FountainPark

The pay-​as-​you-​go parking garage for Cineworld is more or less a must for drivers in terms of accessing the cinema with convenience, but I didn’t feel safe there. I had one incident with some intoxicated youths in the parking garage. I had another unprovoked incident with a very aggressive driver.

This is a simple, but modern, leisure complex in Edinburgh. It’s got lots of fun things to do, including a huge cinema, bowling, a casino, and several restaurants/​bars. The cinema in particular is great, with a huge selection of movies, and comfortable seats. There is a pub/​restaurant called McCowan’s with decent prices, and a Nando’s as well. There’s plenty of parking underground, and easy access with buses too.
However, despite the amenities on offer (also a soft play!), the place lacks any personality. It’s a boring glass building. The architecture isn’t very interesting, and there is literally nothing to catch one’s eye. In a place like this, it would be so easy, for example, to work with local artists and have some works on display, perhaps in a rotating exhibition. It would give the place a bit more personality, and help people remember the entire complex of FountainPark, rather than just the Cineworld or the casino.
Overall, there are great activities on offer at FountainPark, but nothing unique or interesting about the place itself.

It’s a typical leisure complex which includes a pub, Pizza Hut, cinema, other chain restaurants, ten pin bowling, virgin gym, car park and a kids play place.
We (Hubbie and I) usually just use the cinema and I occasionally grab a Starbucks (which is upstairs in the cineMa foyer). In the past we’ve had frankie and benny’s and Pizza Hut but we aren’t that keen on the chain restaurants and we much prefer indies!
However we do take use of the parking since you can get it free once you’ve validated the ticket (max 4 hours parking!!) — so that is one plus of the park. And it’s only a 10 min walk up some other eateries (burger, Loudons and then Lothian Road).
As it has an IMAX cinema you can see all the latest flicks that get released here. It’s got a few screens, so not to worry about minimum screenings when there is something big just released!

Fountain Park Leisure Complex is some place i’ve not found myself frequenting often. most likely it’s to due with the distance from my flat all the way out to fountainbridge, but i have found this place handy when wanting to see a movie or go for some bowling. i’ve been the bowling lanes about three times and enjoyed it, so a good place for a different sort of night out. the cinema is quite good as well with loads of theatres and all the new releases. this is also the only cinema in Edinburgh where you can go to see movies in IMAX 3-​D. the restuarants in the complex are ok, hard to go wrong with nando’s, but i feel like town offers far better options for eating out. basicaly an A-​OK place if you’re looking for a movie and quick dinner.

This place could be so much more than the some of its parts, but it ain’t.
You have a half circle of a partly frosted glassed building on top of an underground multi storey car park. It houses just about what one desires in an entertainment complex. and that is what it offers, nothing more than a way to be out of the rain and entertain yourself.. You have a casino, Nando’s Chicken Restaurant, 10 pin bowling, massage chairs, virgin active, Pizza hut a massive Cineworld (with Starbucks) and then some other restaurants and bars. A little play area with shuffle hockey and that is about it.
Once you are done what you came for — film/​bowling/​gym, whatever, it is difficult to find pleasure in hanging around.
There is a Taxi rank on site and a bus stop close by with bus ¹⁄₃₄ /​35 servicing
It is surrounded by building sites (currently still — Dec 2013) and I understand that by 2015 this is supposed to be the hubbub of modern student living — seeing what is being built, this Leisure Complex looks will be outdated.
In conclusion, it serves its purpose and provide all in one access to entertainment venues. More than a 3 stars — but not a 4.

