Cinema

One of my favourite pastimes is going to the cinema. Another is going for a relaxing drink in a bar with friends. Wouldn’t it be nice, therefore, if you could combine the two? Well, there are now plenty of places in Dublin where you can, but my favourite is the Odeon Movie Club on Thursday nights.

Considered the height of trendiness and sophistication about a decade ago, the Odeon is now having to innovate to survive in tougher times. Hence the movie club. A decent-sized screen has been installed at one end of the bar, and an area is sectioned off behind heavy red curtains. The programme features classic movies based around a different theme each month.

Big, comfortable chairs, tables and candlelight create a kind of supper club effect, with a full waiter service throughout. There is no cover charge, so the bar makes its money on the food and drinks.

Unfortunately, going to a bar and going to the cinema do not quite make a perfect marriage. The constant movement of floor staff bringing food and drinks, and the clanking of glasses in the background, is somewhat distracting. If the movie is sufficiently absorbing, however, you do manage to blank this out after a while, and the films featured here almost invariably are good.

Any time I’ve been to the movie club, most if not all of the tables have been occupied, so booking ahead is advisable. Check out the website below for details of upcoming films.