The Electric was before its complete makeover a few years ago, my favourite cinema in London. There was something about the place, its location, its history, the films being shown, that made the place special. It is now very different, much more commercial but very cool with huge comfortable leather seats where one can pretty much lay down even more comfortably than in one’s own couch! There is a bar in the cinema serving alcohol and even double leather “beds” at the back for those looking for something really different. The downside is that there are quite fewer seats compared to other cinemas and the shows are invariably booked in advance (very annoying for people like me who don’t tend to plan such things really in advance) and also quite expensive. But The Electric has redefined the cinema experience so it is worth a little premium (and people seem to agree since it’s always full). Note that on certain weekdays they have special shows for young mums with their kids under two.

Whenever i come to london the electric normally gets a visit. If its for food or the cinema it always provides a good serice. Apart form when they ran out of milk during the breakfast serice.

I’m sure I’d love it, it seems just my sort of place.

This is cinema in style! Every seat in this kitschy one-screen Notting Hill movie theatre is big, leather and supremely comfortable, and comes with a table for your popcorn and drink. I don’t mean an airline style tray that you pull down from the seat in front of you, I mean an actual coffee table. The star-studded short which plays before the feature film imploring you to turn your mobile phone off and adhere to other similar rules is worth a visit in itself, and while at first glance you may think the prices exhorbitant, even a brief thought about what you normally pay in your local multiplex to be treated like an inconvenience by the school-age staff and to sit in uncomfortable, sticky and cramped seats will convince you that the joy of the Electric is worth a couple of extra pounds. If you really want to splash out, the two sofas at the very back of the cinema cost £30 each and come with enormous poufs which transform these already large seats into something closer in relation to a double bed.

The Electric screens a mixture of Hollywood blockbusters and arthouse and/or foreign films, and also celebrates festivals or seasons during the year when a particular genre of film is given precedence, but owing to the fact that it only has one screen film-choice here is very limited. I would suggest that the higher than average prices and lack of choice rules the Electric out as a regular haunt, but is an ideal place to go for a treat or a special occasion. The multitude of great places to eat and drink just metres from the door is another draw, and yet another factor that makes this such a good place to go when you want to treat yourself!