There’s a new dog-friendly cinema coming to town and we’ve got an exciting exclusive sneak preview to share with you! London dogs, get ready for the Puppy Love Brunch Cinema Club that will be launching in May at The Exhibit in Balham and Streatham, you’re in for a real treat!
Belinha and myself were kindly invited along ahead of the Puppy Love Brunch Cinema Club launch with some of our London pup friends, Starlett the Westie, Hope the Rescue Staffie and Goldie the Romanian Rescue from Wunderdog Magazine to see what London’s latest dog-friendly cinema at The Exhibit Balham was all about! Plus the film we were going to see was a much-loved Disney classic, Lady and The Tramp…who doesn’t love a good Disney classic.
All the pups (and humans) had been along to London’s other dog-friendly cinema screenings at either Picturehouse Central, one of the other Picturehouse Cinemas or Whirled Cinema, so were ready to put their roving repawter skills to the test for South London’s newest addition to the dog-friendly cinema scene. But before we dive in, let’s just find out what the Puppy Love Brunch Cinema Club is all about…
Dog-Friendly Cinema At The Exhibit | The Puppy Love Brunch Cinema Club Explained
Both Exhibit venues are described as a ‘Youth Club for Adults’ with some pretty out-there events such as Naked Speed Dating on the programme! With the addition of the Puppy Love Brunch Cinema Club, soon they may also be known as London’s Youth Club for Dogs!
Over the last year, dog-friendly cinema has been taking London by storm. Now the Puppy Love Brunch Cinema Club is planning on taking dog-friendly cinema to another level, opening up the doors of the Exhibit boutique cinemas to pups and including brunch (more on that in a moment) followed by a screening of some of the best doggy movies of all time starting with Lady and The Tramp.
So what’s included? Puppy Love Brunch Cinema Club tickets include bottomless treats and a glass (or bowl) of Pawsecco for dogs, while for humans it includes brunch and unlimited bubbly for an hour and half! Tickets are £15 for cinema and brunch only or £30 for Cinema, brunch and the bubbly option. Of course we were pleased to hear (and experience) that both options include unlimited cuddles for the canine cinema goers from Exhibit staff! Only humans need to purchase a Puppy Love Brunch Cinema Club Ticket as pups get theirs included.
Dog-Friendly Cinema At The Exhibit | The Puppy Love Brunch Cinema Club Preview
The Exhibit Balham (located a few minutes from Balham tube), is surprisingly large inside and home to a bar, restaurant, cinema screening room, event rooms and even a garden area. The best bit is that the entire venue is dog-friendly! Yes, all of it! And that goes for the Exhibit B in Streatham too.
Have a watch of our Facebook Live preview in the video below and see what the venue and cinema is like for yourself…
We were given a hugely warm welcome to The Exhibit by all the staff and even the customers who came up to make a fuss of the dogs. On arrival into the boutique cinema room, we were greeted with Pawsecco and tasty treats for the pups and Bubbly and scrumptious snacks for the humans.
And the seats, oh my dog the seats. Comfy two-seater sofas just made for snuggling with your four-legged friend awaited us and the pups wasted no time in deciding the sofas were definitely for them! With only 28 seats in the cinema, this really is an intimate cinema experience!
Although the space is intimate by design, the sound was pooch-friendly and not too loud, plus the excellent staff were on hand to adjust sound, lighting and air-conditioning to suit the audience as well as personally deliver orders from the food menu to our seats!
Dog-Friendly Cinema At The Exhibit | Much Love For The Puppy Love Brunch Cinema Club!
So what did we think of our Puppy Love Brunch Cinema Club preview? Well, quite simply we LOVED it! The Puppy Love Brunch Cinema Club definitely brings a different vibe to London Dog-friendly Cinema…one that’s more relaxed, exclusive and intimate. It felt like we had gone along to a cinema screening in someone’s swanky private cinema.
The sofa seats were a huge hit with both humans and hounds stretching out and relaxing on them (we even caught some human snoozing going on). So for anyone with a medium-sized dog and up (or more than one little pup), this is definitely for you.
Although we didn’t get to try the full brunch on our visit, the brunch concept makes this a real dog-friendly day out and if the snacks we had during the screening, as well as the food we had at the inviting restaurant afterwards are anything to go by, brunch is going to be delicious!
Dog-Friendly Cinema At The Exhibit | Puppy Love Brunch Cinema Club Repawts….
Was it a paws up from the VIP(up)s? Here’s what Hope, Starlett, Goldie and Belinha have to repawt…
Hope woofs: “Paw-fect staff, tail-wagging-tastic food and the snooziest seating made for a day out at the pictures for me and my humans that’s well worth barking about.”
Starlett gives “The whole experience her five stars! Especially sharing the tasty burger with my human and having a cuddle with Hope’”
Goldie gives her view as a newcomer to London: “This was my second dog-friendly cinema in the six weeks I’ve lived in the UK, and I could really get used to this. Back in Romania, they didn’t teach us this would be part of a dog’s life in the UK, but it totally should be. The people were all so lovely, there were snacks and drinks and such perfect sofas for us. I had a proper snooze during the movie, which was only interrupted when a flat-iron steak was delivered by magic to our seats. As I say, could get used to that.”
Belinha barks: “Wooftastic seating meant a senior pup like me can stretch out and snooze in style next to my human. I personally put every treat on offer to the test and can repawt they were very tasty as well as the Pawsecco (which I may have had too much of). In fact all dog-friendly cinemas should include this going forwards. I would like to add that I didn’t see any of that steak that Goldie got though, my human needs to sort that out on our next visit.”
Al (Hope’s human) says: “The other patrons at The Exhibit gave Hope lots of love and cuddles too. So lovely to have such a proper dog-friendly venue on my doorstep. And a rare treat to be able to share a cinema experience with my best friend.”
Dog-Friendly Cinema At The Exhibit | Puppy Love Brunch Cinema Club What You Need To Know
- The Puppy Love Brunch Cinema Club launches on 12th May at Exhibit Balham with further screenings throughout May and June.
- Exhibit B in Streatham launches their screenings on 28th May with additional screenings in June. Screenings at Exhibit B Streatham will be held in the Dark Room screening area which will become a canine paradise with blankets and cushions for the dogs to relax on.
- All screenings are of course listed on our London Dog Events Calendar as well as The Exhibit Balham and Streatham websites (where you can book your tickets).
- Both Exhibit venues are dog-friendly throughout which means you can visit the restaurant and bar anytime with your four-legged friend.
- Exhibit Balham: 12 Balham Station Rd, London SW12 9SG | Open Weekdays: 3pm to late, Weekends :11am to late | Nearest Tube: Balham
- Exhibit B Streatham: 5 Streatham High Rd, London SW16 1EF | Open Weekdays: 4pm to late, Weekends: 10am to late | Nearest Station: Streatham Hill
