The cinema revolution may have started with the Hampstead's Everyman back in 1933, but it was the opening of Notting Hill's Electric cinema five years ago that really captured the imagination of film-going Londoners. Comfy leather armchair seats, footstools, wine and canapés are still pulling in sell-out crowds at the Electric, so it's no wonder the concept is being mimicked.

The latest opening is in Balham in south London, which was once a lacklustre extension of Clapham, but is now a "nappy valley" in its own right. Balham used to rely almost solely on the multifaceted bar-cum-gig-cum-club-cum-comedy venue, The Bedford, but now boasts countless distractions, including most recently a "sofa cinema" at Bedford rival, The Exhibit.

The cinema, which opened last month, seats 56 on inviting leather sofas for two. Like The Electric it offers matinee screenings for Mums and babies, while the two evening screenings each Sunday to Thursday are given over to new releases and old classics, plus there's a monthly event called The Big Break which screens shorts, feature length films and documentaries submitted by the general public. The screenings are followed by a "networking session", no doubt oiled by lychee martinis, which The Exhibit hopes will become a regular night for "media luvvies".

The food goes way beyond popcorn - you can order anything from the restaurant's menu to eat in the cinema, which has a strong selection of fish dishes, plus grilled meats and mezze plates, washed down with any of the drinks served at the bar. It's still early days, but according to the owners, business is already picking up as word spreads south of the river.

Need to know

Seats: 56 on leather sofas that seat two, except one, which seats six
Food & drink: full bar and restaurant menu
Price: tickets £5, £4 for Big Break and £18 for a set menu and cinema ticket
Contact: The Exhibit, 12 Balham Station Rd, SW12 9SG; Underground: Balham; www.theexhibit.co.uk; 020 8772 6556


The best of the rest - London's swanky cinemas

The Electric

A fitting location amid Portobello Road's eclectic bars, bric-a-brac and bistros has ensured the ongoing success of The Electric, although the enterprising venue is always coming up with new ways of getting bums on sofas. It was first to offer Mum-and-baby daytime screenings and maintains a varied programme to satisfy both mainstream and indie audiences. You still need to book early to get a seat at the cinema, never mind the bar and restaurant next door, which is heaving with a fashionable crowd and the odd celebrity, even on a soggy Monday night.

Seats: 98 leather armchairs, some with footstools and side tables, plus two sofas that seat two
Food & drink: cocktails, champagne, wine, beer and snacks that change weekly such as mini sausages, fish and chips and chicken salad
Price: tickets £5-15 depending on seat and showing time
Contact: The Electric, 191 Portobello Rd, W11 2ED; Underground: Notting Hill/Ladbroke Grove; www.electriccinema.co.uk; 020 7908 9696

The Everyman Cinema Club

If there's anywhere outside Notting Hill that can sustain a swanky cinema, it's Hampstead. Despite the name, you don't have to be a member to see a movie here, although there is a members' club, which entitles members to free movies with a guest at anytime, a free two-hour private screening and special events and screenings, for £575 a year. The crowd is mostly north-west London intellectual types and there's much discussing of movies after each showing, which includes new releases, world cinema and classics.

Seats: Two screening rooms, which seat 142 and 72 - the smaller of the two is almost entirely sofas, while the larger offers 13 sofas for two, and 126 standards seats, which are more comfortable than standard cinema seats
Food & drink: champagne, wine, spirits, beer, cider, hot drinks and limited snacks including bread with olive oil, chocolate truffles and ice cream from Marine Ices, the renowned ice cream parlour in nearby Chalk Farm
Price: £7.50-£15 depending on the seat and showing time
Contact: The Everyman Cinema Club, 5 Holly Bush Vale, Hampstead Village, London, NW3 6TX; Underground: Hampstead; www.everymancinema.com; 08700 66 4777

Curzon Soho

It doesn't have sofas, but it certainly beats your local multiplex. The Curzon Soho, voted London's top cinema by readers of Time Out, is the city's leading indie cinema. The bar is the nicest spot on the Shaftesbury Avenue for a drink, and now serves exquisite cakes and patisseries courtesy of exclusive bakers, Konditor and Cook. The art-house screenings draw a trendy crowd, and a recent change of rules means movie-goers can now take alcoholic drinks into the cinema with them.

Seats: three screens have 133 seats (screen 3), 120 seats (screen 2) and 249 seats (screen 1), but still manage a reasonably intimate feel
Food & drink: Wine, beer and spirits, plus hot drinks and the afore-mentioned cakes and savouries from Konditor and Cook
Price: £6.50-£9.50, depending on film times
Contact: Curzon Soho, 99 Shaftesbury Avenue London W1D 5DY; Underground: Leicester Square; www.curzoncinemas.com; 0870 756 4620

Rex Cinema

No sofas here either, but great cocktails, snacks and an almost dead-cert for a celebrity spotting - David Walliams and Natalie Imbruglia are among the regulars. Exclusivity is ensured by the strict door policy - only members are allowed in, accompanied by up to three guests. With membership charges from around £250 a year, it may seem steep, but this offers free movies throughout the week, which range from new releases to classics and art-house offerings. Once you've enjoyed the movie you can turn the tempo up a notch in the low-lit basement bar where velvet chairs and gilt mirrors make for a sultry 1930s feel. A DJ is on hand if there's demand from the dancefloor, which there is most nights from about 10pm (it's open until 3am).

Seats: 75 in an intimate setting
Food & drink: Wine, beer and spirits, plus fresh popcorn and snacks such as pizza, sushi and club sandwiches
Price: membership £250/year
Contact: Rex Cinema, 21 Rupert St, W1V 7FE; www.rexcinemaandbar.com; 020 7287 0102

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