The Pilots Mess in Wellingborough

Brilliant place for great food and watching amazing aircraft do there thing definitely worth a visit

Good, service wonderful, food great, very friendly and helpful staff.

Excellent breakfast with a great view of the airfield watching the planes come and go. A fantastic way to spend a couple of hours.

Beautiful setting fabulous vantage area to view the planes. The Pilots Mess is tired and in need of a refit and investment. Food is like that of a greasy spoon. Shame because if it was revamped and better catering put in, it could be a very profitable business.

First time to day lovely place . Plus saw spitfire and mustang flying.

Lovely little cafe and a fantastic breakfast

Popped in for a drink while a friend was enjoying a trip in a Spitfire.

Had a great veggie breakfast before my supercar experience. Great view from despite terrible weather. Had a lovely chat with the lady working (sorry I don't remember your name.)

Was waiting for my partner to take a flight at Sywell. The Pilots Mess was a really good place to wait. A good cup of tea and has a viewing platform to watch the planes. Staff were very friendly. We did not have any food so cannot rate it but it all looked nice

Cold place, could do with a clean, food very slow.

Visited today with my 4 Sons. Staff were lovely, service was great and food was delicious. Gorgeous sandwiches with side salad and good choice of food. Really lovely atmosphere and beautiful buildings and interiors. Will definitely visit again.

Nothing fancy, but food and prices are good.

Reasonable priced tea and bacon bap. Service was quite quick but counter service so they called out order and you go back up to collect rather than being bought to you. The milk is then off to side of counter. Not a big issue for me. The bacon bap was very good two thick slices of bacon with sauces on the table Great views over airfield

Fairly standard cafeteria food/coffee. Good views over the airport

Warm welcome from Lou and her team, speedy mugs of tea all round as our Mega Breakfast prepared. Wandered out onto the balcony to watch aircraft movements, before consuming a Mighty, well prepared breakfast, second mug of tea before setting off. Well worth wile visiting

Pre arranged breakfast for my group of 10. We stayed at the Aviator Hotel nearby but preferred to have our breakfast at the Pilots Mess. All went according to plan with Lou and her team serving up Mega breakfasts and a Beans on toast to my group in a short space of time. Good grub, good service and good people. Thanks all.

Watching the planes fly and having breakfast 👍

Nice basic food, pleasant service and a great view, but we sat at a dirty table and not one member of staff cleaned it as we sat, as our food came or as they cleared the dishes. It had scattered salt everywhere and some kind of liquid spill

This was my first visit and I will be returning many times, please see my YouTube channel Travelling Bear with Stu Bear for a full video review coming soon

Great for a breakfast bite when visiting

Always a good place to sit & watch planes & helicopters, whilst having a cuppa & cake

Nice cafe located on the first floor, with outside seating on the balcony, with good views of the airfield. Had a hearty breakfast here after flying in 👍

We stopped off here for Breakfast, while waiting for the museum to open, great food, freshly cooked ,very friendly service, great views. Having read other comments, we did not find anything to grumble about.

We only had drinks but didn’t stop to eat as surfaces were sticky and furniture had spills on. Two other parties came in and left for the same reason whilst we where there.

Very nice cafe, food was delicious too! Good size portions and freshly made to order. Nice to be able to watch the planes and motorbikes and have a walk round.

Brilliant day out watching our cousin in a spitfire

really disappointed long long wait and after paying over £8.00 for it was absolutely disgusted. will never go there again and am informing all the ppl i reco to it to avoid. absolutely awful food. sausage baked so hard even the dog wouldnt eat it. raw undercooked egg cold mushrooms and beans. terrible

Relatively standard cafe, but the view of the airfield was fab! Brill for kids (or adults!) to watch the aircraft take off and land. The balcony is also a great viewing spot. My little one had a brilliant time.

