Olympic Studios

Very nice cinema, with nice reclining seats. But food on the other hand, the burger was overcooked and a bit rubbery, 18 pounds and all it came with was a relatively small burger and a little bit of fries. Service was fast. Lighting was on the dim side but nice and the vibe was good along with the music level and choice.

Phenomenal food. Everything was served with passion and love for food and cinema. Lovely atmosphere. This is the best spot in London for foodies and cinema fans. We stopped by for lunch and had to come back for dinner. Made our lovely weekend holiday extra special. Highly recommended, a gem

The food, service, and atmosphere were all good. We really enjoyed the experience overall. However, I was disappointed with how the drinks were priced. The menu listed Aperols as £4.50, but the actual charge was £13, which felt misleading. Full drink prices should be clearly stated on the menu to avoid confusion. This lack of transparency was unnecessary and took away from an otherwise great visit

Great historic location which is now a very cool restaurant downstairs, a members club upstairs and an artsy cinema as well. The photos are from the restaurant and the members club. I was invited by a member and the upstairs section is not open to the public I think. The food was excellent and the vice is great. The menu is the same downstairs and upstairs.

We came in for a drink before the film we were going to watch, it was uncomfortable. The service was impersonal and awkward, as if they didn’t want us there. The cocktail, an apple and chilli margarita, sounded nice in concept but tasted artificial and pretty awful and for £14.76 with the addition of service charge. On the service charge, we were directed away from the bar and to a table to order, yet were asked to pay immediately. For an empty bar the service, and drink, were just was not there

Dropped by for some light refreshment. Had a pot of tea and a bacon brioche roll, very tasty. Staff were so friendly and I took the chance to explore the cinema. Toilet facilities are very clean as well. Check it out.

I absolutely adored seeing Olympic Studios. I started with a coffee in the café, before touring the building including that incredible theater...wow! I was able to see the new recording space on the top floor, still under construction. Finally, I enjoyed seeing the record store right across the street and meeting Roger who runs the shop. The whole experience was so special. A big thanks to Catherine who took time to give me the V.I.P. tour. What a special place...one in a million!

I love eating here especially when the sun comes out. Fabulous menu on offer. I often come for breakfast or to relax outside in the sunshine when it's warm. The food is delicious and fantastic healthy options. Such a joy to sit near the blossom n the spring sunshine. I had the red rice with brocoli and grilled chicken with mint Moroccan green tea, definitely a good choice. Staff are always welcoming, attentive and friendly. This reminds of being in France, sometimes it's nice to have a bit of escapism under the canopy watching the world drift by with friends and neighbours spontaneously joining me in my chill out zone.

Movie theatre is located in area once visited by the Stones, Beatles who recorded here. Screen room 1 ( saw LaLa Land) was extremely comfortable, with fantastic acoustics. Wide aisles, roomy seats make you feel like your in the comfort of your own home. Regal and AMC get on board!

This is a seriously luxury cinema with wide reclining chairs and loveseats. The sloping is not quite right - if people in front of you sit bolt upright you're likely to have their heads obstructing an irritating amount of the bottom of the screen but it certainly didn't ruin my experience. Sound quality seemed excellent. Matinee seats were not too expensive (£10) but I think in the evening you're close to West End prices. Some gripes: the snacks range. Popcorn not particularly fresh (it cannot be as it is in sealed bags). Giant bags of chocolate not readily available. On the plus side, there is delightful bar downstairs you can access without going outside. I saw the Hobbit here in 3D. No fault of the cinema, really, but I wouldn't see the next instalment in 3D. Due to the camera used in some of the scenes the lighting made it look more like a cheap BBC sitcom than a beautifully shot epic fantasty film. See the Qype User reviews for some fascinating information about the history of this building as a recording studio - a great shame it was shut down, and a pity it couldn't have been an awesome Stax-style museum, but the cinema conversion is certainly not a total tragedy.

The cinema is just fantastic and you should definitely see a movie here. They've put their budget where it counts: a top notch multimedia surround sound system, and ridiculously comfortable seating. You can even sit in a settee with your sweetie! It's not only a great cinema, but a terrific place to get a bottle of wine and sit outside to people watch, have a gorgeous brunch, a tasty dinner, or even just a pastry. I have spent alot of time at this wonderful place and cannot recommend it highly enough. (Go there for breakfast, and order the egg white omelette with basil and ricotta. I promise, you will thank me.)

A small but modern and stylish cinema on a stretch of high street in Barnes. Seats are reclining, comfy and the theatre screens smart and generous in proportion. We tried their home-made ice-cream too which was lovely. Tickets are a touch more than a nearby chain but it's worth it for a cute local cinema and it's friendly staff. Easily accessible from Hammersmith or Richmond and a good selection of restaurants nearby if you're making a night of it.

A famous recording studio has been snapped up by a Barnes businessman with dreams of turning it into a boutique cinema. In its heyday, Olympic Studios was one of the top independent recording studios in the country with stars including the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, U2 and Oasis passing through its doors. But it closed in November 2008 after owners EMI said it was no longer viable. The studios, in Church Road, Barnes, were sold earlier this year for a reported £3.5m. Now it has emerged its new owners plan to turn the historic building into a two-screen cinema re-creating its early life. The building, which dates back to 1906, was originally called Byfeld Hall and was used as a centre of entertainment for the community. It later became a cinema. But it has been closed to the public since the 60s when it became a recording studio.

Love this cinema! It has a very interesting history of originally being a cinema in the early 20th century and then turned into a studio in the 1960s, producing some of the most iconic bands and music. It was a thriving studio for decades but fell victim to the massive decline in recording studios all over London, and was closed in 2009. Now it's a cinema once more and it also has a restaurant on the main floor. The cinema itself is very luxurious with all red reclining chairs and small tables to put your drinks and snacks on. The surround sound system is very very loud; may not be suitable for sensitive ears. However, I very much enjoyed my movie and my visit and hope to come see another show again soon.

Good cinema. Terrible restaurant. Poor food. Poor service. Very nasty , overpriced. Very bad indeed .

The building itself is a stunning piece of early 20th century architecture, which was originally built to be a theatre for the Barnes Repertory Company, and later became a cinema. Guild TV bought the building in the late 1950s and converted it into a film studio. In 1965 it changed hands and became Olympic Sound Studios. The studios won Music Week Magazine Best Recording Studio, five times. However the studio facilities were closed down by the merged EMI and Virgin Group in 2009. Recent reports suggest it is set to be converted into an independent local cinema to incorporate reminders of the building's rich history. Many film scores and orchestral works were recorded during this period. The studio also produced film music for The Italian Job (1969), the film version of Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. People who have used the studios include The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Queen, David Bowie, The Small Faces, Traffic, Hawkwind, The Moody Blues, Deep Purple, and Procol Harum. Steve Tyler was one artist to have recorded here shortly before it closed and visited Marc Bolan's Rock Shrine while he was in Barnes. I spotted the photo on the Qype listing for his shrine.