Tom Waters to take pop-up restaurant Gorse permanent

The chef plans to open Gorse on King Road in the suburb of Pontcanna in the Welsh capital following its success as a travelling restaurant.

The 24-cover restaurant will have an open-plan kitchen and will be situated on the site of the former Fido Cafe.

Waters, who honed his skills under Welsh chef Bryn Williams at Odette’ and who also worked at two-Michelin starred restaurant The Square under Phil Howard, returned to Wales in 2021 and later launched Gorse, serving ‘flavour-centric food served in an unpretentious and relaxed environment’.

He has since brought it to independent venues around the Welsh capital, including Ground Bakery in Pontcanna, Insole Court in Llandaff, and Waterloo Tea in Roath.

The food at Gorse will replicate what diners of the pop-up restaurant have come to expect with Gorse serving multi-course tasting menus of modern Welsh cooking that will embrace micro-seasonality and short supply chains, building on Waters’ relationships with a network of small-scale Welsh farmers, growers, fishermen and local artisans.

Dishes previously served at the restaurant include Brixham brill, onion and kale (pictured above); Pembrokeshire mackerel, horseradish, preserved elderflower, and fig leaf; and snacks such as Silka deer, preserved cherries, roasted kelp; carrot, laverbread and green coffee; and spelt, cultured cream and trout roe.

"Giving Gorse a permanent home in Pontcanna is a dream come true,” says Waters.

“The local community here has been incredibly supportive of my pop-ups, so I can’t wait to create a welcoming space where people can continue to enjoy my Modern Welsh food in a setting all of our own making."

Gorse is due to open in early spring.