SilverKris First Class Lounge (London)
I am in Singapore Airline’s First Class Lounge in London Heathrow about to make my way home to end my holiday. The lounge is designed by ONG&ONG, and follows Singapore Airlines’ ‘home away from home’ concept. It is not a particularly large lounge, but it has sufficient sections of space for lounging, working, dining and a couple of shower suites too.
The Dining Area
The dining area has a range of dining tables with views across the tarmac. The lounge offers à la carte dining with a pretty broad selection of Singaporean and international cuisine. The staff are all too helpful to take your order and the dining setting is the same as they have on board.
For dinner tonight it’s dumplings and chicken rice paired with a few glasses of wine.
There is also an extensive self-service buffet area with salads, juices, breads and sandwiches.
There is a self-serve bar, but the staff will often insist on helping you pour a glass. The service here is actually pretty amazing.
A broad selection of hot food and dim sums are available for self-serve as well.
The Lounge Area
There are private cubicles for those who are keen on working throughout their stay… that’s so not me!
There are also a couple of private rest areas with beautiful over-sized sofa chair to unwind.
A lounge room style area with a TV for viewing – although nothing really captures my interest so I leave the space for others.
Singapore Airline’s trademark over-sized chair also makes an appearance in the lounge too.
The lounge is pretty good, but as would be expected from a Satellite lounge it doesn’t beat The Private Room at Changi Airport. The staff are amazing, the food was pretty decent and it was the perfect spot to unwind before the flight. The staff order a buggy for me to get taken to the boarding gate.
The Suite
I board the flight and make my way to my suite. I start with an introductory champagne of Dom Perignon (2006) to commence proceedings.
I didn’t take many photos of the suite as it was a night time flight and a full flight so it was hectic before take-off. This is the same aircraft which I flew on Singapore to London. You can check-out my pictures of the Suite on that blog post here.
Here is a description of the Suite from that post:
“The First Class cabin on the A380 have 12 closed suites located on the lower deck of the aircraft. Notwithstanding the tenure of the product, the suites are quite luxurious. They were designed by luxury yacht designer Jean-Jacques Coste of France. The leather arm chair has a mix of dark chocolate and light cream leather upholstery from Aeristo with 81 inches of pitch and 35 inches of width. The Suite has dark wood paneling and cream fabric privacy blinds and cream coloured doors.
Similar to the Boeing 777, there are no overhead storage compartments in the first class cabin so you have to store your luggage in the ottoman in front of the seat. There are also concealed storage compartments next to the 23-inch screen. Next to the seat (on the right if you’re facing the front) there are additional storage areas where they keep the Bose headphones. There is also a power port, headphone socket, USB ports and other inputs next to the storage compartment.”
Dinner
Champagne
I opt for the Dom Perignon on this flight and they pour a glass prior to take off. This was the same champagne offered on the prior flights, here is my tasting note:
“On the nose, there was the alluring touch of floral blossoms and faint candied fruits with some nutty hints.” “On the palate there are good citrus notes, a vivacious acidity and a creamy and silky texture which leaves a sensuous impression on the palate and a little tingle down your spine. The finish leaves a hint of salinity and bitter lemon pip which is quite interesting.”
Shortly after take-off dinner is served with a full course meal rather than just a supper!
Caviar
For the first course I opt for the Chilled Malossol Caviar with Melba toast and condiments.
The caviar is the same as what was served on my flight over to London. The plating is slightly different. The caviar has a rich saline minerality, beautiful grainy texture and a taste which lingers on the palate. I scoop little bits onto the Melba toast and pair primarily with the crushed eggs for a fuller experience. It really is quite a sensation. The Dom Perignon danced with the caviar like Prince and Princess!
The background tune is “Blame it on me” by George Ezra – I don’t own the rights to the song.
Soup
The next course is a Chinese Oxtail Soup with Wolfberries and Flower Mushrooms.
Generally soup courses on flights are a bit “meh” with simple pumpkins or cauliflower bases, but Singapore Airlines really hits the nail on the head. This time it’s an oxtail soup which has rich saline hit of the oxtail with the unami of mushrooms and the wolfberries do give a mild sweet but tangy aftertaste. It is a well-rounded ying yang experience.
Lobster Thermidor
The next dish is the Lobster Thermidor with grilled asparagus, roasted diced herbed tomato and fingerling potatoes.
The true differentiation of Singapore Airlines is the fact you can view the menu online prior to departure and book premium dishes made to order via their Book the Cook option and this was my selection on this flight.
The dish is less aesthetically presented as the Lobster Thermidor on my flight from Sydney to Singapore (you can check out that review here). The sauce is dripping over the lobster and the tomatoes and potatoes are less appealing than the perfectly moulded saffron rice. However the lobster itself is executed pretty well. Quite a feat given the difficulty in pulling off a dish like this in the sky. It’s soft, tender and perfect on the palate. The sauce is a little different to the first lobster I had on Singapore Airlines. This sauce was creamier and have a greater spice flavour to it.
The Dom Perignon’s acidity and flourish was perfect to cut through the richness of the lobster and the citrus notes blended quite nicely in the finish.
The background tune is “Real Love Baby” by Father John Misty– I don’t own the rights to the song.
Dessert
For the dessert I opt for a Warm Chocolate Walnut Bread-Butter Pudding with Milk Ice Cream and Mixed Berries.
