Top Tapas: Tastiest bite on Bree

18 March 2015 - 02:10 By Seth Shezi
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STIRRING THE POT: Chef Liam Tomlin is doing things differently at Chefs Warehouse & Canteen
STIRRING THE POT: Chef Liam Tomlin is doing things differently at Chefs Warehouse & Canteen

Chefs Warehouse & Canteen - cookery school turned Bree Street's most sensational restaurant - is redefining tapas.

Bree Street has established itself as Cape Town's centre for all things trendy, and the world is taking note.

After dubbing it "Cape Town's hippest block", The Wall Street Journal highlighted Chefs Warehouse & Canteen as "a regular haunt for restaurant industry insiders".

Liam and Jan Tomlin had the idea of moving their then four-year-old cookery school to Bree Street and turning it into a "canteen".

The concept is evident the minute you step into the cosy, multipurpose space, which contains a restaurant with long communal tables, a kitchen where budding chefs hone their skills and a "warehouse" shop section selling mise en place specialities and kitchen equipment.

Since opening a little over a year ago, Chefs Warehouse has pulled in the awards. And its menu can be likened to that of a true test kitchen, where dishes are invented, tweaked and improved upon.

The daily dishes form part of the best value-for-money gourmet platter Bree Street, and Cape Town, has to offer, comprising eight exquisite tapas servings to share.

The ambience is charmingly and deliberately casual, with communal tables referencing the sociable tapas theme, but the food is unapologetically gourmet - from the technique displayed in the preparation and treatment of the delicate ingredients to the plating and styling that keeps the crowds coming back.

There is flair in the food, but also great sincerity. Tomlin and The Test Kitchen's Luke Dale-Roberts raised R40000 for Cape Town's firefighters last week.

Save the date

What to eat: Tapas for two. Varied tastes and styles drawing from Liam Tomlin's eclectic experience.

When to go: Every day. Really.

Who to take: Your date. Sharing is a great ice-breaker and the variety will quell the agony of having to decide on a restaurant that suits you both.

What not to do: Don't try to book a table as it operates on the refreshing first-come first-served basis.

What to drink: The wine list is concise. Montpellier Brut MCC will elevate any dinner into an occasion.

Whatever you do: Don't skip dessert. The chocolate fondant will make you question everything you thought you knew about gooey perfection.

How much do you need? For a quick after-work tapas and a glass of wine, just under R300.

  • 92 Bree Street, 021-422-0128
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