Great Portland Street - James RYN Review

My first ever trip to a Nando's on a branch's opening day and I have to say I was very impressed - almost no teething troubles! The branch has great decoration and is one of the best I have seen (this was my 79th Nando's branch). There are some very interesting lights, wooden ceiling decorations, and tables with stools on one side and comfy looking sofa-chairs on the other. As for the location, it is 5 minutes walk from Regent's Park (and the station) and even less to Great Portland Street station. If you fancy a spot of shopping then Oxford Street is about 10 minutes walk in the opposite direction and a great way to walk off a huge dose of peri chicken!

The queue for food was the biggest issue, and each member of staff on the tills were being assisted by a 'trainer buddy'. This meant that service was inevitably slowed down, and the queue was huge as a result (the largest I have ever seen infact). Luckily most of the queue turned up after me so I got to watch it rather than stand in it; however this could have easily been a reason to leave for later arrivals.

Table staff were very attentive and when they noticed some people didn't have food they immediately came over to check receipts. They apologised for the delay and swiftly brought over the outstanding meals - a very nice touch indeed.

The food itself was very good and a great example of Nando's. Some guests at my table got very small breast pieces but mine was rather large and extremely succulent - a good complement to my decent sized burger. Some chip portions left quite a bit to be desired, so overall it seemed quite inconsistent despite not having any troubles personally.

Overall, a great first effort and I look forward to returning to this branch and hopefully being able to rate the staff higher (after they learn the tills better).