A fanatastic place to eat (Nandos)

Member Name: Emily_09

Product:	Nandos
Date:	07/08/09 (66 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: food, prices, atmosphere

Disadvantages: Can be very busy

Introduction to Nandos.
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Nandos is a restaurant serving traditional Portuguese foods and has become renowned for it's Peri-Peri chicken. According to the website the chain first came to the UK in 1992 from South Africa and today there are more than 200 restaurants across Britain.

Where can I find Nando's?
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The best way to find your nearest Nando's is by visiting their website: www.nandos.co.uk where you can enter your postcode to find your nearest restaurant. Even if there isn't currently a Nando's near you (which is unlikely as they are everywhere!) keep an eye out as new restaurants are opening all the time.

Why choose Nando's?
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Nando's has something to offer to so many groups of people that it's difficult to know where to start but I'll try!

Kids:
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On family visits to the restaurant, my small cousins frequently sample the kids menu, refered to as the 'Nandinos' section of the menu. These meals are meant for under 10s and the chicken is basted in a milder sauce to suit the needs of younger diners. The choice of meals is not particularly wide, consisting of about 5 or 6 choice,and you would probably struggle if your kids didn't like chicken or the vegetarian options, however the meals are great value at around £4 as they include a choice of side dish and a bottomless frozen yogurt which in itself costs around £2.50. I'm often tempted to order from the kids menu myself!

Groups
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My friends and I frequent Nando's and use any excuse for a group outing to our nearest restaurant (I'm talking 'My car's just passed it's MOT, lets celebrate at Nando's' kind of excuses!). As a group, we find that the platters are the best value and always have some left over, no matter how hungry we are. Between four of us we usually order the full platter which comes with a whole chicken and two side dishes and then order a few extra sides and our drinks. On an average night at Nando's, I rarely spend more than £10 on my meal when ordering this way, and this even stretches to drinks and a dessert (usually the frozen yoghurt), which is truely great value.

Couples
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I have also found that Nando's is a perfect place to go with your partner and have had a couple of very successful dates there! When only two of you are dining, if you decide against ordering a platter, there are numerous tasty dishes to choose from and you can order a chicken or veggie burger, wrap or pitta with a side dish all for between £6 and £10. The salads are also lovely and I am a particular fan of the salad dressing which is delicious and unlike any I have ever tasted.

How Nando's works
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It can be wierd going into a new restaurant if you are unsure whether to wait to be seated or just sit down, how to order etc etc. At Nando's you will usually be seated as you arrive and given menus. After you have chosen your food, you have to order at the till, giving them your table number and pay at the same time.

Later, if you realise you have forgotten something or want to order extra, you can either go back up to the till or simply ask a waiter/waitress (usually rushing around in a T-shirt with a saying such as 'Chick's rule' or something similar). Friendly and helpful seem to be must have qualities to get a job at Nando's as the staff at all of the branches that I have been to can never do enough for you.

As part of the Nando's experience, you are also expected to collect your own cutlery, plates and sauces from a station in the restaurant and there is usually a drinks machine where you can keep refilling your soft drink free of charge. The frozen yoghurt (which by the way is fat free and delicious) is also 'bottomless', so you can fill up as many times as you like. The frozen yoghurt flavours vary every so often so I would recommend checking the current flavour before buying a pot to ensure that you will like it. In addition to frozen yoghurt, there are also other desserts, including sorbets and traditional tarts, however, in my opinion these are not such good value as they come in very small pots and are not refillable.

When ordering your chicken, you can choose how spicy you want the marinade to be ranging from the very mild 'lemon and herb' flavouring to the fiery 'extra hot'. You can also have your chicken plain if you prefer, or they will even marinate half a chicken in one sauce and half in the other. These sauces are also available in bottles to add to your meal for a bit of extra flavour.

The atmosphere in every Nando's that I have visited has always been buzzing with traditional music and the delicious smell of cooked chicken. Service is usually very fast but if you don't feel like eating in the resturant many branches have a takeaway service. I have only used this once, as I love the full Nando's experience, however the takeaway service was very quick and efficient and I would recommend it for some fast food.

One of the things that I like best about Nando's is that they are very good at helping you to make healthy choices from their menu, a must when I decide to start a new diet but can't refuse a trip to my favourite restaurant! their chicken is flame grilled, reducing some of the fat, and their website provides a list of the meals that are considered to be healthier choices which is especially good for those 'trying to be good' days.

Are there any disadvantages?
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Probably the only disadvantage for me is that the restaurant is often so busy that you have to wait quite a while for a table. Sometimes you don't have a problem and are seated immediately but I would recommend arriving early in case you have to wait. In some of the busiest locations, you are able to give your name and they give you a time to come back so that you can go for a wander and then return when they have a table for you.

As you can probably tell, Nando's is one of my favourite places to eat, and I would highly recommend the Nando's experience to anyone who hasn't yet tried it!




Summary: A great place to eat

Summary: Highly recommended