Such a fun experience at The Gilson Cafe & Cinema. The food and drinks were thoughtfully prepared and made the movie night feel elevated instead of ordinary. Service was friendly, efficient, and genuinely welcoming from start to finish. Everything ran smoothly, and it felt like the perfect way to enjoy dinner and a film all in one place. I'll definitely be back. read more

Gilson Cafe/Cinema - Dinner with a movie - Cinema Near Me - Winsted, Connecticut

See all

We have visited this theater several times and found the food and service good. However, both of these times the theater was mostly empty with 6 or 8 guests so it was pretty easy to get good service. Tonight the theater was almost full, and the service was terrible. The staff had no idea what was going on or how to serve a large crowd. It was complete chaos in the theater, and no one had any idea what order the guests had arrived in. After sitting for 30 minutes with no acknowledge from the staff while we witnessed 15 others who arrived after us being given menus, then drinks, and some already receiving their dinner orders, we decided to leave. The manager was contacted to refund our ticket price. He agreed but seemed unconcerned about what was going on upstairs in the theater. Cannot recommend Gilson's unless you can find a time when no one else is visiting. read more

We try the Gilson for the first time Friday night. I really wanted to love the place but I think I needed to lower my expectations. First, the chairs aren't great. My feet didn't touch the floor so it just felt awkward. The tables in front of you are very low to the ground. The service is Average at best. The food was hit or miss. The popcorn was absolutely delicious! My chili was great. I paid an extra dollar 75 per cheese. It was probably a teaspoon of cheese. My son had a clam chowder didn't like it. My Cobb salad was lackluster. It had chicken, but there were probably three pieces.the acoustics aren't great but it's a fun old building. read more

See all

Awaiting the wonderful film Penguin Lessons at the famous Gilson Cafe & Cinema in Winsted. This is a great place to enjoy a good film and have wonderful dinner fare and libations. Thanks Al for a wonderful 4 decades of lifting our spirits and nurturing our appetites. read more

Gilson Cafe/Cinema - Bowl of tomato and roasted red pepper bisques with a Norbrook Farm Brewery Mt Pisgah IPA. Delish and artfully topped with balsamic glaze! - Cinema Near Me - Winsted, Connecticut

See all

After passing by for too many years to say, there was an art movie there that tempted us to try it. The movie was disappointing, but the experience saved the day! Ordered a sausage sandwich (excellent) with a glass of red (fine), quick service. The place is rundown in a charming shabby chic way, like watching a film in a man cave. Not too many other viewers and they all seemed to be first timers like us. Next time I hope the film will be better! read more

I grew up down the road from the Gilson. In the age of the sterile 20 plex cinemas that have about as much warmth as a McMansion....the Gilson is a wonderful vintage cinema in a gritty old mill town...known probably for the hometown of Ralph Nader and David Halberstam. The Gilson has beer and some safe grub (chili, chowder, chips-salsa) and some alcohol free sodas/coffees. Occasionally, they will have something on the independent spectrum as well... which is hard to find out in the northwest corner of CT, unless one goes to Bantam CT (near Litchfield). Since Apple Cinema seems to be imploding...the Gilson may be the best (and maybe soon "only") option in the area without running down to the Farmington Valley. read more

Very homey, delicious popcorn, attentive service. My only issue was that it was hard to hear the dialogue of the movie. The space is a bit echoey (feels a bit like a converted gymnasium) but I am hard of hearing so I'm needier than the average Joe. read more

I love the Gilson! It's a great movie experience. The movie selections are always food and the food is an exceptional bonus, all in a vintage theather. What more could you ask for? read more

How can you not take advantage of seeing The Empire Strikes Back on the big screen!! We had a great time. Clean. Friendly. Decent drinks and great popcorn. We'll be back. read more

See all

Have been coming here for 2 decades. Used to go with my mother now go with my son. It's all of our favorite place to go to get great food at incredibly reasonable prices and watch a great movie. Literally one of our fav places to go ever. Best vintage vibe, friendly staff and super unique experience. A business I'm happy to support any chance I can! read more

