Restaurants in Christchurch

Mismatched furniture, bicycles, and Chinese lanterns hanging from exposed timber rafters give this suburban cafe a unique, funky character. Everyone from businessmen to students and housewives make their way here for excellent coffee, or the hearty house breakfast that includes a…

Sure it’s small, but this little eatery packs a punch, thanks to fantastic and food that’s big on flavors and innovation (such as fish tacos slathered in saffron-infused mayo with cucumber cress and radish salad, house-smoked salmon, and doughnuts filled with raspberry jam and…

This neighborhood restaurant in the seaside suburb of Sumner draws a citywide clientele. In 2015 chef/owner Rod Cross and his wife, Kathryn, marked 11 years in business and, as published reviews constantly note, they still come up with fresh ideas. Cross is a chef who embraces…

The name may suggest ye olde pub days, and it's located in a wooden heritage building that might have been a public house before living memory, but HPH is a slicker operation than any public house we ever imagined. The restaurant offers a serious and wholly seasonal approach to…

This is where fashionable black garb and gold jewelry are ranked as highly as the coconut-and-ginger duck curry with sticky rice cake, steamed bok choy, lychees, and charred lime. Beef filet or lamb rump with Savoy cabbage and bacon is another tasty choice. Movers and shakers (along…

A perfect stop on the way to the seal colony, at Jimmy Armers Beach just past Fyffe Quay, this little seafood shack has been serving up fresh scallops, mussels, whitebait and crayfish for years. The food is simply done but usually quite delish and as you might expect from a shack,…

This lunch-only restaurant, set in an internationally recognized winery, offers a foodie experience as opulent and fulfilling as any found after the sun sets. Dishes are created around the wine list (each dish is presented with a wine suggestion) and are quite creative, ranging from…

Pescatore has an established reputation for innovative cuisine. It even boasts a mention in the New York Times. It has an elegant ambience equal to a superb menu offering—the star of which is the 10-course Evolution degustation menu featuring Canterbury lamb, Akaroa salmon, Golden…

With its extensive wine list and menu created from the best ingredients owner Lisa Scholz can source—everything from wild rabbit to venison to the finest cheeses of the region—Saggio has been an enduring success. Located in the Carlton Butchery Building, it’s a good special occasion…

Owned by its Burmese chef and his New Zealand wife, this small establishment has been a favorite since it opened in 2001. The small-plates menu is designed to sample and share. The most popular items on the menu (deservedly so) are the refreshing and complex salads, particularly the…

This unassuming café/bar/restaurant has a simple menu, but the food shines—it's fresh, and seasonal. Service slips occasionally, but the kitchen has talent. It's open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Look for eggs, French toast, and avocado many ways at breakfast (smashed, with…

Twenty Seven Steps makes much of its site on New Regent Street, known for its quirky, charming Spanish-Mission architecture. Here, four adjoining first-floor spaces have been opened up, renovated, modernized, and enhanced to spectacular result. The glorious arched windows are not…