London has quite a few lovely old flea pit cinemas made good, but
The Electric must be the nicest cinema going experience by far. I make so strong and controversial a statement because it's got all the charm of vintage cinema style with all the comfort modern technology, and money, can provide.
Take note: this is the epitome of 'dinner and a movie' dates.
One of the first things worth mentioning are the red leather seats, which are more like individual armchairs than cinema seats. Not only do they have luxurious double arm rests in between them, they also have foot rests in front of them, and small ledges alongside them where you can rest your drinks and snacks. The drinks and snacks follow the form of the seating arrangements – they're better than their non-cinema counterparts in many cases: Smoked salmon roulade, chicken quesadillas, crudites & blue cheese dip, hummus & flat bread, sausage rolls & ketchup, brownies and cheese and biscuits, as well as classics like gummy bears, cola bottles and nuts and raisins. To drink you can have a very decent cup of coffee, a beer or a civilised choice of wines.
These are the modern treats. The classic treats are in the décor and ambience – real red velvet curtains, original art deco detailing on the white walls and the intimate size of the theatre.
The location, on Portobello Road, is distressed urban chic these days and there are plenty of options for the dinner part of your date, but when The Electric opened its doors, in 1911(!), the road was a different kind of marketplace than the urban farmers market it is today. The cinema's first manager was interred during the First World War because people claimed they'd seen him on the roof of the cinema using a torch to signal to German Zeppelins. And you can see how the big, art deco style, white building's flat roof would have been perfect for the task.
The other era The Electric is famous for is the
70s when it became one of the first true art house cinemas – showing films that weren't going to get a release elsewhere. It started out as a film club night in the flea pit, and via all night screenings and quality repertory seasons it became a rival to the NFT.
These days the films are a mix of old and new, with some brand spanking releases and some old classics. And you don't need to book dinner elsewhere: The Electric also has its own
brasserie, which, as well as having quite an extensive, and eclectic
main menu, also does a more than half decent
brunch. If your date is more a brunch and a matinee type.
As in the 'olden days' you pay less to sit in the first three rows. The modern twist is that the back rows are two seater sofas – told you it was the ultimate 'dinner and a movie'. Mondays and special
Electric Sundays screenings have old fashioned prices as well, £7.50 for the front, £10 for the middle and £25 for a sofa. Tuesday though Sunday tickets will set you back £12.50/ £14.50 or £30 and they do cinetastic double bills at significantly less than double the price.
If the ambience suggests a classic film as well opt for something from their
Electric Vintage offerings.
What you will get at The Electric is the opportunity to see a film in really plush surroundings, with lux snacks and seats that are probably more comfortable than your couch at home. What you won't get is the authentic atmosphere of smoke and a sticky carpet floor, lots of choice of films to see – there's only one theatre - or a vast cinema screen.
