Rollercoaster Restaurant at Alton Towers Review

by Lucy Moore | 9 May 2016

I was kindly invited to try out the new Rollercoaster Restaurant at Alton Towers over the weekend and what a ride it was!

The Rollercoaster Restaurant at Alton Towers

Situated next to the new Gallactica ride in The Forbidden Valley where the Air shop used to be- it's ideal for trying out both of the parks most recent additions together.

We were seated by our host who gave us an I-pad on which to scroll through the menu's offerings. Everything you could want from a normal menu of drinks, starters, mains, desserts and sharers was there- it's delivery certainly doesn't restrict the choice of food the restaurant offers.

I'm a veggie so I was keen to find out how much of the food was suitable for the non-meat eater and there was a good selection of plant-based dishes as well as meaty ones so both me and my husband had lots to choose from.

The I-Pads were easy to use and had clear imagery of each dish so you know what to expect. If you have any problems- there's always someone on hand to ask. The devices also had interesting facts about each ride on them too (even ones that are no longer there) so if you want to buff up on your attraction facts, it's all there for you to peruse.

My advice would be to order as you would at any other restaurant- in stages. We made the mistake of ordering our drinks, sharer and mains within a few minutes of each other so they all came at once. If you want to pace yourself- wait until each course arrives before ordering the next or you might find your table gets full too quickly.

Unlike other eateries, you can get a bit bored while waiting for your food- but here the visual delights are a plenty. You can watch how your food will be delivered as it makes it journey to other tables along the tracks from the kitchen. It was mesmerising watching the food spiral down from high above your head to each of the other customers.

Unlike the picture might imply, the food doesn't come on a plate. Each dish and drink is secured into a heavy pan with a lid and clipped onto its slider so there's no opportunity for you to get pelted with peas, soaked in soup or covered in coke!

When the meal reaches you it has your seat number on it, so although you're sat with others, you can clearly see which one is meant for you. You just need to un-clip it and decant it onto a plate, which is housed in a big revolving storage area beneath the landing point. There's a self-service element to the experience as all of your glasses, bottle openers, crockery and serviettes are kept there- with one twist you can access everything you need. Once you have released your meal, you can spin it to drop into a large bin so you table isn't overcrowded with receptacles.

We ordered the Nacho Bowl with Salsa to start, the Asparagus, Broad Bean, Pea and Leek Risotto with rocket, parmesan and fresh herb oil and the Rollercoaster Burger- 60z beef patty, lettuce, tomato and red onion with a side of Rollercoaster Slaw from the evening menu.

All of the dishes were of the same quality you would expect from a more conventional restaurant and still looked presentable despite their unusual journey to reach the table!

Top marks on the risotto- it was creamy and filling with a good range of green veggies to keep any plant based eater satisfied.

My hubby really enjoyed the burger, which was made even more unique by its rollercoaster design on the top of the bun- Alton Towers certainly know how to run with a theme!

The Rollercoaster Restaurant is open from 10am to 10pm daily so you can pop in for an early snack, lunch in between the attractions or leave it until the end of your stay at the park depending on how good you are at riding rollercoasters with a full tummy.

There's a newly constructed pathway into The Forbidden Valley, so anyone who's staying at the on-site hotels don't have as long a walk from their accommodation.

It was a really immersive experience and a novelty to have our food delivered in such a fun and entertaining way. Overall, a very inventive way to deliver food that's in keeping with the rest of the park. Even if you aren't a fan of the bigger rides, you can appreciate the twists, turns and force of gravity of the mini version all the same!

I would say that as it's priced a little higher than the other fast food places around the park, it might be worth saving this as a treat and allotting a good amount of time for it so you can enjoy it to the max.