Big Picture

This is a great experience. I read some of the negative reviews on here, and mostly they just seem a little snobby and foolish. especially the review by «Ishea B» — it’s nonsense and makes me wish you could «down-​vote» reviews on here. The space space is cozy, and the seats are comfortable. The service is chill, and the quality is great. I went for the first time tonight, and had a great time and will go back.
that said, I would like to offer some constructive feedback to the owners:
re-​think your movie selection. this is clearly a date place. why are you picking blockbuster movies? especially movies like «Deadpool»? I’m sure the movie will do well. There are a lot of 15 year old boys that go to the movies. but dudes that are dumb enough to take a date to Deadpool are not the type of dudes that are going to go to your cool intimate theater.
Same goes for Superman v Batman. Which. btw, reminds me. Cinerama is your competition. You’ve got a lot of things going for you that Cinerama doesn’t have, but when you choose the same standard-​fare blockbusters that Cinerama chooses, you’re clearly going to lose customers to Cinerama.
On the other hand, if you start playing some intimate date movies, and update your website so that it’s not some archaic museum piece from the ancient internet, then I (for one) would be a lot more likely to be a regular visitor.
All of that said, I think you’ve got a great thing going, and I look forward to coming back someday, when the movie choice makes sense for the space. (Hail, Cesar! was good, but still — maybe pick a romance?)
Thank you! :)

Great place and great idea. There need to be more of these in the Northwest and everywhere…

An awesome spot to chill with someone special or bring a small crowd. This decidedly adult venue has awesome snacks, well made drinks, and fashionable clientele. My favorite place for a chill evening out.
I will agree with other writers that the screen is small and they need to upgrade the bathrooms but these are minor dings.

It’s amazing. Go. Unless you need a big screen. If you do, you won’t appreciate its amazingness.

Great place to watch a movie if you aren’t a fan of those stadium-​seating family-​scream-​fest type places. Much more mature crowd here. Navigating down to the theater feels a little strange, like you’re going to some unfinished basement used to store El Gaucho’s pots and pans… but once you’re there it feels like you’re in speakeasy. There’s a nice bar and several comfortable seating areas. The theater itself is cozy, and in my opinion the screen size is just right for the space. The seats don’t recline but they are comfortable, no discomfort to report after watching a 2.5 hour movie. If you’re worried about seating, get there early, as we had no issues arriving 15 mins before showtime. Only a few previews which is great. Really nice experience overall. Next time we’ll try the food and beverage service.

Big picture reminds me of my time in Bavaria Germany where there are still quaint theater houses with alcohol. What makes this place even better is that the restaurant and inn within the same building make this a place you could stay for a brilliant weekend. The restaurant is outstanding on a national level and the inn looks very cozy and comfortable.

Exceptional! Absolutely impressed with the first class experience @ The Big Picture! We enjoyed an awesome evening and intimate movie night with delicious drinks in very comfortable leather reclining chairs! Would highly recommend the Big Picture, as we’re already looking forward to coming back with our group of friends! Cheers to good times!

After reading reviews on their site that they had made the Men’s Journal «Top 20 Movie Theaters in the World» list, we decided to give Big Picture a try. I mean, to make a world ranked list it must be awesome, right? Wrong. To be honest, I’m actually shocked at the high reviews for this place. I’ve been to many theaters that allow you to bring alcohol/​food into the theater, and they blow Big Picture out of the water. (Note: I tried to find a date on the article to see when it was published because there’s no way this list can be recent. I wasn’t able to find a date on the Men’s Journal site).
Pros:
Ticket Price — We paid $ 12.50/ adult ticket, which is a great price considering the type of theater this is. Other theaters offering similar services charge much more.
Location — The theater is located on the corner of 1^st and Wall in Belltown. It’s a great location easily accessible by car (ample street parking), bus routes, or walkable.
Drinks — We ordered the «White Chocolate Martini» and «Big Picture Greyhound» which were good drinks.
Service — The service was friendly.
Cons:
The Seats — The actual seats in the theater were terrible. They do not recline, so they’re extremely stiff and uncomfortable during the movie. I think seats are in the top 3 of important things in a theater (behind the screen and sound quality), so for their seats to be so lacking, it was a huge ‘con’ for me. I was unable to ever get comfortable in my seat and regretted buying tickets 30 mins into the movie. Also note than the cup holders on the seat don’t accommodate the glasses for alcoholic beverages that well. They’re the standard cup holders you’d expect for a medium sized coke.
Sound quality — I thought the sound was actually too loud and lacking bass. It didn’t feel «full» if that makes sense.
Screen size — The screen size was small and actually felt too small, even for an intimate theater of this size.
Décor — The theater is located in the basement of the El Gaucho (restaurant) building. The décor was extremely dated and seemed like an old 90s style basement instead of something sleek and new. I think the theater has potential and could easily renovate and be really nice.
Bathrooms — This was another surprise… there was only ONE bathroom for women and ONE bathroom for men. Like, ONE stall. One person in there at a time. I was shocked. The theater is intimate (maybe 100 seats), but they only had one stall for women and one stall for men. This is nuts. It felt like this was breaking some sort of code. I’d expect at least 2 – 4 stalls in the bathroom so you could accommodate more than one person at a time.
Overall I was extremely disappointed at the theater experience and would not recommend this theater or return. I think they have the bones to be great, but are in dire need of a remodel.

