TOWNSPOTLIGHT
Spotlight on Orpington cont.
The Big O Festival
Light Up Orpington Priory Live 2015
Hisar Meze Bar With live music every Friday and Saturday night, authentic Turkish cuisine, and friendly staff who make you feel like one of the family, Hisar Meze Bar is the place to go when you want good company and great food. The menu includes items such as dolma( vine leaves stuffed with minced lamb, rice, vegetables and herbs and spices), chicken beyti( tortilla bread with minced chicken, red and green pepper, chopped mushroom, garlic, parsley and herbs, served with a helping of fresh yogurt, mixed salad and bulgur wheat) and Sicilian swordfish.
One Inn The Wood This gorgeous micropub offers real ale, Chapel Down wine, Kent Dudda Tun Cider and more – it’ s a truly local pub. It also offers fantastic food including homemade pork pies with chutney and relish and homemade sausage rolls that are absolutely huge!
Osteria Da Fabrizio This is where you want to go when you are looking for the true flavour of Italy with dancing and a party atmosphere thrown in! Authentically flavoursome food is paired with friendly staff and a cosy, comfortable restaurant, which makes this an ideal place to go for a romantic meal for two, a family lunch, or a friends’ night out. Food includes risso al forno( Mama’ s rice bolognaise bake with mixed leaf lettuce), spaghetti Milanese
( spaghetti bolognaise served with a chicken escalope and a glass of house wine) and stufato di pesce( mussels, king prawns, sea bass and cod stew prepared with a tomato sauce served with garlic bread and finished with olive oil and flat leaf parsley).
ANNUAL EVENTS
Light Up Orpington // Nov Christmas stalls, a funfair, entertainment, street food, Father Christmas and his reindeer, fireworks and of course the annual Orpington lights switch on – that’ s Light Up Orpington. The high street is pedestrianised and it’ s the ideal way to get in the mood for the festive period. Organised and funded by Orpington 1st, the event has become a key date in the calendar.
The Big O Festival // July You are invited to spend the weekend enjoying the amazing sights and sounds of life in Britain from the 1940s to the 80s. Starting with a parade through the high street, this festival, sponsored by Orpington 1st, is all about nostalgia and having a great time.
Priory Live Music Festival // Aug Sponsored by Orpington 1st, this annual music festival is free to attend and takes place in Priory Gardens. This is where new and exciting musicians come to showcase their new works
– so if you are tired of the same of music, this is the place to come. You’ ll be amazed at the variety.
TOP SPOT
A newly revamped Walnuts Shopping Centre can be found in the middle of Orpington High Street, and now contains everything you might need under one roof, including a 24-hour gym, Premier Inn and a high spec ODEON Cinema. With plenty of parking, shops, and restaurants, such as the recently opened Nando’ s, and allowing access to the rest of Orpington right on its doorstep, this is a great place to start your exploration.
DID YOU KNOW?
The late, great David Bowie played some of his first gigs in Orpington at the age of just 15. His family lived in Beckenham at the time.
42