insideKENT Magazine Issue 40 - July 2015 | Page 104

TOWNSPOTLIGHT

Sevenoaks cont.
Dining Out
Sevenoaks has a wealth of restaurants to choose
from, each one catering to your personal tastes
and giving you a memorable experience.

filling breakfasts (pancakes with various toppings,
and smoked salmon bruschetta, for example);
fabulous brunch and lunch meals (such as chicken
and chorizo ciabatta and lemon orzo pasta salad);
a children’s menu (sausage sandwiches, beans
on toast, and much more), and hot drinks
including perfectly roasted coffees, Rafferty’s is
a great place to go for some ‘me’ time.

Annual Events

The Vine Restaurant

The Vine Restaurant – Located directly opposite
the famous Vine Cricket Ground and with a lovely
conservatory addition to the building, The Vine
Restaurant serves delicious breakfasts, lunches,
and dinners. Food such as lobster thermidor
tartlets, eggs Benedict, and fresh dressed crab
with fries adorn the menu, and the Sunday roast
here is a special treat!

Sevenoaks – as its history suggests – is and
always has been a town that its residents adore
and care for. That’s why there are a number of
excellent annual events put on for everyone to
enjoy.
The Sevenoaks Summer Festival // Jun-Jul
This two-week festival celebrates the many
different performing and visual arts around the
town, and includes celebrity events and concerts.
It always begins on the nearest Saturday to 21st
June (Midsummer’s Day) and includes singing,
dancing, acting, and acrobatics to name just a
few of the exciting treats on offer.
Sevenoaks Literary Celebration // Sep-Oct
Kent has always attracted the literary crowd, and
Sevenoaks and the surrounding areas have been
home to many famous authors including W. H.
Davies, Edward Thomas, and of course Vita
Sackville-West. The Sevenoaks Literary
Celebration is an amalgam of talks and events,
and luminaries such as Penelope Lively, Jeffrey
Archer, Jenny Uglow, and Hilary Mantel have all
attended in the past.
Sevenoaks Fireworks // Nov
Presented by the Sevenoaks Round Table, the
Sevenoaks fireworks display is one of the best
in the whole of the south east. With a torchlight
procession through the high street to begin, and
then choreographed fireworks, as well as stalls
and plenty of food, this is a great night.

King's room at Knole
National Trust © Andreas von Einsiedel

to visit. With a long, varied history dating back
to 1456, Knole has famously been the home of
Henry VIII (who took it from Thomas Cranmer,
archbishop of Canterbury). It passed to the
Sackville family in 1566, when Elizabeth I gave it
to her cousin, Thomas Sackville. It is what is
known as a ‘calendar house’ as it has 365 rooms
(as well as 52 staircases, 12 entrances, and seven
courtyards).
Knole Park is a 1,000-acre area of parkland that
incorporates the magnificent Knole House. There
are open spaces and woods too, and has been
designated a site of special scientific interest.
Deer roam freely here, along with many other
creatures. Come for a stroll, a jog, to play with
the children, or a leisurely romantic picnic.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/knole

Did You Know?

Giggling Squid

Top Spot
Giggling Squid – The Giggling Squid offers
simple, rustic Thai food that is sumptuous, fresh,
and vibrant. With everything cooked from scratch
by authentic Thai chefs, your meal here will always
be something to look forward to. Food includes
Thai ‘tapas’, Thai steamed mussels, prawn ma
kham, pad cha, and paneang curry amongst
many other mouth-watering dishes.

Knole

Côte Brasserie – Cote Brasserie has everyone
anyone could want for a good night out –
exceptional food, friendly service, and a relaxed
atmosphere. With attention being paid not only
to the food but to the interior design of the dining
room as well, you can feel well fed and
comfortable; a powerful combination. Food
includes asparagus risotto, pan roasted pork
belly, tuna carpaccio, and a decadent chocolate
fondant.
Rafferty’s Café – “Simple, fresh food at its best”
is how Rafferty’s describes its menu, and it
couldn’t be more accurate. With dishes including

Vine Cricket Ground

Knole ©NTPL Rupert Truman

Owned today by the Sackville family (who still live
in the house), the National Trust manage the
building and grounds and it is open for everyone

104

The Vine cricket ground dates back to
1773, and is one of the oldest cricket
grounds in the country. It is also the the
first ground at which cricket was played
with three stumps rather than two.