Swiss Cottage (Average rating: 3.56)
Parking is a short walk away in the centre car park but expensive!
Lifetime Ratings (50+ Combined Visits from 4 Nandoers):
| Friendliness of Staff | Speed of Service | Quality of Food | Decoration and Cleanliness |
Rating | 3.5 | 3.25 | 3.75 | 3.75 |
Meaning | Not bad, did everything I asked of them | Some conversation had begun | Above average - noticeably tastier than normal | Very clean, newly furnished, nice atmosphere, well organised sauces |
Individual Ratings:
Date of last Visit: Wed 3/8/11
Number of Visits?: 5-10!
How busy was it? Almost full
Time of day? Weekday evening
Additional Comments: Swiss Cottage Nando's offers the best and the worst in terms of seating. If you're stuck near the entrance, you are likely to have to squeeze between tables to get to your seat which is rather unpleasant. If you're lucky enough to sit at the back, you may be in a luxurious booth or on a more secluded table, timing of arrival is everything!
On a Wednesday evening, I sat quite near the entrance which meant I had easy access to the main pathway leading to drinks, sauces and cutlery but it also meant that I had people brushing past me every few minutes and there was little space to relax and I had to be squeezed in as close to the table as possible to allow others to pass!
Staff were friendly as to be expected :).
Service was fine given that the branch was quite busy.
As for the food, my half a chicken was noticeably smaller than others I've had recently in branches such as Kingsbury which was slightly disappointing.
All in all, the decor gets a 3 because of the way this branch tries to squeeze in as many tables and chairs as is physically possible. Having said that, the lighting dropping from the high ceiling and artwork provide the branch with some unique qualities.
As for the local area, the o2 centre has a range of shops (including Waterstones) and a cinema upstairs. Finchley Road tube is a 2 minute walk away and will get you to central London in 10 minutes.
Parking is expensive here, use public transport if possible!
| Friendliness of Staff | Speed of Service | Quality of Food | Decoration and Cleanliness |
Rating | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Meaning | Good stuff. Very polite | 10 - 15 mins - Nando's average | Average - just as you would expect | Standard Nando's, nothing bad, nothing exceptional |
Submitted by: Kimi
Date of last Visit: 27/12/10
Number of Visits?: 1st visit!
Additional Comments: Because of some fault with the water, I was unable to visit the West Hampstead branch of Nando's with some of my friends. Instead, we were directed by the man locking up to go to the O2 Centre Nando's and say that we had come from West Hampstead so that we could get free drinks. So armed with this, we walked the ten minute walk to the O2 Centre.
I was quite keen to go to Nando's as I was able to redeem a whole chicken on this particular visit and I was willing to give the O2 Centre Nando's a chance because visually, the first thing that strikes you is the massive barrel and beautiful waiting chairs in the restaurant.
Now that I think about it, I was glad that the only thing I paid for was the sides.
The drinks fountain was a mess that evening, spouting out fizzy water and syrup rather than cola. The same problem held true for the Fanta and the Sprite. Needless to say, me and my friends were very disappointed by this as we normally enjoy quenching the peri peri spice with some soda.
The staff were discourteous - on the borderline of just plain upfront rudeness, often moving to take away our plates without asking whether we were finished and there were a couple of occasions were we had to stop them and say that we weren't finished yet. We weren't sure whether because it was late or what, but most of the staff seemed this way. The staff member manning the till seemed hesitant to acknowledge my free chicken and free drinks and asked me whether I did actually come from West Hampstead.
The food is pretty average, but the staff attitude pretty much soured the atmosphere and it was very hard for me to have conversations easily with my friends. I doubt I would be coming back.
| Friendliness of Staff | Speed of Service | Quality of Food | Decoration and Cleanliness |
Rating | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Meaning | Quite rude, Ignored me as they walked past | Where is the food? Might have asked a member of staff by now | Average - just as you would expect | Very clean, newly furnished, impressive artwork and lighting |
Submitted by: Timi 
Date of last Visit: 08/08/09
Number of Visits?: 50+ visits!
Additional Comments: Basically for the last 4 years we've been allowed to go out of school for lunch. and there just so happens to be a nandos very near by!! i've literally been over a few hundred times, hand-on-heart.
this particular nandos used to have quite an old feel, but relaxed. it was unique and really nice like an old bar out of the western cowboy movies. but they recently shut to refurbish :(. (A month without nandos almost killed me!). its now more modern, yet still with the wooden furniture etc. but now a lighter shade. and they also now have a 'wagamama' style table in the middle. so you can exchange conversations with total strangers regarding your extra hot half chicken :). it's alright, but i prefer the old layout. as i said, since ive been going almost everyday for the last 4 years, im most probably theyre number one customer. ive outlasted most of the staff (apart from the management and a select few), and ive even been there whilst the home office immigration police came in to search!!! they didnt even let me go to the front to get a menu, they thought i was trying torun lol. ive been so much, that the manager informed me that they have huge staff parties where they take out all the seating and put up speakers etc., he invited me but it was a school night lol. it's hard to gauge the speed of service because it depends on how busy it is. it varies with time of day.
unfortunately there is no student discount available. and there is a cinema upstairs in the 02 centre. making for a perfect night,- nandos then cinema!
i advise you all to go. in fact i'll probably see you there!!
one more thing,- if you go in the evenings or on the weekend i should warn you to expect queues as they're always totally packed at night.
| Friendliness of Staff | Speed of Service | Quality of Food | Decoration and Cleanliness |
Rating | 5 | 4 | 4.5 | 5 |
Meaning | Wow, I feel incredibly welcome! Recognised if you are a frequent visitor | Some conversation had begun | Great - Very tender chicken, piping hot, not at all burnt, dripping in sauce | An exceptional Nando's! |
Submitted by: Tal
Date of last Visit: Jan 2009
Number of Visits?: Between 10 and 50 visits!
Additional Comments: An awesome Nando's
| Friendliness of Staff | Speed of Service | Quality of Food | Decoration and Cleanliness |
Rating | 3 | 4 | 4.5 | 3 |
Meaning | Not bad. Did everything I asked of them | Some conversation had begun | Great - Very tender chicken, piping hot, not at all burnt, dripping in sauce | Standard Nando's, nothing bad, nothing exceptional |