It’s amazing how important the proximity to town centre is in a city the size of Edinburgh. I’ve seen bars and clubs and restaurants come and go on this site over the years and I just don’t get it. For such a holistic space, it really has potential to cover all bases, and located a mere 10 minutes from Lothian Road.
For example the restaurant space up the escalator of the indoor concourse, the back windows of which give one of the best views of the Edinburgh skyline. Why that continues to go through incarnation after incarnation is beyond me. THe view alone should command a flurry of table bookings. Granted maybe a chain like Old Orleans isn’t the best cuisine for attracting the kind of crowd who would book a table based on its view. The food is important too.
Pizza Hut, Nando’s and Megabowl are all hardcore staples of Fountain Park, and the cinema, although it has gone through a few guises, has always been a cinema.
A lot of boxes are ticked, but I do feel this place could with a Lazerquest or an Alien Rock… something a bit more current to add to it’s line-​up and update its calling card.
Deserves more attention than it gets.

This is a very modern and well-​maintained leisure complex and I’ve enjoyed going to the cinema here a few times and, on a different occasion, coming here to the Nacho Fiesta restaurant. The complex also has a Nandos and a casino. It seems to me that it isn’t exactly a place I’d come to to spend time at the complex in general but, rather, I tend to come here for one specific goal at a time. The location isn’t ideal as it’s a bit far from the city centre and, walking here, the area doesn’t feel very safe for a woman to come alone to this area. All in all this complex is nicely kept and very modern but seems to have mainly big chains. The upside of the not ideal location is that things are generally cheaper here, or at least the cinema is quite a bit cheaper than others.

I used to work here as a cleaner in Gambado. I can tell you this the place is not a really pretty place at 6.15 in the morning as there is a casino there called the Gentings Club that is open sometimes until 6am. The cineme isn’t that bad but make a night night of that if you go to the cinema. There used to be a Mecca bingo here that I enjoyed going to once or twice a week but its closed now and joined up with Mecca at the cappy in maderston street. Old Orleans bat upstrairs some nice cocktails there. McCowans is a nice place for a meal or a drink. And a bowling alley is the best. I will say though some of this place used to be a brewry and is still infested wiith mice. Don’t let that put you off because Gambado is the only place I’ve seen them and it may only have been a part of the place where I only saw it because I was a mamber of staff at time.

The best bit about Fountain Park is the free parking if you remember to get your ticket validated. Many people don’t know about this and will park off-​street, or pay money. Don’t. The free parking is only for 3 – 4 hours so if you’re going for dinner and a movie, or gym and a movie, best to leave the car park and come back in with a new ticket. The cinema’s alright (Cineworld card holder here so that’s why it’s my cinema of choice) and the Nando’s is better than the one on Lothian Road. There’s no other real reason to come here however. The Virgin gym is a bit cheaper than the one at Omni, but is full of rowdy littluns.

Although a bit further out than the Omni Centre, this is definitely better. It is in exactly the same mould, a cinema complex with a few eateries and other entertainments. The main attraction is the cinema which is much better than the Vue in the Omni. For a start it’s substantially cheaper and has more screens so there are more films to choose from. The staff are much friendlier and the food here is better and cheaper than the Omni. Also the do an all year round 2 for 1 on
meaning that it’s effectively Orange Wednesdays every day.
As well as the cinema there’s Bingo, which I’ve never been to but I assume it’s pretty hard to mess up Bingo. Also they have a bowling alley which is really good fun and not too pricey. It does lack eateries though, with the only one around being Nando’s. I am not particularly fond of Nando’s, I think it’s overpriced for average food, but the one here is quite nice, it’s modernly decorated and the staff are cool.
If you want to go to the cinema in Edinburgh and are prepared to travel a bit out of town then come here, it’s noticeably better than the Omni Centre.

I’m really not a fan of complexes in general, whether they be architectural or psychological. They remind me of being stuck in Lubbock, Texas, where there’s nothing but enormous overly airconditioned malls and churches. I mean, a leisure complex is essentially an excuse to put 10 chains under one address, in a building that stays lit all night long and is too shiny to have a soul. Also, there isn’t any cold water in the bathroom of the cinema, which is almost a sure fire way to get people to purchase a bottle of water instead of just refilling their own bottle (tsk tsk, what a waste of plastic!).
Anyway, this complex is the home of a bowling alley, a cinema, Nando’s and some other stuff in the same vein. To be honest, I think the bowling alley’s possibly the only thing worth going to there, as you can go to a better cinema (Cameo, Filmhouse), or a Nando’s somewhere else. Also, there is a bowling alley in Duddingston, but it’s nowhere near as large as this one.

