Soho is central London's land of the cinema. But no longer do you have to choose between garish, neon-drenched multiplexes on Leicester Square and tiny boutique cinemas showing exclusively cult releases (as good as they are). Picturehouse Central, the cinema-lovers' chain of choice's new flagship, includes a massive upstairs restaurant which serves an eclectic menu of unfussy but nonetheless great food, from slow-cooked beef chilli to a middle-Eastern-inspired flatbread pizza. And where better to spend two hours directly after you’ve overindulged than in front of (essentially) an enormous TV in the dark where no one can look at you? Exactly.
Olympic Studios, which combines a small, luxurious cinema with a small, luxurious restaurant, fits in perfectly in Barnes. Which is to say it's really bloody nice. Both the cinema and restaurant could function on their own – it's just a massive bonus that getting from one to the other takes all of 30 seconds.
The Rooftop Film Club is one of many initiatives that have totally transformed London’s rooftops. With new and classic films, a rotating street-food line-up and stunning views, it’s a far cry from sitting in a big, dark room surrounded by popcorn kernels.
Not only is the food at Pennethorne’s more than a match for its opulent setting, but its cocktails are a literal match, too, being created to pair with the films in Somerset House’s cinema programme this summer.
One of the many offerings of the newly renovated Camden Market is pretty much how it sounds – an open-air cinema kitted out with deckchairs and beanbags, and food and drink from Honest Burgers, Craft Cocktail Co and Brooklyn Brewery.
