Guidebook for San Francisco
Arts & Culture
The ICA screens great, unusual films on its two tiny screens, but also has an exhibition area showing interesting and edgy art. The beautiful sandstone building sits on St James’s Park, near to Buckingham Palace—flick through a copy of something highbrow in the ICA bookshop, pretending to be totally above wanting a glimpse of the royals.
It’s worth checking out the membership, even if you’re just visiting London. It’s £10 for the year for senior citizens and those under 26 (£30 for older people), and gets you a £4 discount on film screenings, £3 cinema tickets on Tuesdays, and discounts in the shop and cafe.
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Institute of Contemporary Arts
The MallThe ICA screens great, unusual films on its two tiny screens, but also has an exhibition area showing interesting and edgy art. The beautiful sandstone building sits on St James’s Park, near to Buckingham Palace—flick through a copy of something highbrow in the ICA bookshop, pretending to be totally above wanting a glimpse of the royals.
It’s worth checking out the membership, even if you’re just visiting London. It’s £10 for the year for senior citizens and those under 26 (£30 for older people), and gets you a £4 discount on film screenings, £3 cinema tickets on Tuesdays, and discounts in the shop and cafe.
Entertainment & Activities
A cinema and arts centre with a few screens and a bar, Rich Mix shows a mix of blockbuster films and indie movies. It puts on loads of events, too, left-field things that might not find airtime elsewhere. I once saw a Chilean artist reading poetry whilst painting with cow’s milk. It’s a cinema that’s fun to go to by yourself, too.
The screens are upstairs, so in the evening you can peek down through the curtains into the main room and catch snippets of some amazing Colombian percussion band for free.
260 personas locales recomiendan
Rich Mix
35-47 Bethnal Green RdA cinema and arts centre with a few screens and a bar, Rich Mix shows a mix of blockbuster films and indie movies. It puts on loads of events, too, left-field things that might not find airtime elsewhere. I once saw a Chilean artist reading poetry whilst painting with cow’s milk. It’s a cinema that’s fun to go to by yourself, too.
The screens are upstairs, so in the evening you can peek down through the curtains into the main room and catch snippets of some amazing Colombian percussion band for free.
The cinema isn’t out of the ordinary, but the centre’s a hub of creative stuff, so come two hours before your film to see the free art exhibitions and get lost in the crazy maze of the iconic brutalist building with its bare concrete, walkways, mezzanines, and water features. I once found a greenhouse garden on the top level. Never found it again.
There are apartments upstairs at the centre. A lot of the people who live there have very ’60s or ’70s decor. Take a look at the great photography book about them by Anton Rodriguez, who lives there: Residents: Inside the Iconic Barbican Estate.
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Barbican Centre
Silk StreetThe cinema isn’t out of the ordinary, but the centre’s a hub of creative stuff, so come two hours before your film to see the free art exhibitions and get lost in the crazy maze of the iconic brutalist building with its bare concrete, walkways, mezzanines, and water features. I once found a greenhouse garden on the top level. Never found it again.
There are apartments upstairs at the centre. A lot of the people who live there have very ’60s or ’70s decor. Take a look at the great photography book about them by Anton Rodriguez, who lives there: Residents: Inside the Iconic Barbican Estate.
One of the oldest continually used cinemas in the UK, this single screen community cinema, run by locals and a charitable trust, opened in 1912 in this lovely leafy area. The recently restored auditorium ceiling is barrel-vaulted with art deco panels. It shows mostly art-house films, but occasionally puts on live ballet and opera, and toddler screenings.
It was built at a time when moviegoing was just becoming an acceptable, normal thing to do. Before then, films were mostly screened in fairgrounds and makeshift shops and seen as a bit seedy. The history of this cinema and how it has supported independent film for over 100 years is just brilliant.
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Phoenix Cinema
52 High RdOne of the oldest continually used cinemas in the UK, this single screen community cinema, run by locals and a charitable trust, opened in 1912 in this lovely leafy area. The recently restored auditorium ceiling is barrel-vaulted with art deco panels. It shows mostly art-house films, but occasionally puts on live ballet and opera, and toddler screenings.
It was built at a time when moviegoing was just becoming an acceptable, normal thing to do. Before then, films were mostly screened in fairgrounds and makeshift shops and seen as a bit seedy. The history of this cinema and how it has supported independent film for over 100 years is just brilliant.
London is host to a ton of different film festivals, and the BFI often hosts connected events and screenings in its four-screen cinema. Catch themed seasons and series (a Scorsese retrospective, black British culture), re-releases and classics, foreign films and new releases, previews and Q&As with directors.
In summer, stroll along the river and check out the nearby Queen Elizabeth Roof Garden Bar (up the yellow stairs) to watch the sunset and have a glass of wine before your movie starts. You can see all the famous monuments in one skyline: the London Eye, Westminster, and Big Ben.