I have many happy memories of spending regular winter Saturday afternoons wasting money at Cineworld, the main attraction here at Fountain Park Leisure Complex.
Cineworld is the big million screened cinema you were expecting. Come here for blockbusters not for art house cinema. Don’t expect the latest French silent film about a cat who’s also a plumber to be shown here, expect Toy Story 3 played night and day for 6 months. The upside to this place is that its a bit cheaper than other chains like Odeon. Contrastingly the food is, as always, expensive. (Psst there’s a newsagent across the road where you can buy cheap snacks!).
Fountain Park also contains predictable restaurants like Pizza Hut and Nandos, as well a Ten Pin Bowling and an arcade where I’ve been known to waste a few too many coins pretending to shoot aliens.

Well located in the city? Check.
Bus links and good sign posting if you are driving? Check.
Big car park? Check.
A few chain restaurants? Check.
Cinema? Check.
Bowling alley? Check
Bingo? Check.
Gym? Check
Functional soullessness? Check.
Sorted.

If you’re the type of person to complain about a venue being soulless, characterless, or lacking in atmosphere, then one would think you would know not to come to an out of town leisure complex. Soullessness is a requirement of such complexes, and in some ways is a benefit if you’re looking for an evening out but can’t face the thought of using your brain or imagination.
Cinema, chain restaurants, bowling, casino. It’s all here, and all perfectly dull and acceptable.

The main attraction of the Fountain Park complex, in my fair opinion, is absolutely the Cineworld cinema encased within its leisure orientated walls. Otherwise, I’m not really sure why I would come down here, unless it was to go bowling, which I attempted to do recently, and embarrassed myself to a degree where I don’t really wish to return unless I get some private coaching before I do so.
It’s not the most hip, stylish or attractive of monuments to fun, then again, there’s nothing that unattractive about Fountain Park either. My attraction levels towards its aesthetics remain fairly neutral, but positive things to mention about it would include that there are lots of parking facilities, and considering it’s fairly near the city centre, where there are slim to hardly any parking spaces, this is a useful thing to know. If you’re a fan of the Nandos chain, there’s a large Nandos for you to feast at here, although it always seems to have really long queues, and consequently waiting lists, so if you’re planning on having a big chicken dinner before you go to the cinema, then get here early.

Every city has one: one of those huge complexes that houses a cinema, a bowling alley, a casino, a Nando’s, etc etc but not a lot of atmosphere. In Edinburgh, it’s a tie-​up between here and the Omni Centre.
Despite how ugly and soul-​less they are, these places do serve their purpose. You’re all agreed on the fact that you want to do something with your evening, but nobody’s up for a big full-​blown night out; nor can anyone decide where to go/​what to do. It’s a simple solution — hope in a taxi to Fountain Park and you’re bound to find something to please at least most people.
Be careful though, it’s one of those places where you come out having spent way more than you planned to. In the bowling alley a vodka & coke costs the same as in the average George Street bar!
Word of warning number #2: it’s chav central, especially on weekends.
If you’re in a big group, you’ll invariably have a good time here because there’ll be so many of you that you won’t notice all the annoying/​tacky things about this place. Otherwise, there are plenty of other restaurants and bars and even another casino much closer to the city centre.

Fountain Park is one of those soulless leisure complexes that is there to use up your hard earned cash.
There is a large Cineworld cinema, Pizza Hut, Nandos, a casino, Virgin Active health club, bars, bingo, bowling alley and a kiddies soft play center. I actually quite like Fountain Park because it is right on my doorstep and it has everything I need for an evening on entertainment. There is a large car park so you can drive here and if you use the cinema or other businesses your car park ticket is validated making the parking free. Free parking in Edinburgh is a bonus! You can go for something to eat and know what to expect in the chain restaurants before heading off to the cinema/​bowling alley/​casino.
It’s perhaps not as large as some of the out of town complexes you see in the likes of Glasgow, but it does have everything you need and something for everyone.

