News had broken that Nando's had some new items on the menu and as a weekly visitor to the Coventry City Centre branch , this certainly peaked my interest. For the most part, most of the new menu items didn't really appeal, however the offering of a nandos style gravy and soft whipped ice cream got the taste buds dancing like they were at a 90s rave. Thursday came and off I went to indulge in some Portuguese poultry madness. I ordered chicken thighs with a side of creamy mash and some chips dusted with peri salt. In addition to this I opted for the gravy. The main elements didn't disappoint and were what Ive come to expect of Nandos. The gravy offered a depth of flavor with just the right consiatency. Gravy itself is synonymous with a carvery/Sunday roast so the juxtaposition of this with grilled chicken was the kind of remix that would make David Guetta proud. It was a culinary concept that caused crazy confusion. With the main course demolished, we swiftly moved onto order the ice cream. I ordered mine in a little Baskin Robbins type tub/bowl and was a little confused when the waitress delivered a cone. I was told that they had stopped serving ice cream in a pot despite clearly offering it on the website. I asked the waitresses to check, she returned moments later with a beaming smile and a little tub. Her hard work and my perseverance paid off. If Manchester united worked as well as a team as me and the waitress, they'd be a more successful club. I got up, albeit in a slightly labored fashion, clearly weighed down by my belly and the food I'd just devoured and served myself some ice cream. My initial reaction was that I was underwhelmed. It bore a striking similarity to the frozen yogurt I'd had weeks earlier. The skeptic in me believing it to be the exact the same thing, I mean it even had the same grainy texture and a very faint vanilla flavor. Alas, I had been let down. With that being said, it was a perfectly serviceable experience on the whole. The food was good, the restaurant clean and the staff friendly. On reflection, I'd like to say a massive thank you to the waitress who initially bought over the cone. Upon doing so, she revealed that it was the first time she'd served a cone. I was genuinely overwhelmed to share this moment in her catering career. Bravo,...
Read moreI’ve written two previous reviews on this particular location where I said it was like “flipping a coin” - I can now firmly say the coin is face down and not turning back.
I speak to you currently from the central area within your restaurant, it’s an area which is crammed with people and it’s all the doing of one petulant male manager.
This store is gargantuan, three medium areas for eating, surely on a less the busy Monday out, people would be spread across the location, that is not the case.
When people arrive, this man seats everyone in one small middle area, it’s loud and less than private. I watched on at this man thinking ‘is he only doing this to me?’
The answer is a resounding no, as I saw him time and an again lead people to this area with a purposeful, if not cartoonishly sinister walk. On one such occasion he tried to convince two people that the area was a lovely and warm place to sit, despite being sat next to a cold fire exit, moments later the couple asked another waiter if they could be sat elsewhere. As the two people hovered over to a new table, the manager watched on, he was seething.
The message I have to this manager? You have a large, bustling store, however, for onlookers it looks less than popular. My recommendation? Ask people on a less than busy day where they’d like to be sat, it gives the customer more control and makes them feel like Nando’s is a place of their choice. At the moment, though, the only choices the customers are making is what chicken they want on their plate and the right timing to move when this controlling manager...
Read moreVisited this Nandos yesterday afternoon. Ordered food which arrived cold and portions of chips and rice seemed meagre. Called over this small guy with brown hair wearing a red shirt to say the chicken was cold but he very rudely said 'what part of the chicken is cold?' I was quite taken aback. As a customer paying a lot of money for food that is overpriced, you would think he could have acted more professionally.My other diners were appalled by his behaviour. On his return after sourcing another portion he practically threw the plate across the table. What does it cost to be pleasant in exchange for a happy satisfied customer and their return? He obviously needs training in customer relations and management. He had obviously had a bad start to his day or maybe he's got a problem with certain people. Infact all the staff looked rather miserable and the atmosphere generally was rather cold. There's a lot of competition out there. Food was not great, staff attitude was appalling and atmosphere uninviting. Why return? Nandos need to do better. Get rid...
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