Full English and a pint at 6am is standard here
The Lion and Antelope sits airside in T2 after security, and it’s the pub everyone seems to aim for before early European departures. Think fryer going from 4–5am, pints poured before sunrise, and plates loaded with sausage, bacon, eggs, beans, hash browns and toast. The full English is the signature move: not cheap, but reviewers say it’s properly filling and lands on the table fairly quickly when the kitchen isn’t overwhelmed.
Opening hours track the morning bank of flights in T2, so expect it to be already busy by 5:30–6:00am. Prices sit in the typical airport mid-range (££): you’ll pay noticeably more for a pint or G&T than in a city‑centre pub, and several reviews call out “airport tax” on alcoholic drinks. Food is standard pub fare: fry‑ups, burgers, sandwiches, and a few mains, with breakfast running through the morning wave of departures.
Regulars writing on Google and TripAdvisor say they clear security in T2 as early as possible to grab a table here, especially before 8am departures. The move is simple: order the full English or a basic burger and skip the fussier menu items. One traveller summed it up as “breakfast was decent and came out quickly, price not too outrageous for an airport,” which matches most of the 4★‑style reviews.
Watch out for the 6–8am crush: one reviewer described it as “absolutely rammed at 6am, had to hover for a table,” and that’s a common theme. When the pub is short‑staffed, orders can drag, and drinks from the bar can take 15–20 minutes. If your T2 flight boards at, say, 07:15 from a B‑gate, you don’t want to be placing your order at 06:45 and clock‑watching.
Tip: clear security at least 90 minutes before departure if you plan to eat here, and place your food order as soon as you sit down, not after your first drink.