Greenacres started off, predictably enough, as a greengrocers – but it is now part of a complex that includes a wine shop, deli and an impressive modern art gallery.
It’s heaven for any wine buff, with nearly 2,500 thousand bottles in the wine shop, a private tasting room and a fine wine vault. You can select from their wine list or browse through the shelves, select your choice and only pay a nominal €5 corkage for a bottle to go with your meal.
Set in a pedestrian area (next to another well known Wexford eating place, Roberto Pons’s La Dolce Vita), you arrive through an impressive outdoor seating area, or through the wine shop; either way the entrance is very welcoming, with courteous staff ready to greet arriving guests and show you around the deli/wine area where you can admire the wonderful cheeses, hams and desserts while you browse the wines and pick your bottle if you wish.
The lovely bright restaurant is almost wrapped on three sides with wines lining the walls and, in the evening, an atmospheric scene is set, with low French music, polished wooden tables with white linen runners, fresh flowers and candles.
Evening menus include an impressive à la carte, offering both the familiar (Seared Kilmore scallops with barbecue pork belly and caramelised celeriac puree) and more unusual choices (a starter of bresaola carpaccio with forest mushroom textures, Parmesan shavings and truffle oil) among a wide range of imaginative dishes
Similarly, alongside house variations on classic desserts, there may be some surprises - warm ported plums roasted with orange in dark chocolate consommé is not a dish likely to be on too many menus and should end the meal on a high, perhaps with a well-made espresso.
As the Green Acres offering is very diverse, menus are tailored to meet varying demands throughout the day, from breakfast onwards - but always reflecting the ethos of supporting local producers, using Irish meats and respecting seasonality.
Wholesome choices on the day menu range from freshly baked pastries and coffees in the morning to soups and sandwiches, salads, and some appealing cured meat and farmhouse cheese platters which make a good match for the tempting wine offering.
Wine dinners and cookery demonstrations are sometimes held.
Wexford is blessed with a choice of good restaurants and Greenacres Bistro is well worth considering for its creative cooking and outstanding wine offering, together with a lovely atmosphere.
