Silver Screen Diner – a recipe for success

Delicatessen (1991). Directors: Marc Caro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Films and dinner at the same time could be the perfect combination for peckish cinephiles.

Previous endeavours to challenge conventions of cinema-going, such as the Rooftop Cinema in Shoreditch, have proved very successful.

Now a Hackney-based company has taken the concept to new territory.

For those with scant time for socialising, the Silver Screen Diner offers an opportunity to combine eating out with a trip to the cinema, reserving particular care for the films and food provided.

Douglas Brennan, the founder of the company said: “My motivation for the idea was that films shown outside of normal cinemas always tend to be classics that everyone has seen before.

“People have been doing this for a while, and I thought it was great, but frustrating. We wanted to create something a little more exclusive. The combination of street food and uniquely classic films is hopefully one that people can get excited by.”

People turning out for Silver Screen Diner events at Street Feast food market in Hackney Downs Studios will be able to choose meals from sixteen traders whilst watching the big screen.

Trangallán restaurant in Newington Green is the second venue and monthly airings will take the idea further still.

Douglas said: “At Trangallán we’ve developed an idea where we create a menu in response to the film we show.

“So for example, it started with Chocolat (Joanne Harris, 2000) and went on from there. We had a classic Japanese film Tampopo (Jûzô Itami, 1985) which worked well, and the fantastic French film, Delicatessen (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Marc Caro, 1991), which enabled us to select a great menu.”

Candles, cushions and blankets will be provided to customers, with a view to creating an atmosphere that is both intimate and stimulating.

Screenings take place weekly at Hackney Downs Studios and monthly at Trangallán in Newington Green.

Headphones for the films cost £6 and the weekly screenings start at 9pm on Friday nights at Street Feast.

More details at Silver Screen Diner.