Went to see a movie last night, I sat upstairs and the seats are comfortable. My daughter and I ate elsewhere because we heard that the food has gone downhill and that the service is not great. We ordered two drinks when we took our seats and after 45 minutes of waiting we went down to the bar to check on our drinks and they were sitting there with the ice melting and the owner said he doesn't have enough waitstaff yetI was an allowed to take our drinks upstairs. I've gone to the Gilson for years and I've always been happy. I looked forward to the food But that is no longer the case. read more

My fault, for ordering corn chips / dip / cheese. I can only guess that you dumped an entire bag of some kind of corn chip on the plate. The small amount of salsa wasn't enough and the cheese was non-existent. Next time, use one third of the bag of chips, add a little more salsa and charge $1.00 and put on some cheese. Ridiculous. As far as seating and watching a movie....always good. read more

A different way to enjoy a film--food, drinks...very relaxed and spacious. Menu items are almost all under $10. The service is slow but you will have plenty of time to finish your meal well before the movie is even half through. I had a good burger and a tasty margarita. read more

Awesome night out!! The food is delicious and very reasonably priced. We ordered the plate of cheese & pepperoni with crackers, eggplant parmigiana sandwich & a pitcher of beer. To end the night we had a brownie sundae and carrot cake. Everything from the food to the service was excellent!! read more

Comfy seats, terrific food, love the Frieda's Punch, friendly wait staff and oh yeah, a fun movie to see! Great date night venue.

This theater is a wonderful idea. It is really great to be able to eat dinner, drink beer or wine while watching a movie. I had been here twice before and each experience has been nice. The one drawback is that the food menu could be elaborated on. It is very basic food, sandwiches and salads. I understand wanting to have food that doesn't need to be cut or seen too well due to the movie atmosphere. The food is tasty, just basic. The seats are comfortable and there is a small movable table that is shared every 2 seats. The film quality itself is good, we have never had a problem with sound or anything (wish I could say the same for other local theaters). Overall a great place to try out. read more

I used to live in Winsted and went here all the time. Now that I am in the valley I never get up there and I miss it terribly!!! This is the most quintessential theater in all of Connecticut. It was an old ballroom/dance hall that has since been converted into a movie theater. There is the main theater and an upstairs, smaller theater. Both areas offer dinning and drinks before and/or during the movie. The food is not the greatest, typical bar food quality. The beers are better than the wines, and if memory serves me, mixed drinks as well. You do not have to order a meal to view a movie. Service is hit or miss. Really, the atmosphere is priceless here. The movie prices are fairly cheep, the last time I was there, several years ago, they were $6.00, may have gone up since then. Usually fairly current listings. They used to show more indi, trendy movies, but seem to be going more main stream now. For two, with meals, it was typically running around $40.00. Not too terribly bad. Oh, and they have a great chocolate brownie sundae!! Doors open at 6:00 p.m. for dinner, and 7:00 p.m. is movie time, for both theaters, each offering the same menu but different movie choices. Children under 12 not permitted, and are only allowed Sundays, Tuesdays-Thursdays. The theater is closed on Mondays. read more

I love the Gilson. It is SUCH a good idea and it appears the community or at least surrounding community come to support it. I do think in the last few months it has been looking better than recently before. I can say that I've only come in and had coffees (regular and Irish) and that really hit the spot for me. I can always count on the Gilson for a good movie selection, especially for some "lesser known" films or independent films when bigger theaters pass them up or only keep them a week max. Both movies playing start at 7 pm so you have to make a choice when you arrive. The good part is you can arrive before the movie starts to eat, or arrive as it starts to eat (I'm really weird about eating during the movie so I like to arrive before the movie starts). Unfortunately you pay at the end of the movie before it's over (for ticket and anything ordered). Advice on ordering food, don't expect some special fine dining experience. I've heard the waitresses/waiters suggest their hamburgers and sandwiches and they seem to look reasonable/good and of course you can't really mess up a drink too much, and as mentioned before their coffees aren't bad at all. I think at this point you should look at it as you're going for the experience (making a movie slightly social). Watching movies like Brooklyn or The Big Short were good decisions for there. Because of the slight disruption at the end when paying I wouldn't suggest seeing a big epic movie like the Revenant that you're going to be really into or you might get upset by being disrupted. I do think they do a good job at playing movies that are acceptable to be disrupted by. I will say I feel like I have a totally different movie experience when viewing a film in the main larger auditorium versus the small one upstairs. You should go in with an open mind and know what you're getting into. They do a good job at what they do and it's nice they exist. Certainly a different movie experience and I'd highly suggest for a fun/different night out with friends or a date. read more

