Sandwich prices here stay lower than most spots past T security
Panos - Departure Hall sits landside in Brussels Airport T, before security, right in the main check-in hall. It’s a basic Belgian bakery chain setup: counter service, display cases of prepared sandwiches, pastries, and viennoiserie. You pay city-plus-airport markup, but it’s still cheaper than many airside options in Pier A and B, especially for a quick broodje or croissant.
Expect standard Panos pricing: roughly €4–€6 for cold sandwiches and around €2–€3 for pastries like chocolate croissants. Coffee sits in the €2–€3 range depending on size. Several reviewers call out that these prices are higher than downtown Brussels branches, but still a better deal than the €7–€9 sandwiches you’ll see near the gates after security.
Food-wise, lean on what Panos does across Belgium: prepared cold sandwiches and viennoiserie. Regulars mention grabbing a “broodje” with ham and cheese or chicken curry, plus a chocolate croissant, then carrying everything through security to eat at the gate later. Hot items, like panini, often sit pre-made in warmers and can be lukewarm by the time you get them during the 6–8 a.m. rush.
Timing matters here. Flyers report queues getting slow and snakey from about 6:00 to 8:00 in the morning bank of departures, with too few staff handling both coffee and food. If you’re on a 7:30 a.m. departure from T, build in an extra 10–15 minutes for this stop, or you’ll be stress-sipping your latte while watching the check-in line.
What regulars do: they buy two items landside at Panos, typically one sandwich and one pastry, then walk them through security and eat in Pier A or B instead of paying gate prices. One last tip: stick to cold sandwiches and pastries here, skip the hot trays, and grab bottled drinks from the fridge so you’re not stuck waiting for barista drinks when the line hits 20 people.