When visiting Alton Towers as a family with children, it can be hard to know where to eat and what to order – especially if you have never visited before! Here at TowersStreet we hope to make your life a little bit easier with our very own guide to the food and drink available on park. We’ll be taking you through each family-oriented area of the park whilst showing you where we recommend you take the kids (and where to avoid too!)
For your reference we will be listing price ranges, whether healthy meals are available, where the nearest facilities are and our overall family rating out of five. For more information on any of the outlets, see our full Theme Park guide or click the link in each individual section.
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Know exactly what outlet or area you want our guide for? Click the handy links below:
Towers Street
Towers Street is the first area of the park that you will encounter and it is home to Guest Services (for buggy rental or disabled wristbands), the main gift shop and food and beverage outlets. Whether you’re at the start or end of your day – there’s food here for you and your family.
Towers Street Bar & Grill is new for 2014 and located at the bottom left of Towers Street, with a terraced seating area that overlooks the lawns and lake in front of the historic Ruins. It offers a variety of meals, with breakfast served in the morning. Children’s meals are available on the menu – which ranges from burgers to steak to chicken to pasta! With a wide variety of food choices and its close location to CBeebies Land, this restaurant makes an ideal stop during your day, though be sure to try and avoid the lunchtime rush! Meals range from £7 – £12 for adults and £4 – £6 for children – though are cheaper with Annual Pass discount!
Price Range: £7-12
Healthy Eating: Yes
Annual Pass Discount: Yes
Seating: Indoor and Outdoor
All Day Dining: Yes
Open: 9am-after park close.
Nearest toilets & baby change: Inside restaurant.
Our Rating: 4/5
Corner Coffee is located on the opposite side of Towers Street to the Towers Family Restaurant. It features both indoor and outdoor seating and acts as a coffee shop-cum-bar combination. It’s located right outside the entrance to the new CBeebies Land and therefore makes a great stopping point during the day to relax and recharge your batteries! Hot and cold drinks are available, and alcoholic beverages are also served here, alongside sandwiches and sweet treats. We recommend visiting if you need a quick pick-me-up during the day, though be aware that it can get very busy in the afternoons – particularly on nice days.
Price Range: £3-7
Healthy Eating: Yes
Annual Pass Discount: Yes
Seating: Indoor and Outdoor
Quencher Refill: Yes
All Day Dining: No
Open: From 9am
Nearest toilets & baby change: To the left of the turnstiles / Inside CBeebies Land
Our Rating: 4/5
The Coca-Cola Refill station is almost unmissable as you walk into the park. The bright red kiosk is situated directly next to Towers Trading Co at the top of Towers Street. The only item it sells is the one day refillable drinks quencher, available for £7 per capsule. Buying a Quencher is an essential thing to do if you and your family plan on getting fizzy drinks throughout the day. As an individual drink can cost around £2 – it only takes three refills to make the capsule worthwhile! Plus, just about any food and drink outlet on park will refill them for free! The drinks available are Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite.
Price Range: £6
Annual Pass Discount: Yes
Quencher Refill: Yes
Seating: N/A
All Day Dining: N/A
Open: From 9am
Nearest toilets & baby change: To the left of the turnstiles.
Our Rating: 4/5
Cloud Cuckoo Land
Cloud Cuckoo Land is a family-orientated area of the park. It is located behind the Towers Ruins and is themed around the wonder of imagination. Giant flowers and mushrooms greet you as you enter, and there are plenty of attractions for younger guests to enjoy – as well as a couple of places for you to stop for a bite to eat with the rest of your family.
The Wobble World Cafe is located inside the same building as the Wobble World play area – making it the perfect place for you to have a drink and relax whilst your little ones burn off some steam on the bouncy castles next door! Although small, the cafe offers hot and cold drinks, as well as paninis, sandwiches, ice creams and cakes – so all of the family are bound to find something to eat! Due to its limited capacity, it can get quite busy and due to its location is often filled as people come out of the Ice Age 4D Theatre.
