Mayfair Theatre — Local services in Ottawa

The Mayfair Theatre is one of my favourite places in Ottawa, period. They always are showing the latest in independent film, some foreign films, and the occasional classic too. I always have good experiences with the staff, just (finally) bought a membership and love listening to their weekly podcast.

If anything is left to be desired from me, it is subjective, such as the fact that I would appreciate the screening of more classic movies and movies that fit the venue but aren't brand new, like Tarantino movies. But as for universal traits that a theatre should strive to have, such as great food, prices, guest service, and sitting area, the Mayfair checks all of the boxes and then some.

The Theatre itself is a gorgeous heritage building that was built during the twenties or thirties (I forget which) and is quite the spectacle on its own. There's a lot of interesting history behind the building as well, which is on the theatre's website and I'm sure the staff will tell you all about if you ask them.

The Mayfair takes so much care in providing a good experience, that it deserves your business for that alone. They have a full-time projectionist, which the "big chain" doesn't have(trust me, I used to work for the big theatre company) and they usually have a staff member or two in the audience who will say something if someone is being disruptive. The place is always clean and is decorated by film enthusiasts (keep an eye out for Jabba's favourite trophy).

If you haven't gotten the gist of it, I definitely recommend The Mayfair Theatre. 10/10, go support a great local business and...

The Mayfair is my favourite cinema in Ottawa.

It has a nice combination of films. For example I’ve seen classics there like “Casablanca”, but also new releases like “Won’t You Be My Neighbour”, et cetera. They also do events where they highlight a particular director or performer and show their greatest hits (ex. Winona Rider or Stanley Kubrick), which is fun. I have noticed that they also have child-friendly matinees as well, which would make for a great family outing.

I think children and adults alike would get a kick out of the decor. Although it may look plain from the outside, the interior is really quite different in comparison to any other cinema I’ve been to. There are faux balconies, old film cameras, stained glass signs, toys and and all sorts of other memorabilia. The icing on the cake is the full-sized Han Solo in carbonite figure hiding in the back. It’s a great mix of history (it opened in the 1930s) and cinematic whimsy.

Also, they have the best Rocky Horror Picture Show with a full cast that I’ve ever experienced. It’s quite a ridiculous and over-the-top affair in the best of ways.

So yes, I would 100% recommend this theatre to both locals and...

This is my second review. Not sure what happened to the first one. Came here to see a documentary and do a workshop. The building has an old school charm; but, with it comes a distinct lack of accessibility. The front door, where the tickets and concessions are, has a step. The back door doesn't; but, it also required staff help because there isn't an outside door handle. As soon as you go inside the door, there's a steep hill to get to the seating area. They did have a nice spot for me to see everything. When it was over, it took two people to help me get out and back around to the front for my bus. Of course, I couldn't get up the steep hill and together with the guy pushing me, we couldn't open the door! That took a second person. There's no way for someone with a mobility device to go from the concession to the seats or vice versa, without going outside. The bathrooms, I am told, were also down some more stairs; so, I was glad to not need it. May try it again in the summer, when I'm not reliant on Para. The prices are quite reasonable and the events are more diverse than a conventional theatre, which earned my...