Scrooge Does Dinner and a Movie

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With 15 theatres, South Yarra's Jam Factory is a popular destination for a Tuesday night flick, but the food situation is a little less exciting. Vacate the Factory and journey just a little way down Chapel Street to the tea and yum cha haven of Oriental Tea House. Okay, it's not quite as cheap as the nearby fast food joints, but you might be able to fob your date off with just a couple of dumplings.

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Vintage Canberrans will probably have fond memories of dropping in here for a laksa before heading along to the Electric Shadows complex for some quirky cinematic entertainment. Electric Shadows has become a Dendy, and Sammy's has moved - though it's still the same institution it always was, serving dirt-cheap Malaysian and Chinese food.

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Federation Square isn't known for its cheap eats, but a big steaming bowl of ramen from Chocolate Buddha goes a long way. Putting a unique spin on your ubiquitous dinner-and-a-movie date, the next-door ACMI cinemas shun blockbusters in favour of film festivals, themed events and curated installations. Best of all, the Buddha's open late, so you can discuss the film over a sake or two.

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Okay, once again, it's not exactly the cheapest place in town, but penny-pinchers can recoup at the nearby Southbank 5 Cinema Complex, where blockbusters are screened at budget prices. In the meantime, put the calculator away and tuck into a porcini mushroom risotto, or one of their signature Asian dishes.

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Noisy and frenetic, this is more the sort of place to amp yourself up for a butt-kicking action flick than a romantic weepy. Tuck into accessible Thai dishes (think noodles and curries), which are made with just enough spice to keep you warm on the short walk to Randwick's vintage Ritz cinema.

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This is a frugal favourite, offering some of Sydney's best value Chinese. Dive straight into the 'combination wonton' a bursting bowl of porky wontons, chicken, vegies, barbecue pork, king prawns and several types of noodles. The Dixon Street branch offers the same bargain fare, but with outdoor seating so you can enjoy a bit of streetside atmosphere with your noodles. After that massive feed, the city's cinemas are only a short waddle away.

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Grab your gal (or your guy) and step back to a time of fresh-faced, '50s American-style innocence, with nostalgic decor, massive burgers and milkshakes. This branch is closest to the Luna theatre, but there's another Retro Betty's at Innaloo's Greater Union Megaplex.