This is such a hidden gem. I went here for a treat with my husband and I can honestly say it was the best meal we have ever had. We had the mackerel to start which was followed by rack of lamb for myself and sirloin steak for my husband. I have never seen such portions in my life but hey, we still finished it! Our bill for 1 mineral, bottle of wine, 1 starter, 2 mains & 1 dessert came to €132- although pricey, for the standard of food, it was worth it! I would recommend this restaurant for a very special occasion!

This is the best place in Wexford to visit for me..Exceptional food if a bit pricey.But worth a visit for a special occasion. Beautiful ambience and rustic atmosphere. Excellent staff and a nice visit from the chef is a nice touch.

I absolutely adore this restaurant. I first heard about it as my parents had eat here on numerous occassions. I eventually made my way there after betting my mother that I would in fact eat a full pizza ( she had said it was impossible) she was right!!! The chef/owner reminds me of father christmas and sometimes he will actually sing while cooking. I love the fact the cooking is done in front of the dinners... The place is lit with candles.... very romantic The only negative thing that I would have to say re this restaurant would be the seasonal opening but then again this is probably a good thing because then it wouldn't be such a treat, I would probably get sick of it.

made first visit last night which was long over due as had planned to go last year but found out that it is only open summer season. Arrived at 7pm and received a warm welcome and at first glance the room reflects a neglected run down shed but the tables and decor make up for this. next to catch our attention was the prices which left us reeling, and left us searching the menu for the lower priced options. we are no skin flints and eat out regularly and will pay for good food and service but alas this we felt was taking the biscuit. as the room got busy the atmosphere rose and there was a great buzz to the place. a group at the other end of the room asked for the owner and duly took him to task about the high prices, which he feebly defended with the cost of his overheads and a quip about ''there being no recession here'' ??? this debate caught the attention of all present and could have got ugly but the group made light of scene, ordered there food and left promptly after dining. overall the food is very good the atmosphere great and the staff very good but the prices are too stiff to swallow. would like to go back but not till the prices are reviewed.

Best restaurant in Wexford, great welcome as always from the owners they take the time to have a few words with all their patrons to ensure everything is up to their usual high standards. We cant wait to go back with friends Whit weekend. Atmosphere, food,and great craic, a real treat and a wonderful night out

Had a fabulous meal in this restaurant. Although I had read about the restaurant on this site before our visit, I was still fascinated by the warmness of the welcome we received. Every customer here really is treated as though they count and it really is true, Papa himself comes around every table, firstly to welcome you, then to serve the special (which on our visit was beef and out of this world) and then to check that everything is satisfactory. Excellent service without being over the top, and the food is just out of this world. I can't wait until the next time I can make it down to Ballycanew just to sample the delights of Papa Rhodes! I only hope it never loses it charm.

The last time I was in this restaurant was 13 years ago so you could imagine how surprised and delighted I was to firstly see the restaurant still open and buzzing and secondly for the food to be as good as I had remembered the first time I was there. The atmosphere is something else. Whole place is just lit by candles. Mr Pa Pa and his partner Maureen put on a splendid welcome and couldn't help but feel that they actually cared what their customers thought of the food. Nothing nicer than to see the chef walk around the room and talking to their diners. Yes it is pricey however worth every cent. The service, food, setting are all just brilliant. If only more restaurants could put such effort into the dining experience. Word of warning. The chicken wings are a speciality so don't be disappointed if they are sold out. You can ring ahead though and ask them to save you a portion!

WOW! Was blown away by this place after deciding, on the drive down towards Gorey to go eat in our Thai restaurant, to go for a change after reading such great reviews on Menupages about this place. You can smell the wood smoke as you drive into the village and it reminded us of a lovely place in the Spanish mountains that we go to where everything is cooked in the wood oven. The atmosphere is fantastic, the candles everywhere complete with their black marks up the walls, the enormous bowl of vine tomatoes on the piano, the very genuine welcome from the hostess and Mr Papa Rhodes himself (whom I have a strange suspicion is actually Santa with a shorter beard who's summer job is running the restaurant from April to October in Ballycanew while his elves look after things back in the North Pole....I could be wrong though!). True, the food is pricey. I almost died at the price of the Texan Ribeye steak himself ordered especially considering we were far away from Dublin but in truth the steak is enormous and we had steak sandwiches each for two days after with what he couldn't finish on the night! The meat was cooked to perfection and tasted sublime, what beef should taste like. My pizza was fantastic too and I only managed to munch my way through a third of it but it was delicious for breakfast the following day. We loved the olives, from Morocco, I believe, so they are creamy and delicious rather than briney and salty. I would highly recommend the prawns for starters with the strange yet delicious sauce of butter, chilli and a fruit vinegar...finger lickin' good with a kick! We managed to share a scrummy pile of profiteroles with melted dark chocolate and two delicious, short, strong espressos and a carafe of red wine(which was particularly good by the way) for just over €100 which is not bad considering the generous portions and excellent service that most restaurants sadly lack. I can't wait to go back again with our friends.

