AS A REGULAR VISITOR TO RODA WE ALWAYS VISIT THE BIG BEN AND HAVE ALWAYS FOUND THIS TO BE A REALLY GOOD BAR. IT IS NOT FILLED WITH YOUNG PEOPLE WITH MUSIC BLARING BUT RODA IS NOT THAT TYPE OF RESORT. THE STAFF HAVE ALWAYS BEEN VERY FRIENDLY AND YANNIS THE OWNER IN PARTICULAR ALWAYS HAS TIME TO SPEAK TO YOU AND ALWAYS REMEMBERS YOU FROM THE PREVIOUS TIME YOU WERE ACROSS AND IF SOMEONE DOES NOT COME ACROSS WITH YOU HE IS ALWAYS ASKING WHERE THEY ARE AND HOW THEY ARE. THE DRINK IS REASONABLY PRICED AND THE ATMOSPHERE IS EXCELLENT. THE VIEW FROM THE BAR ACROSS TO ALBANIA IS BREATHTAKING. LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING BACK.

IF YOU GO TO EAT ANYWHERE ON THE ISLAND YOU ARE MAKING A BIG MISTAKE. THIS RESTUARANT HAS EVERYTHING. AT NIGHT THIS RESTUARANT IS FULL UNLIKE MOST OF THE OTHER RESTUARANTS IN RODA WHICH SPEAKS FOR ITSELF AND THE WHOLE RESTUARANT IS ONE BIG PARTY USUALLY COSTAS IS CONSTANTLY PLAYING TRICKS ON PEOPLE BUT IT IS ALL GOOD FUN AND IS NOTHING THAT IS MEANT TO OFFEND ANYONE. AN EXAMPLE OF THIS WOULD BE WHEN SOMEONE ORDERS SOUP HE PUTS THEIR BOWL OF SOUP IN FRONT OF THEM WITH A WOODEN SPOON IN IT BUT WHEN THEY LIFT THE SPOON ITS FULL OF HOLES BUT AT THE SAME TIME THEY CAN TAKE A JOKE AND WE HAVE SPENT HOLIDAYS PLANNING HOW TO GET THEM BACK.
I HAVE KNOWN COSTAS AND VOULA THE OWNERS FOR 1O YEARS NOW AND YOU WILL NOT FIND A MORE FRIENDLY, GENEROUS AND CARING COUPLE. YOU WILL GO IN A STRANGER AND COME OUT A FRIEND. COSTAS AND VOULA TAKE TIME TO GET TO KNOW THEIR CUSTOMERS AND ARE ALWAYS WILLING TO GIVE ADVICE AND IF THEY DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER THEY WILL FIND SOMEONE WHO DOES.
THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN WE HAVE BEEN VERY GLAD OF THEIR HELP ESPECIALLY IN 2003 WHEN MY MUMS MATE FELL IN A POTHOLE AND HAD TO GO TO THE CLINIC IN CORFU TOWN. AS MANOS DID NOT HAVE ANY BOARD OUTSIDE THE APARTMENTS SHE WAS STAYING IN WE WENT ROUND TO THE RODA PARK AND COSTAS AND VOULA GOT THE DOCTOR IN TO SEE TO HER AND WHEN THE DOCTOR SAID SHE HAD TO GO TO CORFU TOWN TO GET HER NOSE STITCHED,COSTAS DROVE US THERE AND MADE SURE WE HAD EVERYTHING WE MIGHT NEED INCLUDING MONEY AND AS SHE HAD TO STAY IN OVERNIGHT WE GOT A TAXI BACK THE FOLLOWING MORNING AND GOT INTO TROUBLE FOR NOT PHONING COSTAS AND GETTING HIM TO PICK US UP.WHEN WE THANKED HIM WE WERE TOLD THAT HE HADN'T DONE ANYTHING. THE MANOS REP TOLD HER IT WAS A PITY SHE DIDN'T HAVE TWO BLACK EYES TO GO WITH HER SWOLLEN NOSE ONE REASON WHY I WILL NOT BE TRAVELLING WITH MANOS IF THAT IS HOW THEY TREAT THEIR CUSTOMERS. I HAVE ALSO SEEN A FAMILY OF ABOUT 8 WHO HAD EATEN IN THE RESTUARANT EVERY NIGHT AND ON THE LAST NIGHT WALKED PAST THE RESTUARANT, COSTAS ASKED THEM WHY THEY WERE NOT COMING IN AND THEY REPLIED THEY HAD RUN OUT OF MONEY - THEY STILL GOT A MEAL EACH WHICH JUST GOES TO PROVE THEY ARE NOT JUST INTERESTED IN GETTING BUMS ON SEATS THEY GENUINELY CARE ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS.
TO THE PEOPLE WHO DID NOT LIKE THE RODA PARK I WOULD SAY THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT AND YOU SHOULD TRY GETTING TO KNOW THE STAFF AS INDIVIDUALS.THE GREEKS WORK VERY LONG HOURS, THEY CAN START AT 8 IN THE MORNING AND CAN STILL BE WORKING AT 1 OR 2 THE NEXT MORNING, THEY DON'T HAVE DAYS OFF DURING THE TOURIST SEASON AND EVEN DURING THEY STILL WORK HARD GETTING THINGS READY FOR THE NEXT SEASON. IT IS NO USE GOING ON HOLIDAY AND EXPECTING EVERYTHING TO BE LIKE IT IS BACK HOME YOU HAVE TO ADAPT TO THEIR WAY OF LIFE.