Chefs Warehouse began in a wine cave as a small, no-reservation eating spot. It has since morphed into a serious contender, turning its owner, French-trained chef Liam Tomlin, into a prominent figure and elevating tapas as a feature of the local culinary scene.
The atmosphere at the original Chefs Warehouse, with its communal tables, was convivial. It was meant to be a lunchtime venue, “a deli with fish of the day, soup of the day, meat of the day”, says Tomlin. Tapas for two was at the bottom of the menu. But, he says, “all we ever sold was tapas for two, so we scrapped everything else”.
Tomlin started out at the age of 14 as a pot washer and kitchen porter at the five-star Royal Hibernian Hotel in Dublin about 40 years ago. He worked across Europe in Michelin-star restaurants and opened Banc restaurant in Sydney in 1997. In 2003 he moved to South Africa, opening Chefs Warehouse in 2010.
There are now eight restaurants in the group. The latest is Chefs Warehouse & Canteen, a smart-casual venue featuring tapas-style dishes for shared dining.
On Cape Town’s Bree Street, it took the place of The Bailey, which Tomlin ran for two years. The Bailey was an ode to The Wolseley in London, one of his favourite restaurants. “I love the vibe of what they do [at The Wolseley], the uniforms, the design — everything,” says Tomlin. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite catch on as he’d hoped.
“I don’t think people want to come from France to eat at a brasserie and I don’t think they want to come from London to eat in a top European café. And I don’t think locals want it because it’s too intimidating for them.”
Bree Street is Tomlin’s original stamping ground. “It’s where we started; it was at one stage the coolest street in Cape Town,” he says. He talks about the development in the area that is likely to bring more of an inner-city vibe, in line with many European cities.
The original Chefs Warehouse was across the street with a tiny space and a small budget, owned by Tomlin and his wife, Jan. They were then approached by the Beau Constantia wine estate, by the Maison estate in Franschhoek, Tintswalo Atlantic in Hout Bay, Thali in Kloof Street and the Mount Nelson, where they opened The Red Room.
“In expanding we diluted the business and [Chefs Warehouse] became the poor cousin if you like. What I want to do now is make it relevant again within our group.”
Chefs Warehouse made tapas fashionable, providing tastes of various cuisines without diners having to commit to one plate. Before it reopened, Tomlin took one of the recipe books he wrote and told his chefs the first menu had to come from there.
They’ve brought back the classics they’re known for, signature dishes such as Vietnamese oysters, salt-and-pepper squid, bouillabaisse, risotto and lemon posset — a cold dessert of lemon juice, cream and sugar. “Like a creme brûlée without the crust,” says Tomlin.
He says the new Chefs Warehouse is a grown-up version of the original. It is more relaxed, with toned-down uniforms, and the music is a bit funkier (strains of the 1980s were seeping through when we dined there). Where there used to be marble in the floors they’ve broken it up (“so it’s not so posh or intimidating”) and the brickwork is more exposed. Big chairs and colours have been replaced with more neutral décor and contemporary art.
Above Chefs Warehouse is Merchant Bar & Grill, a restaurant that champions the best of local producers and old-school practices of fermentation, preservation and the use of the entire product. And on the top floor is Room 91, one of the few event venues in the city that’s not in a hotel or a conference centre.
The larder is the heart and soul of Merchant, says partner David Schneider, who is also involved with Tomlin at Maison and The Red Room. Schneider, once a butcher, has a philosophy of “getting from the source, breaking it down and using all the cuts. I always envisaged a space that has multiple levels because if I break down a cow, I can’t serve what’s in it in one style of food.”
There’s a ban on anything international at Merchant “except for booze”, which he says is a good challenge. They make their own soya sauce, miso sauce, kombucha and vinegar, among other things. And, says Schneider, vegetables are treated with the same respect as meat and fish.
Lessons have been learnt along the way. Like developing a whisky bar in a city that doesn’t have the buying power of, say, London, Tokyo or even Joburg. “Cape Town has some serious restaurateurs and chefs,” says Tomlin. The competition is stiff. “The restaurant industry is really tough. There’s so much competition and two or three restaurants opening a week.”
Tomlin is no longer operational in the kitchen. He stepped out about four years ago, runs the business and looks for new opportunities; he’s also involved in strategy and often pops between his ventures.
Is there any downside to being a group of eight restaurants? “I don’t think there are too many downsides. The upside is we can grow the team we’ve got.”
The business model is one of working with a talented chef, who then becomes part-owner. At Beau Constantia it’s Ivor Jones; it’s Schneider at Chefs Warehouse, Maison and The Red Room. “I’ve surrounded myself with amazing young chefs of the next generation and made them shareholders and business partners. That’s how we grow the business.”
How to share and taste
The first thing to know when heading for a lunch or dinner of tapas to share at Chefs Warehouse & Canteen is that you’ll be sharing plates and soups and dessert, so go with someone you know rather than a first date or a formal business meeting.
Unless you’re up to it. And if you are, it ups the fun quotient.
Utensils are your choice between cutlery or chopsticks, and for each of the four courses you choose one of two options.
Ours started with game fish ceviche (with passion fruit dressing), the best Gruyère brioche toasties ever, pea risotto and lamb dizi plus soft and tasty beef ribs (instead of bouillabaisse).
Protect your turf over the lemon posset: it’s creamy and tangy and so good it’s been featured on food networks overseas and said to be the best lemon dessert in the country.
The tapas make the experience feel more social, and tinge it with a European flair given that tapas are from Spain, where Tomlin had a restaurant for some time.
You could also go à la carte.
chefswarehouse.co.za/chefs-warehouse-canteen
This article was first published in the Financial Mail.
