Lido Cinemas

Overview

Melbourne has never been short on culture. While Sydney boasts beaches, Brisbane boasts the heat, Adelaide boasts churches and The Fringe and Perth boasts isolation, Melbourne has always had culture. And it's because of venues like Lido Cinema that this reputation exists.

It may not be high culture but it really is a place to get the wheels of the mind turning, where curiosity is encouraged and the imagination is unleashed.

It has cinemas showing cult classes such as Singin' in the Rain, Hello Dolly, Goodfellas, The Shining and Y Tu Mama Tambien. It has festivals, such as the Jewish International Film Festival and the Children's International Film Festival.

It has an underground jazz bar inspired by the jazz bars of New York City, which, every Saturday night from eight until ten, presents the best jazz acts that Melbourne has to offer. There's even a rooftop bar (which is high culture as far as we're concerned), which serves up classic cocktails such as Dark & Stormys espresso martinis. Come summer, Lido even host rooftop cinema nights up here.

Another highlight of the venue, though, is the Lido Comedy Club, which brings some of the most exciting comedians in Melbourne, from up-and-comers to established stars, onto the stage every Tuesday from 7pm.

If you're down for dinner and a show, grab a cheese plate from Milk the Cow at the bar or a cheese toast. Or, considering it's a cinema, a box of popcorn is never a bad idea.