From cannibal romance Bones and All to culinary thriller The Menu and local flick Mister Organ, there are some excellent films to see right now. And, there’s a brand new place for Aucklanders to watch them on the big screen, as Silky Otter has opened in Ponsonby.

The boutique cinema now has four locations across the country, and is known for its plush, high-tech theatres with luxury leather recliners and cutting-edge screens and sound.
This new location has four auditoriums, three with 28 seats and one smaller, more intimate theatre you can hire for events.

Silky Otter Ponsonby is fronted by a cocktail bar and restaurant, and this was a key focus, says CEO Neil Lambert. “From our perspective, we wanted to create something that fitted into Ponsonby. We’ve got our Silky Otter brands that we run across the country, and one of the key functions of the brand is to make people enjoy going to the movies – to have a ‘night out’ experience.”

Never miss a moment. Make sure you're subscribed to our newsletter today.

SUBSCRIBE NOW

They wanted to elevate the experience to compare with the suburb’s many popular bars and restaurants, including those in the wider Ponsonby Central complex.

“[So] we landed on the idea of a cocktail lounge and restaurant to the front, and attaching cinemas to the back,” Lambert tells Broadsheet, “rather than, traditionally, you … create a cinema and you put an eatery on that.”

At the SO Lounge, you can order sharing plates such as chicken liver parfait with parmesan crostini, hoisin duck lettuce cups and fried chicken with truffle honey. There’s also a selection of sliders, cheese and antipasto boards and truffle and parmesan fries – and the classics haven’t been forgotten, with popcorn, chocolate and lollies also available.

Running short on time, or want to feast while you watch? You can request to have your food and drinks delivered to your seat.

“Do people want to sit in an auditorium with flip-down seats, sticky carpet and popcorn everywhere? No, probably not as much anymore – not unless there’s a real reason to,” says self-described movie buff Lambert. Cinemas need to offer more than just a big screen and some popcorn, he says.

“We’re all time-poor as well; we don’t always have the time to go to dinner and then go to a movie. So, especially if you’ve got kids and have hired babysitters, to be able to incorporate [this] as one good night out is amazing.”

Silky Otter Ponsonby
11 Richmond Road, Ponsonby

Hours
Mon to Sun 10am–10pm

Silkyotter.co.nz