Post by holidayman on Sept 16, 2013 15:23:53 GMT 2
............It is now!!
Well we are back from another fabulous 2 week break in Roda staying at the Coral Hotel.
Nice flight on the way out from Glasgow and met our driver from Roda Taxis at the arrival gate for the 45 minute journey to Roda.
This was the first time we had taken a taxi transfer and i cannot reccommend Roda Taxis enough to you - On time,clear email details when booking online and a very smooth journey from airport to resort.
I know that the Coral Hotel is not a first choice for many of our members but we have found in the last two years it is perfect for us - on the edge of the village with a very short walk to the centre,clean rooms,pleasant staff,good food and drink prices.
This year we did not take any trips out of Roda and decided to spend almost all our time and money in the village with the occassional walk along the beach front to Acharavi being enjoyed by us.
We arrived in Roda during a heatwave and a very high dew point which meant eveyone was melting and a T shirt change 3 times in the first night proves my point!
Thankfully two days after we arrived the weather changed - still in the 30's but with a pleasant cooling breeze which made things more comfortable for everyone.
So lets start with how we found Roda in general.
Great to be greeted by bar and restaurant owners/employees as we walked through the village - as the week(s) went on we found it was best to add 30 minutes to our journey time to wherever we were headed for the night to allow us time to chat to everyone.
Isn't it fantastic to be remembered by the locals - it makes you feel like you have never been away.
Roda seemed a bit quiter than usual and in speaking to various owners they all tended to agree that whilst they had had a mixed season August seemed to be a good month for them and certainly we found the first week in September brought in more new arrivals.
Only person who said they had had there best season ever was Alex at Crusoe's who said he was having his best season ever - Nothing seems to get Alex down and his bar seemed well attended during the daytime and packed out as usual each evening.
We attended both FGT's the first at Newport where about 12 people turned up and the second at Theo's where 5 people attended - needless to say we enjoyed both.
At last had the pleasure of meeting Pete and Debbie and they are loving life in Roda as you would expect with their house build coming on nicely now.
Also had the pleasure of meeting Steve's partener Jan - a very nice lady and they are so well suited to each other.
Managed to meet Kaz ( at last ) and she was very nice to talk to and enjoying her stay at the Afrodite Hotel.
So onto bars,shops, and restaurants. ( Warts and all!)
We ate out every night and tried to go back to all our favourite places plus try a few of the new ones as well.
Almost without exception standards and prices remaing the same as last year throughout the village.
Jon And Michelle's new Bar - Sadly it did not open whilst we were there but managed to have a few chats wil Jon and a sneak preview inside. It is looking superb and will be a fantastic addition to Roda.
PS. Noodle the dog is well and still as swim crazy as usual ( although the rough seas did put her off for a few days)!
Coral Hotel: Had a meal there on our first evening - well cooked food at fair prices - and it seems to attract a good proportion of walk in guests who want to dine outside with a great sea view.
Roda Grill Room - What can i say 2 small Gyros Chicken Pita + 1 Large bottle of Alpha beer to share - 6.80 Euros all in - A Roda tradition for use now - We love it!
El Mar - Beautiful new restaurant in a perfect setting-always packed by 8.00pm - Superb Traditional and Modern Greek food with added entertainment supplied by both Kostas and his father. If you get the chance go for a meal there you will not be dissapointed - The Aubergine Crisps and the fresh grilled salmon with pesto topping are superb and unlike a lot of other places they serve fresh vegetables with their meals.
Although they may need a few extra waiting staff next season all i would say is - you have a winning formula please don't change it!
Alexandros Taverna (In the Village) After having a shocking meal in there 4 years ago we decided due to the change of management and a new menu we would in fairness give it a try again. Much better choice of food now including a few set price menus such as Fish Menu,ItalianMenu,Greek Menu etc at various prices in addition to all the usual individual dishes on order.
Verdict: Has improved a little but garlic mushrooms still out of a tin (why??) and whole fish dishes served to your table without the offer to bone them for you - I know having to bone and top and tail a whole fish yourself puts off a lot of people.
Wait time for food has improved a lot but i think a bit more staff training is needed -
.and yes i did point these points out to the Manager whilst we were there.
Lisa still on the front enterance as bright and breezy as ever.
Pirates Bar - Great place for a Sunday morning breakfast - great staff and good prices too.
Pangolas ( King Hearted Place)- Very dissapointed in Pangalos this year. Got there at 8.00pm - all staff , the cook,and ,manageress sitting inside chatting and we felt we were disturbing them. Restuarant totally empty except for the two of us but it still took a very long time for our choice of food( Fishermans Plate) to arrive.
No complaints about the quality of the food however we felt that the "magic" had gone from Pangalos and that the staff were simply going through the motions - Let's hope it improves next season.
Crusoe's - Up to it's usual standard - great atmosphere-great staff-good prices-excellent on tap beer - and spirits poured in good measures. Packed most nights with the usual quizzes and live football etc.
NSK Travel(in the village) - We did not go on any excursions this years but stll called in when we were passing to have a chat with Rena - what a pleasant helpful lady she is.
