City Screen Picturehouse

Movie theater · York

City Screen Picturehouse

Movie theater · York

1

St Martins Courtyard, 13-17 Coney St, York YO1 9QL, United Kingdom

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City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null
City Screen Picturehouse by null

Highlights

Riverside arthouse cinema with cafe/bar and tapas restaurant, live music and comedy in the basement.  

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St Martins Courtyard, 13-17 Coney St, York YO1 9QL, United Kingdom Get directions

picturehouses.com
@cityscreenyork

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St Martins Courtyard, 13-17 Coney St, York YO1 9QL, United Kingdom Get directions

+44 20 7326 2649
picturehouses.com
@cityscreenyork
𝕏
@CityScreenYork

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Last updated

Mar 4, 2025

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@onthegrid

"When York residents are squiring first time visitors around their home, City Screen is invariably on the schedule. The cinema is sort of York in microcosm, acting as a lively creative spot that hosts gigs, comedy nights and life drawing classes; a bar and restaurant serving unfussy, tasty food and local beers; and an intriguing architectural mish-mash with a top riverside location. Oh, and you can watch films too, both art house and blockbuster. They take movies the right kind of seriously here: variety, good sound, comfy seats and you can take a beer in with you." - Abell Design

On the Grid : City Screen
View Postcard for City Screen Picturehouse

Jodie Storey

Google
Cute cinema with a homely feel, went for dead northern and the staff were amazingly helpful and nice. Who ever organized this event did a great job! Bar was quick service.

Robwinz

Google
Great cinema I’ve only been the once but it was quite good. I’d definitely go again in the near future.

Hannah Jackson

Google
If you are stuck for lunch ideas trust me this is the place!! Selection of Japanese food, I had a dish which had dumplings and duck fried rice, delicious! We ate inside but also had a balcony you could go onto too

P H

Google
Great film programming, excellent NT LIve, Met Live, etc, lovely Grumpy Mule coffee, delicious chips, nice view. I love that it's liberal and accepting, and this little bubble only burst once for me in 18 years, (another customer, not staff), which I'd say is pretty good going. Keep up the intelligent, diverse, questioning and welcoming work, City Screen. You're fab.

A B

Google
We are members of the Picturehouse so have come for food in the past. However today’s food was well below par. I ordered chicken and halloumi burger with shoestring fries. In retrospect I should have sent it back as the fries were clearly overcooked. Easy to do with shoestrings but obviously makes a massive difference to whether or not you can actually enjoy them. That aside I ate the burger. Cheese warmed but not browned. Towards the end I came across a thick section of the chicken that was clearly not cooked through, I.e. pink flesh. Massive turn off and slightly concerned I may have contaminated the cooked chicken with raw unwittingly with my knife. Staff were defensive and rude, claiming …’well you eaten most of it’ What a joke?!? I ate the cooked part of the chicken and stopped when I hit a section of pink flesh…as you do. Am I meant to dice the entire thing up in advance of starting just to check it all over? No refund offered. Really very surprised. I won’t bother coming back. Will take more than a free drink to convince me they know how to cook and prepare food safely. Which I’d taken photos before returning the dish…

Julia Pattison

Google
Such a moving experience watching the preview of The Great Escaper today. A big thank you to the young man in charge of the lights in Screen 3 who didn't put the lights on until the credits had rolled. It was that sort of film. Nice touch too handing out complementary Cadbury chocolate bars on arrival. Thank you City Screen for a great experience.

Kim Adams

Google
A friendly place to have a drink , food or see a great film. Staff are very helpful & great fun!

M2G M2G

Google
This is a gem of a cinema. Walking up to the screening rooms offers fantastic views of the river and city. The screening rooms have a lovely atmosphere and feel. The food and drinks are excellent, staff are always friendly too.

Janet S.

Yelp
A great meeting place, lollygagging place or just something to look at. See a movie, have a coffee, a wine, brunch or lunch, inside or out. River view is splendid but fills up quickly on a fine day.

Angela C.

Yelp
Decent movie theatre, but not great. Given the limited options in York though, chances are you'll probably end up here. It's a pretty small theatre within the city walls. It's maintained nicely, with a small cafe at the entrance. There's a good variety of films always being screened, although since there aren't too many screens the times aren't always the most convenient. Americans beware though! If you are a butter lover like me, while the concessions do serve popcorn, there is no extra butter. Major disappointment. I don't care if it's healthier for me, it still stinks.

Brittany B.

Yelp
Great little theater in York! There is a bar area attached to the theater so you can grab a drink and a snack before your show. And, there are lots of drink and food/candy options for the movies, including a plethora of artisan snacks. Unfortunately, it's a Pepsi vendor (womp womp). The seats in the theater were some of the comfiest I've sat in, and the theater was super clean. Only bummer was that the bathroom was in the basement, so you had to hoof down the hall and two flights of stairs to use it, and rush back up to the show. Not a problem for myself, but if you, or someone you're with, can't get around very easily it might be a bit annoying. Would be my "go to" theater if I lived in the area.

Ben B.

