The 21 best independent cinemas in London for film lovers
There’s nothing like going to the pictures, especially when you settle on attending one of the best independent cinemas in London. They’re a cosy, creative and warming place where you can truly switch off from the outside world and its endless phone notifications. To top it all off, who can say no to the snacks? Ice cream, a box of sweet-and-salty popcorn, or a classic American hot dog. There’s nothing quite like it.
London’s independent cinema scene is one of the most cultured in the world: diverse, historic and vibrant. From Prince Charles to BFI Southbank, these venues are a slice of calm in the chaos of England’s capital city. There’s a time and a place for a big blockbuster screening, like seeing an action film in IMAX, but really, indie venues have our hearts. They foster a sense of community, showcase brilliant, thoughtfully selected films, and often offer a more curated experience (usually with better food and drink).
If you’re wondering where to head next for your next screening, look no further than our list of the best independent cinemas in London.
Close-Up
Best for: seeing art-house films on the big screen
As alternatives to multiplex cinemas go, it doesn't get much more alternative than this cosy 40-seat independent cinema just off Brick Lane, which has a digital projector but also shows reel-to-reel 35mm and 16mm. Swing by most evenings and you’ll find a screening of an obscure film you’ve always wanted to see or, more likely, something you’ve never heard of. The people who run Close-Up really do know their stuff so it’s worth trusting their choices. There’s also an extensive library of film books and DVDs including early cinema, classics, world cinema, documentaries, experimental films and video art that you can rent if you become a member (membership also gets you 40 per cent off cinema tickets). Go early to browse the selection and make the most of their café/bar, which serves strong coffee, snacks and negronis, all available to take into the cinema. By Sonya Barber
Address: Close-Up, 97 Sclater Street, London E1 6HR
Website: closeupfilmcentre.com
Craig GibsonRich Mix
Best cinema for: a hub of creativity
Inside this old factory building, two minutes walk from Shoreditch High Street, there are three cinema screens and a fun bar (which serves popcorn and pick'a'mix too). Run as a charity, it's not just a cinema – and so, on any given week you might find an art exhibition, a theatre performance and a family-friendly film screening happening all at once. They show all the latest Blockbusters, and the prices are affordable.
Address: Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Rd, London E1 6LA
Website: richmix.org.ukThe Castle Cinema
Best for: community feel, creative cocktails, and affordable £6 Monday screenings
The Castle Cinema is a community staple in Clapton, Hackney. Not only is it a cinema space, they also have a bar and café, where their friendly staff serve up delicious toasties (the kimchi and cheese is my favourite), coffee from Dark Arts and cocktails. A new addition to the cinema’s offering is a rotation of kitchen residencies, satiating any foodies after a more elevated eating at the cinema experience. Their membership packs a punch, giving you a free ticket when you sign up and 10% off everything at the bar, making it a great place to grab a coffee if you're local.
Address: The Castle Cinema, First floor, 64 - 66 Brooksby's Walk, London, E9 6DA
Website: thecastlecinema.com
The Lexi Cinema
Best cinema for: do-good entertainment
The Lexi is London’s only social enterprise cinema, and donates 100% of their profits to charity and is mostly staffed by volunteers. All proceeds go to The Sustainability Institute, which helps villages in South Africa with projects like a new crèche, school meals, after-school clubs and better power systems.
They have a lot of innovative programmes, accessible screenings and family-friendly fun.
Address: The Lexi Cinema, 194B Chamberlayne Rd, Kensal Green, London NW10 3JU
Website: thelexicinema.co.uk
Everyman Screen on the Green
Best cinema for: A night at one of London’s prettiest cinemas
First opened in 1913, Screen on the Green has an iconic façade lighting up Islington with its super-cool neon signage and retro American-style feel. Confusingly, it’s not an outside cinema: rather a cosy little single screen. It's a more high-end experience, with sharing plates (like honey baked camembert and padron peppers), pizza (including a fig, prosciutto and gorgonzola option), OTT shakes, indulgent sundaes and cocktails-with-a-spin (their toasted coconut margarita is worth a try) all delivered to your seat.
As well as the usual big-hitters, Screen on the Green also shows smaller indie films plus live screenings of the Royal Opera House and Royal Shakespeare Company.