We've been to the Gilson many times, and in spite of a few mishaps, we will return in the future, but recent experiences have prompted me to write a not-so-great review. Last weekend we went to see Brooklyn. We arrived at 6:05 and by 6:15 had ordered one soup and two sandwiches. By seven o'clock, which is when the movie started, we still had not received even the soup. About ten minutes into the movie, both the soup and sandwiches arrived. So we waited nearly an hour! During that time our waitress passed by our seats a few times and never mentioned anything about the food taking so long or apologizing in any way. To add insult to injury, our check was brought to us about ten minutes prior to the movie ending. Since we paid by credit card, we were then forced to wait another fifteen minutes after the end of the movie to get our card back. This particular mishap had occurred once before, leaving us feeling we should pay cash in the future, especially if the check arrives that late. As for the food, we stick with the basics. I could never imagine ordering anything like pasta at this place, which seems a bit dirty and run down to me. I use to routinely order the Reuben, and it was quite good, but for the last year or two it's gone downhill. I think they've changed the quality of the meat, and it's extremely greasy as well. Stick with burgers (which cannot be ordered medium rare, just medium, which seems strange to me) or maybe a sandwich. The salads are ok also, but not great. The concept is good, and I hope the Gilson perseveres, as Winsted definitely needs their presence, but they should improve the training of their waitstaff and the quality of their food. An occasional dusting wouldn't hurt either. read more

A cute old movie theater that has a full service menu and bar. Food is good but not great, service is slow but friendly. Not a place to see a movie loaded with cgi due to a smaller older screen but excellent for lower budget films. A great blast from the past and Friday and Saturday nights are 21 and over. Definitely recommend the Frieda's punch and chocolate moose. read more

Gilson Cafe/Cinema - Cinema Near Me - Winsted, Connecticut

I really like Gilson's and I want them to succeed, but they need to make some improvements. The food is very hit or miss. The chili is excellent, but I can't say that about any other food item that I've eaten there. It would be nice if we could order from the Mexican place next door that they share a kitchen with. While the seats are comfortable, they are completely incompatible with the tables when it comes to eating. You have to sit in a contorted manner in order not to spill all over yourself. The owner should take a trip to Nitehawk in Brooklyn. Their food is excellent and they have built tables that specifically work for a dining/movie watching experience. Their ordering system is, also, very user friendly. read more

This is a cool place to watch a movie, have dinner and drinks. Seats are comfortable inside and the service is fast. I ordered a burger which wasn't good at all. Was over cooked and lacked flavor. My husband ordered a salad which he liked. The drinks and popcorn were my favorite! The popcorn is made fresh and tastes nothing like you get in regular movie theaters. It was so good we ordered 2 which I ate most of. The drinks and popcorn are great, but their menu is very small and basic. Their dinner food is just so so. Maybe I will try something different next time but there isn't a lot to choose from. No matter what, it is a good place to go and will be back. read more

Been going here since the first night they opened . First, the staff is great , the ladies who work here do a great job. The music is outstanding. It's great to order a pitcher of beer & watch a film. This is such a great place to see a film. Unfortunately I do have a comment about their menu....actually a few. 1.I usually Order the turkey pita, it continues to get smaller & smaller. I would rather pay a buck or two more & have a filling sandwich. 2. I wish that they offered gluten free bread for their sandwiches and pasta ......please, please , please :) 3. Their menu is really tired.....needs to be refreshed. But that's just my opinion, if you haven't been here- you will probably think the food is really good. It is! ---if you're looking for a relaxing night out this is the place. The owner is as cute as a button & he & his staff are salt of the earth. We are lucky to have the Gilson in our area. I love the Gilson read more

