Liban @ Kino

I have mixed opinions but I'll start with the good... The space is beautifully laid out, it feels modern and has a mix of art works and sculptures. The food looked and smelt beautiful, though we did not purchase food as there was nowhere to sit down. The drinks prices were incredibly reasonable. Inside the cinema the space was huge and surprisingly warm and the seating wasn't terrible. The leg room was a plus. And having a bar inside the theatre was a great idea as you don't have to miss a second of the film. The bad points were.... When we arrived, it was our first visit, so we weren't overly sure on where to go and staff weren't very helpful. The front rows, which all had comfy sofas and armchairs were all reserved yet there was no option to reserve these seats when we booked tickets, we would have happily paid extra but no option was given and we booked a long time in advance. There were about a thousand adverts... Its independent cinema so I get it, it has to be that way, but it was irritating. The sound was quite bad, the background music was playing from a speaker which was distinctly louder than the speakers playing the main dialogue. It was quite distracting and I missed parts of the dialogue and there were some big marks across the screen which were noticeable. Ultimately, location and leg room made this a better choice than standard cinemas and I'll go again to try the food as it really looked amazing! And to see smaller businesses flourish in St leonards is so great! But for sound and picture I wasn't satisfied

Disappointed. .I was really looking forward to the option of eating Japanese food locally. Despite the prices - which are fairly expensive we came for lunch last week. I chose the salmon bento box and my lunch time companion had the vegetarian curry. The service was fine. The food arrived and I thought the portions were modest. Despite being described as hot food the rice was barely warm all be it well cooked. The salmon was hotter and also well cooked. The 'pickles' were literally a slice of pickled cucumber halved. That was it. Edame beans and something I can't even remember. I came away hungry and disappointed. I needed a sandwich....My companion described his curry as tasting like chip shop curry sauce. Whilst perusing the menu I'd decided to come back and try the tofu bento box and the aubergine and ginger but given how modest the portions are I don't think I will bother. Seriously a slice of cucumber, is not 'pickles'. I understand margins and portion control are a factor in restaurant business but I think you can afford to push the boat out on some pickled vegetables.