Bowling is one of those rare days out that works for everyone, from a five-year-old with the bumpers up to a stag party at midnight. In Portsmouth the home of it is Hollywood Bowl at Gunwharf Quays, a big, modern alley right on the waterfront that doubles as an arcade, a diner and an easy rainy-day fallback when the seafront is a washout.
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Here is what to expect, how much it costs and how to make the most of a bowling trip in the city.
Hollywood Bowl at Gunwharf Quays
Set inside the Gunwharf Quays leisure complex, Hollywood Bowl is the city’s main ten-pin venue, smartly refurbished from the old Bowlplex into a bright, family-friendly alley with a long row of lanes. Little ones are well looked after with bumpers that pop up on request and lightweight ramps so even toddlers can send a ball down the lane, while VIP lanes with sofas and table service make it a comfortable choice for a birthday or a group.
Because it sits in the middle of Gunwharf, a game slots neatly around a meal, a film or a wander by the harbour, which is a big part of its appeal. It gets busy at weekends and in the school holidays, so booking a lane ahead is wise.
More than bowling
Part of the fun is everything around the lanes. There is a large amusement arcade packed with the usual mix of racing games, claw machines and ticket-spitting classics, plus a Hollywood Diner serving burgers, hot dogs, shakes and the rest, so you can turn a quick game into a whole afternoon. For older groups there is a licensed bar, which makes it a popular stop on a night out.
Step outside the doors and the rest of Gunwharf Quays is right there, with its outlet shopping, restaurants, the Vue cinema and the Spinnaker Tower, so bowling easily becomes one part of a bigger day.
Prices, deals and tips
Prices change with the day and time, so check the current rates before you go, but a few things are worth knowing:
- a game usually costs somewhere around 7 to 11 pounds per person, with under-fives often much cheaper or free;
- family and eat-drink-bowl packages bundle lanes with food and work out better value for a group;
- mornings and weekday afternoons are cheaper and far quieter than weekend evenings;
- booking online ahead of busy times both saves money and guarantees a lane.
One regular summed up the trick to a good trip.
Go before midday at the weekend, the lanes are empty, the kids get two games in, and it costs half what it does at night.
Follow that and bowling becomes one of the cheapest, easiest wins in the city.
Getting there and booking
Gunwharf Quays is simple to reach. Portsmouth Harbour railway station and the Hard bus interchange are a short walk away, and if you drive there is a large multi-storey car park on site, though it is paid and fills up on weekend evenings. Hollywood Bowl is the only dedicated ten-pin alley in the city itself, so if it is fully booked the nearest alternatives are a drive away towards Southampton and Fareham.
Book a lane online for weekends and holidays, turn up a few minutes early to sort shoes and names, and you are set for a guaranteed good couple of hours whatever the weather is doing outside.
