It’s always exciting when Liam Tomlin opens a new restaurant in Cape Town. BaileyHoused in a historic building at 91 Rue Brie in the heart of town, I was invited to lunch yesterday to check it out.
The Bailey has a café, patisserie, and champagne bar on the ground floor, a brasserie on the second floor (where we had lunch), and the Old Bailey Whiskey Bar on the top floor. This opened last Friday and is already buzzing. Deep plush sofas are designed to help you relax while you contemplate which of our 320 whiskeys to choose from. It reminds me of exclusive membership clubs and bars in New York and London, and makes me want to dress up a little.
This highly anticipated new hot spot is a collaboration between Liam and Jan Tomlin and the owners of Tintswalo Lodge (Lisa and Warwick Goosen, Gay and Ernest Corbett).
Liam crossed the road, rented an old building, and renovated it to perfection. He has impeccable taste, so everything is thought through to the smallest detail.Inspired by Europe’s grand all-day cafés and restaurants, his The Bailey is the perfect place for those who value quality. It’s for
Liam’s stunning collection of art adorns every wall, and he plans to fill more spaces with it. The impressive work of the late Paul du Toit is on display in his private dining room named after him, located in the Brasserie on the second floor.
Each space features ultra-comfortable seating upholstered in rich gem-colored fabrics and leathers. White linen and monogrammed plates invite you to Paris. The brasserie’s menu includes iconic Continental dishes such as beef his bourguignon, bouillebaise, and chateaubriand.
I couldn’t resist the Jerusalem artichoke risotto, an unforgettable dish at any of Liam’s restaurants. My main course duck leg and parsnip confit was perfect. We sampled the 36-month-aged Iberian jamon with blanket baby potatoes and melty raclette draped over it.
The menu is perfectly sumptuous, so don’t go if you’re on a calorie-restricted diet. The gueridon service takes you back in time to the days when dining was routine in top hotel restaurants. That’s how I was trained in hotel school in his 90’s and is probably my favorite part of the experience. It’s always a good idea to wait a few weeks for a new restaurant to settle into the ditch, and yesterday it went very smoothly.
Café Bailey also has a takeaway counter serving freshly baked pastries and sandwiches from 07:00. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served, and high tea is available by reservation. The café is open for pre- and post-theatre drinks and meals, serving champagne and classic cocktails all day until closing, with last orders at 9 PM.
The patisserie is one of the distinguishing features of The Bailey’s ground floor café. Head Pastry Chef Saint-Marie Pienard was trained at TCA (The Culinary Academy, now Hearst Campus) and Singita at his Lebombo where he has gained five years of experience. She has also worked in top her restaurants in New Zealand as well as her Cape winelands such as Waterkloof and Rust en Vrede. All her bread is homemade by her.
The French-style brasserie on the second floor is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday.
Head Chef Jack Grove, 25, takes the reins in his first appointment as Head Chef. The talented young Grové, Silwood Alumni (2017), has been promoted from Senior His Sous Chef at Chefs Warehouse Tintswalo Atlantic. He has also worked internationally as a private chef in Saudi Arabia, gaining experience at his Warehouse Beau Constantia, Foxcroft and La Colombe.
Bailey – 91 Bully St Cape Town
Trading hours from Monday to Saturday:
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