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BFI Southbank
0 Belvedere RdLondon is host to a ton of different film festivals, and the BFI often hosts connected events and screenings in its four-screen cinema. Catch themed seasons and series (a Scorsese retrospective, black British culture), re-releases and classics, foreign films and new releases, previews and Q&As with directors.
In summer, stroll along the river and check out the nearby Queen Elizabeth Roof Garden Bar (up the yellow stairs) to watch the sunset and have a glass of wine before your movie starts. You can see all the famous monuments in one skyline: the London Eye, Westminster, and Big Ben.
I love the rundown glamour of this 1930s art deco cinema in the middle of Dalston, a cool neighbourhood that is pretty much the height of people-watching. It looks lovely from the outside, with its vintage sign. With one screen, it has a small run—just a handful of films each week, both art-house and mainstream.
Take homemade muffins and cookies with a cup of English breakfast tea from the cafe through to the screen and sink into one of their super-comfy seats. And afterwards, check out Little Nan’s Rio Bar, a kitsch cocktail bar in a secret basement under the cinema, serving drinks in mismatched teapots.
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Rio Cinema
107 Kingsland High StreetI love the rundown glamour of this 1930s art deco cinema in the middle of Dalston, a cool neighbourhood that is pretty much the height of people-watching. It looks lovely from the outside, with its vintage sign. With one screen, it has a small run—just a handful of films each week, both art-house and mainstream.
Take homemade muffins and cookies with a cup of English breakfast tea from the cafe through to the screen and sink into one of their super-comfy seats. And afterwards, check out Little Nan’s Rio Bar, a kitsch cocktail bar in a secret basement under the cinema, serving drinks in mismatched teapots.
Sister to the Electric in Shoreditch, and even more luxurious, this smart reinvention of an old 1910 cinema has six actual beds in the front row (£35 for two people), as well as leather armchairs with footstools (£19) and back-row sofas (£45 for two). It’s a great respite if you’ve braved the madness of Portobello Market.
I have never understood why cinemas limit themselves to popcorn, hot dogs, and pick ’n’ mix. So I love that this place serves high-end popcorn and crisps and allows you to take in food and beer from the Electric Diner upstairs.
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Electric Cinema
191 Portobello RdSister to the Electric in Shoreditch, and even more luxurious, this smart reinvention of an old 1910 cinema has six actual beds in the front row (£35 for two people), as well as leather armchairs with footstools (£19) and back-row sofas (£45 for two). It’s a great respite if you’ve braved the madness of Portobello Market.
I have never understood why cinemas limit themselves to popcorn, hot dogs, and pick ’n’ mix. So I love that this place serves high-end popcorn and crisps and allows you to take in food and beer from the Electric Diner upstairs.
Another of London’s oldest cinemas, with a beautiful facade, and right on Angel’s lovely triangular green. It puts on a good selection of films and is the perfect location to follow up a visit to one of Upper Street’s excellent eateries or watering holes. Angel is one of my favourite parts of London, this cinema being a big part of that.
Euphorium Bakery, a couple of doors down, does out-of-this-world cakes—their carrot cake is my favourite. I don’t want to advocate sneaking food into a cinema, but...
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The Screen on the Green
Upper StreetAnother of London’s oldest cinemas, with a beautiful facade, and right on Angel’s lovely triangular green. It puts on a good selection of films and is the perfect location to follow up a visit to one of Upper Street’s excellent eateries or watering holes. Angel is one of my favourite parts of London, this cinema being a big part of that.
Euphorium Bakery, a couple of doors down, does out-of-this-world cakes—their carrot cake is my favourite. I don’t want to advocate sneaking food into a cinema, but...
The Ritzy’s amazing cafe spills onto the busy street outside, where you can have wine or a peppermint tea and watch buskers, preachers, skateboarders, boozers, and hipsters. Hip-hop karaoke, yoga, film quizzes, and other events are held in the upstairs bar. The cinema is owned by the art-housey Picturehouses group and shows a wide range of films.
A century of protests took place on Windrush Square on the cinema’s doorstep, and that’s still felt—you’re sure to pass at least three proselytisers on your way in. Brixton comprises a real mix of people, but the square unites them. Explore its history at the nearby Black Cultural Archives Centre.
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Ritzy Cinema and Cafe
26 Coldharbour LnThe Ritzy’s amazing cafe spills onto the busy street outside, where you can have wine or a peppermint tea and watch buskers, preachers, skateboarders, boozers, and hipsters. Hip-hop karaoke, yoga, film quizzes, and other events are held in the upstairs bar. The cinema is owned by the art-housey Picturehouses group and shows a wide range of films.
A century of protests took place on Windrush Square on the cinema’s doorstep, and that’s still felt—you’re sure to pass at least three proselytisers on your way in. Brixton comprises a real mix of people, but the square unites them. Explore its history at the nearby Black Cultural Archives Centre.