Address: Everyman Screen on the Green, 83 Upper St, London N1 0NP
Website: everymancinema.com
Electric Cinema Portobello
Best cinema for: Full-scale pampering
Electric Cinema Portobello underwent an extensive £2 million overhaul in 2001 (think lush red leather armchairs, footstools and double beds), so you may find it hard to believe it is one of the oldest working venues in England (originally built in 1911).
Before you become entranced by one of the mainstream or art house films on show - whilst wrapped up in a cashmere blanket and sipping a glass of red - head to Speedboat bar at the Electric (book ahead if you can).
Speedboat bar is more famous for its Soho venue, but this Portobello Road one serves all the same big hitters its famous for: tofu skin and pork wontons, whole sea bream and chicken skins.
Address: Electric Cinema Notting Hill, 191 Portobello Road, Notting Hill, London W11 2ED
Website: electriccinema.co.uk- Hampstead venue <em>(5 Holly Bush Vale, Hampstead, London NW3)</em>, which has an upper lounge that can cater to children's birthday parties, and you can order Spielburger from next door.\n<strong>Address:</strong> Everyman Baker Street, 96-98 Baker Street, London W1U 6TJ<br>\n<strong>Website:</strong> <a href=https://www.cntraveller.com/"http://www.everymancinema.com/venues/baker-street//" target=\"_blank\">everymancinema.com</a>\n<strong>Ciné-Real</strong>\n<strong>Best for:</strong> a one-of-a-kind experience (a visit is the perfect gift for the cinephile in your life)\nIf you’re looking for something unique, Ciné-Real is certainly that. Established in 2011, it proudly states it’s the only film club in the UK to exclusively play classic films on film. Less of a traditional cinema, Ciné-Real’s home is a shop full of vintage projectors, reels, VHS, and more, and it has a single-screen room with just 15 seats. You can get popcorn here, but don’t expect any fancy facilities. That’s all part of the charm, though. Plus, you can bring your own drinks, snacks and even birthday cakes.\n<strong>Address:</strong> 35 Lower Clapton Rd, London E5 0NS<br>\n<strong>Website:</strong> <a href=https://www.cntraveller.com/"https://www.cine-real.com//" target=\"_blank\">https://www.cine-real.com/</a><br>","contentType":"photo","credit":"","segmentedSources":{"sm":[{"height":480,"width":320,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/611bed6f8cad268421c2d2f3/master/w_320,c_limit/everyman-cinema-baker-street-london-conde-nast-traveller-24feb15-pr.jpg"},{"height":960,"width":640,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/611bed6f8cad268421c2d2f3/master/w_640,c_limit/everyman-cinema-baker-street-london-conde-nast-traveller-24feb15-pr.jpg"}],"md":[{"height":960,"width":640,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/611bed6f8cad268421c2d2f3/master/w_640,c_limit/everyman-cinema-baker-street-london-conde-nast-traveller-24feb15-pr.jpg"},{"height":1920,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/611bed6f8cad268421c2d2f3/master/w_1280,c_limit/everyman-cinema-baker-street-london-conde-nast-traveller-24feb15-pr.jpg"}],"lg":[{"height":1536,"width":1024,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/611bed6f8cad268421c2d2f3/master/w_1024,c_limit/everyman-cinema-baker-street-london-conde-nast-traveller-24feb15-pr.jpg"},{"height":3072,"width":2048,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/611bed6f8cad268421c2d2f3/master/w_2048,c_limit/everyman-cinema-baker-street-london-conde-nast-traveller-24feb15-pr.jpg"}],"xl":[{"height":1920,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/611bed6f8cad268421c2d2f3/master/w_1280,c_limit/everyman-cinema-baker-street-london-conde-nast-traveller-24feb15-pr.jpg"}],"xxl":[{"height":1920,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/611bed6f8cad268421c2d2f3/master/w_1280,c_limit/everyman-cinema-baker-street-london-conde-nast-traveller-24feb15-pr.jpg"}]}}}" data-testid="GallerySlideWrapper">
Everyman Baker Street
Best cinema for: Date nights
Set near shopping superhighways Oxford Street and Regent Street, the modestly-sized yet intimate Everyman Baker Street is extra cute for couples. You can lounge about in its lavish cocktail bar and take your drinks into the theatre when it's time for your film to start. Families with young children might prefer the Hampstead venue (5 Holly Bush Vale, Hampstead, London NW3), which has an upper lounge that can cater to children's birthday parties, and you can order Spielburger from next door.
