Sometimes you want a more intimate cinematic experience than one of the big multiplexes can provide. For those films, Light House Cuba is a great option. Despite only having three cinemas, it showcases a wide range of films, ranging from the arthouse to the international to the mainstream, and a great cafe, too.
With The Embassy and the Paramount dominating Wellington’s art house cinema scene in the CBD, it’s easy to forget about the Light House Cuba, a relatively recent addition, nestled behind the architecture school on Wigan St. But keeping an eye on its schedule pays off, with it often showing foreign or arthouse films that wouldn’t get a look-in on the bill elsewhere. The facilities are new and cosy, and its proximity to the ever-excellent Havana, Fidel’s and Southern Cross means it’s easy to combine dinner (tapas? pizza? stonegrill?) with a show.
I’ve always loved Light House in Petone and was over the moon when I heard they were opening one right in town! You can get delicious hot coffees, tasty cabinet food and yummy Rush Munroe’s ice cream to take into the cinema and what’s more, once in you can relax on their cosy seats complete with cushions!
The laid-back but intimate atmosphere at Light House means your movie watching experience is more like snuggling up in your lounge with friends to watch a good movie. And they only have good movies, none of this bad movie stuff! The staff are ultra cool too and they have a good selection of snack foods to munch on while you enjoy the flicks. It really is a beacon of cinematic enjoyment.
Wigan Street just gets better and better. Between Havana Bar & Restaurant and Light House Cinema, you can have a pretty great night out, all contained within a side street alleyway. Who saw that coming?! Drop past Havana Restaurant for dinner, head over to Light House for a movie, then head back to Havana Bar for some drinks and music. Too good alright, too good.