Tried 3 things of the menu throughout the week and was all very nice and as for the home made coleslaw that is delicious

Been lots of times, quick friendly service, great location

Too much excitement I can't take it

What a lovely warm and friendly welcome we received from Lou as soon as we walked in the door. We were only having a couple of bacon BAP‘s prior to my husband having a flight, so only wanted something light, but she couldn’t have been more accommodating and offering us a choice, and we ended up with some of the best bacon brioche rolls that we have ever tasted. What a lovely way to start the day of a lifetime. A little gem and we would certainly revisit here if we were in the area. Thank you very much.

Proper cafe, overlooking the airfields. Excellent food at excellent prices. Well worth a visit if you like a fry up or light snack. Staff were lovely very friendly. Lovely little gem.

We were let down badly by the neighbouring Aviator Hotel but not by the Pilots Mess. Despite the fact that 7 people turned up without notice wanting food they couldn't have been more helpful and attentive. The food was good, very reasonably priced and the staff were very friendly.

We love it here, great food and a great view of the airfield.

Really didn't like this very much. Looked unclean and most of the food was unappetising. I made sure to get a drink out of a bottle.

Good breakfast when we finally received it,waited over 50mins before we got to eat.

Always good for a visit for a spot of light lunch or a full on breakfast. In this case it was a couple of large and delicious baked potatoes. Generous portions and good value. It's small inside so it can feel a little claustrophobic but there is always the outside balcony overlooking the airfield.

Now this has been a favourite meeting place for good food and enjoying an authentic Art Deco interior. Where else can you wine and dine and see a Historic Spitfire take of with guest flights.

Great location, views and atmosphere but prices are high - even taking the"Package" into account. Pity☹️. To top it all my wife's cream cake was "off". Shame as the "vibe" was great.

Amazing location. Good selection

I visited here not too long ago with my classmates. It was a very pleasant afternoon. The interior was welcoming, as were the staff. Whilst the outside housed a fountain, a beautiful stretch of runway and several planes, which I took pictures of around the hangar. I definitely recommend checking out Sywell Aerodrome and The Pilots Mess, if you ever intend to visit Sywell. (Alongside its Country Park, of course.)

Good venue with views on the airfield and a well cooked breakfast

Very nice to sit and eat while watching the aircrafts take off..could be a little cleaner especially on a Sunday

The perfect place for a breakfast and watch the planes.

Great little cafe where you can sit and watch the planes take off and land. Good selection of snacks too

Food was fab, good quality and quantity for a very reasonable price. To sit and watch the flying while eating lunch was perfect

Great little cafe by the runway with viewing balcony. Bacon baps and lovely brew.

Amazing place food is awesome propper fab.

Brilliant. Great place. Absolutely LOVE it.

Nice spot Food reasonably priced but not that nice 😪 Slow service and seemed a bit unorganised

The place is ok, the design is quite nice. But the food is awful! Ordered a breakfast - everything was burnt, and some pulled pork chips - very soggy and bad tasting! Also the sausage and mash was ok but the sausages were mushy. The toilets are ok but they are down a very creepy long corridor and they don't flush properly. And there is no light in the sink area. Not good.

Very nice friendly staff and good food too.

Food and service good. Friendly staff. Great place to visit

Ordered 3 rounds of sandwiches , was told wait time would be 20 mins, so I said I would return, only to ge told another 15 min 2ait, so again said I return , in total waited 1 hour, wen I complained the lady said I was rude. I was not at all and I was merely pointing that said 20 mins, wen in fact it was an hour. I said if I had known this wen I ordered I would in fact not have ordered ( they told me this after I'd ordered) . I paid 12.oo pound for 3 rounds of sandwiches which were substandard to say the least , very bad service, rude lady

awful food, waitress said a 20 minute wait, in the end it was an hour before receiving food when we complained once then serving our food, waitress said we where rude. not coming back dead food.

