Dominion Cinema, Morningside, Edinburgh

fab vintage cinema where else can you sit on a comfy sofa put your feet up and watch a movie, eat popcorn and have a drink other than in your home. fantastic place wish more cinema,s were like this one.

fiona thomson

Really enjoy the Dominion and it was always a treat when the family were young. I hope to make use of my Groupon vouchers very soon but live ‘way out in East Lothian’ and it’s not so convenient at our age to first travel into Morningside to book the tickets then return days later to see the movie. Is there no way around this Mr Cameron?

I bought the Groupon deal and when I realised it was about to expire (it had one day left) I phoned to see if there was any way they could accommodate – I appreciate it was my fault. I was told that it had in fact expired because it was only valid until the Thursday not the Friday which was the date on the coupon. I was told there was nothing they could do about it which I find hard to believe. I have previously been to the cinema and thought it was excellent, however after this poor treatment I don’t think I will rush back.

We went to Dominion through a groupon deal and it was really cool to have the sofa and foot rests I really loved it. We did have a problem that we got gold tickets advertised on groupon as reduced from full price but did not get any of the nice perks of gold tickets like the pringles and drink refills. Felt a bit cheated but was still a nice evening.
Caroline

Visited The Dominion (17/11/11) thanks to the offer thru Groupon. We had not been here in many years and usually go to a city centre venue. I read the comments on qype before going along – just to see the lie of the land. We found the staff to be very polite and helpful. We were in cinema 1 and sat on the large sofas. The seats were very comfy and it was like being in the house. It was a great night out and very relaxing. If you have not been then give it a try. We will certainly go back.

LOVE this cinema!! It is worth the trip to Morningside to go – the sofas are so comfy and it has a real old time cinema feel to it!

Won’t be renewing annual pass due to poor customer service.

I Have been coming to this brilliant cinema for many years and quite frankly it is the best I have ever visited anywhere. I have never had a bad experience in the very many times I have attended. I have often brought visitors to the cinema and I am always proud of their reaction once they set foot inside. The website as others have commented could be improved however. I was looking into buying a yearly ticket but there was no information available.

Forget faceless cinemas and think of a vintage style deco cinema run by a local family. The dominion is the cinema from heaven with some of the screens with big comfy leather sofas and foot stools! If you get it lucky you sometimes get free Pringles to! You’re always treated like royalty and the staff give such a welcoming reception. Seeing a film at the dominion is an experience rather than just seeing a film. The decor is stunning and in vintage style. There’s lots of photos of famous people who have visited the cinema. You can also hire out their VIP screen for a private function. It’s a wee cinema room with lots of comfy sofas and recliners. It’s beautifully lit and you can have a selection of your choice of music as you arrive. You can also watch any film you like! I hired it for my friends and family at Christmas so we could have a private screening of Love Actually. The Dominion is a gem of Edinburgh and the best cinema in Britain!

Without a doubt the best cinema I have ever been to!
I recently had the opportunity to purchase 2 tickets to see any film at the Dominion for a heavily discounted price, including a drink each and a tub of Pringles. Although the cinema is slightly out of my way, having usually settling for the Vue in the center of town, I thought this an opportunity I couldn’t miss!

As soon as I walked through the door I could instantly see the beauty of such an old and homely venue. The entrance was lovely and staff at the reception were welcoming and friendly. All of the pictures taken with actors/actresses and directors lining the walls on the way to the screens really add to the old school cinema experience. It was really a treat to sit on the comfy two-seater couches and put our feet up, and it made a change from the extremely busy and expensive Vue. Even though it is slightly further away I will be journeying back just for the comfort and relaxed atmosphere.

It’s like watching films in your home but on a much larger screen :D

Had a wonderful experience at the Dominion today, the staff were friendly and welcoming. Watching Rise of the Planet of the Apes in such a lovely comfortable setting was great. The only little thing was my once we were settled my husband noticed his recliner was not working properly. Will be back as it is such a lovely place.

My family went to see HP7 on Friday night and I must say the Dominion really has improved its customer service, all polite, friendly and with a smile. the comfy sofas, well spaced from other patrons, means that the noise of other popcorn guzzlers is not an issue unlike all other cinemas in Edinburgh. Simple things like tables for a drink and sweets make it feel like at home. The manager in the tuxedo is clearly a “can do” guy who was very accommodating to us.

Full marks Dominion and, as Arnie would say, I’ll be back back!!

