South Africa, Cape Town, April 2024; The Red Room was opened in 2023 by international chef and restaurateur Liam Tomlin together with chef and business partner David Schneider at Cape Town’s Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel. The newest restaurant in Tomlin’s Chefs Warehouse group, it is a retro sophisticated celebration of Pan-Asian cuisines in the legendary underground space formerly known as The Grill Room. 

“It’s the kind of old fashioned glamorous room where you’d expect to run into 007 at the bar, sipping a martini,” says Tomlin. “A very grown-up restaurant that is about dressing up, attentive and professional service and of course the exciting palate of Asian flavours. The challenge for us was getting the right mix of nostalgia with our standards for sophisticated contemporary dining. We think we’ve nailed it.” 

DESIGN AND DÉCOR 

Elegantly red, gold and black with warm lighting that transports guests to another time and place, The Red Room is an opulent and nostalgic nod to a glamorous Hong Kong fine dining establishment. Many of the room’s original details, like the moody staircase and smoky glass wall panels, have been preserved and restored, and are complemented with rich contemporary fabrics and artworks. A highlight are the intricate detailed ink on silk and copper paintings of artist Jenna Barbe, depicting architectural pagodas, dragons and other Asian imagery. There is a cosy bar for sipping and snacking that seats 40, and a dining room with comfortable banquette and table seating (complete with lazy Susans) that seats 80. 

CUISINE 

Inspired by the melting pot that is Hong Kong -- where multiple Asian cultures co-exist – the menu at The Red Room features Pan-Asian food done respectfully -- with dishes from China, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, The Philippines, Thailand and Việt Nam, each given their due honour. The cornerstones of the menu developed by Liam Tomlin and David Schneider are flavour: and in true Asian style, flavours are deep and balanced: meeting at the junction of sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami. 

The menu is based on standards rather than cleverness, and is mostly made up of true-to-their-origin dishes, complete with house-made condiments and dipping sauces. The attention to detail in the extraction of flavour, complexity and presentation of each dish is 100 percent on brand for the Chefs Warehouse group. 

Red Room Favourites include dishes like oysters with nuoc chum, chili salt fried squid, crispy mushroom katsu sando and pork ribs with Filipino banana ketchup glaze. Small plates are more playful and inventive, with items like cabbage yakitori and Szechuan cured gamefish with nashi pear. There are bite size Dumplings and Dim Sum, from Vietnamese rice rolls to daikon radish cakes to prawn har gow dumplings: skewered meats from the wood-fired robata grill, and the ultimate classics, Peking Duck and whole roasted fish, all done with respect and care.  

Food can be ordered à la carte, or as a curated set menu composed of 12 small plates representing the pan-Asian spectrum from either the Chef’s Choice, Pescatarian or Vegetarian menus. Desserts are light and designed to highlight seasonal fruits, ranging from coconut parfait to plum and yuzu sorbet to jasmine rice, matcha and lime. There are even house-made fortune cookies with hand written messages from the kitchen. 

DRINKS 

The bar, with its plush curved banquettes, ottoman seating and evocative lighting is the place for classic and signature Asian-inspired cocktails, like Singapore Sours, Grape Sake-Tail or Coconut Negroni, or for post-dinner or late night digestifs. It’s also a fun dining alternative: one can order snacks from or make a meal out of The Red Room’s Dim Sum Lounge menu, a collection of bite-size and small plate treats to be shared over drinks. 

The Red Room boasts a generous list of interesting off-the-radar South African wines and potstill brandies. Japanese, Indian, Scottish and Irish whiskies are aplenty and beers are a mix of South African, European and Asian. There is also an extensive selection of specialty teas, such as Weekend in Singapore, Jasmine Queen and Imperial Lapsang Souchong tea. 

PEOPLE 

LIAM TOMLIN is founder and director of the Chefs Warehouse group and is an internationally renowned chef and restaurateur. Originally from Ireland, he has cooked in restaurants for over 40 years, and is widely credited with pioneering the concept of global tapas and elevating the dining scene in South Africa. 

