London's best places for dinner and a movie
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Hotels with cinemas |
Best cinema cafés |
Cinemas with restaurants London’s best cinema cafés  |
| BFI Southbank |
Film Café
BFI Southbank
This glass-enclosed café and bar is situated inside the BFI Southbank (formerly called the National Film Theatre), directly under Waterloo Bridge. There is plenty of seating both inside and out (under cover of the bridge) to accommodate the flocks of film fans that alight here. On the menu there’s reasonably priced comfort food such as fish and chips or bangers and mash. The bar has a good selection of wines by the glass and beer on tap from Staropramen, Hoegaarden, Cobra and Stella Artois. There are also pastries and nibbles – croissants, cakes, muffins – to go with tea and coffee. A handy place to meet up with friends, catch a drink and a bite to eat before the film, or just to watch the world go by.
Film Café, BFI Southbank, SE1 8XT (020 7928 3535) Embankment tube or Waterloo tube/rail. Open Mon-Sat 9am-11pm, Sun 10am-10.30pm.
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Konditor & Cook at Curzon Soho
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Konditor & Cook
Curzon Soho
Located on the street level of the Curzon Soho, Konditor & Cook draws in cinemagoers and gives nearby patisseries a run for their money with their delectable and unique own-made cakes (from around £3.50 for an eat-in slice). While the sweets are the main draw, savoury items such as sandwiches, quiches, and soup (bowl with a cheese scone, £4.25) also offer good value. Besides the usual coffee and tea selections it also serves wines by the glass and bottled beers. A great place to hang out, whether you are waiting to see a film – come early just to lounge with tea and cake – or want to discuss the movie you’ve just seen.
Konditor & Cook, Curzon Soho, 99 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 5DY (020 7292 1684) Piccadilly Circus tube. Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-11pm, Sun 10.30am-10.30pm.
Film Café
Riverside Studios
This small and cosy café located just inside the Riverside Studios doors is a perfect rendezvous point, but also a good place to enjoy breakfast or brunch. They serve sandwiches, although on our visit they were quite unappealingly wrapped and left for dead in the fridge – so we opted for a fresh own-made soup and a roll instead (£2.50; tomato and mascarpone that day). The coffee here is faultless; our cappuccino had the perfect ratio of dense, creamy foam to darkly rich espresso – which, for the record, is made from Fairtrade South American beans hand-roasted by Bullet Coffee. Jacket potatoes, paninis and croissants are also available, as well as Marshfield Farm ice cream and organic Luscombe juices from Devon.
Film Café, Riverside Studios, Crisp Rd, W6 9RL (020 8237 1000) Hammersmith tube. Open Mon-Fri 8.30am-2.30pm.
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Waterside Café at the Barbican Centre
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Waterside Café
Barbican Centre
This café inside the Barbican Centre has a spiffing view of the Barbican’s ‘lakes’. The food isn’t ridiculously overpriced, and the atmosphere is casual and cheery as canteens go (it’s a self-service place). Portions are enormous and very good value – a baguette sandwich with two salads costs £5.25, soup £3 and all hot meals are under £8. There are also own-made puds, and dishes are different every day. With seating for 200, including outdoor options (‘British weather permitting’), this is a good place to catch a bite to eat before any Barbican event. The restaurant also operates an ‘Early Bird’ offer where you can get a free drink upon purchase of a main meal and pud between 5pm and 6pm if you show your ticket.
Waterside Café, The Barbican Centre, Silk St, EC2Y 8DS (020 7638 4141) Barbican tube. Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-7.30pm, Sun 11am-7.30pm.
