Nando’s at the Sidings, Waterloo
The new Nando’s restaurant in The Sidings, the experience-led destination below platforms 20-24 in Waterloo station, is one of Nando’s biggest openings of last year.
With a footfall of around 100 million people a year, The Sidings is a 135,000 sq ft landmark destination in Waterloo station created by developer and placemaking expert LCR. Nando’s joins a series of unique and exciting brands, with the destination aiming to complement the thriving South Bank and echo its creative, independent spirit.
For me, this is one of Nando’s most stunning flagship new openings that I photographed in 2023. It has been designed with a fiery peri-peri palette of colours and contemporary spacious interior, whilst understanding the brands core values.
Fusion Design and Architecture along with i-am wow has delivered the unique Nando’s experience to its new Waterloo customers with 175 ‘covers’ across indoor and outdoor seating, with a large terrace.
From artwork to lighting design (by Atelier Lighting) and furnishings (by Hill Cross Furniture), Nando’s champions it’s Southern African heritage by continually working with South African based designers across all aspects of its restaurants. The Sidings restaurant includes feature concrete counters (by Concrete Carrot) and a wall covered in textured art, printed timber panelling and light pendants made with Portuguese cork. The restaurant also features the new contactless sauce dispenser by DEXT, serving sauce ‘on draught’ in line with the EU’s decision to ban sauce sachets by 2030. Nando’s extensive art collection (the world’s largest collection of South African contemporary art!) is right at home too, with Waterloo’s creative hub Leake Street Arches, just minutes away from the restaurant. The biophilia Planting is by Plant Plan.
The restaurant also supports the local community with job opportunities to candidates via the Department for Work and Pensions and the charity Resurgo that runs Spear, a year-long programme helping young people facing barriers to work into sustainable employment. The new restaurant is also supporting the Draper Together charity in Elephant and Castle with food donations as part of the businesses No Chuckin’ Our Chicken initiative.
