City Screen Picturehouse

Stopped for a drink. £18 for 2 pimms and lemonade asked if I wanted fruit adding said yes, expecting strawberries etc but got a slice of lemon. They don't do cocktails. There was a pretty woman wearing a home made green dress outside, which was nice

The staff are very helpful and friendly. I highly recommend the cafe and cinema. They are also very supportive of the visual arts.

This is an Amazing place. One thing spoils it, the music is far too loud, and often an awful choice. Why spoil such a beautiful place, it is not necessary, people are so happy just chatting. We do not need to suffer the horrendous music. Can you turn down the volume, and perhaps something more soothing. Heavy metal blasting out is the last thing the bar eating area needs???

Best place in York for a sunny drink with a view of the river....BUT! Expect slow service, tables left dirty and a queue at the bar. It doesn't stop me returning, but there could be improvements! Edit: Chilled white wine is hard to come by here.

I have had many good experiences at City Screen over the years, but my recent experience there has put me off returning. I visited with my 20 year old daughter and, while she found a seat, I went to the bar to order a prosecco for myself and a wine for her. The server, who said his name was Will (he was early 20s, brown curly hair, and tall) had spotted my daughter and asked me for her ID. She had her university ID available on her phone but not her physical ID, which he said he could not accept. This was fair enough - if that doesn’t meet their policy, I accept that. What was unacceptable, however, was the treatment we received afterwards. I ordered a lemonade for my daughter instead, but the server became unnecessarily aggressive. He told us that he would be “watching us,” and made it very clear, almost threateningly, that if my daughter so much as took so much as a sip of my drink, we’d be kicked out. This went unnecessarily far beyond standard policy. We were under constant surveillance, as he watched us through the window for the rest of our visit, prioritising this over serving customers. As two women, it felt intimidating, harassing, and frankly humiliating. I respect their ID policy entirely, but there is no excuse for staff to make customers feel attacked or uncomfortable. A simple “sorry, we can’t accept that ID” would have sufficed. Unfortunately, because of the way we were treated, I will not be returning. I would advise other women to be wary.

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.

My friend and I watched Jurassic Park Rebirth at the Picturehouse while visiting York. The seats are fairly comfy and the price is reasonable. Staff are nice and friendly. Would definitely return.

Lovely place to have coffee and sit outside by the river. Can get busy so you need to be in a relaxed mood

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!