Really lovely breakfast a few items could of been warmer but we were a rather large party (not expected) so we can excuse that. A great place for the kids (of all ages 😉👍) watching the planes, helecopters, microlites and a REAL bonus a Spitfire doing some circuits and landing and taking off.

Stopped here for breakfast and it’s a fantastic place! The furnishings and fittings are top notch and all aviation themed! The wood panelling was beautiful with a stunning officers mess too! The biggest problem was that the chef had disappeared and nobody knew where he was! The couple already seated said he had a phone call then took off and they’d already been waiting 1/2hr. I tried to find a someone but nobody knew where he would be. A delivery was coming in but he wasn’t there either! We waited a 1/2hr ourselves because it’s such a lovely place with great views but still nobody came :( Have saved the location for later so we might call another time if we’re back in the area.

Friendly staff. Plentiful menu choice. Food is good. Great views of the airfield.

Great local unique place for Bfst with a view and great value! Stop by for lunch or a cuppa and cake. A real hidden gem. Now with the sun shining terrace open.

Good service, drinks and food as always, along with a lovely view of the airfield to watch the planes in and out.

A fabulous little place, with a balcony so you can enjoy your lunch whilst watching the planes take off. The food is decent, the service is usually pretty good, and the location is great. Not so easy for wheelchair users, as the cafe is upstairs. Next door are rooms for hire, so a good meeting venue too.

Sat on the balcony in the VERY fresh air and had cheese on toast..lovely!

Best breakfast I have had in a long time

Great location and does a good bacon bap.

Good team, great food and prices

Lovely friendly welcome and service. Good food, well cooked 👍

Excellent cafeteria overlooking Sywell aerodrome. Lovely good value food

We arrived just before a rush of customers, the person doing the cooking was alone and coped well with all the orders. The food was well prepared and delicious. We will be returning

Good location, especially if you like aeroplanes! Visited with a group of friends for Sunday breakfast and had a fab time. Cooked breakfast ok rather than great hence the 4 stars but otherwise all great!

Chips were excellent and servic with a smile.

Lovely sitting out on the balcony having breakfast, staff very friendly and helpful

Great food, great location and lovely staff.

Called for a update on my order and asked for a refund as it was 2 and a half hours latr to be told he will not be issuing a refund as he is leaving with the food now I told him I no longer wanted the food after waiting 2 and a half hours I wanted a refund which he proceeds to scream errrgh f*#k off down the phone at me as he slams it down and cancels the order do not recommend this place at all

Their food is outstanding. They went out of their way for us for our telephone order. We have ordered a few times now online too, and the food has never failed to satisfy us. The Sunday lunches are superb and there is so much of it! We cannot wait to visit once lockdown and COVID measures are a thing of the past. Really tasty, home cooked food and fairly priced too.

Wide range of choice at very good prices, and the food is excellent! Just collected a hot lunch for our office staff, very fast service and 5 star reviews all round, highly recommended.

Amazing staff and friendly service my daughter cora is always made to feel super welcomed, Debra is great with her. Highly recommended xx

Good place for good food and drinks. Plenty of car parking and nice views. Very friendly staff .

Just got my food delivered with a brownie and cream little did I know once I waited 2 hours for the delivery all of my food would be covered in melted cream from the other box so that's two sandwiches and some fries completely wasted so just a heads up from me don't waste the $20 on food here for two people it's not worth it

Lovely relaxed place to enjoy a pint and lovely food. And if you're into planes, well, you can't knock it for the view either!

Spot on fish finger sarnie! Absolutely lovely and very good at adhering to social distancing rules. Lovely to watch the planes whilst eating. Smaller menu than usual but lots of lovely things on there! Will definitely be back

Lovely to sit and watch the spitfire

Had breakfast and lunch from here and both times have been lovely. Quality of the food is good and the flavour is amazing. Can’t wait to order a Sunday lunch next!

Had my food delivered. Very prompt and the food was excellent! if you like a good full english breakfast, i recommend you look here!

Got delivery and it was lovely!

