New boutique cinema opens in Prague’s Old Town

A new cinema is opening on Aug. 26 in Prague’s Old Town. Kino Balt is hidden in a historical building halfway between Charles Bridge and the National Theatre at Karolíny Světlé 31. The small venue will show recent and archival arthouse films.

The venue’s space is divided into two parts: a cinema hall and a coworking space. “On the walls, you can find works by young Czech artists. We have several historical exhibits spread throughout the space, which you can look at before the show. We also have a traffic light that clearly tells you when you can enter the hall,” Kino Balt said on its website.

Seating for 25 patrons is on a mix of beach chairs, old-school wooden seats (with photos of celebrities such as Chuck Norris or Jean-Claude Van Damme on the bottom), and a row of cushions. The venue is also dog friendly.

“We don't have the most expensive equipment like a classic multiplex, but we have a personal approach, determination, and great creativity that will bring you an unforgettable experience,” the cinema said.

Patrons can eat and drink during the films, and buttons for placing an order during the show have been installed (silence, so others can enjoy the film, is, of course, encouraged).

Tapas come with every drink order. Visitors can bring their own beverages a bottle of wine, for example, but have to pay a stamp fee to consume it on the premises.

The organizers also claim that the bathroom is accessible from the screening area, so people won’t have to miss any of the film.

Several theme screenings are planned including a “rum cinema” where samples of four Caribbean rums plus tapas and a soft drink are included in the price of admission. The films will be selected from those that have low ratings on IMDB or other platforms. The idea is that the films are best enjoyed with a little liquid courage.

Another gimmick is a blind screening, where the title of the film is not announced in advance. Admission is voluntary, so there is no risk if you have seen the film before. This isn’t entirely new on the Prague cinema scene. Kino Aero has been holding “blind dates” for a while now with similar conditions.

For horror and thriller films, beverages will be served with resealable lids. This is to prevent people from dropping their beverages during jump scares and making a mess.

The basic admission for a film is CZK 140, while the rum cinema is CZK 389. So far, the screenings are scheduled for Tuesdays and Fridays, with occasional shows on Wednesdays.

Balt isn't the only new cinema to launch in Prague with the aim of providing a relaxed atmosphere with food and drink. Přítomnost Boutique Cinema opened in the Radost building in Žižkov in May 2020.

It has 70 armchairs with tables and a bar with mixed drinks, beer, and wine directly in the screening hall. Bio Oko in Prague 7 also offers a mix of armchairs, beach chairs, and other atypical seating, but the bar is separate from the screening hall.

More recently, the Kino Petrohradská opened up in the summer of 2021 in a former industrial building at Petrohradská 13 in Prague 10. It has 58 seats recycled from a closed cinema in Budyně nad Ohří in the Ústí nad Labem region. They present retrospectives and curated selections of festival films.