An old adult cinema in Madrid has swapped erotic movies for pleasures of the gastronomic and cultural kindโฆ. Sala Equis started life in as the headquarters for newspaper El Imparcial until the political rag closed in and it was turned into the Alba cinema. By the s, the picture house had stopped screening Hollywood blockbusters in favour of X-rated films, which it showed almost exclusively until its closure in They transformed the defunct Alba into a new bar, restaurant, performance venue and boutique cinema โ minus the X-rated movies.
Here, low tables and seatings are designed for casual gatherings and meetings. Vines climb the walls, and the practice has installed custom-built bleachers, swing sets and chairs into the hall. Patrons can grab a beer and a bite to eat while watching movies on a projector screen, or catch a live acoustic performance, with offerings including shrimp wraps with kimchi and oxtail baocatas.
The old cinema room has been given a spruce: its original 55 seats have been reupholstered in plush red velvet and the space has been given new lighting. Read next: Madrid restaurant Rรณmola offers guilt-free dishes in sumptuous surrounds.
Previous More. Interiors , News. News , Travel. Interiors I I by Betty Wood. Photography: Lucia M. Tags: cinemas Madrid Madrid restaurants Payser. Share this story Facebook Twitter Pinterest Whatsapp.
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