Everyman Cambridge — Local services in Cambridge

My partner and I were gifted an Everyman voucher last christmas, and we both really liked the look of the Sinners trailer so decided to go a couple of nights ago.

On first impression, the bar/restaurant area is absolutely stunning and gave real old money vibes. We weren’t entirely sure how food/drinks worked and one of the waitresses was very helpful in explaining how the night would go. We were waiting a bit longer than we would have liked for our drinks, but we were understanding as the bar was starting to get busy.

We decided to order all of our food when we actually sat down in the cinema and we definitely agreed that next time, we would eat hot/main course food before we go into the screening. The tables were way too small for all of the food we ordered. I do think they should provide bigger tables if they are offering restaurant style portions of food. The tables work fine if you’re planning on just getting a couple sweet bits though.

We ordered the double smashed cheeseburger, margherita pizza, chips and salsa, salt and pepper squid and hot honey halloumi; all of which was very nice and arrived way before the film started. One of the managers greeted everyone before the film started and spoke of her opinion on the film which made the experience a lot more intimate and personal.

The only reason I haven’t rated our experience a 5* is because halfway through the film, we fancied the sweet snacks and so we went out to the bar to place an order but were told they were no longer serving. Whilst we totally understand it had gotten late etc, it would have been nice to have been told what time they allow last orders. The lady behind the bar was very apologetic and did give us a free portion of salted popcorn which was much appreciated.

Overall, I wouldn’t come every single time I wanted to see something in the cinema because it is that bit more expensive. However, I would defo recommend coming to Everyman Cambridge if there’s a film you are really excited for and fancy making it a bit more special. My only advice would be that if you are planning to actually have dinner here and desserts/sweets, arrive an hour and a half prior to the film starting and eat your mains in the restaurant area and then order sweets etc...

What a great gem of a place. Perfect staff. You know they're well managed and well paid, or get great benefits, when all of them thank you for your visit on your way out. Sure the screens aren't massive, but it doesn't matter, they're perfect sizing for the style and set up of the movie theatre. The seating is wide and well spaced, so it doesn't feel over packed. There are little foot stools but the seats don't recline (but to be honest the seating woukd feel weird if they did). They clearly (clearly) put a high level of detailing in to their cleaning and service. Not having a bunch of teenagers talking all the way through the film is also a plus. Definitely worth the couple of extra quid for the tickets. I did get the feeling that they probably really need the customers to stay profitable, so I will happily take my mother there again to ensure this place stays open.

A few things to remember.

If you have to travel by car, leave 15 mins before your satnav says you will arrive, as traffic can be bad (as in the last 0.3 miles in 15-20 mins bad).

Films tend to start 20 mins or so after the official start time, but you can order food and drinks direct from your seat (but not once the movie begins) so if you are a couple of mins late because of the traffic it is not the end of the world.

Park at level 2 in the Grand Arcade if you have a disability badge (as they have 28 disabled bays onky on that oevel) so not the first entrance to -1, but the second entrance to the parking 2 and higher levels. If you are there early they have a bar and seating area, so you won't sit around bored.

Bring a shawl or blanket as there is a slight chill in the air in the theatre (standard at any cinema to be honest).

Leave your concessions on the tables at the end, rather than walking out to find a trash can, as you won't find one as they'll have someone thoroughly cleaning after/as you leave.

Hope you enjoy the experience as...

First trip to an Everyman cinema and I was very underwhelmed. The ticket price is almost double most other cinema’s. For that price you kind of expect an amazing atmosphere and professional service.

The whole cinema was just dirty. Loads of tables hadn’t been cleaned and the carpet everywhere was just filthy. We were told the screen wasn’t ready yet so had to wait in the lobby. Then we got told it was ready only to get to the screen to be told it was another 5 mins. Finally we sat down and it was just complete chaos with the food and drink. Most of the staff didn’t seem to know what they were doing or even where they were. I ordered a milkshake and some chocolate buttons which came to £10.50 (£6.50 for the milkshake and £4 for the buttons). The milkshake arrived fairly quickly, and it was a decent milkshake. I then had to ask 3 times for the buttons, paying £4 I was not going to forget about them. The first two times I got palmed off saying they were coming. After 15 mins I asked again and they admitted they had forgotten them. They come in a tub and there was around 10-12 buttons there, I understand cinemas have a mark up but this was just a rip off.

The seats were decent, better than standard cinema seats but not as good as Vue. The tables on the seats were in an uncomfortable position. People still talked through the film, not Everyman’s fault but I thought that after paying nearly £20 for a ticket people would actually prefer to watch the film here.

Overall, not a great experience for the money paid. Overpriced and staff are is serious need of further training and organisation if they are placing themselves as a luxury experience. In future I will probably stick to Vue for half the price, with better seats and bring...