sufficient amount of time thankfully. The service was good and quick. I would go there again next time I’m at Heathrow for sure.