Dolphin - Did not try it this year - seemed to be busy enough though.
Roxannes - We only ate in Roxanne's on one occassion this year and whilst the atmosphere and drinks are still as good as ever we were very dissapointed in the quality of the meal we had as the ingredients seemed to be of the very cheap variety and not to our mind all that tasty. Only our opionion - don't let that put you off from trying it for yourself.
Skouna - Still superb - Brilliant place for a coffee or cocktail- excellent friendly staff -try the Spritz if you get a chance very refreshing and light.
Afrodite Hotel ( Snack bar at front of hotel) - Do try the Prawn Baguette if you get a chance - prawns piled high with tomato,lettuce and cucumber in a light sauce served in a warm fresh baguette - Yummy!.
Petrino Steki - Glad to say no change from last year - well priced food properly cooked and served with a smile. Same staff as last season. Try the set meal menu or the Spit Lamb - a bargain.
Nico's Family Restaurant - Still the same good food served promptly and hot. Restaurant rather empty the night we were in - maybe it was just a quiet night for them.
Sandy's Arms - Always seemed to be busy day and night - live music some nights - always a wave from Sandy as you go past even if you don't go in.
Reptile House - Sadly closed during the time we were in Roda - seemingly a problem with certificates for some of the animals.
Fish Spa - Never seemed that busy - not our kind of thing - however we did see customers in it.
Roda Park - As usual brilliant - our favourite restaurant in Roda. Kostas and Voula with Yannis's help make it what is is. Packed most nights with Greek Night on a Wednesday.Had many a long chat with Kostas and Voula and we could not believe how grown up Harry has become - a real young Greek Man with impeccable manners he is a credit to them.
Wonderful fresh Seabass,daily Corfoit special dishes, excellent wine ,great individual dishes on the menu and the feeling of being at home with the family makes it a special place for us.
Try the Chocolate and raspberry cake served with ice cream and fresh cream if you get a chance - My wife says it is to die for ( and she had a few of them so she should know!!)
Yannis may have "retired" from the Greek dancing - but service is still as slow as ever!! ( You are on holiday anyway - what's the rush to eat and run?!)
We were lucky enough to be able to attend the village festival on the lsat night of our holiday - what a way to end our stay.
Hopefully in the near future i will post some pictures of our time in Roda and of the festival.
Hope you all enjoyed reading this report - i have been as honest as possible with all the reviews.
No doubt i will have missed something but i will come back an amend it as and when it comes to me.
In conclusion - Roda - perfect for us we can't wait to go back and are looking at prices and accommodation already for nexy year.
Best wishes to all.
David
Well we are back from another fabulous 2 week break in Roda staying at the Coral Hotel.
Nice flight on the way out from Glasgow and met our driver from Roda Taxis at the arrival gate for the 45 minute journey to Roda.
This was the first time we had taken a taxi transfer and i cannot reccommend Roda Taxis enough to you - On time,clear email details when booking online and a very smooth journey from airport to resort.
I know that the Coral Hotel is not a first choice for many of our members but we have found in the last two years it is perfect for us - on the edge of the village with a very short walk to the centre,clean rooms,pleasant staff,good food and drink prices.
This year we did not take any trips out of Roda and decided to spend almost all our time and money in the village with the occassional walk along the beach front to Acharavi being enjoyed by us.
We arrived in Roda during a heatwave and a very high dew point which meant eveyone was melting and a T shirt change 3 times in the first night proves my point!
Thankfully two days after we arrived the weather changed - still in the 30's but with a pleasant cooling breeze which made things more comfortable for everyone.
So lets start with how we found Roda in general.
Great to be greeted by bar and restaurant owners/employees as we walked through the village - as the week(s) went on we found it was best to add 30 minutes to our journey time to wherever we were headed for the night to allow us time to chat to everyone.
Isn't it fantastic to be remembered by the locals - it makes you feel like you have never been away.
Roda seemed a bit quiter than usual and in speaking to various owners they all tended to agree that whilst they had had a mixed season August seemed to be a good month for them and certainly we found the first week in September brought in more new arrivals.
Only person who said they had had there best season ever was Alex at Crusoe's who said he was having his best season ever - Nothing seems to get Alex down and his bar seemed well attended during the daytime and packed out as usual each evening.
We attended both FGT's the first at Newport where about 12 people turned up and the second at Theo's where 5 people attended - needless to say we enjoyed both.
At last had the pleasure of meeting Pete and Debbie and they are loving life in Roda as you would expect with their house build coming on nicely now.
Also had the pleasure of meeting Steve's partener Jan - a very nice lady and they are so well suited to each other.
Managed to meet Kaz ( at last ) and she was very nice to talk to and enjoying her stay at the Afrodite Hotel.
So onto bars,shops, and restaurants. ( Warts and all!)
We ate out every night and tried to go back to all our favourite places plus try a few of the new ones as well.
Almost without exception standards and prices remaing the same as last year throughout the village.
Jon And Michelle's new Bar - Sadly it did not open whilst we were there but managed to have a few chats wil Jon and a sneak preview inside. It is looking superb and will be a fantastic addition to Roda.
