Rhiwbina’s charcoal-powered gem named in Good Food Guide’s Top 100.
Just two years after quietly opening in the heart of Rhiwbina, Mesen has become one of the most celebrated local restaurants in the UK, and now, it has the accolades to prove it. This month, the intimate, charcoal-only restaurant has been named in the Good Food Guide’s Top 100 Local Restaurants, one of only three South Wales establishments to make the 2025 list.
Founded in June 2023 by Rhys Williams, a former London-based Chartered Surveyor, Mesen is the definition of a passion project turned success story. Swapping spreadsheets for seasoning, Rhys returned to his native Cardiff with no formal kitchen training, only a deep love for food, fire, and Middle Eastern and Turkish-inspired cooking.
What followed was a bold, flavour-forward concept: a restaurant with no gas, no shortcuts, just great Welsh produce cooked entirely over charcoal. The result? Smoky, soulful plates that evolve every week, and a local dining experience unlike any other.
Over 100 unique menus and a growing local fanbase later, Mesen now stands proudly among the UK’s best. Within its first year, it earned a place in the Good Food Guide; now, it celebrates back-to-back appearances in their prestigious Top 100 list.
But for Rhys and the team, Mesen’s success goes far beyond awards.
“This is a restaurant built on relationships,” says Rhys. “From our team and our guests to the producers we work with – it’s always been about people first. Recognition from the Good Food Guide is incredible, but it’s the community here in Rhiwbina that means the most.”
That close-knit spirit runs through every part of the restaurant. Head Chef Jake Holcombe, whose training includes time in a 3 Michelin Star kitchen in Switzerland, leads the ever-changing menu with support from Sous Chef Joe Joyce. Behind the bar, global award-winning mixologist Matthew “Welly” Jones (formerly of Lab 22) curates a drinks list as thoughtful as the food, including his crowd-favourite Spicy Margarita. And leading the front-of-house is Molly Scott, whose warm, genuine hospitality was honed not in restaurants, but at her former job as a local greengrocer.
Together, the Mesen team has created something rare: a restaurant with heart, humility, and serious ambition, one that’s not afraid to have fun. Recent events include their now-legendary Scotch Egg Showdown, where local chefs competed for glory in front of a voting public. Seasonal supper clubs and creative collaborations have helped cement Mesen’s place at the heart of a Rhiwbina scene that’s quietly thriving, the suburb was recently named one of The Times’ Top 25 Places to Live in the UK.
Now entering its third year, Mesen shows no signs of slowing down; proof that a neighbourhood restaurant with soul, skill, and a loyal team can make waves far beyond its postcode.
Rhys added, “To be recognised by the Good Food Guide for the second year running – and to be named one of the Top 100 Local Restaurants in the UK again – honestly means the world to us. We’re a small team in a little corner of Cardiff, and we’ve poured everything into this place.
That kind of recognition validates all the hard work, the constant creativity, and the care we put into every service. It’s a huge honour, and it just makes us want to keep pushing even further.”
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