Contemporary restaurants, and tiny cocktail bars line the car-free laneway that is pretty, Spanish Mission-style New Regent St.. It’s a top neighborhood for dinner, and it can’t be beat for dessert.  Just look for the line outside Rollickin’ Gelato Bar at 35 New Regent St. (tel. 03/365-4811). Homemade gelato and dairy-free sorbets are the lure here, in an array of changing flavors, and you can balance them atop some of the best brownies in New Zealand. It’s open Sunday to Thursday from 11am to 10pm, and until 11pm on Friday and Saturday nights.

We're also big fans of Christchurch's food halls. The Little High Eatery at 255 St. Asaph St. was the first, and it has eight restaurants today, which include a sushi shop, the highly rated Bacon Brothers’ burger bar, and Thai street food. Just grab a table, and wait for your buzzer to light up. It can be a busy spot, so if you’re after for someplace a bit quieter, head to The Welder, at 20 Welles St.. A omplex dedicated to health and wellness, it isn’t as big, busy or varied—it only has a tapas and wine bar, a pizza joint, a saki and yakitori restaurant, a couple bakeries and a juicery—but its small plant-filled atrium is a more upscale and calmer spot to enjoy a bite to eat.

Another top food hub in Central City is the Riverside Market at the corner of Lichfield St. & Oxford Terrace. In addition to the cheeseries, fishmongers, and bakeries you’d expect from any indoor market, it’s home to eateries serving up everything from gelato and tea, to fried chicken and ramen. You can grab your meal to go and enjoy it beside the Avon River or choose from one of the many sit-down restaurants, such as King of Snake at 79 Cashel St. (tel. 03/365-7363), which serves modern Asian share plates.
    
The Welder, Little High Eatery, and Riverside Market are all open daily, from morning ‘til night, with trading hours for individual outlets varying.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.