Yelp
Even after the Cineworld buyout this is still a great place to catch a film... the best bit? The well behaved crowd. Been here many times and never have encountered that "oh goodness" moment you often get at cinemas when people come to chat or generally misbehave. The cinema is also host to a cafe/bar with good food and riverside seating, and a basement area that host various music and comedy acts, amongst others I'm sure. There aren't that many screens on offer, but they generally carry a good mixture of independent films and blockbusters... really only taking a hit when there's a few major ones on either side. This really is a miniature film goers paradise, especially if you're close to the city centre. They do a yearly membership that's a good value for any frequent visitors, but it's not the "all you can see" variety that is offered by Cineworld. The only downside is once or twice the aircon has been broken in one of the screens, but given it seemed to be fixed promptly it's probably not worth mentioning... we all have our bad days!

Richard W.

Yelp
I can't agree with review above. The city screen is more expensive but forvthe price you have a far better experience. Comfy bucket seats, a better gradient and being able to have a nice glass of wine while you watch the film are all worth a few extra quid in my opinion.

Qype User (pinkys…)

Yelp
Awesome little place - fantastic bar for spending a boozy afternoon lounging on comfy sofas or by the river. Tasty beers too - I like the Ghost Ale very much!

Qype User (allsin…)

Yelp
Picture house in York is located in the centre of York. Parking in York is expensive so its best to uses the Park and Ride services if you live outside the centre. Picture house opened its doors in 2000 with the help of a Lottery Grant. Previously to that the building stood deserted and derelict for over a decade. The Cinema overlooks the peaceful riverside of the Ouse and stands of the site of the old Yorkshire Evening Press buildings. After a major refurbishment and extensions to the building, the cinema has 3 screenings areas on its first floor. On the ground floor there is a reception area and counters to buy your tickets and refreshments. There is a lift to the first floor for disabled and pushchairs access and lower floor for the toilets. You will also find the lovely basement bar with Internet Cafe,which is fast becoming one of York's primary venues for comedy, live music, spoken-word performance and conferences. Picture house offer the national films plus Art house and independent. I love the 'Big Scream' facility run during the day for Mum's or Dad's with little ones. Its a good chance to get together with other parents and see a film with your little ones. The Autism-Friendly Screenings are priced at only £2.50 with the lighting and sound set at a level suited. The Silver Screen is for over 60's at reduced prices with a cup of tea and biscuits! The Saturday screenings are not as good as Cineworld or Vue as its £4 per child including adult compared to £1.75 (Vue) and £1 each (Cineworld), but the films at usually the same.

Martin R.

Yelp
Very cozy little theatre and given the size the screens are actually quite big, particularly when this is probably considered an "indy " cinema. The quality of the screen and the sound was definitely on par with anything you find at Vue or Odeon and I found that the seats and atmosphere was nicer. Beneath the screens is a small cafe where you can enjoy a drink or snack before the show. I went to see "The Imitation Game" there, and it felt like the perfect venue.

Qype User (mrmark…)

Yelp
Great little location in the heart of York. I love cinemas that give you the option of the latest blockbuster, or the indi film of the month the sound and picture quality is a good as anywhere in the North and the food and drinks aren't as much as other places. Ideal place to go for a quick 2 hour get away

Qype User (therem…)

Yelp
Much better than schlepping to the Vue multiplex a bus-ride from York, City Screen is a grown-up cinema: it's got a lovely bar-cum-cafe that spills out onto the riverside terrace in the summer months. You can even take hot and alcoholic drinks into the cinema itself, which is generally very comfortable. Though there's not a massive number of screens they generally show everything worth seeing. Maybe the best thing about City Screen is that, being smack in the centre of York, there's a plethora of options for pre- or post-film food and drinks. Generally a brilliant option for a free afternoon/evening.

Qype User (thecre…)

Yelp
The City Screen is a great alternative to the Vue and Cineworlds, being much smaller and personal (although still selling outrageously priced popcorn) the cinema can concentrate on its visitors and thus the sound is extraordinarily good far better than Vue and the seating is very comfortable. They tend to show a low more low budget or arty films here that aren't released in normal cinemas as well as the blockbusters. My cinema of choice.

Qype User (zakalw…)

Yelp
City Screen is part of the Picture House cinema chain and visiting it is a much more pleasant experience than your average multiplex. They show a great selection of films although, as another reviewer pointed out, having just three screens means a high turnover so each film is usually only on for a week or two. On Wednesdays they have the Big Scream, a screening for parents and children under 1 year old where the volume is turned down and the lights are turned up. They also have occasional one off screenings of classic films chosen by staff members and, at the moment, they're showing a different James Bond film every Sunday afternoon. The cafe is very comfortable and laid back with great coffee and a fine selection of cakes. There's also a bar downstairs (The Basement Bar) which often hosts comedians and other live acts. It's worth becoming a member of the cinema if you live in York - A year's membership includes three free tickets, discounts on food & drink and invitations to occasional free screenings.

