The Ritzy

The Ritzy is one of London's proper independent cinemas, stuck in Brixton with the kind of character the big multiplexes have long forgotten. Built in 1910, the building itself is worth the trip - art deco frontage, ornate plasterwork inside, the whole lot. You're watching films here, not just sitting in some corporate pod.

The programming is genuinely good. It's not all blockbusters - you'll find restored classics, international stuff, documentaries, the occasional live broadcast from the National Theatre if you time it right. The seats aren't luxury recliners (they're proper cinema seats, nothing fancy) but there's something about that which feels right. Film enthusiasts and anyone who remembers what going to the pictures used to feel like will absolutely get it. Kids can see films here too, though younger ones might fidget through a three-hour Eastern European drama.

Admission costs what you'd expect for London cinema tickets - not cheap, but standard. Allow an evening, or an afternoon if there's a matinee. Go on a weekday if you want actual elbow room in the bar.

Brixton's a proper neighbourhood, so combine it with wandering the market, grabbing food, checking out the street art. If you're staying at Lovat Parks nearby, it's well worth the short journey in. This isn't a day-tripper attraction - it's a reasons-to-come-back kind of place for anyone who actually cares about cinema.