Address: Everyman Baker Street, 96-98 Baker Street, London W1U 6TJ
Website: everymancinema.comCiné-Real
Best for: a one-of-a-kind experience (a visit is the perfect gift for the cinephile in your life)
If you’re looking for something unique, Ciné-Real is certainly that. Established in 2011, it proudly states it’s the only film club in the UK to exclusively play classic films on film. Less of a traditional cinema, Ciné-Real’s home is a shop full of vintage projectors, reels, VHS, and more, and it has a single-screen room with just 15 seats. You can get popcorn here, but don’t expect any fancy facilities. That’s all part of the charm, though. Plus, you can bring your own drinks, snacks and even birthday cakes.
Address: 35 Lower Clapton Rd, London E5 0NS
Website: https://www.cine-real.com/ 
Coldharbour Blue
Best cinema for: art house films
For 15 years Brixton was home to Whirled Cinema, before changing hands to Coldharbour Blue - which opened its doors in 2025 with plans to build on the legacy of Whirled. Set underneath the railway arches at Loughborough Junction, it’s just round the corner from better-known Brixton. The venue is almost-cave like, with an arched roof, lending itself to the intimate feel.
Membership is mostly required, and if you have one, no booking for a screening is required (yes, really). Plus, it's pretty affordable (£15 a month or £150 a year) and annual membership allows you to bring one guest for free to each screening. They have a partnership with Yard Sale Pizza too, so you can order directly to the cinema if you're feeling peckish.
Address: Coldharbour Blue, 259-260 Hardess Street, Loughborough Junction, London SE24 0HN
Website: coldharbourblue.com
Curzon Mayfair
Best cinema for: Red carpet glamour
For world-class art house pictures try the Curzon Mayfair, where blue carpeted floors, velvet armchairs and private royal boxes make for a prestigious experience - and a fitting venue for the dozen or so red carpet premieres it hosts each year. It mostly offers independent films, but also screens live satellite transmissions from the National Theatre, London's Royal Opera House and the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
Address: Curzon Mayfair, 38 Curzon Street, Mayfair, London W1J
Telephone: +44 333 321 0104
Website: curzoncinemas.com
The BFI Southbank
Best cinema for: critically-acclaimed pictures
Anyone who knows their Godards from their Tarkovskys will have heard of South Bank's unmissable, four-screen British Film Institute. As well as screening more than 2,000 titles each year, from the classic and contemporary to the critically-acclaimed, it hosts the BFI London Film Festival, the UK's largest public annual film event. Its mezzanine exhibitions showcase posters, scripts and costumes, and a wealth of books and free films fill the shelves of its Reuben Library and Mediatheque. Even if you don't have time for a film, pop to the Riverfront Bar & Kitchen and tuck into some seafood while looking out at views of the Thames.
Address: The BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London SE1 8XT
Website: bfi.org.uk
Ritzy Picturehouse
Best cinema for: retro south London vibes
The Ritzy has all the old-school grandeur of an iconic 20th century picture house. The scruffy glamour is authentic too: first opening as a cinema in Brixton in 1911. Now, part of the Picturehouse family, it has all the comforts you come to expect from these cinemas (a cool bar with great views and comfy seats are at the top of our list). But this grand old cinema also hosts comedy nights, has a rooftop, live music, open mic and dance workshops among them.
Address: Ritzy Picturehouse, Brixton Oval, Coldharbour Lane, Brixton SW2 1JG
Website: picturehouses.com
The Phoenix Cinema
Best cinema for: old-school vibes
Built in 1910, the Phoenix's antiquated exterior lends it a nostalgic appearance that will excite architecture obsessives and movie fans alike. Beyond showing feature films, live international opera and art house hits, it holds weekly screenings for children and toddlers, film studies classes and discussion groups. Grab a snack and a glass of wine in its café bar upstairs, where you'll find a selection of homemade cakes, soups and stews.
Address: The Phoenix Cinema, 52 High Road, East Finchley, London N2 9PJ
Website: phoenixcinema.co.uk
Rio Cinema
Best cinema for: matinees with the family
Rio Cinema is old-fashioned but cosy, and puts on an impressive variety of foreign and independent films alongside current Hollywood big hitters. On top of its late-night Saturday screenings, Sunday Matinees and monthly Classic Matinees, its programme is inclusive and family-focused. They have a “Classic Matinee” for over 60s (with free tea, coffee and biscuits), heard-of-hearing shows, “family flicks” which offer a more relaxed environment during school holidays and “carers & babies” viewings.
