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| Southbank - Clink Street (Average rating: 3.93) Parking is considered N/A due to the restaurant being located in Central London! Might be doable on a Sunday but it's quite tucked away!
Lifetime Ratings (50+ Combined Visits from 9 Nandoers): | Friendliness of Staff | Speed of Service | Quality of Food | Decoration and Cleanliness | Rating | 3.28 | 3.56 | 4.06 | 4.83 | Meaning | Not bad. Did everything I asked of them. | 10 - 20 minutes had passed | Above average - noticeably tastier than normal | An exceptional Nando's! |
Individual Ratings:
Date of last visit: Sat 07/01/12 How busy was it?: 10 - 25 minute wait Time of day? Weekend dinner
Number of visits?: My first visit!
Additional comments: This Southbank store is close to London Bridge tube and train station in a part of London I hadn't visited before. First off the surroundings are great, you approach either by going through the old meat, fish and grain markets most of which have been turned into trendy wine bars for the bourgeois, or past the historic Southwark cathedral which is a true tourist trap and the medieval "Clink" prison and finally it could be approached by the pathway next to the riverside. Any of these you would have to agree would set the mood and build up a hunger.
Upon arriving at the store you see it really is on the water front in the arches where the rail line crosses the river to Cannon street station. The Large arch has full length glass wall to front with a indent at bottom with massive wooden doors on the outside and glass doors on the inside. Whilst not effective as a lobby area due to wooden doors being decorative and too large to use resulting in it only being single glass doors, its well worth while as doors look impressive and wind shouldn't be too bad and at least your out of the rain when your in the porch/lobby. The glass doors were quite heavy but the staff were helpful opening the door for people.
I was told I would have a 10-15 minute wait for a table so sat down, the waiting area was quite crowded but at least there was a waiting area. I was given table 31 after a while and the Petite French waitress was very eager to carry some of my bags for me (I was on way back from holiday so was very loaded up) but the macho me insisted in carrying them myself but I appreciated the offer. I was sat in what I would probably call the overflow back room but it was mostly empty as they were holding back several tables for a birthday group of 24 that came in after 15 minutes.
I immediately queued up to order and made the mistake of getting in the left queue. There were 2 queues each with 2 tills. However the left most was also taking phone orders so kept stopping and the other left girl kept walking off. The guy two in front of me swapped to the other queue saying it was a better plan, once he had been served and I was still 5 from front I also swapped and got served before the people who had been in front of me in the other queue. The walkers need to control the queue and perhaps keep it to just one queue?
Upon returning to my table I realised in the 10 minutes in the Queue I had got my table number wrong so had ordered to table 35, I had a quick look around trying to find 35 but realised it was nowhere nearby. I asked a member of staff and he said no problem he would go correct it on the system. I took advantage of the 15 minute wait on my food to admire the store. The till, kitchen, queue, waiting area and a little bit of high seating are in the first arch. The second arch was divided into front and back by a mini arch, though both have steps up to a raised area and a mini archway window onto the river which is impressive for a Nandos view looking over the waterway and st Paul's over the river. The front arch is lavished in art work and object d'art and really quite impressive. There was a beverage station and sauce table in both the connecting archways. The back arch way is a lot more bland and had a giant black U containing the toilets and office space at the back of it. Toilets were clean and neat, the black exterior of the U was a missed opportunity for more art work or decoration and the giant pot didn't cut much sway. The copper lining and drainage to cope with leaks coming through the brickwork were decorative and definitely added something to the building in addition to the dryness they were designed for.
My food arrived and I was disappointed to see the wing charcoaled so that I had to discard it. The salad was ok though very cold and the leaves at the bottom were a little frost damaged suggesting the fridge is set too high. The staff may have been a bit distracted by the party of 24 that had just sat down in the area.
