Genesis Cinema
ENTRY
from £4.99
SETTING
Indoors
WHERE
London
What it’s like
An old-school East End cinema with a giant main screen and sofa-seated studios, plus a cheap-as-chips Parent and Baby show.
This is the sort of cinema where the building does half the work. Screen 1 is huge, 566 seats, proper old picture-house scale, while Studios 4 and 5 swap rows of seats for sofas and armchairs if you fancy something cosier with a smaller crowd. There's also the odd 35mm classic screening for anyone wanting to show the kids what film actually used to look like before everything went digital.
Money-wise, Monday to Wednesday is the day to go: everyone pays £4.99 a ticket, adult or child, which is about as fair as cinema pricing gets. Thursday nudges the adult price up to £7.75 while under-14s stay at a fiver, and if you want 3D it's £2.50 on top. Seats in Screens 1 to 3 are unallocated, so if it's a busy Thursday evening you'll want to get there early rather than trust it'll sort itself out.
If you've got a baby in tow, the Thursday 2.30pm Parent and Baby screening is worth knowing about, under 24 months goes in free, though outside of that slot under-2s aren't admitted unless it's a U or PG film. Food-wise there's the Grindhouse Café for coffee and pastries, plus a Kitchen and Kiosk for popcorn and snacks, but outside food and drink gets left with security at the door, which is a faff if your toddler's mid-snack when you arrive.
Wheelchair access covers the foyer, café and Screens 2 and 3 straightforwardly, but Screen 1 needs the stair climber, which has a 150kg weight limit including the chair and user. It's a short walk from Whitechapel, Bethnal Green or Stepney Green tube if you're coming without a car.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- Good for families with school-age kids and babies at the Thursday matinee
- Food
- Grindhouse Café (coffee from Nude Espresso, pastries from Rinkoffs bakery), The Kitchen, Bar Paragon, and Kiosk (popcorn, snacks, sweets
- Wheelchairs
- Wheelchair access to Foyer, Gallery, Café, Kiosk, Screens 2-3, Studios 4-5
- Getting there by bus or train
- Whitechapel, Bethnal Green and Stepney Green tube stations
- Monday to Wednesday is the cheap day, £4.99 flat for everyone
- Screens 1 to 3 have unallocated seating, so busy evenings mean arriving early
- Outside food gets held by security until after the film, not confiscated for good
- No refunds if plans change, but vouchers last a year
- Bar Trash is 18+ only if you're hoping for a family drink afterwards
Plan your visit
How much are tickets?
Everyone pays £4.99 Monday to Wednesday. Thursdays it jumps to £7.75 for adults, though under-14s stay at £5, and 3D adds £2.50 a ticket.
Do we need to book ahead?
There's no booking requirement listed, and seats in Screens 1 to 3 are unallocated, so turning up early on a busy day gets you the better seats.
Is it alright to bring a baby?
There's a Parent and Baby screening on Thursdays at 2.30pm where under-24-months go free. Outside that slot, under-2s aren't let into regular screenings unless it's rated U or PG.
Can we bring our own snacks?
No, outside food and drink has to be left with security, who'll give you a ticket to collect it after the film.
What's there to eat inside?
The Grindhouse Café does coffee and pastries, there's a Kitchen for proper food, and the Kiosk covers popcorn and sweets. It all closes around 25 minutes after the last film starts, usually about 9.25pm.
Is the cinema wheelchair accessible?
The foyer, café, Kiosk and Screens 2 and 3 have straightforward wheelchair access. Screen 1, Bar Paragon and The Kitchen need the stair climber, which takes up to 150kg including chair and user.
What are the studios like?
Studios 4 and 5 are smaller rooms, 40 to 42 seats, kitted out with sofas and armchairs instead of standard cinema seats. Those two have allocated seating, unlike the main screens.
How do we get there without a car?
Whitechapel, Bethnal Green and Stepney Green tube stations are all close by, and several buses stop nearby including the 25, 205 and 106.
What if we need to cancel?
There are no refunds on tickets, but they'll offer a voucher instead that stays valid for a year.
Can we just get food without watching a film?
Tell security at the door and they'll let you through to Bar Paragon or The Kitchen without a ticket.
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