Chefs Warehouse and Canteen offers a tiny but bustling dining room serving tapas-centered lunch, snacks, and dinner. There are a few tables on the patio overlooking busy Bree Street, and the interior houses just three long benches where customers huddle together, sampling shared tapas dishes and sipping wine or coffee. The perimeter of the canteen is stacked with shelves stocking exotic and gourmet ingredients for sale through the shop next door, which also offers cooking tools, crockery, culinary books, and various other foodie sundries.

The atmosphere is energetic and informal—it’s a great place to grab a quick bite or savor the experience over multiple courses with friends. I popped in for a late lunch and sampled some truly wonderful tapas. My favorite was an amazing dish of lightly fried squid with potatoes, chorizo, and guacamole. Also delicious was the shellfish risotto with fresh crab meat and the salmon Vietnamese—thinly sliced strips of raw salmon garnished with peppers, radish, cucumber, spring onion, and a subtle but sweet dressing. I also sampled the smoked entrecote with oyster sauce, a dish of rare beef with cooked vegetables. It was good but not as amazing as the others.

I had a great cappuccino served in a unique presentation with a clear insulated mug and a pyramid of raw sugar cubes. I also saw some beautiful desserts coming out of the kitchen, but I was too full to try any.

The service was very welcoming, helpful, and attentive despite the crowd. The only downsides are that it felt a little too crowded, and it’s a bit awkward to browse the shelves as you’re so close to other customers trying to enjoy their meals. Chefs Warehouse doesn’t do reservations, a system that favors the flexible. Bigger groups are likely to have trouble getting a seat. But the food is worth the trouble!