Thomas by Tom Simmons to open in Cardiff next year

Chef Tom Simmons, who operates his eponymous restaurant at London’s One Tower Bridge, has revealed he is opening a second site, this time in the Welsh capital.

The Cameo Club in Pontcanna confirmed its last service would be New Year’s Eve, having agreed to lease the site to the Welsh chef, with the venue set to relaunch in mid-February.

The new restaurant will be called Thomas by Tom Simmons, which the chef confirmed will have the “same ethos” as the London original and serve "best sellers", such as leek risotto and 'fish and chips', however it will have a new menu as well as two bars.

The Pembrokeshire-born chef opened his first restaurant in London in 2017 with his partner Lois Thomas (both pictured), serving British-French cuisine with a Welsh twist.

Simmons started off his career in local pubs and came to London to work as a chef de partie at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's for a year. He also spent three years as head chef of Wolfscastle Country Hotel near Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, where he won two AA rosettes.