Chimichanga (Chatham)

We decided to eat here after asking somebody who was just leaving what the food was like and they were full of praise.

Our 2nd choice would have been Nando's but neither of us have eaten there, despite the fact it always seems packed and even queuing out the door. It just seems like one up from McDonalds, but we could be wrong.

Anyway, our choice was well made, as this turned out to be one of the best restaurants we have ever eaten in.

The menu was excellent - everything on it sounded delicious, we wanted to try it all. A couple of extra options on the sharer plates would have been good as there were a lot of different starters to choose from, but most of the sharers were similar.

We chose...Starter: Combo to Share, Mains: Cajun Chicken with Bacon & Half rack of ribs, Desserts: Lime Tart Cheescake / Chocolate Fudge Brownie

Starter - Excellent, well proportioned, not too big as to ruin your appetite but a nice sharer for 2 with a good mix of tasty things. I particularly liked the Jalapeno Bullets dipping them in a garlic mayo, and my girlfriend loved the Mexican spring rolls.

Main - very nice, I would have liked a a little salad with mine, but not my girlfriend - she only felt the chicken was a little over cooked for her taste, but then she likes it to be still breathing. For most people I would imagine, and certainly for me - it was exactly what I was expecting and not at all over done.

Desserts - Fantastic, delicious cheesecake which was the perfect cleanser after the meal, and I also tried some of the brownie which was also yummy served hot with real vanilla ice cream.

Overall observations - Very clean, tidy - staff were well dressed, polite, helpful and speedy without rushing. Cutlery was polished and free from water stains. Plates were a kind of home-made rustic style which I liked, and not chipped or scratched. Drinks were served quickly & glasses clean. Tables were nice and clean and not sticky like some places can be.

The interior decor was nice, not garish and appeared to combine materials from the dockyard, while giving it a feel of the old west / mexico, but still had a classy feel to it.

Music was of a good level so that you could just hear it or choose to ignore it, tables were spaced well enough so that the room wasn't drowned out with the noise of other diners, even as it got busier.

We were there for well over 2 hours, and not once did we feel like we had to leave or hurry up. We were not pushed to buy more drinks or anything, everything was timed perfectly and even though we were served by a couple of different waiting staff, there was no confusion, no mix ups - the all seemed to know exactly where we were in our meal, what we were having and when it was due. The continuity between staff was faultless.

We noticed that staff were observant, but not overly eager - they waited just long enough after we finished each course before clearing but not so long as we were left with dirty plates waiting for the next course which I thought was very well done. They always asked if everything was ok after clearing each course, and questions were answered immediately, and knowledgeably - even down to recommendations for beer.

We were not forced to sit at a tiny table for two either, we were shown straight to a comfortable booth without even asking. A lot of places will try and stick you in a corner somewhere on one of those tiny tables - which both of us hate.

The only negative I can think of is that the manager despite looking in our direction several times - never noticed that we were trying to signal for the bill, however our waiter spotted us from across the restaurant and came over straight away. However, if he is the reason the rest of the place is so good, then I'm happy to live with it as it made no difference to our night other than we maybe had to wait a couple of extra minutes for the bill.

We would definitely go back without hesitation and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone.

I was very surprised to read the other review on hear, because that was the complete opposite of our experience. We will go back again, and see if it matches the same standard as our first visit.

I will say that it is not a cheap place to eat, especially if you are used to Nandos, but.. for the quality of food and the dining experience it was very well worth it, so I'm still giving it a 10. Our total bill was around £55 for the two of us including drinks.
Comment on this reader review

10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Unfortunate experience. Restaurant was virtually empty when we arrived with our family of 4 adults and 3 children yet we still waited over an hour for our food. The problem was the place was beginning to fill up because Nandos was full to the rafters. When our meals did arrive my chicken piri-piri was like a piece of leather, both my daughters failed to eat even a half of their food and the children couldn't wait to get out of there. Dreadfull experience never to be repeated. Stay well clear is my advice. They did reduce our bill by 30% when we pointed out their shortcomings but, in my opinion, still overpriced for what it was.
Comment on this reader review

K A Holden
1 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 1
Wednesday, October 27, 2010