The Restaurant: Kloof Street House

Once a house of ill repute, it is still a palace of pleasure

This, I was told, was presently the Place To Be Seen, or at least one of them, because Cape Town is full of them. Once upon a time it was also the Place Not To Be Seen, but more of that later.

Sure enough, just as I was settling down with family, there was a flutter as a huge group of trendy people arranged themselves around a long table. In one of those "don't look now but ..." whispers my niece advised me that a famous presenter from Top Billing was behind me but she could not recall the name. Neither could I.

Kloof Street House is a restaurant where the food is in danger of playing second course to the setting and décor. It's in a classic Edwardian (built in 1904) house, which has been somewhat naughtily altered by closing in the front stoep. The interior is a rich and cosy mix of old-world plush and clutter, along with quirky modern chandeliers. There are fascinating photographs of old Cape Town on the walls, and a library nook where you can simply chill without dining, or before. It was built as a boarding house but the central hallway looks like something grander. Indeed, legend has it that it was once a brothel and that decades ago a certain Nationalist politician used to pop up the road from parliament.

The chef is Matt Finch, formerly of the Cape Grace, and he has put together a small but varied menu covering starters and plates designed to be shared - three salads, seven mains and the house regulars which include fried fish, a cheeseburger, and steak roll.

I leapt at the tempura tenderstem broccoli with a soy mayo (R60) because it is strangely rare in this country. The rest of the table shared a vegetarian antipasti platter (R90) and a chicken liver parfait (R60).

The parfait was a very light and creamy pâté, with the texture and taste of goose liver, served with Melba toast; perhaps not enough toast once everyone started raiding the parfait because it was so good. The antipasti included a good baba ghanoush, hummus, tzatziki, olives and toasted panini. Plenty to go around. My broccoli looked great but was way overcooked with decimated stems shrunk inside the batter: more Hiroshima than tempura.

For the main course we did justice to the menu with Norwegian salmon (R140) served with herbed couscous, roasted beetroot and fennel and lemon crème fraîche; a grilled beef fillet (R145) with Béarnaise sauce and chips; lamb shank (R145) with mash and a tomato braising gravy; and gnocchi (R75) with roasted butternut, wild mushrooms, spinach and gorgonzola cheese.

My bro had had the salmon before and knew to keep quiet as he demolished it. His diminutive wife polished off the generous fillet in alarming fashion, saying it was one of the best she had ever been served. The chips were large, crunchy wedges, well salted. Their daughter could not stop raving about the gnocchi, also best-ever. She travels the world for her TV job and must eat well; we once ate goose feet together in London so I know she is an adventurous eater as well. My lamb shank with its excellent gravy was fall-off-the-bone tender and delicious, but just perhaps too tender: that point where meat loses texture and can be mushy.

Kloof Street House offers really good bistro-type food. I suppose you can't call it fine dining with the generous South African portions, but it is. And it's relaxed: hair-banded owner Paul Hetreed saunters about, chatting to patrons as if he is not the least bit stressed about running a restaurant. Or what you think of it. Or what day of the week it is. How very Cape Town.

• 30 Kloof Street, Gardens, Cape Town. Tel: 0214234413, e-mail info@kloofstreethouse.co.za