The Gilson is a gem; a very unique movie theater found in the dimly lit and desolate downtown of Winsted, CT. Don't let it's location phase you: the Gilson is magical, packed to the brim on Fridays and Saturdays, showing current independent films. You can order drinks (wine, beer, cocktails), appetizers and meals with your movie throughout the film. The waitstaff is extremely friendly! They make sure not to bother you too much, but they don't ignore you either: it's the perfect balance. The food is not exquisite; I find my excitement from enjoying a meal while watching a film and sitting in a large, cozy chair makes the food appear more tasteful than it actually might be. It's not a major problem though, the menu is diverse enough for you to find something yummy. I love their french onion soup and eggplant parmesan! The portions are large and filling. There is also a pretty decent selection of alcohol as well. Be careful though, they charge you for water! Located in my hometown, The Gilson is my number one spot when I return home to visit. It is great for dates! Arrive early if you wish, so you can enjoy your meal with the best of service, then stay awhile for a comfortable movie experience. I definitely appreciate this theatre and I would be so sad if it ever lost its business. read more

My rating is really more like 3.5 stars. If you're not familiar with the Gilson, it's not a restaurant where they pull the shades and show movies, it's a tiny movie theatre with two screens (upstairs and down) and basic food service capabilities. Don't expect a "fine dining" experience. I haven't seen the kitchen but I suspect most hot food comes straight out of the microwave. When a restaurant says, "Sorry, we can't separate the peppers and onions", that means there ain't exactly a Brigade de Cuisine back there. The menu consists mainly of sandwiches. There are salads, appetizers, soups, and one or two kinds of pasta as well. The prices are a little on the high side ($2.75 for a comically small glass of soda, no refills), but to be fair, that's because there's only one seating a night and I am sure it is very difficult to turn a profit under those circumstances. It's important to get there early for a good seat, and remember that the seats themselves are plush and comfortable but don't lend themselves well to sitting upright for a meal. You have to hunch forward to eat and I don't know how anyone finds that pleasant. I ordered a Roast Beef Melt ($10.25), which was kind of soggy and dull, plus it was really messy to eat. The chili, though, ($8.25) is a generous portion, rich and meaty, and comes with a hard roll and butter. And for finger food, they have a decent pepperoni, cheese and crackers plate for $7.25. There's a good brownie sundae available for $6.95. I'm not out this way often, but the Gilson is a unique enough experience that I'll probably go back, but I think I'll try a less messy sandwich, like a turkey or seafood salad pita. read more

Second run movies at a second run price $5-7 (I don't remember exactly), pretty good food and alcohol, though there's not anything terribly adventurous on their menu. Definitely try the french onion soup. Adults only most of the time (16+ I think), so there's very little chance of having your movie time ruined by a screaming 4 year old. read more

Went again and enjoyed it even more this time With my lady and enjoyed " A mountain between us" very touching survival love story. Drinks good but not enough, food good but small portions and slightly overpriced. But for a date highly recommended for couples and I'll go again! read more

I love the idea of an old theater being used for current-day movie showings. The Gilson is one of the only establishments in town that offers a service while having tons of charm and character. It's adorable!! Now, if you're reading this, I'm sure you're puzzled as to why I have only two stars- Though it's packed with tons of charm, character and history, that doesn't make it an automatic slam dunk in my eyes. Even though The Gilson is just a few steps away from being a complete and total hotspot. The food is below average. For the price they have the food marked, and knowing that a majority of its customers are on dates, I'd like to think that they could jazz up their food a little more. My beau and I ordered chips and salsa as an appetizer. The chips were straight out of a bag, and very salty. It was disgusting. Could they not use the tortilla chips used at the co-owned Mexican infused restaurant next door? Very disappointing. The chips were so salty, we already needed a refill on our small glasses of beverage. Oh, that were charged per refill. Not cool. Who does that? They weren't even alcohol based. Sad to say the rest of our dining experience was below average after that, as well. Now, for the actual establishment. Seats are comfy, the theaters are clean. Perfect! Suggestion: on the weekends offer $2 movie nights. Play movies from different era's. And maybe on Saturday, show a kids movie, simplify your menu to chicken tenders, grilled cheese, pb&j, etc. Work on your menu! You have such a wonderful thing going for you, and it could be better! Strive for more than average. read more

I have friends that live in Barkhamsted and this is a favorite place of mine. Great atmosphere and although not gourmet, the food has that homemade, comfort food style which goes well with a movie. I am a huge fan of their chicken salad sandwich as well as their Reuben. In addition, the popcorn is topped with REAL butter, not the Frankenbutter used by the cinema chains. The have a full service bar and have a speciatly non-alcoholic beverage called "Frida's Punch" which is absolutely delicious! The movies that run at the cinema are ones that recently left the larger cinemas, however I never mind waiting for a film as long as I get to enjoy it at the Gilson. Finally, due to the location, the drive out from other parts of the state is a wonderful "Leaf-Peeping" drive during the fall, or a nice motorcycle, convertible, or drive in the spring and summer months. read more

