Dublin: Nando’s

Why did the chicken cross the road? I wouldn’t be surprised if it was to get to Nando’s. That’s where everybody else seems to be going. But why? How did a restaurant chain that feels like it was designed to house Colonel Sanders’ African art collection get so popular?

And Nando’s is popular. Head-scratchingly so. Cultishly so. At the time of writing, it has over 1,000 restaurants worldwide — including seven in Dublin and one in Cork (at Mahon Point). David Beckham is a fan. Jay-Z reportedly requested its chicken at the Brits. Brian O’Driscoll tweeted a takeaway pic from his kitchen table.