The Concept: Gastronomy in record time, thanks to top chefs and a thin little tray. No bookings, no décor, no waiters (no tip), no fancy menus, and not a whole lot of choice ... but what you will get at Chefs is one seriously fine meal for a shade of the price you'd pay at a regular fine-dining establishment. And it's in front of you within 15 minutes of ordering.
It's a slick operation: Six chefs, a seriously kitted-out kitchen opening onto one canteen-style row of basic wooden-topped tables with lightweight metal chairs. Forty customers can be seated, with place settings of just a knife, fork and white napkin, and there is no décor - zero, zip, not a flower in sight, zilch.At first I did have a problem with the tray - a thin metal sheet pressed into compartmentalised sections - upon which my food arrived. I had to resist the urge to offload my meal, served into neatly arranged plated portions and curated in various tapas-styled dishes, and deposit the military-styled implement elsewhere, but my companions, ladies-who-lunch, were thrilled by this novelty, so I held back and embraced the fine-dining-canteen vibe.Seems simple, but when you taste their tartare of lightly cured tuna with a lime, coriander, mint and soy dressing, paired with avo, ginger and crème fraiche, complexity, skill and freshness melt into an unadulterated sense of joy.
Chefs is ideal for a quick gourmet lunch or dinner without paying for the fine-dining trappings like overpriced morsels, after-dinner mints or service charges. It has that secret, new-on-the-block, corner-store feel, where those in the know head for a seriously good meal in a seemingly simple chef's kitchen.THE LOWDOWN
Vibe: Cape Town's new "it" spot for a snappy lunch or dinner.
Price: R160 for a meal,  R60 for dessert, R40 to R65 for a glass of wine.
What to wear: Office, gym, DIY or haute couture, tattoos, pin-striped suits anything goes.
People who will like it: City professionals, well-heeled creatives, quiet hipsters, bone-broth aficionados, aspiring wood-fire bread makers (who can discuss their fermenting starter with sourdough maestro sous chef Jaffarie Sabe).
Hot tip: If you're hungry with an hour to spare, check out the daily menu online, make a beeline for Chefs (parking is a challenge), order, pay at the counter so you can leave when you're done.
SCORECARD: 18/20
Food: 5/5
Ambience: 3/5
Service: 5/5
Value for money: 5/5
• 81 St John's Street, Cape Town...