PS. Noodle the dog is well and still as swim crazy as usual ( although the rough seas did put her off for a few days)!
Coral Hotel: Had a meal there on our first evening - well cooked food at fair prices - and it seems to attract a good proportion of walk in guests who want to dine outside with a great sea view.
Roda Grill Room - What can i say 2 small Gyros Chicken Pita + 1 Large bottle of Alpha beer to share - 6.80 Euros all in - A Roda tradition for use now - We love it!
El Mar - Beautiful new restaurant in a perfect setting-always packed by 8.00pm - Superb Traditional and Modern Greek food with added entertainment supplied by both Kostas and his father. If you get the chance go for a meal there you will not be dissapointed - The Aubergine Crisps and the fresh grilled salmon with pesto topping are superb and unlike a lot of other places they serve fresh vegetables with their meals.
Although they may need a few extra waiting staff next season all i would say is - you have a winning formula please don't change it!
Alexandros Taverna (In the Village) After having a shocking meal in there 4 years ago we decided due to the change of management and a new menu we would in fairness give it a try again. Much better choice of food now including a few set price menus such as Fish Menu,ItalianMenu,Greek Menu etc at various prices in addition to all the usual individual dishes on order.
Verdict: Has improved a little but garlic mushrooms still out of a tin (why??) and whole fish dishes served to your table without the offer to bone them for you - I know having to bone and top and tail a whole fish yourself puts off a lot of people.
Wait time for food has improved a lot but i think a bit more staff training is needed -
.and yes i did point these points out to the Manager whilst we were there.
Lisa still on the front enterance as bright and breezy as ever.
Pirates Bar - Great place for a Sunday morning breakfast - great staff and good prices too.
Pangolas ( King Hearted Place)- Very dissapointed in Pangalos this year. Got there at 8.00pm - all staff , the cook,and ,manageress sitting inside chatting and we felt we were disturbing them. Restuarant totally empty except for the two of us but it still took a very long time for our choice of food( Fishermans Plate) to arrive.
No complaints about the quality of the food however we felt that the "magic" had gone from Pangalos and that the staff were simply going through the motions - Let's hope it improves next season.
Crusoe's - Up to it's usual standard - great atmosphere-great staff-good prices-excellent on tap beer - and spirits poured in good measures. Packed most nights with the usual quizzes and live football etc.
NSK Travel(in the village) - We did not go on any excursions this years but stll called in when we were passing to have a chat with Rena - what a pleasant helpful lady she is.
Dolphin - Did not try it this year - seemed to be busy enough though.
Roxannes - We only ate in Roxanne's on one occassion this year and whilst the atmosphere and drinks are still as good as ever we were very dissapointed in the quality of the meal we had as the ingredients seemed to be of the very cheap variety and not to our mind all that tasty. Only our opionion - don't let that put you off from trying it for yourself.
Skouna - Still superb - Brilliant place for a coffee or cocktail- excellent friendly staff -try the Spritz if you get a chance very refreshing and light.
Afrodite Hotel ( Snack bar at front of hotel) - Do try the Prawn Baguette if you get a chance - prawns piled high with tomato,lettuce and cucumber in a light sauce served in a warm fresh baguette - Yummy!.
Petrino Steki - Glad to say no change from last year - well priced food properly cooked and served with a smile. Same staff as last season. Try the set meal menu or the Spit Lamb - a bargain.
Nico's Family Restaurant - Still the same good food served promptly and hot. Restaurant rather empty the night we were in - maybe it was just a quiet night for them.
Sandy's Arms - Always seemed to be busy day and night - live music some nights - always a wave from Sandy as you go past even if you don't go in.
Reptile House - Sadly closed during the time we were in Roda - seemingly a problem with certificates for some of the animals.
Fish Spa - Never seemed that busy - not our kind of thing - however we did see customers in it.
Roda Park - As usual brilliant - our favourite restaurant in Roda. Kostas and Voula with Yannis's help make it what is is. Packed most nights with Greek Night on a Wednesday.Had many a long chat with Kostas and Voula and we could not believe how grown up Harry has become - a real young Greek Man with impeccable manners he is a credit to them.
Wonderful fresh Seabass,daily Corfoit special dishes, excellent wine ,great individual dishes on the menu and the feeling of being at home with the family makes it a special place for us.
Try the Chocolate and raspberry cake served with ice cream and fresh cream if you get a chance - My wife says it is to die for ( and she had a few of them so she should know!!)
Yannis may have "retired" from the Greek dancing - but service is still as slow as ever!! ( You are on holiday anyway - what's the rush to eat and run?!)
We were lucky enough to be able to attend the village festival on the lsat night of our holiday - what a way to end our stay.
Hopefully in the near future i will post some pictures of our time in Roda and of the festival.
Hope you all enjoyed reading this report - i have been as honest as possible with all the reviews.
No doubt i will have missed something but i will come back an amend it as and when it comes to me.
In conclusion - Roda - perfect for us we can't wait to go back and are looking at prices and accommodation already for nexy year.
Best wishes to all.
David