Eat Out critic Ashraf Booley visits The Stack, an elegant eatery at Leinster Hall in Cape Town, a building with quite a history.

A beautifully plated dish at The Stack. Photo supplied.

Fast facts

Best for: A fancy date night or dinner with someone you’re looking to impress
Cost: Average main course is R160
Serves: Bistro fare with French touches
Parking: Find a spot on the street; private members have access to on-site parking
Star rating: Food and drinks 4, service 5, ambience 4

Food

The à la carte menu at The Stack offers a range of consistently delicious and exquisite bistro-style fare. It is recommended that you slurp up a bowl of authentic French onion soup for starters. It has silky smooth, caramelised onions swimming in a rich, flavourful beef broth, gratinéed with gruyère cheese croutons.

Carpaccio at The Stack. Photo supplied.

The confit duck rillettes are a delight, served with gem lettuce, tart and tangy pickled veg, and cherry jam for sweetness. If seafood is more your thing, try the rock oysters or salmon gravadlax instead.

A brasserie classic is the steak frites (steak and fries), featuring 300g of lovingly tended to and perfectly cooked sirloin. The crispy and delicious pommes frites are in a league of their own, with accompanying béarnaise (oh, the béarnaise!) delivering a rich, smooth and creamy texture that takes the steak to new heights.

Another classic is duck à l’orange, which is served pull-apart tender and tasty, with baby carrots and braised shallots. If the hunger pangs have got the better of you, however, the Karoo lamb rump may be your answer. It comes complete with wild mushrooms, veal sweetbreads and celeriac purée, which is silky in texture and deliciously subtle in flavour.

Cocktails at The Stack. Photo supplied.

To see what’s on offer for the day, investigate the plats du jour menu, with options ranging from pork schnitzel on Mondays to moules marinières (mussels) on Fridays.

Dive into the classic crème brûlée for a sweet ending, where you’ll find velvety, vanilla-flavoured custard beneath the burnt caramelised bits. It’s served with macerated berries and a subtle hint of black pepper.

Drinks

The small but stellar selection of wines has been carefully chosen with the menu in mind. Start or end off with a cocktail in the beautiful bar.

Service

Excellent all-round. Staff are professional, helpful and knowledgeable about the dishes and drinks.

The downstairs bar at The Stack. Photo supplied.

Ambience

Compared to the riot of colour in the bar and private members’ club, the brasserie favours a more neutral palette, contrasted with splashes of colour. It’s sophisticated, stylish and eclectic at once – perfect for a fancy date night or dinner with the in-laws if you’re looking to impress.

And…

For the privileged few, The Stack private members’ club allows access to the private bar, lounge and outdoor verandah, including a screening room, huddle room and cuddle room.

Eat Out critics dine anonymously and pay for their meals in full. Read our editorial policy here.

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