Roxy Bar and Screen

gilka

Space Oddity 8th March 2009

1 found this helpful

I went there for a friend's birthday after failing to enter to the Shunt... My first impression when I entered was that I am going to hate it but after a while I noticed that the screen was displaying slides about galaxies which was great and there were a group of people dressed as Aliens. We had some really funny conversations with them and the atmosphere was lovely. It was £2 to get in.

Litro_K

Fine Film and Food in a Foxy Setting 28th January 2009

3 found this helpful

I think I may have actually clasped my hands together and squealed with delight the first time I walked into the Roxy. It opened rather quietly and unassumingly in the summer of 2006, and a friend told me about the concept. A cinema with a bar attached? A bar with a cinema attached? Whichever it was, I was excited. It seemed to me such a fantastic idea that I’m still shocked there aren’t more of them.

Having said that, the originality of this place is what makes it special. The first time I went, I immediately felt oddly at home, and also like I’d walked into a dream sequence from Twin Peaks. Never mind what that says about me – the Roxy, on a busy night, oozes cool and creativity, with an edgy twist. The crowd there is young and cine-savvy - expect lots of thick black-rimmed glasses and snippets of conversation about Kurosawa.

Long red velvet drapes surround the screening section at the back and are duly drawn when a film is on, minimising noise from the long bar at the entrance. There’s not a lot of talking when a film is on, either; cinephiles are very respectful folk. During the first year or so, the films were all free to attend. Right at the beginning, they even used to give out popcorn free on the tables. However over the past year most of the films have incurred a £3 cover charge, which is still excellent value considering the hike in cinema prices everywhere else.

Food is reasonably priced and decent by pub standards. Having a table to eat it on requires an early arrival and a punctual group of friends unless you’ve booked in advance, but there are cosy sofas, romantic booths and of course always the floor, if you don’t make it before the crowds arrive. Drinks are also good value and they often have unusual beers like Blue Moon available. Another good sign: no one looks at you funny when you order a White Russian. In fact, they’re encouraged on Coen Brothers film nights.

My one major qualm of late is that they’ve started to diversify what they put on, to the point of showing football – football! – on slow Sunday afternoons. For a place that has shown a fantastic awareness of low-budget, independent and foreign films which are hard to come by except on DVD, bowing to the masses and showing sport like any ordinary pub is (almost) unforgivable. Still, their weekly mailout confirms that there is still plenty to satisfy the culture snobs among us: Central Station tonight, a film and TV quiz tomorrow, Linha de Passe on Sunday and Gomorrah on Monday…proof indeed that there’s still an alternative heart beating in this particular corner of South London.

Wheely at 03/02/09

Well written, interesting, amusing. I was enjoying reading this review 'till that bit about sport being shown hit my eyeballs - yuk ! Are the management aware of this Trusted Places site ? They will get better quality feedback on their business compared to a silly survey or following the concensus view! Showing sport (especialy football) in an interesting venue like this is akin to Ann Robinson going into politics or religion ! Seriously good review though. Move over Charles Campion, you have competition.

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