Palace Westgarth Cinemas

Charming little cinema which has stayed true to its original form. Special thanks to the staff; I bought a ticket on the wrong night but was already there, the staff member changed my ticket to tonight’s screening. The cinema is just stunning and I felt I was warped back to the 50’s. The chairs are still very well maintained and clean. The bar serves craft beer for around $14 a pint.

Palace Westgarth Cinemas are in a class of their own thanks to the wonderful team of staff who work there. Fantastic care of their patrons and genuine kindness that wouldn’t be experienced anywhere else. Thank you Bridie, Zoe and Natasha, plus other team members who went above and beyond with their care. It was much appreciated.

What a lovely surprise: courtyard for outdoor screenings. The headphones made the acoustics effective. We appreciated nighttime silhouettes of an owl and bats high up in the evening light. Great job!

This is a great place to watch a movie. it's very easy to reach. You don't have to drive your car to get here. The tram stop is so close, hardly a minute walk. The visual and audio quality is brilliant. Their Screen 1 is excellent. Even the smaller screens are decent. I have one recommendation: please keep a staff member at the entrance to check tickets, especially on weekdays and afternoons. So many times I've seen people (mostly teenagers) get into the theatre and just occupy whichever seats are empty. I know they haven't purchased tickets because afterwards they end up changing seats when those who've actually booked those seats enter.

The screen in cinema 1 has so many bright flashing dead pixels that it makes watching a movie incredibly distracting and also disappointing. Some other screens here also have dead pixels, so they’re not much better. In my opinion this place needs some reinvestment into its equipment because right now it’s a really bad experience.

Struggling to understand how this place has such good reviews. Firstly, 2 people serving tickets food and drinks to a line of nearly 50 people - all while 2 other workers stood there arranging glasses on another table. The movie theatre was SO disappointing. Every single seat makes comically loud squeaking noises with the slightest movement - it really takes you out of the movie you are trying to watch. The volume was so low you could hear people eating popcorn 5 rows away. The screen was so dimly lit it felt like I was watching the movie on a projector from the 90s. If you want to actually enjoy your movie I would recommend going to literally any other theatre in Melbourne. Never again

Everything's great - apart from the quality of the picture. I've seen four films in the past 2 months - Alien Romulus, Heretic, Gladiator 2 and The Brutalist. With every film, the picture lacked brightness. Even 'sunny day' scenes had a noticeable dullness. I had my eyes checked recently and they're fine.

Great old theatre ..... Comfy seats, huge choc tops...... Friendly staff.... But how am I suppose to see the screen lol

Palace cinemas completely ruined my membership during the first covid lockdown.. When I questioned their request to renew membership, the young lady seemed ignorant fo previous writtne advice I was psoed when I renewed that although the cinema was closed, I would no lose membership. Worse still, when I posted my proof to the CEO, did not get a reply. Never joining their club again.

The Palace Westgarth was originally built in the 1920s and following later Art Deco additions and a recent $4 million overhaul this historically significant cinema now plays host to a decidedly eclectic selection of films catering to everyone from film nuts to novices. Boasting a licensed bar offering coffee, food and some pretty damn good ice cream, The Palace Westgarth is notable for its all inclusive and highly eclectic film programme which runs the gauntlet from Hollywood blockbusters to European film festivals and countless indie flicks in between. This particular outpost of the boutique Palace chain also has special events such as its Friday night 'Cult Vault' screenings showcasing classic and cult cinema. A must visit for its three state of the art screens, diverse film programme and culturally significant location.

The Palace Westgarth Cinemas are in many ways the hub of the Westgarth community. Situated in the centre of the township with it's highly recognizable heritage building - people from all over Melbourne know this place. Unfortunately I have to say that the Palace Westgarth does not always show movies to warrant people from all over Melbourne knowing it's presence. Don't get me wrong the Palace Westgarth does show many great movies and has a number of great film festivals throughout the year - including the Spanish and French ones of most note. It has the Friday night film vault where they show old school movies usually of the horror or other cult genres at the stoke of midnight. However, most of the time I personally feel that they don't show a great selection of films. They don't show many blockbusters, which is fine, but they also don't show that many independent films either. In fact it seems to me that a large component of their catalogue includes kids movies, second rate British romantic comedies and cheap Hollywood films. All this means is that I find I never end up going all that often to a cinema which I desperately want to support.

