Here’s our round-up of the best boutique cinemas across the UK. Call a lifestyle manager for listings and ticket reservations or more options near you.
The Electric
47-49 Station Street, Birmingham B5 4DY
The UK’s oldest working picture house is as quaint as they come. Choose between two, three and five-seat sofas complete with waiter service – just send the bartender a text message to receive your drinks direct from the art deco bar. The monthly listings include an eclectic range of mainstream, independent and foreign films, as well as popular silent movies with live musical accompaniment.
Cornerhouse
70 Oxford Street, Manchester M1 5NH
As Manchester’s international centre for contemporary visual arts and independent film, this small cinema shows art house and retro films as well as the latest Hollywood releases. As one of the city’s main creative hubs there’s always lots going on, including Sunday matinees of 1950s classics, photography exhibits, film quizzes and Q&A sessions with directors and producers. Call a lifestyle manager for more information.
Broadway
14-18 Broad Street, Nottingham NG1 3AL
Director Shane Meadows and actor-cum-director Paddy Considine have put Nottingham on the movie map with their gritty British dramas and both owe some of their success to this unique cinema. A major force on the city’s creative scene, the multi-level space offers support for business start-ups, runs educational and filmmaking courses and hosts a range of annual festivals.
Tyneside Cinema
Pilgrim Street, Newcastle NE1 6QG
Commissioned in 1937 by Dixon Scott (film director Ridley Scott’s great uncle) to broadcast world news to Newcastle residents, this is the finest surviving example of Britain’s News Theatres, and visitors can read about the cinema’s history in the permanent exhibition. As well as the latest blockbusters, regular live links from Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet Theatre and the Metropolitan Opera in New York have proved very popular.
Everyman
7 Station Road West, Oxted RH8 9EE
Bancroft Road, Reigate RH2 7RP
85-89 High Street, Walton KT12 1DN
Southgate Street, Winchester SO23 9EG (pictured)
Beyond the excellent choice of new releases, each cinema has its own schedule of special events including National Theatre productions streamed from London’s Southbank, comedy, sport and music evenings, retro films and documentaries. The bars serve organic and locally sourced drinks and snacks wherever possible. The Oxted and Winchester cinemas are particularly attractive, respectively housed in an authentic Tudor house and a renovated church.
The Screening Room
The Scotsman Hotel, 20 North Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1TR
Start your evening with a two-course meal in the hotel’s North Bridge Brasserie, before descending into the basement screening room to catch a classic flick. Down here, it couldn’t be more comfortable, with rows of black leather wing-back chairs and complimentary ice cream and popcorn served to your seat. With only two public screenings per month, tickets sell out fast, so do call a lifestyle manager for listings and reservations.
The Grosvenor
Ashton Lane, Hillhead, Glasgow G12 8SJ
Sitting among shops and restaurants on a cobbled backstreet, couples flock to this historic venue for romantic evenings on the comfy sofas. The café and bar is buzzing most of the day as the excellent wine list and good coffee attract passers-by as well as cinema-goers. Families can make the most of the Brat Pack children’s club on Saturdays and Sundays and private hire is available for birthday parties.
Electric Palace
39a High Street, Hastings TN34 3ER
Hidden away in the old town, the Electric Palace is a 50-seater art house cinema set up and run by volunteers. The genre-spanning selection of films rotates regularly, and, although many of the films are unheard of in the mainstream, they have all been given the seal of approval by the knowledgeable staff. Each year they run their own film festival and aren’t averse to throwing a party with cabaret performances and sing-alongs.
Curzon
46 Old Church Road, Clevedon BS21 6NN
The picture house opened in 1912 with a special matinee to raise funds for the survivors and relatives of those lost in the RMS Titanic disaster. Today, it is one of few cinemas in the country to still have an organ, and many of the films begin with live music. Supported by the local community – which saved the cinema from closure in 1996 – the single screen plays a selection of the latest critically acclaimed movies, while a film club meet on Sundays to enjoy the classics.
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