JFK Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse
The Singapore agent who issued my boarding pass walked me to security. Along the way he suggested I go to the Virgin Atlantic lounge (which of course was the plan). I asked him if it was better than Lufthansa's first class lounge at JFK T1, commenting that I've read the food is pretty good over there. He said I'd be very impressed with the Virgin lounge. I said okay, thanked him and headed inside.
Singapore Airlines departs out of Terminal 4 at JFK. The lounge is located down the A concourse close to gate A7 where the A380's park. It's upstairs along with the Air India lounge and Emirates. Two friendly agents greeted me, while one escorted me into the lounge and showed me around. Nice touch.
I had plenty of time to experience this lounge as JetBlue got me in at 2:30 and my flight wasn't until 9PM. As I mentioned in the Jetblue review, there aren't many options to JFK from Chicago and in fact this was the tightest connection I could get, for the price.
The lounge itself isn't very big and was empty. Of course later on when the Virgin flights were departing things got busy. But initially I had the place pretty much to myself. Front and center is the famed pool table and football couch.
Seating is eclectic, seemingly no two seats the same.
Most of the seating is on the left side of the club as you enter. Behind the back wall is the Spa. Singapore first class doesn't include treatments, whereas Virgin Atlantic customers receive a complimentary service. As a SQ customer you can pay for services, they even do haircuts. I was too busy eating.
With a few seats on the other side by the dining room.
You are welcome to eat anywhere with waiter service. There aren't any buffets, it's all waiter service. Or you can head to the dining room.
Given 5 hours I did both. I ordered a Seedlip cocktail to drink while I took a look at the menu.
This non-alcoholic cocktail (found in the tall beverage menu which I am still searching unsuccessfully to post) has been introduced recently by Virgin Atlantic in their lounges. It's a mix of Seedlip botanicals, tonic with English peas and was very refreshing. Excellent!
The breakfast menu said "until midday". My Egg Benedict request was rejected. Apparently a discrepancy of the midday meaning. However notice it is Egg, not Eggs. You can have as many as you want however.
Purposely the dishes are all small, tapas style. Which is great as you can try many. And please do.
Bone marrow poppers... TWO please.
OMG (I had one more later if you insist on knowing!)
After awhile, a very short while, I headed to the dining room eager to try more. Yet I was determined to continue the semi-fast for SQ25 book the cook Prime Beef Filet that was being prepared somewhere in the vicinity. It was a tough battle.
I ordered the Grilled chicken satay.
Along with a Vegetable slider and a Deviled egg.
All excellent! I head back to my seat. The service was outstanding. The attendants were constantly checking to see if you wanted anything else to eat or drink. I ordered an over ice White Ginger Pear tea.
In the mini-pitcher was liquid sugar. The huge pitcher of tea was sweet enough for me, and fully consumed. I can't find the right words to impress how attentive the servers were in this lounge.
Okay, just one more dish. Make it light. How about a salad?
So along with the other Popper I enjoyed this delicious Roast beetroot and goat's cheese salad. It wouldn't be hard to spend all day here.
In the back of the lounge are the restrooms and shower rooms. You pass through the constantly changing psychedelic light hallway.
Yes, this is the same lounge.
What a great lounge! Yes the decor might be getting a little long in the tooth but the food, drink and service were excellent. I've read where some people think Singapore should move to T1 so their first class passengers could use the Lufthansa first lounge. After this visit I hardly think that move would offer better.
