Thomas by Tom Simmons

A friendly and intimate neighbourhood restaurant in the heart of Pontcanna, Thomas by Tom Simmons has quickly become one of my favourite places to eat in Cardiff. This review is based on two visits and what impressed me most was the consistency across both. From the quality of the food to the genuinely warm and friendly service, both experiences were excellent from beginning to end. Our first visit was for Steak Night. We started with a generous selection of nibbles for the table: Tom’s Fried Chicken, Mushroom Croquettes, Whipped Taramasalata and potato ciabatta. The ribeye followed, served with green sauce and fries — beautifully cooked, full of flavour and exactly what we had come for. We finished with a selection of desserts and enjoyed the evening so much that we booked our second visit for the following month before we’d even left the restaurant. A real vote of confidence! For our second visit, we returned for Chateaubriand. We enjoyed the nibbles so much the first time that there was little debate about what to order — we had exactly the same selection again. The Chateaubriand was wonderfully tender and juicy, accompanied by some excellent sides. A special mention has to go to the green beans with toasted almonds, which were absolutely delicious. I paired the steak with a glass of Domaine du Seuil ‘Cadillac’ 2022 Bordeaux, before we finished by sharing the Salted Caramel Custard Tart and Rhubarb Pavlova. My only complaint? I wish there had been more dessert to go around! Across both visits, the cooking has been consistently excellent, but it’s the combination of that food with the relaxed neighbourhood atmosphere and warm hospitality that really makes Thomas stand out. A restaurant that should absolutely be on your list of must-visits if you’re eating in Cardiff. Already looking forward to my next visit to complete the trinity.

Amazing food, incredible service from Abby! Worth spending a bit more for locally sourced, quality food. No stupid muss and fuss but beautifully presented delicious meal. A* A must visit if you're in Pontcanna (Pictured: Gordal Olives, Tom's Chicken, Fresh bread and smoked butter, Whipped Taramasalata, Tom's Chips (MUST HAVE), Waygu Beef, Filet steak, Brill, Warm Chocolate Mouse)

Excellent place, came on Easter Sunday nice busy restaurant, service was excellent as was the dinner. Great value at £20. And bonus dog friendly. We had Sunday lunches, couple of glasses of wine, and for dessert an espresso martini and a whiskey old fashioned. We will definitely be returning and soon. Recommended by a friend and I am recommending to you.

Superb. Always excellent on so many levels. Food. Ambience. Staff. Spotlessly clean. Additional touches in the toilets eg real plants that look healthy not neglected! Local handwashing products. Plentiful paper towels neatly stacked. Bin emptied regularly. Attention to detail. Friendly. Efficient. Great place to go for a relaxed meal or drink any time of day. ThankYou 🙌

I popped in for my anniversary, and had the taster menu and veggie taster menu. The food and service were well worth the money. The dishes were French inspired, the scallops were especially good. There was a anniversary card on the table and the staff brought a sorbet and chocolate course to make the evening special.