Whenever Phil and I go to Nando’s, it’s always jam packed and last Saturday afternoon was no exception.
As we entered, we were immediately greeted and offered a table. The service was efficient, prompt and very friendly.
If you’ve been to Nando’s before, you’ll notice that the atmosphere is lively, fun and casual with customers mainly being families, young couples or groups of teenagers. To put it polietly, don’t expect a quiet meal when you go. However, it’s an enjoyable rather than stressful experience.
The menu is dominated by chicken which is marinated and grilled to order with the addition of various levels of spice; from lemon and herb to medium to extra hot spice.
There is an array of basic but decent sides such as peri-peri seasoned chips, spicy rice and corn on the cob. For slightly more sophisticated tastes, there are “Fino” sides of sweet potato wedges, sweet potato mash and ratatouille.
I opted for the Churrasco thigh burger, which was new to the menu. A sweet and smoky addition, it consisted of succulent boneless thigh fillets served in a Portuguese roll, filled with crunchy Fino coleslaw, cheddar cheese and tasty peri-naise. Mango and lime was my choice of spice as I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to spicy food.
For sides, I went for spicy rice and the peri-peri seasoned chips which make regular chips look and taste super boring in comparison. I’d definitely choose peri-peri seasoning every time!
Phil indulged in a double chicken wrap with cheese, garlic/extra hot spice, peri-peri chips and macho peas which are whole peas drenched in pea mash, parsley, mint and chilli.
There was a slight mix up and spicy rice was brought out to him instead of the peas but the waitress was really apologetic and rushed to correct the order as soon as possible. Phil didn’t mind though as he ended up with a extra side dish, which was a nice gesture.
Nando’s isn’t haute cusine but it doesn’t pretend to be. It’s simple, ordinary food but better. The Swansea restuarant is well-staffed, clean and tremendously popular. So if you feel like chicken tonight, you could do a lot worse than try out Nando’s.
*Please note that this meal was complimentary.