1 / 3Akaroa Cinema
📍 Akaroa, Canterbury
Reel Cinema Akaroa is a boutique cinema in central Akaroa with two small theatres offering tiered seating and a quality sound system. An attached café serves coffee, cabinet food, and pizza including vegan options.
I am a vegan. This is not hard to cater for. After trying 4 other restaurants, we finally came here. They have vegan cheese, which can be used on their pizza. And the lovely people running the place said they will always have a vegan salad available. It was a good-looking salad at that. Service was fantastic and the food was really good. I had the small margherita pizza, which was delicious and more that enough for dinner. We got it as a takeaway. Thanks so much to the crew at Ethels for having great vegan food in a town that seems lacking. Vegans looking for a feed? Come here first, you won't be disappointed.
🏆 Family Action Verdict
Reviewers describe the Akaroa Cinema as a genuinely warm and welcoming experience, with staff who actively look after their guests. The boutique scale means the experience feels personal rather than transactional, and the attached café with its hill views makes it a comfortable place to spend time before and after screenings.
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →76 Google reviews
Megan Andrews
3 years ago
“I am a vegan. This is not hard to cater for. After trying 4 other restaurants, we finally came here. They have vegan cheese, which can be used on their pizza. And the lovely people running the place said they will always have a vegan salad available. It was a good-looking salad at that. Service was fantastic and the food was really good. I had the small margherita pizza, which was delicious and more that enough for dinner. We got it as a takeaway. Thanks so much to the crew at Ethels for having great vegan food in a town that seems lacking. Vegans looking for a feed? Come here first, you won't be disappointed.”
Olivia Taylen
2 years ago
“I walked in and they were fully booked for the Boys in the Boat movie so I decided to have a coffee instead. A little while later the cashier came over and told me there was a cancellation and if I wanted to still buy a ticket. It was very thoughtfully for her to make the effort to come over and sell me the available seat. It was also my birthday. A small but very comfortable theater. Would recommend 10/10!”
Daniela amritha
7 years ago
“Such a cute place! Lovely view to the lush hills. A good cappuccino. Nice and friendly owner.Annnnnd...wifi!!! What else if you are far from home..come here if you are visiting Akaroa. Not far from the wharf. And beauuuutiful cottages on Rue Jolie where the cinema is situated. Akaroa library is also situated in the building.”
Greg Nikoloff
5 years ago
“Wonderful boutique cinema with two theatres adjacent to the public library on corner of Selwyn and Rue Jolie South. Has great coffee and good seats with tiered seating. Theatre Sound system and acoustics is good. Has some P120 parking opposite on Selwyn st.”
Reviews from Google
Overview
Reel Cinema Akaroa (formerly Ethels) operates two intimate theatres in central Akaroa with tiered seating and a well-regarded sound system. The attached café serves coffee, cabinet food, and pizza with vegan cheese available, creating a relaxed pre- and post-film space with views of the surrounding hills. The cinema offers free parking and pram access, and sits next to the public library on the corner of Selwyn and Rue Jolie South.