Price Range: £3-7
Healthy Eating: Yes
Annual Pass Discount: Yes
Seating: Indoor and Outdoor
All Day Dining: No
Open: 9am
Nearest toilets & baby change: Wobble World or Burger Kitchen.
Our Rating: 3/5
The Burger Kitchen in Cloud Cuckoo Land is the biggest of the three on park and the only one to feature indoor seating – so if you are planning on eating at one, we recommend using this one! It replaced Burger King on park in 2012 but sells much the same kind of food. Whilst it isn’t the healthiest food on park, it has quick service and reasonable size portions which make it particularly good value if you have a Merlin Annual Pass and can use your 20% discount on the prices. Children’s meals are around £4 with adult meals being between £6-7 making it one of the cheaper places to eat on park. If you fancy having a fast food treat – this is definitely somewhere to consider!
Price Range: £3-7
Annual Pass Discount: Yes
Quencher Refill: No
Seating: Indoor and some outdoor
All Day Dining: Yes
Open: From 9am
Nearest toilets & baby change: Next to the Skyride station.
Our Rating: 3/5
Mutiny Bay
Mutiny Bay is another one of the park’s family-orientated areas. Situated to the left of Towers Street and only a 5 minute walk from CBeebies Land, it is home to some of the favourite attractions for young and old alike. Whether you’re getting wet on The Flume, spinning around on Battle Galleons or watching the Pirates of Mutiny Bay show – there is sure to be food to take your fancy!
The Courtyard Tavern and BBQ is another one of the parks counter service locations. Situated in the courtyard within Mutiny Bay (home to the Pirates of Mutiny Bay stage show) it serves various burger meals at a fairly reasonable price. What truly makes this a good place to eat though is its location. The Mutiny Bay toilet block is directly next door, and while eating you can catch a show for the kids at the same time! It’s also one of the few places on park where you can grab yourself a pint and relax as the world rushes by. All of this makes it a good stop for children and adults alike; just be aware it gets busy during show times and that whilst seating is covered, it can be cold as it is outdoors!
Price Range: £7-10
Annual Pass Discount: Yes
Quencher Refill: Yes
Seating: Minimal indoor, mostly outdoor
All Day Dining: Yes
Open: From 10/11am
Nearest toilets & baby change: Mutiny Bay, directly next door.
Our Rating: 4/5
Located next door to The Flume and opposite Courtyard Tavern, the Mexican Cantina (quite obviously) provides a mexican food option on park! In years gone by, this used to be a much more popular and well used eatery but has more recently received much less menu options and thus less popularity. Meals now consist of either fajita or nachos with wedges and a drink although are still fairly good quality. You may find this restaurant is easier to get a spot in as many walk past it – though its position directly next to The Flume’s exit does keep it popular at lunchtimes!
Price Range: £7-10
Annual Pass Discount: Yes
Quencher Refill: Yes
Seating: Indoor and outdoor
All Day Dining: Yes
Open: From 10am
Nearest toilets & baby change: Mutiny Bay courtyard.
Our Rating: 2/5
Eastern Express is located next to the Sharkbait Reef by SEALIFE attraction and is another that is easily overlooked by many passers by. It is the only independent outlet left on park now that KFC, Pizza Hut and McDonald’s have all been removed and as such it does not allow Merlin Annual Pass discount (which may put you off). However, the food quality is arguably some of the best on park and the variety is definitely there too! Whether you want a jacket potato, curry, sandwich or a kebab all are catered for and the meat used is halal if that is a requirement you have. Eastern Express is definitely worth checking out next time you are on park.
Price Range: £3-7
Annual Pass Discount: No
Quencher Refill: No
Seating: Indoor limited
All Day Dining: No
Open: From 10am
Nearest toilets & baby change: Mutiny Bay courtyard (opposite).
