Near Terminal A gates, this M&S Food feels like a UK high street stop.
Inside Terminal A at Zayed International Airport, M&S Food runs on a simple idea: grab branded supermarket food you already recognize and get to your gate. You’re airside, so no extra security step. Think sandwiches, crisps, chocolate, soft drinks, and a few ready-to-eat fridge items with the usual Marks & Spencer labels and calorie counts printed on every pack.
Pricing sits in normal airport territory, with sandwiches typically higher than downtown Abu Dhabi but in line with other Terminal A outlets. You pay per item at the counter, no table service, and you’re in and out in under 10 minutes if the queue is short. Card payments dominate here; bring a backup card in case your mobile wallet has issues on the airport Wi‑Fi.
M&S Food works best when your time is tight and you just need something predictable before boarding a flight from Terminal A. Pre‑packed items make it easy to grab lunch at 07:00 or 22:00 without worrying about kitchen hours, so it often fills the gap when sit‑down restaurants are crowded. If your layover is under an hour, this keeps you close to your A‑gates instead of trekking across the terminal.
Watch out for peak departure banks when several wide‑bodies leave Terminal A around the same hour; shelves can look picked over and the most familiar sandwiches may go first. Turn the pack and check use‑by dates, which are printed clearly next to the barcode on each item, especially for dairy and salads. If you care about portion size on a long‑haul, compare the grams listed on the front labels before paying.
One practical tip: if your gate is in the higher A‑20s or beyond, stop at M&S Food as you pass it rather than assuming there’s another branch closer to boarding; that two‑minute detour now can save a last‑minute sprint back upstream.