Key Points
- Location/Concept: Lofft is a private 12-seat counter kitchen situated above Chef Tom Simmons’ restaurant, Thomas, in the Pontcanna district of Cardiff.
- Accolades: The venue has achieved considerable industry success since its opening months, with a favorable Michelin review being included in the additions for August in the Michelin Guide and Three AA rosettes awarded at the AA Hospitality Awards 2026.
- Price/Menu: The restaurant provides diners with a 10-course seasonal menu that costs £110 and consists of ingredients from Wales and fine dining techniques from other countries.
- Leadership: The head of the kitchen is Executive Chef Tom Peters, who boasts Roux at Parliament Square, Maaemo in Oslo, and even MasterChef: The Professionals on his resumé.
- Review Experience: According to Senior Journalist Portia Jones from Wales Online, the meal does not suffer from long and pretentious tasting menus since the portions are substantial and the pace is efficient.
Cardiff (Cardiff Daily) September 28, 2026 — As reported by Senior Journalist Portia Jones of Wales Online, exploring high-end tasting menus often risks feeling like “an entire lunar cycle” where time loses all meaning. However, a tiny, immersive dining counter tucked away in the Welsh capital has managed to challenge skeptics of elaborate multi-course meals. Located in the affluent suburb of Pontcanna in Cardiff, Lofft—part of Chef Tom Simmons’ reimagined restaurant space—has quickly become a major talking point in the British culinary scene following its recent recognition by both the Michelin Guide and the AA Hospitality Awards 2026.
As noted by Senior Journalist Portia Jones of Wales Online, Lofft operates as an “intentionally small” 12-seater experience situated directly above the relaxed Welsh brasserie, Thomas. The concept is designed to strip away the intimidating barriers of formal dining, offering guests a direct view of the open kitchen’s rhythm. Regarding the core philosophy of the space, the Lofft team stated that the venue is built to create an
What Do Michelin Inspectors and the AA Awards Say About Lofft?
The restaurant’s rapid rise has caught the attention of national critics. In its August additions list, the Michelin Guide praised the venue’s commitment to quality local produce. As detailed by Michelin:
“Cardiff locals may already be familiar with chef Tom Simmons from his Pontcanna brasserie, Thomas. Now, he’s unleashing his full talents at this immersive 12-seater counter hidden away above the brasserie. The chefs’ skill, care and reverence for their top-drawer ingredients shines through across delicious dishes such as Carmarthenshire lamb and a wonderful suet pudding filled with braised lamb shoulder. The service is equally impressive, ensuring the entire experience unfolds smoothly and with a smile.”
Complementing this praise, the establishment was awarded three AA rosettes at the AA Hospitality Awards 2026. In the restaurant industry, three rosettes signify “outstanding restaurants that are worth travelling for.” Leading the day-to-day culinary execution is Executive Chef Tom Peters. Bringing an impressive pedigree that includes stints at Roux at Parliament Square in London and Maaemo in Oslo, alongside an appearance on MasterChef: The Professionals, Chef Tom Peters bridges international fine dining techniques with localized Welsh craft. Describing his role, Lofft stated that Chef Tom
“brings fine-dining technique and international experience into an intimate, guest-facing setting, where the craft of the kitchen becomes part of the experience.”
What is Included on the £110 Tasting Menu at Lofft?
Priced at £110, the 10-course tasting menu rotates seasonally to reflect the highest-grade ingredients available in Wales. During her visit, Senior Journalist Portia Jones of Wales Online highlighted several standout plates curated by the kitchen team. The meal commenced with a series of intricate opening bites, including a raw beef and oyster croustade, a horseradish potato pancake, a St Brides crab dish featuring shellfish caught directly from St Brides Bay in Pembrokeshire, a Parmesan choux bun, and a chicken liver parfait served with port.
Further courses included a rich beef broth paired with pickled onion, Wagyu pastrami, and Japanese shimeji mushrooms, followed by roasted Orkney scallops with barbecued maitake mushrooms and a chicken-and-whey sauce. A major highlight of the savory selection was the Westholme Wagyu sirloin, matched with sweet Jerusalem artichoke. Concluding the meal, the dessert course featured an Amedei chocolate mousse—specifically singled out in Michelin’s review—composed of high-end Tuscan chocolate, caramelia, malt, sea salt, and vanilla, alongside an Earl Grey ice cream paired with Italian meringue.
Service throughout the evening was managed by jovial front-of-house staff, including manager Adam Day, who guided diners through the wine pairings and explained the provenance of each dish. Unlike traditional fine dining establishments where multi-course dinners can drag on for hours, the intimate counter setup and synchronized kitchen timing ensured the experience remained engaging, fast-paced, and genuinely satisfying without leaving guests looking for a late-night kebab.
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Background of the Particular Development
The launch of Lofft and its subsequent critical acclaim represent a wider evolution in modern British dining, where chefs are increasingly pivoting away from cavernous, formal dining rooms in favor of hyper-intimate, counter-service concepts. Chef Tom Simmons, already well-established in Cardiff through his adjacent brasserie Thomas, sought to maximize his creative output by carving out a dedicated 12-seat space upstairs. This micro-restaurant model allows top-tier chefs to showcase experimental, high-craft tasting menus directly to diners while bypassing the high overheads and impersonal nature of massive dining halls. The swift recognition from Michelin and the AA highlights a growing appetite among inspectors and diners alike for immersive, transparent culinary theater anchored firmly in regional provenance.
This development is expected to significantly boost culinary tourism in Cardiff, drawing food enthusiasts from across the UK to Pontcanna and cementing the Welsh capital as a serious contender on the global fine dining map. For local independent restaurateurs and aspiring chefs, Lofft’s success serves as a blueprint for how intimate, chef-led counter concepts can achieve rapid critical validation. For the everyday dining public and food consumers, this trend proves that multi-course tasting menus can evolve to be efficient, approachable, and deeply satisfying, potentially shifting consumer preferences away from traditional, drawn-out luxury dining towards more personal, interactive gastronomic experiences.
