The Windmill (JD Wetherspoon), Stansted Mountfitchet

This is a large, open-plan, air-side bar full of tourists sinking their last pint on English soil before jetting off to more exotic climes. The open layout means that there is room for stacks of seating, yet somehow the place always seems to be bursting at the seams and finding somewhere to sit is no mean feat.I was here recently during the Brazil vs. Portugal World Cup match, which could be viewed from one of several TV screens dotted around the place. There were 5 ales on including a couple of usual suspects and some guests, of which I tried the Oakham JHB (£2.85), usually a pretty reliable choice, but a little flat and uninspiring here. Service was friendly and very efficient in spite of the ineffective queuing system that the punters waiting at the bar had created all by themselves.There aren't many places to choose from in Stansted, so this is probably your best bet for a decent pre-flight pint.

Official pages of the Windmill at the JD Wetherspoon site - www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk

The Windmill is a an average airport bar where you can get a fair pint any time of the day along with whatever snack meal is appropriate for the time. When I went through this week I had a reasonable pint of Abbott, which bizarrely seemed to go well with my breakfast croissant. As with most such bars, though, they serve the beer much too cold, so that reduced the enjoyment a little. Being airside it's not a venue to seek out but fine if you're flyign and have time to kill or just want that last English beer (and don't mind that it's not top quality) before going elsewhere.

Official pages of the Windmill at the JD Wetherspoon site - www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk