Alister Henderson reviews his experience of the ever-popular Nando's

What was it like?

Like a cross between KFC and a well-mannered eatery. Although you had to go and order at the bar, there were lots tables set out so that you could eat in, as well as a couple of nice sofa type seating arrangements, with enough space for up to eight people and which me and my friend decided to indulge in (rather selfishly) all to ourselves.

What did you have?

The menu was chicken themed and so there were only three things that you could really order, chicken with fries or chicken in a wrap or burger. My friend nabbed the chicken with fries so I decided to pick something else, opting for the chicken in a wrap. The next thing to choose was how spicy I wanted my meal (ranging from plain-ish to extremely spicy on the peri-peri-o-meter) and not wanting to be a chicken (see what I did there) I chose to have it medium spiced along with some chips that had a sprinkling of peri-peri salt on them. To quench my thirst I had some cloudy lemonade which came in a good 295 ml-sized glass.

What was the food like?

Rather tasty. The chicken in the wrap was lovely and tender and the medium spicing gave it a kick while a chunk of pineapple hidden beneath the folds offered some tangy sweetness to the mix. The peri-peri salt on the chips was a nice touch. As for the cloudy lemonade it was one of he most refreshing things I’ve ever tasted.

Who did you go with?

My mate Joel

What did he have?

Joel’s chicken with chips was formally known as Butterfly Chicken. He thought that service was quick and despite the fast-foody theme it was unexpectedly good and filled him up, leaving him with half a plate of chips unfinished. To drink he had the bottomless Fanta which meant he could have as many refills as he wanted for the humble price of £2.45.

High points

The speed of the service meant that I was able to sit down and eat within five minutes.

Low points

The limited choice on the menu rather restricted my options.

Would you take a girl on a date there?

Yeah, the price was reasonable and the fast-food meals were tasty but the restaurant setting means you can sit down in a pleasant environment. 

Nando’s 77-79 George Street. Oxford OX1 2BQ.
www.nandos.co.uk