Berkeley Cinema Mission Bay

I love Berkeley Cinema in Mission Bay. Yes, it may not be as big as the cinemas around town, but sometimes I just like going to a small cinema where it is quiet and you can just fully unwind. Plus, who wouldn’t pass up their offer of $ 9.90 movie tickets from Sundays to Wednesdays? I know I wouldn’t!!!
Another bonus is their location. They are situated on Tamaki Drive, right across the road from the beach and many restaurants and cafes are right at its doorstep. This makes it the perfect day out — have lunch, go to the beach and then relax at the movies.
They have a bar too, and seating in the foyer of the cinema which overlooks Mission Bay beach, so great to have a drink or two before your movie starts!

This isn’t one of my favourite cinemas but I like to believe this is justified. It’s in a prime location meaning you can park in one spot and spend your entire day at Mission Bay, have lunch and catch a flick. The lounge and ticketing area is great– the seats are comfy, the view of the bay is great and the bathrooms are generally clean. It’s the theatres that I dislike. They are just too small. I don’t find this enticing at all and it doesn’t help that the seats aren’t comfortable– they remind of the old Manukau cinemas near Denny’s, ten years ago. It’s more intimate, yes, but its much easier to find the culprit making ridiculous jokes and laughing too loud. On top of this, there’s no way to escape– a bigger cinema means you may have a chance of moving seats or being far away enough to not hear much at all– no chance of that here. In hindsight, movies are slightly cheaper here than at Hoyts branches which makes me feel a little better. Just a little though.
I may be holding my cinematic experience standards a little too high, but it’s just not the same as being in front of an Xtreme Screen in a reclining chair. You get what you pay for.

If you’re heading out to a movie here, generously offer to run in and get the tickets, and let someone else park the car — they may be gone some time.
Berkeley has a classy area for you to hang out while you wait for your movie to start, although it’s a good idea to check out the screening times online before you head here — being a smaller theatre the waits tend to be quite long between screenings. It’s still one of the nicest cinema experience in Auckland though, and it’s easy to happily kill some time across the road at the beach, or in one of the many cafes and restaurants that surround Berkeley.

Berkeley Cinemas are usually quite small and are a good alternative to the bigger, more busy Event Cinemas. The Mission Bay one is a nice one to come out to when going out for dinner with your friends, because it just seems a little it classier, a little bit nicer than mall cinemas. Even though the theatres are smaller, it doesn’t get packed out which is nice because it means there are less interruptions and less people talking and ruining your viewing experience. It’s actually a really good place to go for date, because there are so many restaurants around (not to mention Movenpick for dessert), or even a nice place to take your mum on a Friday night.

Nothing quite like a beautiful sea view as you wait for your movie to start. Berkeley Mission Bay is usually ahead of the curve when it comes to playing your favourite films for the longest time, and serving you wine with nibbles whether you’re paying for Gold Class or not. It has that classy ambience for everyone to enjoy.
The theatres are small, but it lends itself perfectly for special meetings or private film screenings for that reason. It’s also close to some wonderful cafes and bars for those after film hunger pangs. (or an ice cream from Movenpick to drown your sorrows after a sad film) All in all, a good experience.

Berkeley Cinemas have long been my local cinema and one of my favourites, if I don’t want to make the trek to Sylvia Park.
Berkeley’s little theatres are probably some of the smallest in Auckland, but I guess this isn’t a bad thing as probably elminates the chance of morons interrupting and wrecking the film.
With a range of food choices nearby, Mission Bay is set up for a lovely evening out for dinner then a movie at the cinema. The bar at the cinema can transcend the boundary between dinner and film.
The Kapiti icecreams are a favourite of ours and the seat comfiness is right up there with Rialto and Sylvia Park. I would be expecting a revamp some time soon though.
All-​in-​all, the biggest issue can be parking on busy Mission Bay nights, but the back streets are there to act as an emergency option if running late.

This old independent cinema is now owned and run by Hoyts but it’s still not a multiplex and retains its Art Deco character (which y’all just know I love). To be fair Hoyts are actually pretty good at keeping quite a few of Auckland’s old picture theatres alive and they all have makeovers that are respectful of their heritage which is nice to see.
Last time we came here was after a Mexi-​feast next door on a Sunday night and we were the only people in the place! The staff member on duty was really friendly and chatty which makes such a pleasant change from surly teenage customer «service». The facilities are all good but the parking can be tricky so allow time for that. Then sit back and enjoy the show.