The story
Thomas the Brasserie in Cardiff serves seasonal Modern British cooking as the latest chapter for chef Tom Simmons. The kitchen evolved from his acclaimed fine-dining restaurant into a more accessible neighbourhood space while preserving exacting standards. Generosity guides every decision, allowing the team to serve complex flavours during weekday lunches without sacrificing quality. This deliberate shift toward relaxed hospitality has earned steady critical attention, including top rankings from the Good Food Guide and awards across Wales.
The Modern British kitchen relies on Welsh harvests and coastal catches to build plates that balance tradition with quiet innovation. Hearty staples like a classic suet pudding and the beef tartare anchor the heartier offerings. The whole roast chicken prepared for two delivers substantial portions of heritage meat alongside roasted roots and rich pan juices. Fresh arrivals such as St Brides crab and Pembrokeshire oysters require minimal treatment, letting clean butter and bright citrus carry the natural sweetness of the catch.
Downstairs, the dining room accommodates business meetings and weekend gatherings with an unpretentious layout and a steady rhythm of service. Daylight floods the main floor during midday hours, while evening covers settle around familiar tables and polished wood surfaces. A staircase leads to The Loft, a compact twelve-seat chef’s counter where guests watch the brigade assemble a £110 seasonal tasting menu. That elevated space preserves the original restaurant’s theatrical kitchen energy for diners seeking a closer view of the pass.
Recognition
Details
History
2 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
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.
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