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Iconic city restaurant is back in the hands of the family that launched it
IT’S a restaurant that has straddled the Cardiff foodie scene during the 1980s, 1990s and beyond – and now Le Monde is back in the hands of the family who originally opened it in 1985.
The Martinez family, who have built up an impressive portfolio of restaurants in Wales on top of Le Monde, recently took back control of the citycentre restaurant and gave it a millionpound-plus overhaul.
Opened in the mid-1980s by Benigno – the father of current owner Tanny – Le Monde was known for its sawdust-strewn floors, steak-cooking expertise and an expectation that its clientele would be dressed supersmart.
During the Rugby World Cup of 1999, the restaurant broke its record and served 1,000 meals on the day of the final (a match that saw Australia cane France 35-12) and that tournament also saw Wales’ legendary goalkicker Neil Jenkins turned away – for wearing jeans!
Tanny, 32, is the youngest son of Benigno, and the family also has The Miskin Arms, The Priory in Caerleon, run by brother Benito, and the Custom House in Penarth in their portfolio.
Tanny has worked in the Martinez family business since he was 15 – starting out at The Priory and Custom House – and saw the heart and soul his dad put into making Le Monde one of the places to eat in the city centre.
“It was always busy, especially on rugby internationals,” said the restaurateur. “As soon as you’d walk through the door you’d smell that traditional smell, garlic and seafood, and the sawdust on the floor, that was the thing I’d remember.
“It was renowned for that.”
The Martinez family handed over the keys to Le Monde in 2001, and while they still owned the building, the restaurant was taken over and it was no longer on the hot list.
Le Monde was a name that Galicianborn Benigno, who passed away six years ago, worked hard to build up, both with customer service and the quality and choice of food.
Tanny adds: “He loved working with the customers. This concept he brought to Wales, he brought his own Barbados sauce, which we still serve with our fishcakes.
“That’s been around for 30 years and it’s lasted the test of time. That business model and concept has been in Cardiff for almost 40 years. He’d be here seven days a week, seven lunches, seven dinners. I didn’t see a lot of my dad growing up but that was the sacrifice you have to make to be successful.”
The impact of Benigno’s dedication to the businesses he ran has clearly paid off, as Tanny is following his footsteps and is ready for Le Monde to come back with a vengeance to the top of Cardiff’s culinary scene.
He says: “My mum or dad didn’t push me either way. I went to uni, did my thing. I started working at 15, parttime with the family business. I enjoy
talking to people, I don’t see it as a job. I thought I’d carry on and help my dad. He was the best teacher.”
So what is it about Le Monde that made it so successful in the past, and why does Tanny think it’s got a future?
The restaurant, which employs 36 staff, has a concept that people like, says Tanny, and they’ve built up a regular following across all their businesses over the years.
“I think people like that concept,” says the father-of-one. “It’s not for everyone, but lots of Welsh people have supported us and continue to do so. There’s always a good buzz and atmosphere, I think they really enjoy it.
“We’ve made a lot of friends throughout the business, a lot of people who followed us 40 years ago still follow us now.
“They are fantastic people and they are a pleasure to look after. They are there when I need the support – we’ve been very, very lucky.”
Four familiar faces at Le Monde, Patrick Daniels and Mary Case and Phil and Mandy Valentine, were there on the day we visited and were delighted when they found out that Le Monde was back in the Martinez family.
The four were regulars of the restaurant and went to its opening, as well as being frequent visitors to Champers and the Brasserie, which were opened downstairs by Benigno back in the 1980s.
Patrick, from Cyncoed, was such a regular visitor that he used to lock up after the staff went home!
He says: “I can’t say I’ve ever had a bad meal here and when I was very young, I’d be having a late lunch and [Benigno would] say to me, ‘Pat, here are the keys, when you’ve finished put them back through the letter box and let me know what you’ve had.”
Mary adds: “Tanny’s father, we loved him to bits. I don’t think there was anyone of our generation who didn’t know him and Tanny is a chip off the old block, he’s worked so hard and his father would be proud of him.
“He’s doing a fantastic job. He’s a credit to Benigno. Even now we love it, it’s the whole ambience, the music, everything.”
The reason the four love it so much is that they are comfortable and feel well looked-after at Le Monde, and that’s clear to see.
Phil adds that he and Mandy will come to one of the Martinez-owned restaurants at least once a week, and when Le Monde was handed back and reopened there was no question they would return.
“I think it’s the classiest place in Cardiff and always has been,” he says. “It’s the quality of the food and also the prices are competitive. We were thrilled when we heard that they were taking it over again, that’s why we’re here now.
“It used to be a regular thing, a Friday lunchtime, about 20-30 people we knew came here. Benigno built up a massive empire from nothing and Tanny is definitely a chip off the old block, he’s hard-working and making it better all the time.
“I can remember him coming into El Portos [at Custom House] as a 16-year-old and if he got a bit too big for his boots his father would slap him down!”
With support like that, you’ve got a strong base for success, so why does Tanny think that Le Monde’s star has waned over the past decade or so?
“There wasn’t any money put back into the business. It just got worse and they gave the keys back. We did have to think about taking it back over, we thought about what is happening in this area, the redevelopment of Central Square, this area will be the place to be again.
“Without being disrespectful to our competitors, town doesn’t have many high-end restaurants. You have Asador 44, Curado, Heaney’s, they are all good as they offer something different
to pizza or pasta, the rest are chains.
“For private restaurants, to set up in the city is very, very difficult. Chains are the only ones who can afford it – which has damaged the culinary scene in Cardiff, there’s nothing that stands out. We are lucky in that we own our building, if we didn’t, we’d never be able to afford to spend what we did refitting.”
The future’s looking bright for Le Monde. They’ve expanded their menu to accommodate the ever-expanding vegan population and are opening their Perrier Jouet Suite upstairs this autumn – and they’re likely to get some of their famous fans back at the table, especially as the Rugby World Cup is imminent.
Tanny says: “We do get a lot of celebrities coming through the door [of our restaurants], we see a lot of footballers and rugby players, lots of the ex-internationals come in when there’s an international match in town.
“Down at Custom House, when the Michael Jackson tribute concert was on, we had Jamie Foxx for three nights in a row, Mickey Rourke too. And we see David Hasselhoff a lot.”
And one of the best stories about Le Monde involves ex-Wales fly-half Neil Jenkins and his penchant for casual wear.
Tanny explains: “Neil Jenkins had just beat South Africa at the opening game of the then Millennium Stadium and he tried to come in for dinner.
“But my father wouldn’t let him in because he had jeans on. Dad was always a straight-dress fella. That was one of the things about Le Monde, no jeans.
“Another friend, Nigel O’Sullivan, had a word with my dad and Neil was told, ‘Sit there where no-one can see you.’
“We had a strict policy but this was Neil Jenkins, who had just won the game for us!
“Those days are gone now, it’s hard to enforce.”
Although Tanny may be a chip off the old block according to the regulars, he’s open to new customers coming in to see what Le Monde has to offer.
“Come in for a drink or for a coffee, have a look, have a cocktail at the bar. The doors are always open for people to have a look.”
You can find Le Monde at 60-62 St Mary Street, Cardiff CF10 1FE. Call 029 2023 1688