De Roma

A jewel of a cinema built in 1928, De Roma went through a period of decline in the last century, but in 2003 — having been classified as a national momument the year before – it re-opened, restored and as splendid as ever, with a 2,000 seating capacity. Now a multifunctional venue offering a regular slate of movies (including classics), plays, dance, concerts and comedy, De Roma has found its way again. If you fancy the idea of seeing a movie in a fabulous space marked by red velvet chairs, curtains and marble pillars, then this is your ticket. For the record, Lou Reed and Iggy Pop have both played here. But as far as tourists go, this sadly remains a best-kept secret. Named after its owner, Italian stonemason Jean-Baptiste Romeo, and his wife Ludvina Malev, and located not far east of Central Station in mostly Moroccan area Borgerhout.