The Phoenix Cinema may seem like an odd choice for a food blog review, but for those who don’t know, they have a cafe that serves up hot and cold food, snacks and a fully stocked bar. Plus, they have several vegan options on the menu making it a great place to pop in before catching a film. Bonus – you can even take your drink into the movie with you (everyone knows beer is the perfect accompaniment to salty popcorn).
What I like about the Phoenix Cinema is that they are a completely independent, non-profit theater showing independent cinema, art and digital culture. In the two modern cinema screens they show everything from micro-budget independent films to the latest Hollywood blockbusters, and they regularly organize festivals and events.
Andrew and I popped into the cinema on a Saturday afternoon and ordered a couple beers while we checked out the menu. Looking around the cafe, it’s simply decorated with several square tables and plastic chairs. It’s not the best place if you want to have a special date, but it certainly works as a casual place to grab a quick drink or bite to eat before your show.
Fortunately for us there were a few different vegan options. Unfortunately they are not marked as such so you may have to double check before you order. We went with the hummus and deli flatbread and the hummus, carrot and roasted pepper sandwich with chips.
The hummus plate was delicious. It’s quite large, so definitely good for sharing. The flat bread was warm, soft and tasted homemade, while the hummus was perfectly seasoned, with a crisp salad to go with it.
The hummus, carrot and red pepper sandwich was also really tasty. It was bursting with flavors and juiciness, and the chips were nicely cooked – crispy, salty, overall tasty.
We found our dishes were the perfect quick bite before we headed into our movie, beers in hand. If you haven’t been yet, I definitely recommend giving the Phoenix Cinema a visit.
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*28/09/16 UPDATE* The cafe now clearly marks the vegan dishes and has a few dedicated vegan starters and mains like the “TLT” (tofu, lettuce, tomato sandwich)
This was one of my top places to eat when I was ever in Leicester for work. I miss the place!