Address: Rio Cinema, 107 Kingsland High Street, London E8 2PB
Website: riocinema.org.uk
Regent Street Cinema
Best cinema for: a slice of cinema history
Step into the foyer of the Regent Street Cinema and you would be forgiven for not realising you were in the birthplace of British cinema. But while the outside is deceptively modern, the screening room is just as grand as one would expect from the 1800s. In fact, the gilded interior is so pretty you might forget to watch the film. Screening a selection of arthouse and world cinema, and are one of the only cinemas in the country to have an original working Compton cinema organ.
Address: Regent Street Cinema, 309 Regent Street, London, W1B 2UW
Website: regentstreetcinema.com
ArtHouse Cinema
Best cinema for: art, art and more art
There's a bit of everything for everyone at ArtHouse Crouch End: it's a must-visit North London destination for fans of film, fine art, theatre, comedy or dance - essentially, most of the arts. It screens a rich list of alternative content alongside a handful of the best popular picks of the moment. There's also a stylish café bar that hosts art exhibitions, comedy nights and live music, as well as an intimate mezzanine that can be privately hired.
Address: ArtHouse Cinema, 159A Tottenham Lane, London N8 9BT
Website: arthousecrouchend.co.uk
Ciné Lumière
Best cinema for: foreign film
Part of the Institut Français, the French Cultural Institute in London, Ciné Lumière is an Art Deco charmer right in the heart of stylish South Ken. Named after the Lumière brothers, its emphasis is on showcasing French, European and world cinema, and it is therefore a popular choice for foreign film lovers. The venue shows French classics on Sundays and subtitled films for children aged four and above - ideal for families or those looking to brush up on their beginner's French.
Address: Ciné Lumière, 17 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2DT
Website: institut-francais.org.uk/cine-lumiere
Prince Charles Cinema
Best cinema for: marathons and sing-alongs
For an extra special cinema outing, head to this London institution in the ever-frantic Leicester Square. It hosts a stream of both cult and classic screenings and events. Regular movie marathons and sing-a-long shows are part of the programme.
The cinema has a lot of high-profile fans, from director Quentin Tarantino to Christopher Nolan. It is renowned for its vast programme of over 850 films a year, showing across just two screens.
In 2024, it recorded record attendance for the 2nd year in a row, with over a quarter of a million tickets sold.
Address: Prince Charles Cinema, 7 Leicester Place, London WC2H 7RJ
Website: princecharlescinema.com
Genesis Cinema
Best cinema for: superior snacking
This one-time theatre (housing famous acts like Charlie Chaplin way-back-when) was converted to a cinema in the early 20th century. There are plenty of refreshment options, like Grindhouse Cafe for pastries and coffee, the Kiosk for classic cinema snacks, more substantial plates at The Kitchen (like pie and pizza), Bar Paragon for cocktails and beers, and even an outside space The Yard for catching rays in the summer.
Address: Genesis Cinema, 93-95 Mile End Rd, London E1 4UJ
Website: genesiscinema.co.uk
Olympic Studios
Best cinema for: rock’n’roll history
Olympic Studios first opened its doors more than 100 years ago, when you might have caught King Edward VII’s funeral rather than an indie arthouse film. After stints as a theatre and a television studio, it became a recording studio in the 60s housing the Rolling Stones and the Beatles as they recorded some of their classic albums. Now converted back to a cinema, its all brass tables, snuggly sofas and footstools for the ultimate relaxation while you watch. Add a membership at the members' club upstairs and you’ve got one of London’s plushest independent cinemas.
Address: Olympic Studios, 117-123 Church Rd, Barnes, London SW13 9HL
Website: olympiccinema.co.uk
Peckhamplex
Best cinema for: (really) affordable screenings of the latest block-busters
This South London institution isn’t London’s smartest cinema – set next to a multi-storey carpark (albeit one with a cool rooftop bar) in the heart of Peckham. And yet, its one of the most-loved cinemas in the capital. Tickets cost just £4.99 at any time on any day, making it just possibly one of the best value days out in London. Plus (and unusually for an indie cinema), it has 6 screens and shows all of the latest releases – and for real film buffs, arthouse films are screened too.
Address: Peckhamplex, 95a Rye Lane, Peckham, London, SE15 4ST
Website: peckhamplex.london