Hmmmm, what can I say? I adore eating in a restaurant where you feel like lingering for an entire evening savouring delicious food and wine in a unique setting that makes it feel instantly like a home from home. The candlelit ambiance, rustic interior certainly means this place lives up to its mediterranean name - its really got something special going on - in fact its probably Papa Rhodes himself, a very warm friendly character who greats each table like "you come here often". The food is divine, the portion sizes amazing. If you are going to eat anywhere in wexford this is the place to go, i would even drive from Dublin again just to savour its delights again!

You easily pass by this unassuming restaurant without giving it a second glance. How wrong you would be, it is one of those rare hidden gems. On entering you come across an unfamiliar smell of a wood burning fire which emanates from the open kitchen at the rear of the dining room. As we were seated, we received a warm friendly welcome. A full loaf of home baked bread with personal cutting board and freshly crushed olive oil for dipping were placed on the table. Being so impressed with the olive oil I ordered some olives. Now if you do not like olives or think you have tried good ones you have to try these EXCEPTIONAL beauties. They are by far the best I have ever had. They are buttery rather than tasting of salty brine like their regular counterparts. Please give them a shot if you don’t like these you will never. My starter was a generous portion of mussels in a well balanced white wine sauce. For my main course I was recommended the rib eye steak and now the uses of the wood burning fire was brought to light. They hang there own meat which is then prepared by this unfamiliar method of cooking. If you are a meat lover be prepared for something spectacular. It is a humongous serving of beef. To do it full justice I tried it with no accompaniment and what can I say but absolutely delicious. It is a complete meal in itself and a unique experience. I had to take it home and I tell you it lasted a few snacks. I write this as I am a regular visitor and am heading there tonight. But one more thing please try the olives.

There is no doubt about it, the best value is to be had here at Papa Rhodes! This restaurant boasts an open kitchen with clay oven, friendly staff and an overall ambiance which would lure you into returning. For starter, I chose the prawns. Mouthwatering and absolutely delicious, served with a chilli sauce. I couldn't wait to try the famous steaks that I had heard about before. They blew me over, the best I have ever had and it will be very hard to find any better may I add. I could not fault either dish, its as good as it gets here. Although it may not be cheap, its very real value for money!

Pa Pa Rhodes in Ballycanew is a real find! Casual & comfortable surroundings, friendly & courteous service, Varied menu including superb steaks. Cooking is done on a large open grill/oven in view of the diners. Pricey but well worth it. Will definitely go back. Constrained opening times, so you will need to call in advance.

The perfect place to spend a summer's evening in Wexford! The extensive menu caters for all tastes - from steaks and seafood to pizzas and pastas. On arrival, menus are accompanied by crusty fresh bread and olive oil, the wine list is short but very well planned and the service is infallible. This was once an old creamery and the main dining room is lit by candlelight alone. You can watch the chefs at work in the open kitchen and Pa Pa himself comes to your table to make sure you're having fun! Having said that, the experience is not cheap but is worth a visit for a special treat! Now a warning - the portions are HUGE so feel free to ask for your leftovers to go!

An oasis of good food, Pa Pa Rhodes has a lovely, chatty atmosphere, great service and a personal welcome from the owners. Not cheap but then most of the clients seem to be down from Dublin so are well used to paying a lot more. All in all it makes for a very enjoyable night out and well worth detouring onto the Wexford backroads to find. Always packed at the week-ends so make sure to book.

I eat here often enough and love the atmosphere and unusual setting. You can actually smell the wood burning oven from down the road. The food however is good but nothing amazing, the steaks are too large(20oz) and often tough, pizzas too cheesy, ...but after eating most of the menu I know what to have...the prawns with spicy butter!! Yum yum!!