The main room, full to the brim. Tables are nicely spaced though, so
So, what is The East Wing?
We're going to assume you know something about the Allianz Stadium Twickenham, the self-described "Home of Rugby". Right now it's all about the Six Nations games, several of which are played here. The East Wing is the massive hospitality area of the stadium, which really comes into its own during the biggest matches. We were invited to try it out (it normally costs £1500 a ticket) and if you ever get the chance to go yourselves, here's what you can expect.
How does it all start?
First of all, you'll be getting there a fair bit before the match starts - mainly to make the best of the day (and get your money's worth). The gates opened at 1.15pm for our visit (with the match at 4.45pm) and you'll pretty much want to get there on the dot or soon after. Certainly by 2pm, the place was pretty packed.
As for finding it, when you get to the stadium, you are, somewhat unsurprisingly, heading to the east gate. As well as the access badge to the East Wing, you'll have a ticket to the stadium. Don't lose that (speaking from what was almost our experience). There, you're heading straight for this entrance:
You're looking for this - the lift takes you right into the hospitality area
Once through, you head up to the very top of the stadium and right into one of many bars on the floor.
So there's drink involved?
At this point, you get your first idea of what the whole day is going to be like as the bar is fully lined up with almost-finished pints of beer and Guinness (topped up when you choose one), several rows deep. That's because everything you drink and eat while you're up there is included in that price of entry. Given you arrive early, pacing yourselves is the name of the game.
Everyone gets a table (the smallest is for 2-4 people with much larger tables too) and you're led to it straight away. This is your base for the day and you'll have it right up to the match and beyond, even if you head over to the bar for a change of scenery. When you get to your table (with a drink in hand as below), there's already a bottle of wine waiting for you as well as a menu with everything else you could order, including Champagne, six choices of wines, and all the beer, spirits and more that you could possibly want. So again, we're going to bring up that important word - pacing.
Our table for the day. Yes, we had already picked up a Guinness on the way to it.
And if you really want to have the best space, you can book one of the more private areas.
What about the food?
One of the things that will really help with the aforementioned pacing is the food. There's a lot of it on offer from the very minute you sit down.
Twickenham has managed to attract some big names to the stadium for the big events with previous chefs including Lisa Goodwin-Allen, Tom Booton and Ollie Dabbous. For our visit, Tommy Banks (of Michelin-starred The Black Swan at Oldstead) was in charge of things. It's quite the endeavour with the chef cooking for around 1000 people and we must say, doing it with (on the surface) remarkable ease and calm. The chef told us that there are two kitchens, one at each end, all working towards the middle and we frankly marvelled at the slickness of the whole operation.
Getting it all done in time for the match means that the minute you take a seat, you'll be served your first course - so arrive hungry. It's a five-course affair (including cheese) and here's a taste of what was on offer during our visit. It was for a France v England game, so this time there were a few notably French touches.
We have to love any lunch where there's already jambon on the table waiting for us.
Saddleback country terrine, fermented celeriac, gherkin ketchup
Thirkleby duck, red cabbage, Pablo beetroot, rhuboshi
Chicory root Paris-Brest, brown sugar crumble and sherry. Perhaps the most French dish on the menu, which the chef was a little wary about serving to Raymond Blanc who was also attending the game. Again, given the nature of the operation, this was a pretty great Paris Brest.
And, just when you think you're done - it's the cheese course (with a handy cheat sheet as to what's on the plate, in this case, a mix of French and English cheeses)
Given that they're serving all this to around 1000 people at the same time, the quality is (and we'll be honest we were somewhat surprised), extremely impressive. We enjoyed everything that was put in front of us and even though there was plenty on offer, we weren't over-full when it came to the game.
Oh yes, there's a game, isn't there?
Yes, at some point you will have to leave your comfy seat and head out to the game. In our case it was the particularly enthralling match of England v France, neatly capping off a great day. And when it comes to halftime, those beers that are already lined up on the bar prove to be very handy indeed. There's no queuing in hospitality, for sure - but that is what you pay for.
It really was a VERY good game.
And after the match?
Before you actually head out for the game, you're asked what drink you want afterwards - and that will be waiting for you on the table when you get back - alongside even more food. The bar stays open 75 minutes after the match so you can hang around and try to avoid the scrum for the train on the way out (although note that when it's a good result, no-one wants to go home).
We panicked about the after-match drink and actually ordered port (we saw it on the menu and couldn't stop ourselves). The madeleines and Cointreau chocolates were also waiting on the table.
And perhaps best of all, there are pies after the match too. These were beef and potato and cauliflower cheese. Both were great, but the latter was the winner. They were just what you want after the game.
And there are rugby stars too?
Yes, indeed. There were a few players doing the rounds when we visited, including rugby legend Jeremy Guscott, ex-England player Joe Marchant (currently playing in France) and current player George Furbank. They made a notable effort to work the room and visit tables, but there was also a post-match analysis by the bar.
The "pundits" at the bar.
But what about that price?
As mentioned, we were invited and, we're not going to sugarcoat it, it's not cheap. For the Six Nations, entry to the East Wing is about £1500 per person. But if you're a huge rugby fan and can afford it, we'd say it's worth the money. And similarly, if you (or your company) are thinking of getting a table and inviting people for the day, your guests are going to just love it.
Overall thoughts
We had a truly great day out. The food was great, the atmosphere was buzzing and friendly and the staff were absolutely lovely throughout. We would 100% do it again and if you get the chance, go.
More about The East Wing at Allianz Stadium Twickenham
Where is it? Allianz Stadium Twickenham, 200 Whitton Rd, Twickenham TW2 7BA
Find out more: Visit the official stadium website
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