In what's been a worrying week for cinemas across Kent, a plush new multiplex located in a £115 million development has opened its doors.

Reporter James Pallant went along to try out Canterbury's latest attraction...

A quick bus ride from Canterbury city centre put me right outside the Riverside development which overlooks the River Stour.

The Curzon cinema is a modern building, with windows running down the front-facing wall, and outdoor seating.

The interior feels like the lobby of a posh hotel - think chic leather furniture, polished chrome light fixtures and walls panelled with marble and natural stained wood.

I was surprised to find a full service bar with local craft beer on draft, organic wines and soft drinks in small glass bottles.

“We make signature cocktails for big releases,” the barman brags. “We’ve made this great blue mojito we plan to use in December for the new Avatar film.”

I was even more surprised to learn I could order freshly cooked food right to my seat, and not just popcorn and hotdogs.

Sure those savoury cinemas staples are on offer, but so is stone-baked sourdough pizza with goats cheese and caramelised onions, truffle and mushroom croquettes, calamari.

My appetite unprepared for such an elegant feast, I opted for the classic popcorn and soda combo.

A friendly usher named Jessica led me down the concourse of movie theatres, each named after one of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. ‘The Friar Screen’, ‘The Merchant’, ‘The Miller’.

A great time at the movies has so much to do with the seat, and this one was superbly comfortable.

Faux suede material wraps a soft, reclining chair with wide armrests and ample leg room, cup-holders and a built-in side table.

I could have happily sat there all afternoon.

I was seated for just a few minutes before long maroon curtains gracefully drew apart to reveal a huge screen.

Another usher asked if I would like to order anything else to eat or drink before the show began, but I was all set.

Movies almost always look great on the silver screen, but not all surround sound systems are created equal.

The theatres at the Curzon cinema feature the Dolby Atmos system, with dozens of speakers installed on the walls and ceiling to create a ‘3D sound experience’, I learnt after the film while chatting with Connor Beerling, one of the duty managers.

And although the film itself, Beast starring Idris Elba, wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, I must say, the sound was phenomenal - powerful and dynamic plus, the screening room was nice and cool and smelt like a new car.

As I emerge, blinking, from the theatre and return to the lobby, Mr Beerling asks me how I enjoyed the film.

I give him my two cents and ask him to tell me more about the cinema.

“We pride ourselves on customer service and giving people a different type of experience to what they would expect at an Odeon or another mainstream cinema,” said Mr Beeling

We want to create a truly wonderful atmosphere in every way.”

Well, as far as I’m concerned, mission accomplished. I would highly recommend this cinema to anyone looking for an elegant cinematic experience, perfect for dates.

Ratings out of five:

Food: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ - Popcorn was soft, crunchy and warm, and I was hugely impressed by the menu of food on offer. I’ll be sure to save my appetite for some pizza or antipasto for my next matinee.

Drink: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ - I enjoyed my ginger beer and it’s always great to see local beers to tap

Décor: ★ ★ ★ ★ - The atmosphere they’ve created at Curzon is really something special, classy stuff.

Staff: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ - The staff seemed to be really enjoying their work, everyone was very friendly to me.

Price: ★ ★ ★ - £10 tickets (£13.95 at weekends) are well above average, but this is no average cinema. Cinema refreshments are renowned for being over-priced and I’m afraid Curzon is on trend in that regard - £4.25 for a regular popcorn and £3.85 for a ginger beer is too much.