The peri peri chicken chain opened the ‘Next Generation Nando’s’ in Cambridge this week.
It features 97 solar panels and is the first ever Nando’s to be powered by 100% renewable energy and gas.
The restaurant’s frame has been built from ‘responsibly sourced timber’, while an insulated roof keeps the site warm and also collects water to feed its plants.
Inside there are lampshades made from mushrooms, a ‘living wall’ made entirely of plants, and light-sensitive signage that turns off during daytime.
"This is a really exciting opening for us and will help form our restaurants of the future,” says Richie Collie, project manager of new restaurants at Nando’s.
Nando’s launched its first eco-friendly restaurant, which was powered by waste cooking oil, in Leeds in 2009.
"Restaurants in the UK are responsible for larger carbon emissions than Costa Rica," says Andrew Stephen, chief executive of the Sustainable Restaurant Association.
"Nando’s Next Generation is a fantastic, positive example of what restaurants can do to reduce their footprint, providing a destination for people to visit, where they can eat and enjoy a meal that isn't costing the earth."
Costa and Leon are among hospitality groups that have previously launched special eco-friendly sites.