Qype User (jeopar…)

Yelp
City Screen is a stylish cinema in central York and in fact is the only cinema in the city centre. It's bar/café is well worth a visit, and a good, if not particularly cheap, alternative to the chain coffee shops the same the country over. The bacon sandwiches are highly recommended! Shows blockbuster films alongside a great mix of limited release, classic and foreign films. If you're going to become a regular, it'll probably be worth becoming a member and getting discounts and freebies. The three screens themselves are large, and seating comfortable. The largest screen has a THX sound system and as such, is fantastic quality. Special viewings include the Big Scream for parents of under ones and the Silver Screen for the over 60s (includes brew and biscuits). Live comedy and gigs are presented in the basement which also hosts an internet café.

Qype User (Rejuve…)

Yelp
It's all going on here! Visit the website for all the latest offerings. http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/ Whether you're looking for comedy, cinema, good food or just a nice place for coffee and a catch up with friends, this is the place. There's even a discount for regular visitors. Once you've found this place you'll be back time and time again - I know I will.

Graham O.

Yelp
Interesting cinema in fantastic location showing eclectic choice of films. Probably not the largest screens in town, and maybe not showing all the biggest blockbusters, but depends what you want. Has an excellent cafe (or two) attached and is a thriving cultural hub. Love it.

Qype User (poddin…)

Yelp
where do i start? well its bang in the center of york! so parking will be a problem, if off for an afternoon showing, best to leave car at the park and ride, as some car parks/parking meters in the center of york are for 3hrs only through the day. at the cost of around £7.00 could be more? but i've not parked my car in york for ages! nunnery lane is a good one! but a little way out! it has its own cafe, bar and restaurant. not had the food as menu looks pricey, but the coffees are always good and drinks cold, glasses clean etc toilets are down stairs, and basicly, clean and have toilet paper! good number of cubicals, so never long to wait after a performance. they have an internet cafe section as well but never used it. i only ever go on a wednesday! you guessed it! orange wednesday, but dont worry if your not on orange network, as they bring the ticket prices down to £5.50 (adult) on wednesdays as well. some performances get sold out early, so pre book your tickets the snacks are very good value for money compared to other cinemas, 1 large drink 1 large popcorn and 2 large bags of sweets like m&m's, revels etc all for £10.00! this is on the combo option and there is a second option but i've not brought that one. so i've never felt the need to sneak in my own snacks to this place! (please check out the prices as they could change) took my son, nearly every wednesday during the school hol's as a treat for us both! the seats are well laid out, big and comfy! though vibrations can travel down them, i.e if your a leg shaker, the person sat 3 seats and more down from you will feel you, shaking that leg! they provide booster seats and cushions for children the cinema is very clean, i've never had to dodge popcorn or drink cartons when finding a seat! all the staff are friendly! my only gripe's are, and its nothing to do with the cinema, if taking children, make sure there old enough to understand not to constantly talk through the performance. that to remember where their feet are at all times! nothing worse then having someone constantly kicking back of your chair! not to rest there feet on the back of the chair in front! because thats just bad manners! and lastly don't be surprised if people turn and tell your children off for doing these things! as really you should have told them off! but with all that said, its a great cinema to go to, and at other times they have what i call arty films, less main stream films. also a kids club, early on in the day during school holidays and saturdays at really low prices

Qype User (Flatst…)

Yelp
A good cinema to visit much better atmosphere than the huge multiplexes. A reputation as an 'arty' cinema although it shows the new films too. We like it mainly because it has the best popcorn and a great cafe/bar attached that sells fabulous toasted bacon sandwiches that are huge - chips with mayonnaise dips lovely too. Lovely to sit outside on the balcony overlooking the river in summer. But back to the cinema - comfy chairs and clean. Friendly staff. There are also Silver Scream showings which allow parents with young children to attend where they wont be hushed at! a great idea.

Qype User (foxy-t…)

Yelp
This is a really lovely smallish cinema/screen. it shows the most up to date films but unfortunatly they don't show them for very long as they only have 3 screens and need to show the most recent films. you can also do the orange wednesdays too. This is the only cinema in the centre of the City.

Qype User (sky_ri…)

Yelp
The only cinema in the centre of York, leaving you with not much choice if you want to go and see a film. They do get most of the new releases and do a good world cinema programme late on a night. Tickets though, are quite expensive unless you manage to get discount through being a student etc and make use of Orange Wednesdays. All discounts stop on a weekend though, which includes Friday nights, meaning that everyone apart from children has to pay £7 a ticket. There is a nice cafe with views over the river and comfy sofas. The food is OK but not amazing and quite pricey for what it is, although my friends who are obsessed with tea like the range of teas they do. The service is really rather slow and the staff are slow to clear and clean the tables once people have left. There are better and cheaper cafes in York; go next door to Orgasmic to get more for your money.

Qype User (garlic…)

Yelp
CIty screen is the only cinema left in the center of york. It is fairly new so the seats are really comfy, the sound system is great and the picture quality good. It is done out very nicely and has a bar and cafe. The prices are fairly high though and the choice of films is limited.

Qype User (Imani_…)

Yelp
The coffee/bar is a little overpriced but it's still a great hub for meeting old friends, and the cinema generally has something good on. Not been to the basement though.

Qype User (cobrie…)

Yelp
this is a wonderful place for lunch or it has 3 screens and a fsb basement for music and comedy also serves fab coffee and food has it all!