Part of the Palace Cinemas group this 90 year old cinema feels and looks nothing like a surround sound shoe box. Opened in 1921 the cinema has undergone multiple owners and purposes including a Greek cinema, art house cinema, and concert hall. After extensive refurbishment in 2006 the cinema has been restored to its former glory with additional screening rooms. The building exudes old world charm and opulence on a small scale reminding patrons of the once dignified nature of cinema. Being part of the Palace chain the cinema plays predominantly independent, art house and international films, its commitment extending to annual Italian/Spanish/Greek/French/German and Israel Film Festivals. Westgarth satisfies avid cult film fans with late night screenings every Friday from 11.30. Downstairs there is a café and bar with a decent wine selection where you can stock up before enjoying your next screening.

Palace Cinema in Westgarth is centrally located with easy PT options and street parking available. The actual building is beautiful and the restorations have really done it justice. They serve all of the usual treats you need with the added bonus of barista coffee and alcoholic beverages that can be taken into the cinema. Plus the popcorn is healthy!! They don't tend to show all of the blockbusters but they do show a wide range of films including some art house and foreign films.

What a find! On a Friday night pub crawl we stumbled upon the Palace Westgarth and decided to venture back on the Sunday afternoon to catch a matinee. This cinema reminds me of trips to the movies when I was a kid, but having just had a $4m overhaul, the seats and carpet at the Palace are far more comfortable and don't have that nasty sheen/stickiness to them of the cinemas of my childhood. The bar is great - this cinema is licensed (yay!) and has a great selection, from lolly-bags to handmade choc-tops to cupcakes. A visit to the Palace Westgarth is so much more enjoyable than a trip to one of the soulless, cold (what is with that air-con?!?) behemoth cinema chains, and you're supporting a local treasure at the same time. I would have given a 5 star rating, but the seats are just a teensy bit too small...

The Westgarth is fabulous, beautiful building. They show a good variety of films including a lot of art house and foreign films. They have an excellent bar/cafe which sells 'Olive Oil' popcorn, no palm oil, also cakes, good quality ice creams, wines and beers & lots more. The staff are 90% of the time very friendly. They have a wonderful membership on offer that gets you cheap tickets, a free birthday ticket and a free ticket each year you join/renew and this can be used at all the Palace cinemas. It is surrounded by good cafes and restaurants to visit before or after your film. Tram stop is just outside. Definitely worth a visit.

Found at the bottom of the High Street hill in Northcote, the Westgarth Cinema complex inflicts a little bit of a time warp on all who enter. The low ceiling, the carpet, the tiled bathrooms, the almost claustrophobic nature of the cinemas themselves - there are a few around Melbourne that have this effect on punters and they should be considered national treasures. The lolly bags at the counter are a wonderful treat, and the olive oil popcorn tries to put a healthier spin on a cinema favorite. The movies shown include both new release popular and independents, and for those more into nostalgia town, some Fridays can find you up late watching a tragic classic or a sci-fi oddity.

It's one of the better venues; easy to find and locate unlike cinema nova, and easy pick up system for tickets unlike cinema nova, but at times cramped small bottleneck spaces- very much like cinema nova. As it's a smaller venue, and very popular with the after-work crowd, it is very wise to book a ticket for seating, as the advent of apps has somewhat ruined the traditional approach of collecting and paying for tickets directly at the box office. Upon exiting a movie, espeically if you've just been in cinema 4, it's wise, to Get out early and dont stop, otherwise you will be swarmed by other exiting patrons.

Don't answer their phones to give availability status. Wasted time and money getting there just to be told it's sold out. Don't wast your time

A great local cinema. Worth supporting. And when we came here there was a really cute duo playing, which made the whole experience worth coming out for. This is what going to the movies should be, not the multiplex, impersonal kind.

Been coming here for years. Nicely renovated, well ordered local cinema. Is starting to transition from arthouse to mainstream which is a shame. Still a fun place to go if the movie is good.

This beautiful old cinema is the jewel in the crown for the Westgarth area.