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Orange Bar

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michaelhudson
michaelhudson
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
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1
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Editor Pick

Orange Bar

  • March 21, 2009
  • Rated 4 of 5 by michaelhudson from Jarrow, Tyne & Wear, United Kingdom
Orange Bar

Far from the stag night crowd, what Orange Bar lacks in space it more than makes up for in hedonistic atmosphere. It rarely gets going until after midnight at weekends, but from then until 5am it’s packed with an alternative crowd of young Latvians, exchange students and the occasional backpacker – with not a high-heeled shoe anywhere in sight.

Orange isn’t the kind of place you’d visit for a quiet pint or a chat with friends. Dark and noisy, you’ll need to get here early to bag a seat at a table – and even then you’re likely to find someone dancing on top of it once the tiny dance floor fills up. Other people jump on the windowsills, watched by the crowd of smokers in the courtyard outside, while between pulling pints and pouring out shots of vodka the bar staff strut their stuff on top of the bar. The music varies from chart stuff to heavy rock. By two in the morning nobody cares.

The beer on tap is the hangover-inducing Zelta, at the Old Town standard price of two lats a half litre. Although the bar staff are friendly and speak excellent English, there are usually only two or three people working at any time, so be prepared for a wait to get served. Not as long as the wait for the one unisex toilet, however. At Orange you can’t afford to leave things to the last minute.

Although it’s slap bang in the middle of the Old Town, Orange isn’t the easiest place to find. From the Occupation Museum and the House of the Blackheads, walk behind St Peter’s and then down the narrow alley immediately to the left of St John’s Church. To the side of the church you'll see an arch in what looks like part of an old city wall. Walk through here and Orange is on the right.

From journal Going Out In Riga

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