Dirk Singer

The food here could be classed as diner style, and sadly doesn't match the quite fancy decor. The smash burger and fries was decidedly mediocre.

Downstairs can be super loud, but if you go upstairs it can be quieter.

Very helpful wait staff, hence the three stars, otherwise it would have been a 2.

Dulles now having a metro station is a huge plus for travellers, instead of a $50 plus taxi fare it's $6 into town.

However here are a few things to note:

1 - It's a 10 min walk away, worth noting and factoring into arrival / departures

2 - The metro takes 75 mins into central DC

3 - It's not made clear when you arrive, with the result that there's a staff member on hand having to help arriving tourists, but you are best buying a Smartrip card for your whole visit. Especially if you are staying for a few days, load it with $20 (there's a $2 deposit)

You can also transfer your card to Apple / Google pay if you register it on the SmarTrip app, in theory you need to put down a US address but I just made one up (or put down your hotel)

One of the quieter Caribou Coffee branches. Good selection of coffees and snacks, makes a change to Costa Coffee and Starbucks

The departure experience is much improved thanks to the new scanners meaning you can leave everything in your hand luggage.

Arrivals however is slow, with few non EU passport desks open. As a result leave plenty of time on arriving.

Vast space with loads of shops and eating options.