Unique venue with tableside dining instead of traditional seating during the movie. Downstairs theater is a conventional size, upstairs is more compact with a smaller screen and about 35 seats. Food is good if unoriginal -- same menu for a couple of decades. Time for a refresh! Also, charging for water with your meal is just bogus. read more

Ok, so when we arrived, they lost our reservations.. great! Then we orderd french onion soup, was microwaved, no golden brown cheese.. blah.. we also ordered a cheeseburger, and a wrap.. almost an hour later.. nothing.. we asked our server, "where is our food?" She seemed perplexed.. and said shed check... at this point I already knew our order was forgotten.. great, because we showd up an hour before the movie, so we could enjoy the movie AFTER we ate... at this point the movie had started.. our server kept walking by us bringing others their food, never explained what was going on, how long it would be.. that would've been nice, so we ended up walking out.. a simple explanation would have saved it, but we were ignored. Oh well, they can't all be winners! We won't be back, but wish everyone the best of luck. read more

Literally the worst beer selection I have ever seen. The food is awful and the seats are so uncomfortable. This place could be awesome if someone tried to update it a bit. I gave 2 stars because at least the movie we saw was entertaining. read more

This Review Is For "Padre's" The Gilson Mexican Cantina. I've Been Going To Viva Zapata's In New Haven For Over 30 Years For Mexican Food But My Girlfriend And I Have Been Meaning To Check This Place Out . We See It On Our Way To The Infinity Music Hall. Well We Finally Did About A Week And A Half Ago And Were Blown Away. The Food Was Excellent. The Prices Couldn't Be Better And The Hostess Lacey Is A Sweetheart. We Decided We Will Be Going There Before Every Show At The Infinity From Now On And Will Get Up There As Ofter As We Can. Highly Recommended. read more

I will not be returning to the Gilson. Here's why. My son and I went to the Gilson this evening and spent $57 for tickets, drinks, and sandwiches. However, when I asked for glass of water, the server informed that they "can't" serve glasses of water, only bottled. Well, clearly that is not true. They have glasses and somewhere in that building, there is water. They choose not to serve glasses of water because they want to charge you for bottled. I have never, ever been refused water in a restaurant, which is what the Gilson Cinema and CAFE purports to be. For me, this is an environmental issue. The world is drowning in plastic bottles, very, very few of which are ever recycled. Also, plastic bottles leech carcinogens into the water, so this is also a health issue. Many people choose not to purchase or drink water in plastic bottles and I'm one of them. I also choose not to go patronize the Gilson - though I had been there many times in the past. So...for the price of a glass of water, this theater has lost my business forever. read more

Don't come here for the food. The movie and dinner concept is a great idea but they need to get a new menu or new help in the kitchen. The food was terrible. I liked having a few beverages before and during the movie but the food was awful to say the least. Buyer beware. read more

The "Paul B" review should not be considered, by anyone! July 4th and he did not think to call before he planned his dinner and evening? Poor baby. Read his other reviews to figure this guy out for yourself. Paul, you may need to move to Europe or something. read more

Was always a great place to go to for movie and food, for something different . Food is acceptibally average and I like to support historical old-time theaters. However, I won't be going to the Gilson again due to the current policy of keeping the lights on during the movie. I have been there several times before and this was not the case. We were informed by the waitress that they no longer turn the lights down. It was very annoying and distracting and ruined what would have been a nice evening watching a great movie. I have been to other theaters before that serve food and the lights are turned down just like you would have in any non- food service movie theater. Too bad..... read more

Such a cool idea! Catch a new movie with delicious food and great drinks! Perfect little date night. The veggie burgers are always so good. All of the soups are always made with fresh seasonal ingredients. The staff is always friendly. The drive there is always worth it. Highly recommended for a night out. read more

Unfortunately they don't allow under 21 on the weekends- even with an adult... wish I had known that before scheduling a day trip around this! read more

Love the Gilson. Went last night and was disappointed. Could not hear the movie. Had no idea what was being said. Sound was low and muffled. People on both sides of us shared the same concerns read more