I would return to this store, but I think I would pick a sunny day during school time when its quiet and more opportunity to enjoy the store and its friendly staff without the rush or lowing of standard to cope with such. | Friendliness of Staff | Speed of Service | Quality of Food | Decoration and Cleanliness | Rating | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4.5 | Meaning | Good stuff. Very polite | 10 - 15 mins - Nando's average | Quite disappointing - seems rushed, may have some parts burnt | An exceptional Nando's |
Date of last visit: Sun 27/11/11
How busy was it?: Half full
Time of day? Weekend dinner
Number of visits?: 5-10
Additional comments: I gave this branch a bad review last time so I thought I better review it again since this visit was amazing. I managed to drag my girlfriend to the third branch in three days.
We turned up about half 8 on the Sunday night, It was still half full inside, and we got seated immediately, no 20 minute wait like last time I was there! We sat for a while, deciding what to have. The queue to order was a bit annoying, people kept pushing in or not noticing there was a queue, but we got served pretty quickly and I ordered my free half chicken with large chips and regular garlic bread.
They had all the sauces to choose from, no worry about asking for some extra-extra hot! So we grabbed some and sat waiting for our food.
It took under 10 minutes to arrive, the portion of chips was MASSIVE, the biggest I've ever had! a huge bowl of them. The chicken came next and I swear this was the biggest half chicken I have ever had, It filled most of my plate and it tasted so delicious, covered in extra hot sauce, and bathed by me in extra-extra hot sauce. The garlic bread was also perfect. I actually think this is the best meal I've ever had at any branch of Nando's. This definitely makes up for being messed around the last time I was here.
So yes, if you haven't been, get yourself to this branch, It's the best branch I've been to. | Friendliness of Staff | Speed of Service | Quality of Food | Decoration and Cleanliness | Rating | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | Meaning | Good stuff. Very polite | 5 - 10 mins - Some conversation had begun | Nando's fit for a King - The very best | An exceptional Nando's |
Submitted by: Adam Nicol 
Date of last visit: Sun 06/11/11
Number of Visits?: 5-10
How busy was it? Half full
Time of day? Weekend lunch
Additional Comments: This was the third and final visit to Nando's I has this weekend, I decided to take my friend to visit my favourite!
He was amazed by the branch being under the bridge so that gave a great first impression. Then it went downhill, the Nandoca gave us menus and told us to sit down and wait to be seated, we were sat for about 20 minutes until I noticed people who were coming in after us were getting seated (there was plenty of empty tables) I asked what was going on and she apologised and told me she'd forgotten about us... Even though she'd been stood opposite us for the whole time having a chat with 3 other Nandoca's and one who I believe was the manager.
She was very apologetic and smiley so I was tempted just to accept it was an accident, but the service was to get even worse, we were waiting about 15 minutes for our food and we didn’t get asked if everything was ok with our meals, and when the Nandoca took our plates afterwards she didn’t ask us if we wanted desert or anything else, she didn’t even talk to us.
Even though the service this time was terrible, the food was really good. There was so much extra hot sauce on the chicken it just tasted amazing, the portion of chips was huge and the garlic bread was cooked just as I like it, not too burnt not too soggy.
So overall, this was a disappointing visit to this branch which is usually my favourite :/ My friend really loved it though, he thinks it’s his favourite now and after the weekend he’s spent in London he said how he thinks London branches are much better than the ones in the north, and I agree. | Friendliness of Staff | Speed of Service | Quality of Food | Decoration and Cleanliness | Rating | 1 | 2 | 4.5 | 5 | Meaning | Rude. Where is the Nando's spirit? | 15 - 25 mins - Where is the food? Might have asked a staff member | Great - Very tender, piping hot, not at all burnt, dripping in sauce | An exceptional Nando's! |
Submitted by: Adam Nicol  Date of last visit: Tues 04/11/11 How busy was the branch?: A few tables occupied Time of day: Mid-afternoon or Late Evening Number of visits?: 2-5 Additional comments: I love this branch, this was the third time I've been there, and the first branch I visited since moving to London, the location and design of the restaurant is just great, It's only a short walk from London Bridge station, along a few roads and alleyways.
It has big arches under the bridge with windows and lovely views over the river. The branch is pretty big so it's good that it has more than one drink machine and ice machine.