This is a cinema for people who like to lie on their couch and enjoy a good film – while sipping a glas of wine / bottle of beer and put their feet up.
It is like being at home watching – or at a friends house (you can not pause the film though..) the seats are comfertable and well spaced out and you feel like you are the only ones there – but spaced close enough not to get too carried away ;o)
It is a proper cinema experience that is worthy of a visit as this is what is used to be when the first ‘talkies’ came out.

Suitable for all – but mostly good friends and couples.

I went to the Dominion to watch The Hangover 2 and can't say I agree with any previous posts regarding the staff and their attitudes as each one we came across was polite and helpful. The cinema itself was easily the most comfy I have ever been in and both myself and girlfriend loved the leather sofas. Will definitely be going back more often as this is how films should be watched on the big screen. Would also like to find out more about the private hire options available. Top marks and the film was good too.

Why are so many people on here going on about the horrible staff with bad attitudes? Oh that's right, because it's true! Wish someone new would buy the place as the owners clearly have no control or their own staff. From what I hear, it wont be long before it is up for sale anyway.

Such an old school feel with charm, which is great. Good choice of movies too. Don't mind paying slightly more for a nice seat. Everything is so good. What really lets the cinema down is the staff. The arrogance, unwelcoming manner when you walk in and the dirty look. Judging by other comments on here, I'm not the only one that has noticed it either. It really does take away a massive part of the experience that you are paying for. No one likes to feel unwelcome. I'm sure this is not the attitude of the owners, but sadly it appears to be the attitude of their representatives at reception. It kind of puts us off going back, the 'reception hurdle' getting past the rude, angry looking girl on reception who just oozes 'you are interrupting me, go away!' I'm a very big guy and I'm even terrified to dare ask a question. Such a shame as that is the only issue needing rectified, everything else is amazing! Long live the independent companies, down with the corporates!

Has nice comfy living room couches for seats in the entire front half of the room! The rows are spaced so far apart you can't even reach the couch in front of you with your feet. There are upholstered footrests, and each seat has a small table for food and drinks. Basically it truly feels like you're in your own living room.

The back half of the room has large single-seater recliner chairs, which I didn't try, but they seemed to be popular with other patrons.

When I went there they offered every customer complimentary Pringles!

Other reviewers said it was pricey, but that must not be the case every night or for every movie -- I paid 10 pounds for my ticket, same as in other cinemas.

Also, other reviewers said the staff had been rude to them, but quite on the contrary both employees I interacted with were courteous, smiling and helpful.

In all, a unique and thoroughly pleasant movie going experience. I'll definitely be going there again.

I wanted to get an idea of how much it would cost, which other cinema sites (e.g. Vue, Cineworld) display easily. However the online presence of the Dominion does not. Staff fine. Agree that it is 'pricey', but accept they have much higher overheads than a chain cinema. As a non-car owner, has advantage that it is short walking distance as compared with Cineworld and Vue (the latter would be the cost of a bus to and fro) if you live in Morningside.

It took my boyfriend a while to persuade me to try this cinema on the opposite side of town from where I live. I can get gold class tickets at the Omni in Greenside, what more can a cinema be? I can meet my friends everywhere around New Town, why bother to go to a cinema?
Well, forgive me for breaking the rules of the real cinema goer, but the reason I went back was- quite incredibly- the same reason why I was reluctant at first. It's not just a cinema; it's an experience every time.
And as I was looking for creative ideas to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday, I could not think of anything better than to hold a private party with his family right there. I turned out I was right  Al Cameron dealt with my "developing" ideas with patience, help and continuous charm and really made the event a superb success for everyone (4 to 66 Yrs). Each felt like it was their birthday! Planning, welcoming and overall service was so discrete, polite and VIP we all saw the huge difference from any other place in town. The private VIP lounge and rooms are incredible, the reception was flawless, they knew who we were as we walked through the double doors. Amazing!
I even received a refund for overpaying at the moment of booking. I would have never known…
And best of all, my boyfriend thanked me for making this birthday a treasured memory.

I agree with mhunter37. I had been to try out the beautiful deluxe seating before, and having recently moved to the area have been looking forward to visiting more often. However, the Dominion seem uninterested in keeping potential customers informed about what is actually showing- either by telephone or via the website (which is shockingly bad).

If the Cameo and the Filmhouse (your closest competitors for my custom) can let me know what the weekend's films will be sometimes weeks in advance, what is your excuse for having no available info for Friday night on the afternoon of the same day?

Given some of the comments above, I am now having second thoughts about exchanging my Cameo membership for the Dominion, even though I would love to support my local cinema and it would be much nicer to amble 10 minutes down the road to lounge on your sofas!