If you’ve ever been squashed into a West End theatre seat you will know the awful truth – British bottoms are getting bigger. The seating at the latest Everyman cinema takes this uncharming fact into account. Nestling on level -2 of Cross Rail Place, Everyman Canary Wharf has just opened. It’s plush. The seats are a mix of two person sofas and relaxing arm chairs. Along with cushions and wooden side tables there’s none of that excuse me, excuse me, sorry, thank you, whoops was that your toe, as you have to stand up for people to reach their seats – there’s probably enough leg room to stand up and do a song and dance routine if the occasion demanded.
The Canary Wharf complex is not an easy place to navigate, especially when some lifts only go to certain levels and others do go to the level you want but will only let you open the door if you are staff. For your first visit allow time or follow these handy instructions… Turn right out of Canary Wharf tube. Now walk in a straight line through the shopping centre and back outside the other side. Keep going forward until you can’t go further any more and turn right. The entrance you need is fairly obvious along there on the left.
Once you find the cinema there is a large bar area, full of velvet arm chairs and a long bar – it’s far more obvious where you buy food than where you buy tickets. The antipasti platter is a good choice, as is the thick, icy vanilla milkshake served in one of those currently trendy jam jar mugs..For an extra fee you can ‘go hard’, with a shot of alcohol. I chose a dash of kahlua which made a coffee-tinged drink entirely unsuitable for children. The food can be taken through into the screens and will even be brought into the film for you. This is probably fantastic if it is your food arriving but I can foresee it being annoying if the man in front of you has a delivery of hot dogs and pizza at a vital moment of a film.
What just happened?
I don’t know – I think the waiter delivered a PImms and a chocolate brownie…
This is a luxurious cinema experience and brings to Canary Wharf the usual eclectic Everyman selection of films – art house, mainstream, indie and foreign. I watched Romain Duris’ latest The New Girlfriend which studies an unusual effect of grief. You can see a full review above.
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