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The Cinepolis Luxury Cinemas in Rancho Santa Margarita will deliver drinks and food to your luxury seat during the movie. A movie goer just presses a button in the armrest and someone will come to take your order and bring it to you. 
Drinks at the movies are better than drinks at the bar
Leonard Ortiz/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images

Where to Drink at the Movies in and Around Boston

Movie theaters that also double as bars are the best date spots

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Drinks at the movies are better than drinks at the bar
| Leonard Ortiz/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images

Drinks and a movie make for a classic and very fun date. Drinks at the movies are even better. Bostonians and folks who are Boston-adjacent have a number of options when it comes to movie theaters that serve alcohol. A number of the theaters are chains — AMC, Showcase, and Regal all operate theaters with bars in the area — while several are old neighborhood movie houses. (Go to the old neighborhood movie houses if you can.)

Here are nine of the best places in and around Boston to see a movie and have a drink simultaneously.

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Capitol Theatre

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The Capitol Theatre opened in 1925 and originally sat 1,600 people. After ownership changed hands several times, the theater was transformed into a multiplex in 1989. Each room boasts a unique design, all of which nod toward the grandeur of the original theater. Grab some popcorn and some beers, and watch the latest, greatest indie flick.

Somerville Theatre

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Owned and operated by the same company that operates the Capitol Theatre in Arlington (Frame One Theatres), the Somerville Theatre has been in operation since 1914. It has some of the most sophisticated projection booths on the East Coast, and it regularly projects archival 35mm and 70mm film prints. Have a beer across the street at Mike’s, and then have a beer at the theater while watching something beautiful in this stunning old movie house. (Note: The Somerville Theatre routinely hosts concerts performed by national touring musicians, too.)

AMC Assembly Row 12

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It’s a chain, but the theater chairs are comfortable — and outside the theater, there’s plenty to eat throughout the Assembly Row development. Taste some beers at the American Fresh Taproom (from the makers of Slumbrew) down the block, and then catch a blockbuster while sipping on something from the theater’s MacGuffins Bar. (Yes, the bar is named for the plot device.)

The Brattle Theatre

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The Brattle Theatre has been showing movies in Harvard Square since 1953. Its specialty is repertory programming, whereby it screens a number of films by a certain director or of a certain canon over the course of a week. (Past themes include “A Fistful of Spaghetti Westerns” and “Ingmar Bergman’s Fifties.”) See something historic and important while sipping on something boozy that will eventually make you feel historic and important.

AMC Boston Common 19

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Another AMC, another MacGuffins. Go see a matinee, have a beer, and then go for a walk through the Boston Common and the Boston Public Garden. And if the date is going well, there are plenty of options in the area for dinner.

Regal Fenway & RPX

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Regal Fenway is in the same building as Time Out Market Boston. Start with a snack in the market (and a drink at one of the market’s bars), and finish the date with beers in hand while watching whatever superhero movie or Disney remake is all the rage at the moment. Perhaps save room for a post-film drink at Nathálie, the quirky wine bar across the street.

Coolidge Corner Theatre

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The Coolidge Corner Theatre is a gift. This deco wonderland has been in operation since 1933, and it routinely projects films shot on 70mm film, which makes for lush and stunning pictures. Its beer and wine menu consists of various reds, whites, and rosés, along with bottles, cans, and draft beers from mostly local breweries. The next time it shows something in 70mm — no matter what it is — go see it, and also keep an eye out for the boisterous and strange late-night programming.

AMC South Bay Center 12

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MacGuffins Bar is beginning to feel like this map’s MacGuffin. Anyway, it’s more of the same with this AMC. It’s equipped with IMAX capabilities, so go see something breathtaking while sipping on something cold and crisp. After, check out Dorchester Brewing Company nearby for more beer.

Showcase SuperLux at the Street Chestnut Hill

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This multiplex is another chain with more comfortable chairs. Unlike at the other theaters on this list, movie-goers at the Showcase SuperLux at the Street Chestnut Hill can order food from a full-service menu, which includes dishes like fried shrimp and steak frites. Wash it all down with a movie-inspired cocktail, like the 007, which is a take on the martinis James Bond enjoys. Shaken, not stirred, of course.

Capitol Theatre

The Capitol Theatre opened in 1925 and originally sat 1,600 people. After ownership changed hands several times, the theater was transformed into a multiplex in 1989. Each room boasts a unique design, all of which nod toward the grandeur of the original theater. Grab some popcorn and some beers, and watch the latest, greatest indie flick.

Somerville Theatre

Owned and operated by the same company that operates the Capitol Theatre in Arlington (Frame One Theatres), the Somerville Theatre has been in operation since 1914. It has some of the most sophisticated projection booths on the East Coast, and it regularly projects archival 35mm and 70mm film prints. Have a beer across the street at Mike’s, and then have a beer at the theater while watching something beautiful in this stunning old movie house. (Note: The Somerville Theatre routinely hosts concerts performed by national touring musicians, too.)

AMC Assembly Row 12

It’s a chain, but the theater chairs are comfortable — and outside the theater, there’s plenty to eat throughout the Assembly Row development. Taste some beers at the American Fresh Taproom (from the makers of Slumbrew) down the block, and then catch a blockbuster while sipping on something from the theater’s MacGuffins Bar. (Yes, the bar is named for the plot device.)

The Brattle Theatre

The Brattle Theatre has been showing movies in Harvard Square since 1953. Its specialty is repertory programming, whereby it screens a number of films by a certain director or of a certain canon over the course of a week. (Past themes include “A Fistful of Spaghetti Westerns” and “Ingmar Bergman’s Fifties.”) See something historic and important while sipping on something boozy that will eventually make you feel historic and important.

AMC Boston Common 19

Another AMC, another MacGuffins. Go see a matinee, have a beer, and then go for a walk through the Boston Common and the Boston Public Garden. And if the date is going well, there are plenty of options in the area for dinner.

Regal Fenway & RPX

Regal Fenway is in the same building as Time Out Market Boston. Start with a snack in the market (and a drink at one of the market’s bars), and finish the date with beers in hand while watching whatever superhero movie or Disney remake is all the rage at the moment. Perhaps save room for a post-film drink at Nathálie, the quirky wine bar across the street.

Coolidge Corner Theatre

The Coolidge Corner Theatre is a gift. This deco wonderland has been in operation since 1933, and it routinely projects films shot on 70mm film, which makes for lush and stunning pictures. Its beer and wine menu consists of various reds, whites, and rosés, along with bottles, cans, and draft beers from mostly local breweries. The next time it shows something in 70mm — no matter what it is — go see it, and also keep an eye out for the boisterous and strange late-night programming.

AMC South Bay Center 12

MacGuffins Bar is beginning to feel like this map’s MacGuffin. Anyway, it’s more of the same with this AMC. It’s equipped with IMAX capabilities, so go see something breathtaking while sipping on something cold and crisp. After, check out Dorchester Brewing Company nearby for more beer.

Showcase SuperLux at the Street Chestnut Hill

This multiplex is another chain with more comfortable chairs. Unlike at the other theaters on this list, movie-goers at the Showcase SuperLux at the Street Chestnut Hill can order food from a full-service menu, which includes dishes like fried shrimp and steak frites. Wash it all down with a movie-inspired cocktail, like the 007, which is a take on the martinis James Bond enjoys. Shaken, not stirred, of course.

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