Nando's Blackpool

You know what you're getting when you walk into this Church Street branch, and that's exactly why it works. The chicken arrives properly charred, the chips are crispy enough to survive the walk from kitchen to table, and they don't mess about with portion sizes. The staff here seem to have cracked the code on peri-peri heat levels – when you ask for hot, you actually get hot, not the watered-down version some chains serve up. It's dead handy for refuelling between the Tower and the seafront, especially when you're dragging kids around who've burned through their pocket money on the arcades. The bottomless soft drinks keep the little ones happy, and the halloumi wraps are sound if you're not in the mood for chicken. Gets properly busy during school holidays and weekend evenings, but the turnover's quick enough that you're not hanging about.