Metro Cinema brings elevated private screenings and dinners to Chelsea

A luxurious new way to show movies has made its way to Manhattan.

Metro cinema will officially open on Wednesday, October 29 at 131 8th Avenue in Chelsea, offering a luxurious viewing experience through private screenings, gourmet menus and more.

Created by Tim League, founder of Alamo Drafthouse (with locations in the Financial District and Downtown Brooklyn), Metro Cinema combines upscale dining with an intimate curated experience, featuring twenty private cinema suites that can accommodate between four and twenty guests. Moviegoers can book the entire room for date nights, family gatherings and parties to screen new releases, classics, indie films and more.

“For more than a century, cinema has been experienced in a crowded theater surrounded by strangers,” League said. “We’ve changed that. Sharing dinner, drinks, a great movie and post-movie conversation with people you love in a spacious, relaxing environment is something special. We’re excited to share this new experience with New York City.”

While several New York City movie theaters offer a full menu of screenings, including the Brooklyn mainstay Nighthawk Cinema and that of the seaport IPIC TheatreMetro Cinema stands out as a dine-in cinema, with private suites equipped with wall-to-wall movie screens, state-of-the-art surround sound, motorized recliners, plush loveseats, a dining table and chairs, plus personalized food and beverage service.

The Metro Cinema Experience

The cinema experience at Metro Cinema begins even before the lights dim for the screening. Each suite has its own turntable and access to an extensive vinyl collection for a curated soundtrack to kick off the experience. When the music is selected, the suite transforms into an intimate dining room offering movie-themed, family-style, multi-course meals curated by Chef Joshua Guarneri.

This fall, a seasonal menu features local ingredients in dishes such as kampachi crudo, mushroom risotto, Peri Peri blue shrimp and a dessert trio. With the opening of Bad: forever a magical menu designed to transport diners to Oz includes curried pumpkin soup shooters, lamb tongue carpaccio (awkward for Dr. Dillamond), green dandelion salad, emerald shrimp, roasted beets, matcha cheesecake and a green elixir cocktail.

Metro Cinema also shows seasonal classics such as Planes, trains and cars pair with a traditional Thanksgiving feast including roast turkey and gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving Day; and a Chinese-inspired feast of roast duck, just what Ralphie and family enjoy A Christmas story on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Additional specials include a champagne toast plus 10 raspberries per guest for bookings of Amelie and an upcoming multi-course uni tasting menu for The delicacy screenings in January 2026.

At the entrance to the cinema is The Bar with No Name, open to everyone regardless of bookings. The bar, decorated with vintage movie posters and film memorabilia, is perfect for cinephiles to enjoy wine, beer, cocktails or non-alcoholic drinks. A daily Martini Happy Hour runs from 4pm to 6pm and offers $8-$10 martinis, gin and tonics, plus more cocktails.

Bookings for Metro Cinema are now open online at metrocinema.com. Guests can browse the library of current and classic films, select the size and menu of their private suite, and reserve their preferred date and time directly online. Movie theaters cost $50 per seat and include your own private suite, movie ticket, plus unlimited popcorn and soft drinks. Meals and drinks are offered at an additional cost.