Come to Fountain Park leisure complex to satisfy all of your cinema, drinking, eating, bowling, fitness and gambling needs.
To be honest, as a former pedicab driver, many of the times that I’ve visited this place was to bring people to the casino for some post-​club drinking.
The bowling is pretty cool, I really going to the cinema here sometimes too.

Fountain Park as a leisure facility is OK but not fantastic. There is all the usual stuff there like a cinema, ten pin bowling, bars, restaurants, bingo, a gym and a casino. Everything there is of a decent standard however for a leisure complex, there is a pretty limited selection of leisure! Location wise, fountain park is very good and can be accessed from the Polwarth end or from the Western Approach Road. Parking facilities are very goo I have never had any problems getting a space. If you use the leisure facilities such as the cinema you can get your parking ticket stamped and that means you get free parking which is a great wee bonus.

This leisure facility is an excellent place for people to go on a weekend or on a weekday evening. Within the complex there are bowling/​arcade facilities, a cinema, restaurants and a gym (which is private membership only). There is ample parking underneath the complexit is very rare for this to be full.
The bowling and arcade part of Fountain Park is large and spacious with food and drink sold inside. There are several bowling alleys and a great spectrum of arcade games from the classic to the latest games. You should note that those of you that are less than 21 years old there are sometimes over 21 nights only (in part to keep out the under-​aged) so it is good to check before hand.
The ‘Cineworld’ cinema is great. With approx. 14 screens there is always a film on that you will like. There are sometimes even big film events held there. The cost to watch a film is reasonable compared with any other cinema in Edinburgh but as with any cinema, the food and drinks cost a lot. (i.e.- bring in food with you! :P) There are also opportunities to hire out some of the smaller screens for private viewing and parties.
I cannot personally comment on the gym facilities of the private gym. However, I do now it has an indoor running track, swimming pool, and state of the art gym equipment. A family friend is a member and he likes the gym very much.
There are a couple restaurants in the complex so it is a good place to get a bite to eat before you head to watch a film or go bowling. I have eaten at two of them and had good meals.

I went to Fountain park last night to celebrate passing my first assessment at college with my class mates. We decided just to have a few games of pool at £1 a game. A little pricey (when you are having 10 games) but hey the place was fairly quiet as it was a weekday evening. I beat a couple of the boys which was fun for me, they weren’t too impressed though. Someone mentioned playing a game of bowling to which everyone gasped «i don’t have enough money for that» However it turned out that for just £2.50 with a student card you can play a game. It was a great night. Cheap and cheerful for students. Friendly atmosphere. It was quiet (because it was a weekday evening) The music was not great but up-​to-​date, pop chart wise. The facilities no-​one could fault, there are numerous pool tables and lots of spacious seating areas. The arcade games at the entrance although small have a great variety of games like house of the dead, dancing games, basketball nets, air hockey… In the corridor leading to the cinema area of the complex is a simulator ride. It costs £5 for two people and is like sitting in a little space shuttle. You close the door and pick your senario. The shuttle you are in moves around and jerks about and the screen inside shows you what direction you are moving in. It is like a virtual rollercoaster! On the outside of the shuttle (i was inside laughing and screaming with one of the other girls) the boys were watching! Thats right, there was a camera inside sending a live feed to a monitor outside with me and my friend on it (broadcasting!) The boys started to video this on their mobile phones. They could also see on a small screem what we could see on the inside. It was so much fun we all had a good laugh about it when we were heading home. We all left in a good mood without spending loads of money. I would recommend all students on a tight budget should go here for a couple hours. I know we will be going back.