Review: The nicely designed East Lounge at Dublin Airport

February 4, 2024

a room with a large television and couches

In this post Hide

East Lounge Access
East Lounge Decor
Breakfast Is Served
The Menu!
Overall Thoughts

The East Lounge at Dublin Airport is a facility I have been wanting to visit for quite some time. I was never usually flying long-haul directly from Ireland in that direction, which is why it’s the last one for me to experience.

Every single lounge at Dublin Airport, apart from the Aer Lingus lounge, is operated by the airport. From the very nice 51st and Green Lounge after US Preclearance to the Terminal 1 lounge I have complained about many times, they all have a common operator. So, what is the East Lounge like?

East Lounge Access

The East Lounge is where passengers from Egyptair, Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways are sent before their flight. In actual fact, this lounge used to be the Etihad Lounge at Dublin, before they decided to hand it back to the airport to run.

a sign on a wall — Signage for The East Lounge.

Until relatively recently, you were unable to purchase access to the lounge, but this has changed. A lounge pass costs €42 online or €46 at the door and those who buy access are limited to two alcoholic drinks each. This does not apply to those who gain access from their airline travel class.

East Lounge Decor

Evidence of the lounge’s former operator are everywhere, especially as the lounge’s logo is an E with a Y through it. EY, of course, is Etihad’s airline code. I suppose it would not be that obvious to the general public, but I certainly knew what it meant.

a long booth seating with tables and chairs — Dining tables.

a couches and chairs in a room — Seating.

a room with chairs and tables — Some more places to park.

a bathroom with marble countertop sinks and mirrors — A nicely fitted out bathroom.

The majority of the seats are banks of four with two pairs facing each other with tables in between. At one end is the bar and the other end is the picture at the top of this article. It’s not a particularly large lounge, but it is nice.

Breakfast Is Served

The East Lounge opens at 4am and I got there around 5am. There is plenty on offer at the breakfast buffet, and I filled a plate with all my favourite options.

a tray of food on a counter — Tomato, hash browns and vegan sausages.

a food in a container on a stove — Wet egg.

a tray of food in a buffet — Meat sausages, black and white pudding, bacon.

food in a pan with a lid — Cheese omelette.

a table with food and utensils — Cereals and condiments.

a display of food in plastic cups — Some lovely things here!

a table with plates and napkins — Utensils and what not.

That meant a sausage, both black and white pudding, the cheese omelette, and a hash brown. Food quality is very good and I was happy with my selection.

There are made to order items on the menu, such as Irish Porridge Oats and Toast in the morning. Later on, there is soup and toasted sandwiches, which would be fun to try sometime. Otherwise it’s self-serve sandwiches and the like.

Drinks wise there is no Champagne, as when a friend and I ordered a glass of it, we were told it was Prosecco. That was fine all round, but I probably should have added juice to make it a mimosa.

Overall Thoughts

The East Lounge at Dublin Airport is a nice place to wile away some time before a flight. While the food options won’t set the world on fire, they do the job and that’s really all you can ask for.

With great views over the apron and generally nice decor, there is nothing wrong with this space. It has obviously been fit out at some expense, which makes it perhaps the best quality lounge at the airport.

What do you think of The East Lounge? Is it the best at Dublin Airport or do you prefer another? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.

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2 comments

Declan says:

February 4, 2024 at 4:40 pm

Underwhelming is the word I’d use. It labels itself as a premium lounge, but there’s nothing premium about it. The breakfast buffet is the same as any 3 star hotel. The food and drink is basic. They take no opportunity to showcase Irish artisan produce. On top of that the last time I was there it was overcrowded and noisy. For anyone flying on an expensive ticket or who paid almost €40 to get in it can only be a let down.

Reply
1. The Flight Detective says:
  
  February 4, 2024 at 6:11 pm
  
  It certainly wasn’t crowded when I was there, however it was for the early QR flight so I had a different experience to what you say above. The food and drink, for a lounge in Dublin, is reasonable. It’s a shame Aer Lingus don’t take over the space and expand their own lounge – that would make some sense.
  
  Reply