The staff were very friendly when I came in, showing me to have seat and sharing a laugh when they mistakenly told me the wrong table number, as it was pretty empty I had lots of space to sit and relax whilst waiting for the food, I had ordered Butterfly chicken with large chips and garlic bread, When the food arrived I noticed that I had soo many chips, this certainly is a chip generous branch, I could barely eat them all! The garlic bread was however a bit soft for my liking as I prefer it burnt and crunchy, but was still nice. The extra hot butterfly chicken was delicious as usual, I really loved it.
The toilets were very clean in this branch which was very pleasant.
Also the good thing about this branch is once you have finished your meal you can leave and immediately enjoy a nice stroll along the river whilst recovering from the vast amount of food you've just devoured!
My favourite branch by far, very much recommended, you can spend your whole meal just sat there admiring the architecture of the building or the view of the river, the high ceiling gives it a good open atmosphere which is nice whilst waiting or sitting for a bit afterwards.
Get yourself to this branch if you have never been before! | Friendliness of Staff | Speed of Service | Quality of Food | Decoration and Cleanliness | Rating | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | Meaning | Good stuff. Very polite | 5 - 10 mins - Some conversation had begun | Above average - noticeably tastier than normal | An exceptional Nando's! |
Date of last visit: Wed 28/09/11 How busy was the branch?: Almost full Time of day: Weekday lunch Number of visits?: 5-10
Additional comments: Already described the decor in a previous review...this branch is a bit of a Nando's legend.
As for today's visit, the staff did their job well and the guy on the till who served me was a particularly cheerful chap who attempted to guess my sauce preference. Guessing 'Hot' would normally be taken as a huge insult, but he was just so damn cheerful I can't put the staff down to a 3/5 despite a later mess up when bringing my order.
The food came in a decent amount of time considering the branch was beginning to get busy as the terror of the city-worker-lunch-hour-mob was setting in. Avoid arriving between 12.45pm and 1.45pm on any working day is a tip I cannot emphasise highly enough!
The chicken was original brought out with a quarter Extra Hot and a quarter Mango & Lime. Some very very careful and simplistic explanation eventually resulted in the sauces being mixed together as I had originally requested at the till with Mr Cheerful. Despite the mix up, the additional sauce meant the chicken was drenched, and an exceptionally tasty affair as a result. Chips and rice were great, though the portion of rice was smaller than I am used to (tip to staff: FILL the bowl of rice rather than gently covering the very bottom of it).
Overall, a great lunch and I will definitely be returning (again). It seems that this week is my lucky week with Nando's (check St Alban's review), and long may the onslaught of above average meals continue. Given that this branch is one of the very few 5/5 decoration establishments, the potentially is definitely there for The Team's first all round 5/5. | Friendliness of Staff | Speed of Service | Quality of Food | Decoration and Cleanliness | Rating | 4 | 4 | 4.5 | 5 | Meaning | Good stuff. Very polite | 5 - 10 mins - Some conversation had begun | Great - Very tender, piping hot, not at all burnt, dripping in sauce | An exceptional Nando's! |
Submitted by: Adam Nicol Date of last visit: 14/04/11 Number of Visits?: My first visit Additional Comments: This branch was amazing, I was totally blew away by the building and the decorations, the toilets were slightly dirty but I think that was due to the kids who had just came out. As for the food I had the new Butterfly Chicken (Extra hot) with two chips and a garlic bread. The chicken was delicious and perfectly cooked. I was given lots of chips, definitely two full portions (As some Nando's just throw a few more on and try to pass it off as two) the only negative part was the garlic bread, it was undercooked and a bit soggy but still tasty. As for the service the man that served me was quite polite, although he didn't offer me a new loyalty card as they usually do when I forget it, he handed me the glass and directed me to the drink machine. I filled up my drink and grabbed some sauces I sat down and was surprised as my food immediately arrived! It was amazing! After I'd finished I left and was given the usual Thank You from the staff. I think this was the best branch I've ever been too, and definitely the best in London. | Friendliness of Staff | Speed of Service | Quality of Food | Decoration and Cleanliness | Rating | 3 | 5 | 4.5 | 5 | Meaning | Not bad. Did everything I asked of them | <5 mins - I had only just got back with my cutlery and sauce | Great - Very tender chicken,piping hot, not at all burnt, dripping in sauce | An exceptional Nando's! |