For the size of the theater the screen is good. Someone claimed that it’s too small but it’s not for the kind of theater. I think it’s bigger than Central Cinema with better picture and nicer seats.
I enjoyed my cocktail but the bartenders are slow and they don’t notice you often. Preorder your mid movie drink. They brought my mine at just the right time and the servers were like ninjas in the dark.
The seats are staffed to you shouldn’t have a head in front of you. Don’t go in a group over 4 or some will be seating by themselves or everyone in the last row.

Omg what an amazing theater!!! We were staying nearby and needed to kill some time between our flight. Decided to check this out and couldn’t be happier.
Totally cute speakeasy feel and we ordered alcoholic drinks and pizza (so good) which was delivered during the movie.
The theatre itself was super clean and cute. I wish we had one in San Francisco!!!

Wasn’t a bad theater. As described by other reviewers. However there seat selection is tiny and the ½ hour before the movie started awkward ticket takers were trying to shuffle people around to seat all the tickets they’d sold. Previews started 15 minutes after the movie was supposed to start. That was probably the most annoying thing. You are required to get there early, but they accommodate the idiots that don’t.
Start the damn movie on time.
Popcorn was also terrible. Cold like the butter added was refrigerated. They made no attempt to even pretend it was fresh.

The screens aren’t large but this is like a classy lounge that shows movies. Really nice that they offer food and beer as well as mixed drinks that can be delivered to you mid film. The beer selection is great. One charming detail is that they make a unique mixed drink for each fun they show (right now it’s The Martian).

So in love with this place! The décor feels very 20s speakeasy and it tends to draw a classier crowd. The staff are friendly and upbeat. Their specialty cocktails are a major reason to start a night out here… The Bogart is awesome!
Be sure to get to the theater early to save seats since nearly all shows sell out. The theater screen is standard size yet the theater seats about 100 so it is an intimate experience. Also make sure to turn to the right after the entrance and continue down the staircase into the basement… don’t walk straight into the second double doors or you end up in El Gaucho

The Hubs and I brought his sis here for her birthday. Followed another Unilocalers advice and got there ½ hour early, brought jackets to put on our seats, then bellied up to the bar for drinks.
The truffle popcorn was a hit with my sis-​in-​law and the Hubs. I don’t do truffle oil so I passed.
It’s awesome to watch a movie in this intimate and cozy place. It’s like being in your very rich friend’s private screening room. Enjoyed our first time so much we’re going to make it a birthday tradition. Two thumbs up!

Why is this place called «Big Picture»?
Searched their website for an answer to no avail. Also searched their website for a photo of the screen, also with no luck. Fishy, no?
At best, «Big Picture» is a misleading name, and at worst, it’s false advertisement.
The screen is 10′ by 20′. Not big. Tiny. Place should be called «Tiny Picture».
Website boasts about a «jaw dropping surround sound system». Sound was ok for a home theater system, but the only time my jaw dropped was in shock after seeing the tiny screen.
To summarize: There is no «big» picture at Big Picture.

When I go to movie theatres, there are three things that win me: 1. Libations, 2. Good popcorn 3. Comfortable seating where the arm rests recline.
That’s it.
Big Picture checks off all of those things and then some. The fact that this theatre seats less than 100 people gives an idea how intimate the experience is.
Where it’s better is being able to sit and mingle a bit in the lounge area prior to the show, which feels like something from the 1920’s. Grab a cocktail, order some of the best movie theatre popcorn you’ll ever have (buttered, truffle, or white cheddar), and sit on the couches outside while waiting for the room to open. Oh, and don’t forget to order another drink or two that they will bring to you once you’re seated.
I won’t forget to mention the great service here. Even the woman at the register to hand out the movie tickets was outstanding!
Do try to book online in advance — some showings are sold out!

My husband and I aren’t old. .. yet. But we just love matinees! I just get sooooo tired at night and I hate the crowds! Don’t I sound old already? Anyways, we came here for one while we were in town and it didn’t disappoint.
Bartender — cheery, attentive, and sweet.
Décor — loungy, retro, and cool.
Seats — clean, newish, and comfy.
Truffle Popcorn — yum, yum, and yum.
It was a great movie experience (with a great movie: Spy) and we would totally come back for a movie — especially a matinée!

