BA's London arrivals lounge has a secret Champagne breakfast menu

Broadly speaking, business travellers love arrivals lounges. After staggering off a long overnight flight and running the gauntlet of customs and immigration, an arrivals lounge can be a soothing balm for the weary.

Settle down to a proper breakfast (not something reheated in an aircraft's galley kitchen) and a much-needed coffee, freshen up with a quick shower while your clothes are valet-pressed, and in some cases even indulge in a relaxing, rejuvenating facial from the in-lounge spa.

BA's flagship arrivals lounge at London/Heathrow T5.

British Airways' arrivals lounge at London Heathrow delivers on all those fronts. And for those in the know, it offers a little extra: a few 'off the menu' breakfast items.

These are, in fact, drawn from the menu of the lounge's Concorde Breakfast Room: a private dining room exclusive to BA's first class passengers and frequent flyers who hold either British Airways Executive Club Gold Guest List status or the black invitation-only British Airways Executive Club Premier card.

The Concorde Breakfast Room at BA's London arrivals lounge.

The Concorde Breakfast Room swaps the self-serve spread of the arrival's lounge for comfortable restaurant-style booths with an à la carte menu and an overall quieter, more refined arrivals experience.

The Concorde Breakfast Room at BA's London arrivals lounge.

So what's on the 'secret menu' for any traveller visiting BA's London arrivals lounge?

The same Champagne as served in the Concorde Breakfast Room: a fruity, lively Canard-Duchêne Charles VII Blanc de Blancs Brut. And kippers. Yes, the smoked whole herring which was long part of the quintessential British breakfast.

Champagne and kippers? It's a little 'High Street meets East End', but you don't have to pair them.

We appreciate that 'Champagne and kippers' sounds like an odd combination, and you don't have to pair them – we did so only for the sake of this photo – but add these Scottish kippers to some scrambled eggs, tomatoes and toast for a healthier alternative to bacon, pork sausages and black pudding.

To sample this secret breakfast, just ask one of the lounge staff who are typically buzzing around refreshing the buffet.

Executive Traveller review: British Airways Arrivals Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal 5

The British Airways London Heathrow T5 arrivals lounge is open from 5am to 2pm daily; access is limited to BA's first class and business class passengers, and BA Executive Club Gold frequent flyers, arriving on what the airline classifies as 'long-haul flights', which includes flights from the Asia-Pacific region and the Americas as well as Dubai.

David Flynn

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.