After perhaps an expensive weekend, it is nice to know you can start the week with a bargain-priced trip to the movies.
It can be easy to overlook the Kino, as it is a tucked away movie experience. Unlike other cinemas, it does not have a street front entrance or large signs out the front.
Instead, this more boutique cinemas experience is tucked up under Sofitel in Collins Place.
Cheese platters an option at Kino Cinema
There is an air of sophistication as there Kino has a licensed bar with treats, such as cheese platters, cakes and gourmet ice creams. It has a good wine list and even cocktails including a Pimm's cup and Everleigh's single-serve, pre-batched cocktails in their classy silver-capped glass flasks.
They have a happy hour a couple of times a week and one of those happens to be on Mondays adding to your savings.
Plenty of places to eat. Photo Nadine Cresswell-Myatt
If you are coming straight from work you don't have to worry about going hungry as the Kino is surrounded by casual dining places such as Rush Sushi, Laneway Greens and Sumo Salad. Use the
Liven App for even more savings at Sumo.
Or if you want to make a night of it, some of Melbourne best-known restaurants such as Chin Chin, Coda, Cumulus and Cumulus Up are just through on Flinders Lane and Mamasita is just up Collins. And if you are aiming for these popular restaurants on a Monday, you might just stand a chance of getting in without queueing.
Kino Cinema Bar
A member of the Palace group of cinemas, Kino screens local and international features and documentaries as well as retrospectives, special film events, and festival programs. I have seen MIFF films there as well as director talks.
Plenty of options for quick meals.
You will not only find serious new releases but also art-house, cult, foreign-language and classic movies. These are shown across seven screens in intimate cinemas which have plush seating and a certain cosinesses missing from the huge suburban cinemas.
The Kino is ringed by shops and hotels and office towers so it is away from the traffic in a contained area. The Chocolate Box is one of those shops, so if it's a special night out you can buy a box of chocolates to take in with you.
If you are there during the day, there is even a place directly above Kino called the
Drawing Room, where you can curl up with a book, or newspaper and use the free wifi to check your email.
For getting home you only have to hop on a tram. Public Transport Tram routes that just outside include the 109, 11, 12, 48 (Spring St stop) and you are a few minutes walk from Parliament Station.
If you happen to bring in your car, then Parking Collins Place Car Park offers Kino Cinema guests free parking during the first two hours of their visit (additional rates apply after two hours). Located at 28 Flinders Lane, the Collins Place Car Park is on the right-hand side of the lane, approximately 50 metres from Spring Street.
Patrons must validate their parking ticket at the box office for this discount.
There is even a Chocolate Box shop
Also worth checking out for really cheap movie tickets are
Ticketbounty and On the House where you can sometimes even get free tickets although weigh up the booking fee.
A favourite site of mine is
Showfilm First, as at least twice a year they offer free tickets to pre-release films and these are often top-notch films that you get to see months before everybody else.
The $8.50 tickets weigh up favourably with the other great deal in cinemas tickets which is $7.00 at Nova in Carlton on Mondays.
Click here for more details.
If anything was designed to brighten up the worst day of the week (Mondays) then $8.50 tickets at the Kino Cinema fits the bill.
Internal lounge area at Kino Cinema
