Rate this burning tongue

Nando’s (Chalk Farm)

Last Sunday was my first experience with Nando’s. I had heard fairly good reviews of this Portuguese restaurant chain, but knew nothing of the menu or format besides the fact they sold bucket loads of Peri-Peri sauce.

Entering was strange. The waiters would say ‘Have you been to Nando’s before?’ as if there was some complicated science to the process, but really it’s quite straight forward. You look at the menu, pick your food, walk over to the counter and they’ll bring you your meal in 5-10 minutes. It’s basically a higher form of fast food with the main difference being that the things you eat are actually well cooked and have less chance of killing you after you leave.

I ordered a chicken burger and chips for about £5 which is fairly good value…it wasn’t the biggest meal I have ever had, but for a lunchtime snack and for the taste alone, it was worth it. But the best component was the unlimited refills of soft drinks, something which I quickly realised was essential. You see the peri-peri sauce is hot…it’ll take you off guard…and one glass of coke wont be enough to get you and your suffering tongue through the meal. Thankfully it’s not so hot that you can’t enjoy the taste and perhaps next time I’ll go for something a little milder, but it did mean I needed to go through 3 glasses of coke filled to the top (maybe subconsciously I was just trying to get my money’s worth).

I had absolutely no problems with Nando’s…if I was being incredibly picky, I’d say the bathroom in the Chalk Farm felt more like a coffin than a place to relieve yourself. But that has little or nothing to do with the dining experience, so I can safely say that if you’re looking for a satisfying lunch, Nando’s is highly recommended (just make sure you’re sitting near the drinks dispenser)

Rated: 7 out of 7