A trip to Ciné Lumière is the kind of secret indulgence you don’t want to share with anyone else. Housed in the Art Deco headquarters of the Institut Français’ Cultural Center, the 300-seat cinema opened in 1998 and screens a well-curated selection of foreign films and some new general releases.

Ciné Lumière regularly hosts talks, retrospectives and festivals and thirsty movie-goers often enjoy a post-screening debrief and aperitif at the adjacent Le Bistrot. True francophiles should take up membership, allowing discounts on movie tickets here and at other cultural institutions such as the ICA and BFI Southbank.