Ten years after opening the iconic Chefs Warehouse & Canteen on Cape Town’s Bree Street, the maverick that brought the blend of high-quality global tapas, relaxed dining and urban swag to Cape Town, Liam Tomlin, is bringing back the beloved original along with two other new dynamic concepts at 91 Bree Street, the current location of Tomlin’s three-story operation – The Bailey.
The new Chefs Warehouse & Canteen will be joined by Merchant, a restaurant that heroes local producers, and Room 91, a chic indoor-outdoor events space for private and business functions. David Schneider, chef partner in Chefs Warehouse Maison in Franschhoek and The Red Room at Belmond Mount Nelson, is partnering with Tomlin in these three ventures.
“In this heritage building that we love and now know so well, on this street that means so much to us, we are creating completely new big city restaurants, that are for today and tomorrow,” says Tomlin. “They will be less formal, unique and exceptional destinations for diners to experience exciting, fresh and deep flavours as well as dishes prepared with locally produced ingredients they won’t find elsewhere. It’ll be fun, vibey, speak to food lovers of all ages and is our renewed commitment to the neighbourhood that feels like home.”
Residential, lifestyle developments
The change comes at a time of dynamic growth in Cape Town’s CBD, with large-scale residential and lifestyle developments currently underway, like the redevelopment of Christian Barnard Hospital into a multi-use redevelopment, with lifestyle-branded hotel, apartments, office space, retail space and parking. Also joining the ranks of completed CBD developments 16 on Bree, The Barracks and The Rubik will be The Fynbos, a 24-story residential building containing 689 apartments, set to open in 2025. All of these will add significant foot traffic to the immediate area.
“I have never been more excited and positive about Cape Town and the CBD, which is literally dotted with yellow construction cranes in every direction,” says Tomlin. “Since 2014, we’ve been here through it all: the early days on Bree Street when it first became the cool street, the explosive growth of First Thursdays, the proliferation of art galleries in the area, the rough days of Covid and now this great new energy that is propelling Cape Town into the future. We are 100% committed to being active partners in the growth of Bree Street as the cultural and culinary hub of the city.”
Full of urban energy
Tomlin is going back to basics with the revival of Chefs Warehouse & Canteen on the ground floor of the building, which will have much the same feeling as its original footprint across the street, both in terms of the fare – global tapas and the edgy style that defined the original. It will be dark and full of urban energy, with the return of the communal long tables the original restaurant was known for, along with banquettes and smaller tables.
One floor up will be Merchant, a restaurant that will champion local producers in fresh new ways. Explains David Schneider: “A merchant is someone who goes directly to the source to procure the best and often the exclusive. In South Africa, we have incredible produce ñ from meat, game and seafood to vegetables, grains and fruits. At Merchant, we want to champion the best producers and their products, and make them the focal point of our offering.”
Room 91
On the top floor, Room 91 is being reconfigured as a stylish, multi-purpose indoor-outdoor event space. “We get so many requests for events, and with this reimagined space, we will be able to host just about anything, all with the high standards of food and service we take pride in consistently offering,” says Tomlin.
To make it all work, the art of proper cheffing will be integral to all three operations. Three generations of chefs, Liam Tomlin, David Schneider and Adrian Hadlow, will work together, sharing knowledge, experience, motivation, management and youthful energy to make these entities a success.
To make a forward reservation for Chefs Warehouse & Canteen, Merchant and Room 91, e-mail