Our Rating: 4/5
If you fancy more of a snack (rather than a meal), Mutiny Bay is well stocked for almost every eventuality. While Eastern Express covers jackets and sandwiches, the food kiosks will pretty much cover all other bases. There are four stands in total; 3 next door to Courtyard Tavern selling pasties, pancakes and hot dogs and one opposite Sharkbait Reef by SEALIFE which sells donuts. All food is of a good standard and various meal deal options are available to keep costs down. Be aware that no seating is available at the kiosks which may not be ideal if you have young children.
Price Range: £3-7
Annual Pass Discount: Yes
Quencher Refill: Yes
Seating: None
All Day Dining: Yes
Open: From 10am
Nearest toilets & baby change: Mutiny Bay courtyard
Our Rating: 3/5
Towers Ruins (Fountain Square)
Fountain Square can be found alongside the entrance to Hex: The Legend of the Towers. It provides the gateway to the family area Cloud Cuckoo Land and also to the thrill area of the Dark Forest. Although small, it contains a toilet block, as well as one of the most popular food stops on park.
Woodcutters Bar & Grill is a fresh and modern restaurant serving standard grill fayre. Burgers, salads, chicken, steak and ribs are all available and served pretty sharp to your table. The interior is lightly themed and is a mixture of table and counter service. Once shown to your seat, you can peruse the menu before ordering your food and drinks at the bar (similar to Wetherspoons for example). Food is generally of a high quality and the meals are not too badly priced – similar actually to Towers Street Bar & Grill. Although some people do not want a sit down meal – this restaurant often stays open later than others which can make it a good stop in the late afternoon to save needing food on the way home!
Price Range: £7-12
Annual Pass Discount: Yes
Quencher Refill: No
Seating: Indoor and some outdoor
All Day Dining: Yes
Open: From 10/11am
Nearest toilets & baby change: Fountain Square toilets – between restaurant and CCL Skyride station.
Our Rating: 4/5
CBeebies Land
CBeebies Land is the brand new for 2014 addition to Alton Towers. Situated at the base of Towers Street where Old MacDonald’s Farm used to be, it provides entertaining and stimulating rides and entertainment to small children every day! All of your childrens’ favourite CBeebies characters are represented in some way and there has been a stellar food offering added alongside all the rides and fun!
The Little Explorers Lunch Box is a new for 2014 addition alongside the rest of CBeebies Land. Situated at the back of the area, the restaurant is a well themed and solid addition to the areas lineup. Selling sandwiches and childrens lunch boxes, as well as hot and cold drinks, cakes and pastries – it provides a great (and healthy) break for you and your children. In a nice move by the park, free baby food can be claimed when an adult meal is purchased which can certainly help the purse strings on what could be an expensive day out! The quality of food is great and baby facilities are available inside the building too. If you’re staying in CBeebies Land most of the day, this could be the ideal eatery to go to – just be aware that (along with the rest of Cbeebies Land) this place can get very busy at peak times!
Price Range: £3-8
Annual Pass Discount: Yes
Quencher Refill: Yes
Seating: Indoor
All Day Dining: Yes
Open: From 10am
Nearest toilets & baby change: Baby change inside. Toilets next door.
Our Rating: 5/5
Picnics
For many families who visit Alton Towers – a picnic is a good option! Keeping costs down on an expensive day out is a priority for most visitors and bringing your own food can do just that. There are many ideal spots to sit down and take a break but here are our top four:
- Big Fun Showtime (CBeebies Land) – the large new show area in CBeebies Land is perfect to sit down and have a picnic in! You can even catch a show whilst you snack.
- The Lawns – The large lawns at the bottom of Towers Street and in front of the ruins make a fantastic spot to relax on a hot day.
- The Gardens – Alton Towers’ historic gardens contain hundreds of lovely little spots to stop and eat a picnic.
- Submission ‘Memorial Garden’ (X Sector) – in X Sector on the site of the old Submission ride is a quiet and overlooked spot where you can chill out for a while.
