Randwick Ritz, a hugely popular small independent cinema, is nestled between restaurants, beauticians and a dance shop.

The closest restaurant to the cinema used to be a bistro while the rest are almost exclusively Thai. Makes sense, movie goers are looking for speedy tasty pre-movie food.

About 2 months ago the Bistro transformed itself into The Spanish Fly, a tapas restaurant. We tried it and the food was both fantastic and quick.

So we sort of made it our regular and because we go to the early-evening movie never had any trouble getting a table.

Until last night that is, when it was fully booked; a feat that the Bistro had never achieved.

It seems The Spanish Fly has become the pre-movie movie dinner place.

How did it manage that?

 I don’t think it’s because of its location –after all it didn’t work for its predecessor the Bistro – but rather because the type of food it serves, Tapas, is authentically quick.

Of course the Spanish Fly does great service and great taste – that goes without saying. But the real difference seems to be that as a pre-movie diner you get to enjoy a quick bite to eat rather than a bite to eat quickly.

Which just goes to show that, depending what you do with it, the same opportunity (location, pre-movie diners) can be the foundation of a roaring success or something that’s really just a bit ho-hum.