Won't accept an order two days in a row that I've tried to place one

This is a simple cafe, serving basic burger van type food. Has a fantastic balcony / terrace overlooking the whole airfield - a real selling point. Seems pretty decent for what it is. This cafe is quite a different beast from the neighbouring Aviator restaurant.

Lovely breakfast and goof afternoon food, nice atmosphere with big windows for watching the planes and helicopters, open to the public but hard to find as it is a short walk from the main car park. There is a stairlift for disabled access though and an outside tarrace area for the summer. Very quiet midweek through the winter as to be expected for an airfield, but very busy from march to october with lots of events on in between the usual flyinh days. All in all a great place to stop and eat with the family while watching the aircraft.

Ideal for a brew and a nibble whilst watching the aircraft.

Great views of the airfield and all the activities. Unfortunately, the food & drink is pretty bad.

Food was great, but waited 35 minutes for a sausage and egg roll. (8 45 to 9.20). Staffing issues, felt sorry for the guy.

After placing an order I had to wait for ages. Not having received anything my friend inquired and was told that a group had come and it had priority. At least they could have informed us. Thereupon when inquiring in the kitchen we were told taht our order was being prepared. At the counter it could be seen that the order had yet to be processed. Not only were we kept uninformed, we were lied to. I cannot recommend this place for anything except for the nice view.

Good value and tasty food and drinks. Nice view out over the airfield. Nice atmosphere. Highly recommend

We stayed in the Aviator Hotel but spent most of our time by the Pilots Mess. There was air acrobatic show taking place which we had not know about until we arrived which was a real bonus for us. There are great views from the restaurant on both levels

Lovely little stop off for breakfast this morning, good food, reasonably priced. Love the Art Deco surroundings, nice sheltered little balcony to eat outside. Home of the Blades Display Team and they were practicing which made the visit extra special!

Went there with friends today, I had been before, they had not. They wanted Tea and cakes as advertised . They said the selection was very poor, had a packet of biscuits instead. Sat on the balcony, great view of the airfield, tables very dirty One person cannot cope with this place. Maybe just a difficult day , staff holidays etc. Not that busy so have to take staff expenditure into account, but better service, cleaner tables could mean more customers . I love the place so finding the positives , friends not so keen.

After a great visit to the museum and watching the planes come and go we felt peckish so decided to eat here. What a mistake.It is so obvious that the two females on duty are so out of their depth. Floundering to both take and provide the very basic meals on the menu, tables were uncleared and the condiment/milk area was full of spilt sugar, used teabags and spoons. Pretty grubby. Looking at previous reviews it is not unusual, surely management must be aware of these problems. The place was not busy at all, so how they would cope(or not!!) with a rush on beggars belief.Firstly the member of staff taking orders got mine wrong. It took almost 5 minutes to order a couple of items.The wait for the food was a disgrace. This is a cafe providing very a very basic menu, so nothing should take more than 10 minutes maximum. 25 minutes after ordering I asked if there was any chance of our food. ‘It’s just on now’ came the reply ‘we have had a delivery and are busy.’ Not the customer’s problem. 5 minutes later, a total of 30 minutes after ordering our food arrived. To be fair the toasted sandwiches were quite tasty but the chips barely warm.On leaving we noticed said delivery just left on the floor and stairlift. With a long list of orders, and a big queue wanting to order, who knows when the food was moved.While we will return to Sywell, we shall dine in the Aviator not in the(literal) Mess.

Great choice of snacks and food. Everything very reasonable price wise and a lovely place to enjoy watching the flight activity.

Nice to watch all things aviation while sipping on a cold beer, tables outside and aviation bar inside, plenty of character.

Had a quick coffee here to waste some time before attending a function next door. The coffee was great and greeted with a smile! Not the cheapest of places, but if you need some food/drink, I don't think you can go wrong... Breakfast was a £7 and contained all you need to keep you going!!