I am not normally a dessert person, but this one did hit the spot. It was the sort of dessert you’d have in a snow-capped cabin after a long day of hunting. The rich warm chocolate and creamy doughy bread & butter pudding is a treat. The walnut crunch is a beautiful textural touch and for an extra hit of indulgence the ice cream adds a chilled sensation to the experience, while the mixed berries do lull me into the false sense that I have eaten a healthy dish.
I switch wines to the Château Cos d’Estournel (2006). Again it’s the same wine I had on my earlier flight to London. Here is my tasting note:
“On the nose, the wine is very expressive. There are aromas of rich red fruits, herbs, spice and some light touch of olive and tobacco. On the palate, there’s a good dose of red fruit and savoury spice flavours. Its age has let in some light bitterness, charcoal and earthy notes, while some beautiful grainy tannins support the wine.”
The Amenity Kit and Pyjamas
On this flight I’m provided with the Unisex Amenity Kit which is black but with a touch femininity.
The kit is less usable on the flight with an apparent focus on home and travel. There are two “home products”, a Lalique candle (which has strict instructions not to be lit on the flight), a scented soap (which given there no showers on board can’t be used) and then some more practical items (a lip balm and body lotion). All amenity products in this kit are from their Neroli range. The kit also include a miniature ornamental crystal fish from Lalique.
The PJs are from Lalique and are super comfortable.
The Bed
The bedding is beautiful linen with a dominated by light cream with a dark chocolate border for a soothing finish. There are matching pillows and a bolster for good measure. Its pitch black outside as we continue across Europe to Singapore, so once I turn off the reading lights I’m off to bed.
Here is a little pre-sleep video clip.
The background tune is “Underflow” by Emma Louise. I do not own any rights to the song.
My eyes awake from my deep sleep only to find the sun’s rays of morning light piercing the cabin windows.
I pause for a moment of reflection as I gaze at the infiniteness of the skies from the window. At 30,000 ft above the world’s deepest oceans, the expansive desert plains, the tallest mountain peaks and the largest cities; you have a sense of being lost but found at the same time. You realise how insignificant and small you are in this world, but at the same time in the vastness of this amazing world, you are unique and not replicable – there is simply no one else like you out there.
The background tune is “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey. I do not own any rights to the song.
Breakfast
The crew carefully make the bed made and set the table for breakfast. In that moment I feel a little lost; jet lagged, disorientated and the blue skies and clouds offer me no insight on where I am. Finally the breakfast arrives and I have chosen the Citrus French Toast with Mascarpone Cream and Strawberry Salad.
The morning light pierces the cabin to gently lift my eyelids. The beauty of the clouds and blue skies a watercolour. My gaze is interrupted by the waft of the freshly brewed cappuccino and piping hot French toast. I aid the awakening of my senses with the flow of caffeine through my veins and gaze longingly at the dish. The smoky texture of the charred toast lands crisply on the palate it’s impact quickly softened by the rich doughy buttery centre.
I lick my lips with a lover’s desire before scooping some of the strawberry salad to provide beautiful sweet sensation to match. The dish proves alluring aesthetically as it is decadent. The moment deserves a signature finish; so to offset my alertness from the caffeine, I lift the glass of Dom Perignon to my longing lips. Its light golden flow embraces my tongue, dulling the senses but letting its vivacious minerality and citrus touch my palate and soul to sign-off this perfect moment forever.
With beautiful rays of sunshine entering the cabin, the breakfast experience just proves to be oh so magical.
Here is the clip of this magical breakfast moment.
The background tune is “Open Your Eyes” by Snow Patrol. I do not own any rights to the song.
The Landing
Once breakfast is over, I just relax as the flight continues gazing at the magic of the clouds from the suite.
Of course one should never be lonely on a flight, so I choose a bottle of the Château Cos d’Estournel (2006) as in flight companion as the flight continues toward the peak of descent.
As we land into Singapore, the setting sun turns the skies a beautiful pastel. There’s something so magical about the experience as the plane cuts through the clouds revealing a pastel sunset and the beautiful islands surrounding Singapore.
I couldn’t express it in words, so here is the video of the landing!
Sky by Markvard @markvard
Music provided by Free Music for Vlogs youtu.be/p535mL1Rq3c
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Contact the artist: @markvard / Kevinmarkenvard@gmail.com
Overall
Traveling on Singapore Airlines A380 Suites is an amazing experience. I would echo most of the sentiments from my prior flight with some tweaks.
It is a closed suite product which offers amazing privacy the luxe feel one should have in First Class. The service on the flight was highly personalised and attentive – although not as attentive as Singapore to London given it was a full flight. Part of this meant that the staff displayed less knowledge around the food and wine as items were served quickly and efficiently with less chatter. Again, the seat is perfect for sitting when it’s in the upright position but due the mechanical nature of suite and how it converts to a bed, the recline is rather and flexibility limited.
The food and wine selection was quite something. I enjoyed premium champagne (Dom Perignon), almost had a bottle of very fine vintage French wine (Château Cos d’Estournel) by myself, the caviar course was on point, the lobster well executed, a rich oxtail soup, chocolate bread and butter pudding and of course can one ever beat a delightful French toast for breakfast with a glass of champagne.
The fine bone china by Wedgwood, cutlery and glassware and beautiful patterned bed linen which are a feature of their product just stands out. I loved the amenity kit, even if the candle was not useful on the flight, and the PJs were super comfy. So I don’t think you can compare many other airline’s first class offering to Singapore – it is quite exquisite.
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