The Fountain — Restaurant in City of Edinburgh

A bar that does not value its customers and a business that will not appreciate your custom.

We booked a table for 12 at 9pm. The person taking the booking never mentioned on the phone that bookings were only for food. It was a birthday gathering and we brought a cake with us that the staff took to the kitchen no problem to serve when we asked. At 9.20 staff approaches us saying that the kitchen was closing in 10 minutes so we let them know we were only there for drinks. The look they gave us. From that moment onwards we were not wanted in there any more (the bar was busy but there were a few free tables). So although it was 12 of us and we all bought 2 drinks each (which with their average prices amounts to more than £100), we went to ask for the cake and they said they were not going to serve it any more. We obviously decided to finish our drinks and leave and one of us popped across the road to ask the other pub if we could have the cake there - absolutely no problem. I personally went up to the bar staff to ask for the cake back and the response was "I though my colleague had made it clear we're not gonna serve you the cake". Her arrogance just highlighted once again how bad their customer service is. So I replied "I did understand that but I want the cake because we are leaving". After the manager brought the cake to me I asked to have a word because we did not appreciate this double-faced attitude. She said she made it very clear on the phone that bookings were for food only and that the cake would have been served after the mains. When I argued that was not the case she said "Oh but I did not take the booking with you". It so happens the guy that made the booking was looking at me and I called him over and as he arrived she did not acknowledge him and immediately stopped arguing her case. They have lost 12+ customers last night. We would have stayed for another 2 rounds at least had they given us the cake. Just silly management really. The bar itself is very cosy but the arrogance of the staff will make...

This place is not far from where I live and every time I go, I keep telling myself I need to revisit. The interior has a unique blend of modern and classic. I mean, it looks classic but feels modern. The drink selection is okay, and the menu isn’t huge, but everything I’ve eaten there is delicious. I highly recommend the loaded haggis fries. A perfect Saturday afternoon dish after a wild Friday night. The Sunday roast is very good too. My favourite thing about here is the staff. I’ve only been a handful of times so I don’t think I’ve ever been served by the same person twice, but every single encounter I’ve had with the staff was professional and friendly. I went there with some friends this evening hoping for a nice quiet drink, but I forgot about the football match that was taking place (the bar is quite close to Hearts stadium), so the bar got really full, really fast. I thought it might take forever to get a drink, but the bar staff went into full speed mode and I never had to wait long. I will endeavour to make this place “my local” because I’ve never had a bad time here. Great place,...

When The Fountain was bought and given a make-over a couple of years ago, it was a blessing. This is now grown to be a great local bar providing a fantastic range of drinks and some brilliant food. The bar is beautifully designed and feels contemporary and warm. There is a small area for those wanting more of a restaurant feel but food is served throughout and the tables in the bar area are just as comfortable. There is a strong core menu that changes seasonally as well as daily specials. I recommend visiting on a Sunday when they have their roast dinners including the best roast lamb I have had in the city! The only downfalls are that drinks can be fairly pricey but that is often the case in Edinburgh, and on Friday/Saturday nights it can get very busy. However, the atmosphere is always good and this is a great bar to go for food and drinks...