Nandos stuffed with good guys

Eating Out

Nandos, Victoria Square, Belfast

Nandos, Victoria Square

Friday, May 02, 2008

Chicken served in every way possible in this Portuguese style restaurant — with the best service our reviewer has seen for a while

Where?

Nando's, Victoria Square, Belfast.

Atmosphere?

A new name to Northern Ireland, the Nando's Portuguese-style chicken restaurant is located on the top floor of the spanking new Victoria Square shopping/leisure/ residential complex in the centre of Belfast. On a previous visit the queue outside the door was discouragingly slow moving, but on this occasion, tea-time on a Monday, it was straight in to order and pay and then be seated to await the meal.

Crowd?

Mostly young couples, dressed in student style fashion. The restaurant was by no means full — there is also a section outside on the mall — but still a goodly number given the time of day.

Menu?

Unsurprisingly mostly chicken, in a variety of guises — chicken wings; half a chicken; whole chicken — coming with a variety of sides, from chips to salad and corn-on-the-cob. A number of desserts, lemon pudding, toffee cheesecake, chocolate mousse, five types of ice-cream, tea and coffee and a bottomless frozen yoghurt. There are also a number of wines on offer.

What did we have?

My daughter had a chicken fillet burger with regular sized portion of chips while I went for one of the few non-chicken options, the prego steak roll, a nicely proportioned piece of grilled meat in a bap. The chicken and steak dishes come marinated in peri-peri sauce, a Mozambique-origin chilli ranging from mild to very hot. I fortunately chose the medium option, quite fiery enough while my daughter required two soft drinks to douse the hot chicken. All soft drinks are bottomless — fill up as often as you wish from the dispenser.

Disability access?

Obviously a disabled person would have to take one of the high-speed lifts to the top floor of the shopping centre, but once there the restaurant would be easily negotiated, either to sit inside or outside.

The verdict?

The peri-peri sauce gives a unique spicy touch to what would otherwise be fairly mundane fare. The portions were generous with even the regular chips more than sufficient for a pit stop. The drinks, a Coke and a glass of milk, were large with the option of refilling free.

The bill?

Prego steak roll and chips £8.05; Chicken burger and chips £5.80; soft drink £1.90; milk £1.60. Total: £17.35.

Last word?

Quite the most attentive staff I have encountered for a long time and they were so incessantly pleasant it was impossible to feel annoyed no matter how many times I was asked if I was having a good day or referred to with my daughter as "you guys". The young staff did seem to genuinely like their duties and their customers. Well done you guys.