Big Smoke Taphouse & Kitchen, Luton

I was quite excited to discover that Luton Airport now has an airside Big Smoke venue, but ultimately this is just your typical airport bar offering something a bit more appealing than the usual rubbish, but still a bit of a letdown regardless. It's set across a bare boarded space with the frontage opened out onto the concourse, lots of wood panels, white tiles and dark shades of paint on the walls and a short servery to the right. The bar has a simple, wood strip fronted counter, split in half by a narrow mirrored pillar and with a basic metal shelf bar back. High tables and stools stand opposite, with a curved banquette to the rear under a large 'Craft Beer Served Here' neon sign, and a mid height, marble drinking ledge to one side. There's a normal height marble shelf between the mirrored columns that divide the bar space from the dining area, where back to back banquettes with chairs in support, fill the remaining space. An open kitchen can be viewed on the rear wall and there are some display cabinets full of Big Smoke bottles and cans on the far left side, next to a brewery mirror. Across the concourse is a circular overspill seating area, which accommodates plenty more punters on similar seating options. Departure boards are helpfully dotted around and tables have been fitted out with lots of charging points for anyone whose phone is about to die at the point they need to show their boarding pass. Most people appeared to be eating, but I didn't see a menu myself. Cask ale has clearly been a consideration here at some point, as evidenced by a lone handpull on the bar, but it was out of use on this visit, so I tried the keg Electric Eye (£7.25 a pint), which was one of three or four Big Smoke keg options, alongside their cider and a couple of mainstream brands. The fridges were stocked with a wide selection of Big Smoke bottles and cans and I thought my pint of Electric Eye was okay but most definitely overpriced. The staff seemed efficient enough, if not the friendliest and I took one of the last seats in the bar area, so it must be doing decent business. I like that Big Smoke are making inroads into the airport bar market, as it's a welcome alternative to the usual Wetherspoons or lager-led bars that tend to predominate. I thought this place had a bit of potential, but missed the mark with its unjustifiably expensive beer, lack of cask option and surly service. For all of that, it's still probably the best option in Luton Airport and I'm sure I'll be back if I fly out of here again any time soon. Date of visit - 29th March 2024