Another Center Parcs question - do I really need to book restaurants in advance?

[MrsMcNulty]

Am going to Longleat first week in July (so before school holidays).

They've emailed me asking me to book activities and restaurants before we go.

Do I really need to decide where and when we want to eat out every evening in advance and book it? I'd quite like to decide day by day what to do...

Thanks for any advice!

Hello, as someone who's been to 3 different Centerparcs, totalling around 20 times sad unimagiinative person, I would say it was advisable to book a restaurant slot if you want to eat between 7ish-8ish, otherwise there is a very long wait.

However I have found you can normally book a table the day before, or even the morning.

We have never booked resturants before we went, sometimes we will go in and book on the day as a group of 10 of us go so we book a table so we know we will all be sitting together!

Thanks both. Do the restaurants open at 7 then? We would probably want to eat at 6 (4 year old DD), do you think we'd need to book?

Am tempted not to book...

I've only been to Elveden Forest and we've never booked a table or had to wait long to be seated. We only eat out twice during our stay though and cook the rest of the time due to the cost and there being 5 of us.

they are open all day if they serve breakfasts not too sure about the indian and chinese

Hi OP, the proper restaurants generally open from 6pm (though it's best to check) and that's a good time to eat as it's generally quiet and no need to book . It's between 7-8 where demand is the highest.

The coffee shop/snack bar type places are open all day, some serving quite substantial snacks. The Sports Cafe serves meals all day, from what I can make out, eg kids meals are the usual chicken nuggets with accompaniments, macaroni cheese etc, mini pizza etc. There is also a Starbucks at the Sports complex so if caffeine's your thing, yeaahh!

There is a "Dining In" place which does takeaways/deliveries to your villa (I seem to remember from 5:30pm), serving a range of chinese/indian/pizza.

You will not go hungry here . The parcmarket even sells hot chicken nuggets, chips, ciabattta, sandwiches, as well as a good range of groceries.
Or you could always cook [sceptical].

Enjoy! I was there only last week and went swimming forced by ds in the outdoor pool during a storm and returned home with a bad cold sinusitis

not been to longleat but I've found in the others that Bella Italia and Cafe Rouge get very busy and it's best to book -the others if you go at 6 will be fine

Oooh, Iceflower we were at Longleat last week too and I have had a stinking cold culminating in no voice from wednesday - saturday!!
We ate in the Strada restaurant on the saturday, we had booked as we were a v.large party (18 inc children) but there were plenty of free tables between 6 & 8pm.

Thanks everyone, that's very helpful, think I will risk not booking. Will probably be blacklisted for not pre-booking restaurants or any activities, we just prefer to go with the flow.

Hope you get over your lurgies soon Iceflower and FriskyMare!

We were thinking about booking quad biking for our dc, the weather was awful so am really glad we didn't, I think a 4 year old will be happy enough with the pool, bikes and playgrounds - all of which are free (if you take your own bikes!)

And, thank you, am much better now although I did sound like Mickey Mouse on helium for a few days:o

They have computer booking thingies in a couple of places at CP so that you can book in on the day. I'd do that if I was you, just book sometime that day when you have decided what you fancy. Agree that it's very hard to know what you want 3 months in advance or whatever!

Never booked restaurants in advance we always ate about 5:30/6ish as similar age children to yours and never had a problem getting a table.