The residents of Downtown Las Vegas won't have to drive as far now to see the latest blockbuster, and they will be able to do it in comfort and get a good meal at the same time.
A new, luxury movie theater opened near Gass Avenue and 3rd Street on Nov. 30.
Luxury theaters with their reclining seats, wide aisles, alcoholic beverages and high-end bar food aren't new to Las Vegas, but this one is a little different.
Eclipse Theaters is the first movie theater in the Las Vegas valley that has servers who actually bring the food and drinks to moviegoers who are already seated. This also means that the movie theater is also restricted to guests 21 and older.
The reaction to that restriction has resulted in both positive and negative feedback. Many movie lovers like the idea of being able to watch a movie without worrying about if a baby will start crying or a toddler won't stop talking.
Others aren't so happy about it though and are pushing the movie theater to let children in for some shows at least.
The ticket prices are also a bit of a sticking point with many who live in the area. Regular ticket prices are $18 and matinee prices are $16. Although the cost of seeing a movie has certainly gone up over the years, $18 is almost double the national average ($8.50) and the most expensive in Las Vegas.
The menu prices might also be somewhat off-putting at first glance. But, the food preparation is overseen by the Chef Robert Neese, who is the former executive chef at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts and a former chef for Bradley Ogden at Caesars Palace. And, from what we've heard so far, very good.
Menu items include sweet & spicy eggs ($8), sea salt and pepper fries ($6), Caesar salad ($10), Mediterranean flatbread ($16), BBQ chicken sliders ($14), Wagyu burger sliders ($18), Maine lobster rolls ($18), double chocolate bundt cake ($9) and apple cobbler ($9).
Drink selections include several draft cocktails; handcrafted cocktails such as the King of Pop (buttered popcorn flavored rum and Pepsi) and the Monarchy Monkey (Monkey Shoulder scotch, rumchata and banana); numerous red, white and sparkling wines; and both draft and bottled beer.
The theater has 8 auditoriums and currently seats 320 people total. It also offers VIP suites in two of its theaters. Although the theater currently is only showing first-run movies, it says that it plans to show independent films in the future and to host mini-concerts and comedy shows in the future.
In addition, it has a 3,600-square-foot lounge/bar/restaurant with flat-screen TVs for socializing before and after any movie or event.
The price tag for the Eclipse Theaters was nearly $22 million. The theater hopes to fill the void for downtown residents that was left after the 11-screen Galaxy Theaters at Neonopolis closed in 2009.
P.S. Be prepared to pay for parking. Street parking isn't easy to find, especially during the daytime. It is also limited to two hours during the day. The valet-only garage costs $10.
