Gate-side bar option in Terminal 1
Right in Terminal 1 after security at V. C. Bird International, Players Bar is the main sit-down spot if you want a drink before boarding. It’s a simple airport bar setup: counter seating first, then a few café-style tables that fill quickly on afternoon departures to London and Toronto. Expect TV sports on in the background and a short bar-style food menu built around quick service.
Players Bar opens in the late morning to match the first wave of international departures out of Terminal 1 and usually stays open until the last larger outbound flight boards in the evening. Prices run higher than St. John’s town bars: think resort-level markups on beer and simple mixed drinks. It’s still cheaper than drinking on most inbound flights, and you get a real glass instead of a plastic cup.
The bar stock focuses on regional rum labels plus the usual big-brand vodka, gin, and whiskey. If you only order one thing, make it a local rum with a soft drink or on ice; it’s the safest order when turnover isn’t huge. Food tends to lean on bar snacks and basic hot items that can be prepped quickly; factor in 20–30 minutes if you ask for anything more than fries or wings at peak times.
Payment is straightforward: standard credit cards are accepted, and prices are listed in Eastern Caribbean dollars with clear conversion to US dollars on the menu. Service runs on “Caribbean time,” so build a 40-minute buffer if you sit for a full drink and a bite before a US-bound flight with secondary screening. Tip: grab a rum and soda at Players, then carry it to the gate so you’re not sprinting through Terminal 1 with a half-finished drink when boarding starts.