The story
Thomas, at 3-5 Pontcanna Street in Cardiff, is a modern British brasserie that earned a Michelin Recommended listing in 2026. Chef Tom Simmons evolved his Pontcanna fine-dining room into a more relaxed neighbourhood restaurant, and the cooking has kept the same quality.
The menu is built on grills and Welsh produce, with St Brides crab and Pembrokeshire oysters among the seafood. Simmons draws on French technique and a life lived in Pembrokeshire. The seasonal kitchen changes with the produce, and the brasserie dishes are gently modernised rather than heavy.
The Good Food Guide singles out beef tartare, short rib, suet pudding and a whole roast chicken for two. The set lunch and early-bird menu offer strong value, as does the two or three course Sunday lunch. Upstairs, the Loft seats 12 at a chef's counter and serves a seasonal tasting menu for £110.
Recognition
Details
History
The striking enthusiasm of readers' reports is a powerful testimony to the success of Thomas Simmons’ pivot to a casual neighbourhood brasserie. Recent feedback noting that the chef offers the same quality of food as his erstwhile fine-dining restaurant, but with a more relaxed vibe, is bang-on. Grills, Welsh delicacies such as St Brides crab or Pembrokeshire oysters, and gently modernised brasserie dishes are the mainstays of the main menu – look out for beef tartare, short rib and suet pudding and the whole roast chicken for two, all done with great panache. The set lunch and early-bird menu is terrific value, as is the two/three-course Sunday lunch, while the front of house team does a consistently fine job. Wines are fairly priced, with a dozen or so by the glass – if you can tear yourself away from the cocktail list. Imprints of the restaurant's fine-dining past can be found upstairs in the Loft, an intimate 12-seater chef’s counter, which offers a seasonally influenced tasting menu for £110.
2 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
Location
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