going to a restaurant, or going to the restaurant, etc.

[Liza]

Hi Everyone,

Could you please tell me which is correct if I don't have a particular restaurant in my mind? I mean I just would like to say generally that I like going there?

e.g.
I like going to a restaurant in my free time.
I like going to restaurant in my free time.
I like going to restaurants in my free time.
I like going to the restaurant in my free time.
I like going to the restaurants in my free time.

I have this question, because as far as I know, e.g. when I speak about cinema in general, I have to say: I like going to the cinema. (Even though it is not one certain cinema.)

And if I continue this chain of thoughts, I wonder what is the situation with theatre and museum.

e.g.:
I like going to the theatre / or to theatre.
I like going to the museum / or to museum. (and this?)

Moreover, as far as I know, the correct way is:
I go to church every Sunday. (And not: I go to the church).

So now I'm a little bit confused about the correct usage.

Thank you very much.
Liza

[Mister Micawber]

.
Each of your cases has different usages in English. These are the usual ones for a general activity:

I like going to restaurants / a restaurant. ('In my free time' sounds odd unless you have an eating disorder.)
I like going to a movie / (the) movies / cinemas / the theatre / the cinema.
I like going to museums / art galleries / concerts / plays / performances / musicals. (The singular with the indefinite article is possible with most of these, too.)
I like going to church / school / work / university.

When you have a specific site or occasion in mind, or when there is only one in the area, or when previously mentioned, then the singular plus the definite article is normally called for in all cases above.
.
_________________
Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mister Micawber

[Jamie (K)]

Note that "cinema" without any article means the art of filmmaking, so it doesn't really make any sense to say, "I go to cinema." A film student, however, would say, "I study cinema."

In North America we don't go to the cinema, but to the movies, or to a movie theater. We reserve the word "cinema" almost exclusively for the art of filmmaking.