DAVID SCHNEIDER is executive chef of The Red Room and Chefs Warehouse at Maison, and a partner in the Chefs Warehouse group. He has grown from chef to butcher to restaurateur, and today creates exciting menus that are producer-driven, with a big focus on sustainability. Making and preserving as much as is humanly possible in-house is a signature of his kitchens. 

CAROLINE LAMB is head chef of The Red Room and has been working closely with Liam and David since the restaurant’s inception. With a strong set of skills in both savoury cooking and pastry, she has previously cooked at several restaurants in the La Colombe group, amongst others. Her favourite Asian ingredients to work with are hoisin and doenjang, which is Korean fermented soybean paste. 

TARAS PAYNE is general manager of The Red Room. He has an extensive hospitality service background which includes posts at The Cape Grace Hotel and the legendary La Tête Restaurant, as well as on the luxurious Seabourn cruise ships all over the world. He brought his unparalleled attention to detail and refined service delivery to The Brasserie at The Bailey as Maitre ‘D before joining The Red Room. 

SASHA PSHENICHNIKOV is restaurant manager of The Red Room. He has worked in all aspects of front of house service in Europe, the United States, and most recently in South Africa, at Table 7. 

Taras and Sasha, with their combined wealth of fine dining experience and wine knowledge gained in Europe and South Africa make a team perfectly suited to the guest profile at Mount Nelson Hotel. 

THE RED ROOM OPENING HOURS, LOCATION AND OTHER DETAILS 

Restaurant: Monday - Sunday 6 pm - 9.30 pm, Bar: Monday - Sunday 5 pm til late 

The Red Room at The Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel, 76 Orange Street, Gardens, Cape Town +27 (0)21 483 1516, Bookings can be made on the @dineplan_app, via their website https://www.chefswarehouse.co.za/the-red-room or via email, reservations@cwredroom.co.za. Instagram: @the_red_room_cw 

ABOUT THE CHEFS WAREHOUSE GROUP 

The Chefs Warehouse group is led by Liam Tomlin, and includes Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia, Chefs Warehouse Maison, Chefs Warehouse Tintswalo, Thali, Chefs Warehouse at The Bailey, The Brasserie at The Bailey and The Old Bailey. 

ABOUT BELMOND MOUNT NELSON HOTEL  

Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel, is located in the vibrant, eclectic and cultural heart of Cape Town. Rich in history, the hotel has been welcoming visitors since 1899. The nine acre resort is an oasis of flowering gardens and rolling lawns, two heated swimming pools, two tennis courts and a glorious spa, all boasting magnificent views of iconic Table Mountain. A feast of dining options are offered,  al fresco as well as in hidden storied spaces. Take just one step out of the hotel gates and discover the city's top attractions as well as authentic vibrant daily Cape Town city life. 

ABOUT BELMOND 

Belmond has been a pioneer of exceptional luxury travel for over 46 years, building a passion for authentic escapes into a portfolio of one-of-a-kind experiences in some of the world’s most inspiring destinations. 

Since the acquisition of the iconic Hotel Cipriani in Venice in 1976, Belmond has continued to perpetuate the legendary art of travel, taking discerning global travellers on breath-taking journeys. Its portfolio extends across 24 countries with 50 remarkable properties that include the illustrious Venice Simplon-Orient-Express train, remote beach retreats like Cap Juluca in Anguilla, Italian hideaways such as Splendido in Portofino, or unrivalled gateways to world natural wonders such as Hotel das Cataratas inside Brazil’s Iguassu National Park. From trains to river barges, safari lodges to hotels, each unique property offers an incomparable experience with its own story to tell. The essence of the Belmond brand is built upon its heritage, craftsmanship and genuine, authentic service. Belmond sees its role as custodians of timeless heritage, dedicated to preserving its assets through sensitive ongoing restoration plans. Belmond is part of the world’s leading luxury group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. www.belmond.com    

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