This is an update, mostly because we’re still in love with the place, but also because there have been some changes — for the better! The owners have installed a digital projection system, with new screen, and new seats. The seats were replaced because replacement parts were no longer available. Overall, the place is very comfortable, with a great sound system and screen. This is a «21-​and-​over» place, which is wonderful. No noisy teens or children. Very comfortable seating alcoves with overstuffed furniture are a wonderful place to enjoy drinks from the bar. The drink menu includes regular items, as well as ones with names that are associated with the theme of the current movie. We typically order a pre-​movie cocktail and bucket of popcorn, and have a second cocktail delivered during the movie.
Popcorn prices are MUCH better than chain theaters, and the cocktail prices are very reasonable. Some of the happy hour drink specials seemed a bit weak to me, but others have left me glad that we live within walking distance!
The day’s first performance is considered «happy hour», with discounted admission and drink specials. That price is the same as for seniors (62+) at other performances: $ 10. Otherwise, it’s $ 12.50. Though we’re seniors, we typically attend the happy hour performances, as they’re less crowded and have drink specials.
There is a conference room, in addition to many conversation alcoves, making this a good location for mixer-​type social events.
I still think that this place reminds me of a speakeasy — intentional or not. That’s just part of its charm. We love this place!

This may be a generous five stars, but I’ve come here twice and had great experiences both times! Awesome service each time too, no complaints.
This is a nice date night spot, given you’re just watching a movie. There’s cute rooms/​nooks outside the theatre with couches for you to hang and chat before the movie starts. Also, it’s a 21+ establishment so no loud/​obnoxious kids or teenagers, and tickets are $ 12ish so about the same as other theatres I believe? It’s a small theatre, seats maybe 100? but seats are spacious and comfy. The only downside to this theatre is that there’s only one movie playing at a time, and it’s just street parking. Prices for food/​drinks may be pricier than normal too, but that’s the same with any theatre. Regardless, I enjoy this sweet spot — good for rainy nights in the city :)

Big picture is by far the best place in Seattle to see a new movie! The theatre itself only seats about 50 – 60 but the seats are huge, leather recliners, with or without the armrest so you can keep others at distance or snuggle up close (hopefully you know the person).
The other nice thing: it’s 21 and up only. So no crying kids, no canoodling teenagers, AND booze in the theatre is not only accepted but encouraged. Plus if you ask nicely in advance, you can pre-​order drinks once order twice to be delivered during the movie.

Cozy, comfy theater, with new movies, cup holders for cocktails, and food service to your seat.
This place is a bit extravagant but it is also a total treat. The place looks posh but the movie-​goers are typical Seattle casual. Everything is pricey, but the experience is worth an occasional splurge. They have a twist on the typical snacks, like the white cheddar popcorn, but also a fairly extensive food menu, craft cocktails and a good selection of beers all to enjoy at your seat. Don’t worry about getting up to grab your snack; place your order early, and they’ll bring it to you during the show.

«Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get!»
Big Picture was a charming surprise. This intimate boutique movie theatre in the Belltown area really played to some of my two favorite past times: movies and delicious cocktails!
It’s in the same building as El Gaucho, so it might be a little difficult to find, but keep following the magical signs that point down some stairs to arrive at your destination!
*** *** *** *** *** ***
*** *** *** *** *** ***
Here are some thoughts:
1). ATMOSPHERE & COSTS:
–Dim lights, relaxed vibe, simple décor, good customer service, and the ability to schedule your waiter ahead of time to bring drinks to your seat at specific times during the movie. What’s not to like?
— Happy Hour (M-​Thurs before 6:30 pm): $ 10/​adult movie ticket. Otherwise, regular cost is $ 12.25/adult.
–Just an fyi, Big Picture is a 21 and older establishment, so remember to leave the kids at home with a babysitter and try to relax!
2). ONLINE TICKET ORDERING:
— You can conveniently order tickets online without wondering if they sold out of tickets. For me, it was a smooth and quick process. However, online orders are non-​refundable & you can’t change your purchase once it’s complete, so be careful!
3). LIMITED MOVIE SELECTIONS:
— Movie options are somewhat limited and Big Picture only plays one movie at a time for about (1) week before moving on to another flick. If you don’t like the movie they’re currently playing, you’re unfortunately out of luck.
I give Big Picture a 3.5÷4 rating — It’s a great option for a fun date night or a nice night out on the town with friends. I also recommend planning ahead to see what movie and time works best for you.

Something about serving popcorn in a champagne bucket makes me order it every time even when I don’t like popcorn all that much at the movies! They are definitely on to something.
The best part of visiting Big Picture is that you can order a drink to be delivered at a certain point in the film (like an hour in or sooner if you’re really going for it!). Such a simple thing but it makes for a great night out at the movies.
Come early as it is a small theater and it fills up quick!

Cool venue, plush seats, average size screen.
Bar service is painfully slow and no re fills on soda.
I know it’s meant to be different than the larger main stream theaters, but I’d expect a better overall experience especially for the price you pay.