Christchurch dining and drinking
Bursting into culinary life in the late 1980s, Christchurch is fast developing a reputation for the dazzling range and sophistication of its cuisine and locally produced wines. From the rolling hills of the Banks Peninsula to the vast central plains and small valleys of the north, the Canterbury region boasts award-winning vineyards, innovative cafes, restaurants and bars, specialty cheese producers, chocolate makers, and a burgeoning array of boutique breweries.
For a city that flaunts its Englishness, the food styles are supremely far-ranging and there is something to enliven even the most jaded palate. Mediterranean, Italian, Indian, French Continental, Vegetarian, South American; and with the Asian migration to this region in the last decade there has been an explosion of flavours and styles from the east - Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Korean. In the hands of our many talented chefs, these flavours and influences are culminating in a unique cuisine often referred to as 'Pacific Rim'. And as every chef will confirm, no visitor should leave town without tasting some the regions specialty of lean, tender Canterbury lamb.
The City
Overlooking the Avon River, along Oxford Terrace, is 'The Strip' - the newest
addition to Christchurchs cafe and restaurant scene. Here you can enjoy fine
Mediterranean food in a European-style alfresco setting; try the Viaduct with
its tasty wood-fired pizzas, or the Mediterranean flair of Azure. By night 'The
Strip' transforms as DJs and local bands pump it up into one of Christchurchs
hottest nightspots - All Bar One being the hottest of the hot!
For a memorable culinary experience, Christchurch offers a number of silver-service restaurants run by restaurateurs of international renown. The perfect place for a romantic candle-lit dinner is Michaels Restaurant, run by New Zealands culinary great, Michael Lee Richards, while at Le Bon Bolli Phillip Kraal is the creator of award-winning French cuisine.
A modest budget, however, is no obstacle to great, innovative cuisine. There is the European-styled Café Valentino offering award-winning Mediterranean-inspired food, or Top Kapi, with its special brand of authentic mouth-watering Turkish fare. For the cheapest meal in town you can't go past The Holy Cow - all you can eat for NZ$4! Most restaurants provide a good range of vegetarian options with a handful, such as the Mainstreet Vegetarian Café & Bar, specialising exclusively in scrumptious vegetarian and vegan food.
Christchurch is brimming over with every flavour and style of Asia. Among the best is the Mythai Restaurant - where innovative Thai food is enjoyed by locals and Thais alike - and Samurai, which offers the best in nouvelle Japanese and robata yaki cuisine.
For the ultimate in choice, however, the food stalls at the Arts Centre Weekend Market would be difficult to beat. Choose from an enormous variety of offerings - Thai, Czech, Lebanese - all very tempting. There are also good cafes nearby if you prefer to dine in comfort, including Le Café, which is still humming well into the small hours during the weekend.
Watering holes abound in the central district, with popular haunts such as The Loaded Hog and the Dux de Lux producing their own excellent range of beers. The coffee connoisseur is also well catered for with cafes such as C1 Espresso, Vivace and Coffee Culture roasting their own special blends on the premises. For great cafe food and a refined, yet relaxed ambience, drop in at Caffe Roma, just by Cathedral Square.
The Suburbs
While the heart of the culinary scene beats within the confines of the inner
city, some of the best dining can be had in and around the suburbs. In the west
of the city Yummy comes highly recommended for the heady spiced style of Malay
cuisine; in the delightful seaport of Lyttleton the kitschy Wunderbar is a great
place to relax over a drink while enjoying excellent views of the harbour; and
for the ultimate in elegance and refinement - along with spectacular views of
the city - there is the historic Sign of the Takahe on the Port Hills.
Five minutes' drive north from the city centre is Merivale, an upmarket shopping district with a good range of cafes and bars to match. Brigettes Espresso are award-winning coffee specialists, and serve a scrumptious brunch, while Zanzibar offer good drinking in contemporary, retro-style surroundings. However, if nineteenth-century charm is the order of the day then the romantic ambience and authentic Indian cuisine of Little India is difficult to beat.
No visit is complete without stopping off at the charming seaside suburb of Sumner. Here you can have a relaxing meal, or enjoy drinks or coffee after a movie. Along the waterfront Scarborough Fare offers a delicious range of seafood and meat dishes, while within the village itself there are a number of good cafes, including The Ruptured Duck - an excellent gourmet pizzeria.
On the Wine Trail
With its long dry hot summers, Canterbury has developed a flourishing wine
industry. The heart of the winemaking area is arguably in the Waipara Valley to
the north, where vineyards such as Pegasus Bay and Waipara Springs have received
international recognition for their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varieties. Other
grapes grown in the region include Riesling, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and
Cabernet Sauvignon. On the periphery of Christchurch is the St Helena Wine
Estate, while further South you can visit Giesens - wineries that put Canterbury
on the winemaking map back in the 1980s. Most of Christchurchs restaurants
include a good selection of New Zealand and local wines, with Annies Wine Bar,
in the heart of the Arts Centre of Christchurch, featuring over 70 on the list.
Treading the wine trail is a favourite pastime of locals and visitors alike, and many of the vineyards now have excellent restaurants or cafes offering food that complements the quality and style of the wines. But the highlight for any wine lover would have to be the Waipara Food and Wine Festival, where every March the very best of the new vintage is on display.
And when every appetite has been satisfied, share your experience with the world through one of Christchurchs many well-equipped cyber cafes in the central city area, such as Cyber Café Christchurch and E-Caf.
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