TEN years after opening the iconic Chefs Warehouse & Canteen on Cape Town’s Bree Street – the maverick restaurant that brought the irresistible blend of high quality global tapas, relaxed dining and urban swag to Cape Town – Liam Tomlin will bring back the beloved original along with two other new and 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, will be partnering with Tomlin in these three ventures.
On 15 May, what is currently The Bailey will take an extended winter break, closing its current operations and commencing its transformation. It will be a complete renovation of the restaurants currently operating in the space: Chefs Warehouse at The Bailey, The Brasserie at The Bailey and The Old Bailey Lounge. The new restaurants and event space will open at a date to be announced soon.
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-storey residential building containing 689 apartments, set to open in 2025. All of these will add significant foot traffic to the immediate area.
If you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of a restaurant build and opening, you can follow Tomlin and Schneider along with Merchant’s head chef Adrian Hadlow during the transition phase, with an on-the-ground documentary-style social media campaign. Whether it’s fine tuning a new dish or selecting upholstery for chairs or creating a larder for preserved and fermented foods, the exciting process of rebuilding and launching a multi-storey dining and events concept will be shared via post and video reels. Follow the rebuild and reopening process via @thebaileybychefswarehouse.
Forward reservations and booking enquiries for Chefs Warehouse & Canteen, Merchant and Room 91 will be available throughout the closure period. Email [email protected]
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