Leicester - Meridian - Ryan Review

Ryan's picture
How Helpful?: 
Average: 5 (1 vote)
Author: 
Number of Visits: 
This was my first visit
How Busy?: 
Up to 10 minute wait
Date of Last Visit: 
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Time of Day: 
Weekend Dinner (Inc Friday)
Rating: 
4.5 / 5
Friendliness of Staff: 
4 (Good stuff. Very polite)
Speed of Service: 
4 (5 - 10 mins - Some conversation had begun)
Quality of Food: 
5 (Nando's fit for a King - The very best (Please tell us why)!
Decoration & Cleanliness: 
5 (An exceptional Nando's! (Please tell us why) )
Comments - Stand out in our monthly competition! What did you eat? Unique aspects? Parking/transport tips?: 

Had been out of the country and away from any chance of Nando's, so once I'd landed, what better excuse to go get one?? Seeing as though I am heading to Leicester to cheer on Di Canio's army, it seems fitting to go to Meridian.

It's located on Meridian Leisure Park and very easy to find by car (about 1 mile off the M1). There's a Hollywood Bowl and Vue cinema on the complex and also the usual eateries such as a Frankie and Benny's and Chiquito's. With hundreds of free parking spaces too, it makes it very accessible.

I arrived with two friends at about 6:30pm on a Saturday and it was very busy - we were told a 15-20 minute wait and this turned out to be less than 10 minutes. There was no wait to order at the tills for any of us and everybody's food came in just under 10 minutes, so quick turnaround despite it being full.

With the restaurant being one of the newest opened branches, expectations were high - and it didn't disappoint!

The decor and layout are both great. The seating is kinda split into three sections each separated by two floor to ceiling bronze/copper pillars. As you enter (to the far right of the restaurant) you have booths, the middle section being tables and chairs and over to the left you have more booths - meaning there is plenty of space to fit several large parties all at once. In the first/right section you have four large canvas paintings which are all very colourful. The middle section's ceiling is one large cicrular groove with a few dozen lights hanging down and other different lighting/shades in the windows. The last/left section is clad with wooden panels/effects from floor to ceiling with further different bright-red lamp shades/lighting. On top of this are several large clay pots with large wooden sticks/sculptures in them - making for a very bright, fresh and clean restaurant.

The toilets are also spotless with a funky mosaic pattern completely covering all the walls.

The staff were friendly and polite enough, but with it being very busy, were simply doing the minimum... but they do get a bonus mark for allowing me to use my expired full chicken loyalty card. Having heard plenty of reports that they were being refused, the staff here were happy to accept it.

So what a great way to round off a great visit - with a very well cooked, well marinated, good sized, succulent, moist and delicious whole chicken to myself, with chips and rice. There wasn't a single part of it burnt and it was perfectly cooked throughout... and after all, I was still on holiday :-)

Comments

RYN Team's picture

So do you agree that Leicester Meridian is the best branch in the whole country, Ryan? The stats do not lie!

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