Crafted cocktails and fabulous food at new Ambar

A luxurious eating and drink experience at the newly refurbished ODEON – Swiss Cottage

A new destination bar with a late night licence has opened in Swiss Cottage, NW3. After a £3 million restoration of the 1937 ODEON on Finchley Road the cinema has opened with the new Ambar. This is a bar with a hidden heritage, back in the ’30s it was the cinema’s handsome Palm Court bar which then lay concealed for years when the space was used as screen six.

The transformed Ambar is plush and spacious, and spans the full front of the ODEON. Once again it reveals some of the building’s beautiful and original Art Deco features – a wall of windows streams light into a bright daytime café, which switches seamlessly into a low-lit evening cocktail and wine bar.

Contemporary touches of deco glamour and bespoke seating to sink into create the sense of a stylish liner lounge. Delicious cocktails, and bar food and a convivial ambience are set to make it a vibrant new haven where you can linger late into the night. Curiously this is an area where other nightlife options are rare.

Catch up on the latest Oscar and BAFTA chat over cocktails, celebrate lavishly with a flute of Dom Perignon, or simply stop for a refresher during a shopping afternoon. Future wine tastings, stylish cocktail and vintage nights, live music sessions and film-inspired entertainment also aim to make it a buzzy new neighbourhood landmark. Ambar welcomes ODEON film-goers and everyone alike.

AMG took a look at Ambar recently and were impressed with the comfortable surroundings, excellent service and quality of the food and drink. Of particuar note was the Bramble cocktail, made with Bombay Sapphire, lemon juice and Chambord raspberry. Foodwise bruschetta, smoked salmon and vegetarian skewers were just a few of the ‘perfect for sharing’ mezze and antipasti dishes available. And the great thing about Ambar is that you can use it both pre and post film and take drinks into the cinemas.

ODEON Swiss Cottage
This classic Art Deco, five screen cinema was refurbished in Autumn 2011. It is also home to North London’s only IMAX screen which is the second largest in London. All other screens are also installed with the very latest digital technology. Two of these offer luxury club seating. Film fans can enjoy extraordinary comfort and a wide and varied choice of the best films and exciting alternative content, including opera, ballet and live concerts.