Date of last visit: 30/12/10 Number of Visits?: 2 - 5 visits Additional Comments: With regard to the decor I can only reinforce that which I said in my previous review. It is a cut above the usual Nando's! However, the whole visit was overshadowed by some rather unnecessary staff rudeness. When we got there we asked to be seated in one of the alcoves that overlook the Thames. The woman then rudely said 'No' and I looked at her rather shocked. Realising that she had been rather rude she then pointed out that the table was for 6, however on my last visit here I was politely shown the table in question despite only being with a party of 3 (this time I was with a party of 4). Not wanting to cause a fuss before even starting the food, we then accepted a standard table for 4. The next issue arose when we went up to order the food. I had a free half chicken which I wanted to share with a friend. However, he likes medium spice and I like extra hot. I asked if the leg could be made medium and the breast extra hot and I was told 'no we do not do that'. I pointed out I had been to Nando's hundreds of times and it had never been a problem before. She still said no. I then asked her 'but don't you cut the breast and leg apart anyway?'. She said that they do. So I said can you then not put different sauce on each part. She said no! I then said can you make the whole thing medium and give me some extra hot sauce on the side (the proper sauce from the grill - not the bottled sauce). She said no! I then just looked at her and said I am shocked. So she said she would ask the griller. She went over to him and they both very rudely had a laugh at my expense before saying no again. Where is the Nando's spirit?! If this ridiculous system is in fact an official Nando's rule then Nando's need to sort it out and start catering more to their customer's needs. Eventually the food came (we had to ask twice for two of my party's meals - the first person we asked didn't even come back!), and it was very tasty indeed. My chips did arrive without peri though, and the woman insisted on checking my receipt to make sure I had ordered it despite being the very person who had taken my order. Its only 10p! I guess the food kind of made up for the staff issues, but still, I will be reconsidering before returning to this branch (previously it had been my favourite). | Friendliness of Staff | Speed of Service | Quality of Food | Decoration and Cleanliness | Rating | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Meaning | Rude. Where's the Nando's spirit? | 10 - 20 minutes had passed | Above average - noticably tastier than normal | An exceptional Nando's! |
Submitted by: DELAZOUL
Date of last visit: 02/10/09
Number of Visits?: 50+ visits Additional Comments: Who changed the sauce? My Nandos appetitte is decreasing because of this. Not sure if this is just a London thing, but the Nandos peri-peri sauce has changed (in bad :(), I have experienced it on at least 3/4 branches in London. Everything else is tasty as always! Go Nandos! :) | Friendliness of Staff | Speed of Service | Quality of Food | Decoration and Cleanliness | Rating | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | Meaning | Good stuff. Very polite | I had only just got back with my cutlery and sauce | Above average - noticably tastier than normal | Very clean, newly furnished, nice atmosphere, well organised sauces |
Date of last visit: 13/08/09
Number of Visits?: 2 - 5 visits Additional Comments: Best thing about this Nando's is the decor! Its under the train bridge near London Bridge station. In a large space with high ceilings, it is possible to get seats overlooking the Thames if you are lucky! Some very interesting chandeliers hanging, including a huge disco ball! Nice artwork as well. Service was slow though restaurant was very busy. Food wasn't quite up to the dripping in sauce standard but a very nice wrap and large breasts. Would definitely revisit! Staff seemed friendly and were happy to fetch things for us. | Friendliness of Staff | Speed of Service | Quality of Food | Decoration and Cleanliness | Rating | 4.5 | 2 | 4 | 5 | Meaning | Good stuff. Very polite | Where is the food? Might have asked a member of staff by now | Above average - noticably tastier than normal | An exceptional Nando's! |
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