Nandos birthday party
Having his birthday in autumn, it’s always harder to know what to do for my younger son’s ‘party’. My eldest’s parties in the summer have usually revolved around the garden and once even involved camping, but late October is a bit more unpredictable.
When he was little we went for that old ‘favourite’ – soft play. But then the rough-and-ready local soft play place closed down and a yummy-mummy-and-toddler friendly one opened up instead. It wasn’t challenging or exciting enough for growing boys, so we needed something different.
When my son turned 7, he opted for cinema and Frankie & Benny’s with a couple of friends. It worked well. Everyone enjoyed themselves and had fun. So he decided to do it again when he turned 8. But then his friend told him about Nandos. Specifically about BOTTOMLESS FIZZY DRINKS. Now my younger son loves fizzy drinks (they are reserved for birthdays and Christmas only), so this sounded like the best thing ever.
They filled those glasses to the top, they gulped them down, they filled them with something else, they gulped them down, they got hyper, they started mixing their drinks, they gulped them down… You get the picture. For an 8 year old boy, this kind of freedom is about as good as it gets.
So he did it again when he was 9 – cinema and Nandos. By this time the friend who first introduced him to the Nandos phenomenon had started eating hot sauce. Ridiculously hot sauce. The hottest sauce available. This was funny (if you’re 8 or 9). And there was still the fizzy drinks! What more could you want from a party?
So what did he want to do for his 10th birthday? He decided he’d like to take his friends to a football match, but he still wanted to go to Nandos.
The sauce and fizzy drink fiend friend was so excited. I told his mum we only go once a year for my son’s birthday. And it turns out he only goes once a year too – for my son’s birthday.
After an afternoon at the football, the kids were hyper before they even arrived. As they all sprinted off towards Nandos, shrieking with excitement, a complete stranger said ‘Good luck’ to me.
The kids got in and started filling their glasses to overflowing. But they were filling them with ICE.
Brilliant, they thought they’d got bottomless fizzy drinks and what they’d actually got was bottomless water. Result.
They sucked the ice up with their straws and deposited it on napkins. It was pretty disgusting, to be fair. But it was a birthday, they were having fun and they weren’t doing any harm. It’s noisy enough in Nandos that it can absorb the sound of seven kids getting excited about hot sauce and ice.
The waiter watched in awe as my son’s friend doused his chips in the hottest sauce, they consumed a bit more ice, they laughed a lot and we left.
And we’ll be back next year.
This is not a sponsored post or a review – my son and his friends just love Nandos!
I used to be a complete Nandos addict so this would be a pure bliss day for me. The free bottomless drinks made me chuckle because that would impress me too at one time :). Sounds like a brilliant party!
My daughter loves Nandos, as teens they use the bottomless drinks in a slightly more sharing fashion than Nandos probably endorse, but they have limited budgets, and all eat something so I don’t see it is doing too much harm! I ate there once, my veggie food was very dull- best left to the chicken fans me thinks!
How much u pay for a bday party
I sometimes wonder if I am the only person in the world that has never tried a nando’s!!?? My, soon to be, 11 year old wants a swimming pool party. I live very close to a pool, so its easy. I get a local pizza shop to deliver, just as the children are coming out of the pool! Sorted (and a bit lazy) x
Sounds like my sort of party 😉
Thanks very much, everyone! It was a fab party, Tas, if a little chaotic!
Fair play to those teens, Sonya. I bet the drinks only cost a couple of pence to produce anyway! I quite like Nandos myself, although my tastes are fairly unadventurous!
We’ve done pizza delivery for parties too, Joanna. That seems to go down quite well with the kids. Even better for us if they eat it outside!
Nandos is always one of our favourites and by special request, we shall be going there for The Tween’s birthday tea next week too! Sounds like you all had great fun 🙂
Have fun! I think it’s obligatory that all teens and tweens must love it at Nandos (apart from my eldest of course!).
I had a chuckle when I read that the fizzy drink fiend friend also only went to Nando’s on your son’s birthday – glad they all had a great time #magicmoments
I so so need to go to Nandos i have never been but it sounds like i need to get myself there!! although i am not sure i will be having a go with the hot sauce!! x
thanks for linking up with #MagicMoments
It sounds like they had amazing fun. Mich x
Ha ha, sounds like a real hoot – especially with all that hot sauce! #MagicMoments
This sounds so much fun and I can feel your son’s excitement leaping at me from your story. And you’re right – it’s his birthday, fun and no harm done, so let the hot sauce commence!
I remember Nandos when we lived in the South East, I know my kids would love it there given half a chance too. Popping over from What’s the Story & Magic Moments
I love nandos but don’t go anymore kids somehow spend all my money lol sounds like its fun all round popping over fro #magicmoments
Sounds like he had the best time at Nando’s with all his friends. I’ve not been for ages but it’s great there. I hope you weren’t too traumatised afterwards, sounds like it was hard work! Thank you for sharing with #whatsthestory
Hahaha this is very funny.
I love that they get so excited every year for this one trip to Nandos. Shows just how special they think this trip is.
Jumped over from #magicmoments
Never tried Nandos either, Joanne, though am temptde as am sure Boy would love it. The bottomless drinks would clinch it, not sure about the hot sauce though. It sounds like you all had a great time.
Back from #magicmoments…still looks yum!
Sounds like a perfect birthday 🙂 Glad they had fun! #WhatstheStory #MagicMoments
Thanks very much, everyone, it really was great fun!
It’s well worth a visit, for all those of you who’ve never been before – cheap and very cheerful!
It is lovely and quite funny how they do get so excited about this one trip every year – it’s become a real tradition for them.
I wasn’t traumatised, Charly! Sometimes you just have to sit back and let them get on with it! You know they’re not causing any harm!
Sounds like fun, I have never tired Nandos. One the list of places to try though 🙂
This sounds fabulous
Thanks very much, ladies. It certainly was fun! Definitely worth a try, Claire 🙂
Nandos is AWESOME! I am a big spicy fan and I think their peri peri salt needs to be bottled and sold entirely….to me! lol! The troops sounded as though they had an ace time!! #magicmoments