Costa is basically the default coffee at Gatwick
Frequent UK flyers joke that Gatwick is “Costa after Costa after Costa,” and they’re not wrong: you’ll see branches landside and airside in both North and South Terminals. Most sit around the £3–£4 mark for a latte or cappuccino, with the rating hovering around 3/5. Think chain-standard espresso drinks, iced coffees, and the usual seasonal specials rather than anything third-wave.
Some Costa units in both terminals open early enough for 06:00 departures, but exact opening hours vary by location, so check the one nearest your gate if you have a 05:30 security run. Food is classic Costa: pre-made sandwiches, toasties, muffins, and pastries, plus a few hot breakfast items in the morning. Regulars say the hot stuff and better pastries can be gone by late evening, leaving mainly crisps, chocolate, and packaged cakes after about 20:00.
Prices run higher than a high-street Costa on the outside; expect a small mark-up of roughly 10–20% on drinks and food because it’s inside LGW. That said, Costa still comes in cheaper than most sit-down spots in either North or South. A basic sandwich and medium coffee will usually land around £8–£10. Service speed swings a lot with flight banks: five minutes at 11:00, anything up to 20 minutes in the 07:00–09:00 rush.
Regulars often hit the landside Costa in North or South before security, reporting shorter queues and more tables compared with the cramped units near busy gates. Others treat Costa as a supply run before low-cost flights on easyJet or Ryanair, grabbing bottled water and snacks instead of paying onboard. Crowding and lack of seating come up constantly in reviews, especially for the airside locations right after security in both terminals.
Tip: If your boarding pass shows a gate in the 30s or 40s, buy your coffee and snacks at the main concourse Costa first; options thin out and queues spike the closer you get to the actual gate.