Stacks is the social heart of Hilton Queenstown Resort & Spa, sitting within Kawarau Village on the shores of Lake Wakatipu in Kelvin Heights. It is the resort's casual dining answer: a laid-back yet vibrant room where the fire is always roaring, the mood is effortlessly welcoming, and the menu leans on handcrafted pizzas and hearty comfort classics.
Drinks are part of the draw, with New Zealand craft beers and cocktails served on tap pairing easily with a pizza night. Live sports screenings and après-ski vibes by the fireside give Stacks its rhythm through the colder months, while the sun-soaked deck takes over when the alpine sun is out. Indoors, the setting is cosy and full of alpine charm.
The venue is pitched at everything from a relaxed family dinner to casual drinks or an easy-going night out with friends, and it is open daily from 3 PM to 9:30 PM. Takeaway can be ordered online, a dedicated après menu runs alongside the main menu, and same-day bookings can be made by calling Stacks directly on 03 450 9400. A 15% surcharge applies on public holidays.
On the shores of Lake Wakatipu in Kelvin Heights, a short drive around the bay from central Queenstown, Stacks does exactly what its name suggests: it stacks people together. Billed as the social heart of Hilton Queenstown Resort & Spa, it is the resort's casual dining room — a laid-back yet vibrant space where the fire is always roaring and the mood is effortlessly welcoming.
The formula is a simple one, executed with care. Handcrafted pizzas and hearty comfort classics come out of the kitchen, matched with New Zealand craft beers and cocktails that pour straight from the tap. It is food and drink designed for unwinding, whether you have spent the day on the slopes, out on the lake or simply exploring Queenstown.
Stacks keeps the atmosphere relaxed without letting the food become an afterthought. The handcrafted pizzas sit at the centre of the menu, flanked by the kind of hearty comfort classics that cold-weather appetites demand. The drinks list follows the same easygoing spirit: a lineup of NZ craft beers alongside cocktails served on tap, so a round for the table comes out quickly and without fuss.
Alongside the main menu there is a dedicated après menu, ideal for grazing between drinks, and takeaway can be ordered online for those nights when you would rather eat in.
The après-ski vibes here are not reserved for winter. By the fireside, with live sports screenings on and the alpine charm of the room all around, Stacks has the feel of a mountain lodge bar whatever the season. When the sun is out, the sun-soaked deck becomes the place to gather with friends, drink in hand.
That flexibility is the point. Stacks is pitched as the perfect spot for a relaxed family dinner, casual drinks, or an easy-going night out with friends — and the open daily hours, from 3 PM to 9:30 PM, stretch from late-afternoon drinks through to dinner.
Stacks sits within Kawarau Village at 79 Peninsula Road, Kelvin Heights — the shared home of Hilton Queenstown Resort & Spa and DoubleTree by Hilton Queenstown. The village occupies one of the prettiest pockets of the Queenstown area, right on the water's edge with lake and mountain views.
Getting there is straightforward. The village is about five minutes from Queenstown airport and roughly a fifteen-minute drive from the town centre. If you would rather skip the car, it is a two-minute walk from the village to the dock, where the Watertaxi carries you across the lake into town — a scenic commute in its own right.
Reservations are available, and for same-day bookings the quickest route is to call Stacks directly on 03 450 9400. Queenstown locals have an extra reason to visit: the Kawarau Village Local Loyalty card recognises resident locals, and you can sign up on the spot at any of the village's outlets to start saving right away.
One practical note: a 15% surcharge applies on public holidays, so keep that in mind when planning a holiday-date dinner.
Whether you arrive off the Watertaxi for a pizza and a tap cocktail, settle in fireside for a sports screening, or claim a deck seat on a sunny afternoon, Stacks keeps things simple — good food, good drinks and a fire that never seems to go out.