1 / 3Empire Cinema & Eatery
📍 Island Bay, Wellington
Empire Cinema & Eatery in Island Bay combines three screens with a cafe serving freshly made food and barista coffee. Reasonably priced tickets and a value snack pack available. Pram access and street parking nearby.
Great cinema with a good range of films - love coming here for the school holidays. Easy enough to find street parking near by. Cafe on-site has nice food and drink and makes for an easy trip out. Had a good value pack - $10 for small popcorn, fizzy drink and small bag of lollies with this visit. Worth noting that Cinema 3 upstairs doesn't have a lift access so was a bit of a challenge for granny to trek up and down there, but we made it. Smaller building and cafe area means it can get a bit busy at times, not always able to find a table but worth it when you can.
🏆 Family Action Verdict
A school-holiday favourite for Wellington families. Reviewers praise the "really fun atmosphere" and reasonably priced food. One long-time visitor describes the food as genuinely good and the staff as "really friendly." The value snack combo and Tuesday discounts make it an affordable outing.
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →1,047 Google reviews
Courtney Thompson
6 months ago
“Great cinema with a good range of films - love coming here for the school holidays. Easy enough to find street parking near by. Cafe on-site has nice food and drink and makes for an easy trip out. Had a good value pack - $10 for small popcorn, fizzy drink and small bag of lollies with this visit. Worth noting that Cinema 3 upstairs doesn't have a lift access so was a bit of a challenge for granny to trek up and down there, but we made it. Smaller building and cafe area means it can get a bit busy at times, not always able to find a table but worth it when you can.”
Samantha Macia
6 years ago
“I love this place. The food & snacks are so reasonably priced for a theater and it’s a really fun atmosphere to get dinner & see a movie. The food is really good (though I’d love to see more vegan options) and the popcorn/drink combo is reasonable (plus the popcorn comes in a cute little box & the soda comes in a glass!). Tuesday night movies for $10 is such a good deal. And the people who work here are really friendly. Definitely recommend for a night out.”
JP Coetzee
2 months ago
“Awesome cinema, great atmosphere, friendly staff and amazing food. Will definitely go there again!!!!”
Reviews from Google
Overview
Empire Cinema & Eatery is a well-loved neighbourhood cinema in Island Bay, Wellington, with three screens and an adjoining cafe. The cafe serves freshly made food and barista coffee at prices reviewers describe as reasonable for a theatre. A value snack pack combining popcorn, a drink, and lollies is available. Tuesday screenings are discounted for Cinebuzz members. Pram access provided. Cinema 3 is upstairs with staircase access only.
