Christchurch and Canterbury Restaurants
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Christchurch and Canterbury - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.
Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Christchurch and Canterbury - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.
Don't be fooled by the unassuming alleyway outside: this chic restaurant and bar delivers fine Asian fusion cuisine on all levels. It's hard to recommend particular dishes because they are all exquisitely prepared and taste so good, served in a striking, seductive setting. Try the spinach leaf with roasted coconut, peanuts, garlic, chili, and lime for a stunning starter or the light, crunchy texture of moong dal and mixed seed salad with fresh lime and avocado. The sticky beef wontons are popular but save room for the equally delicious main courses to follow. There's a good selection of wine and, of course, fabulous cocktails. The restaurant is offset from the road, so keep your eyes peeled to find it. If you can't get a table at this popular spot, head to the bar and check out the snack menu so you don't miss out altogether.
It's well worth making the journey to this award-winning haven for honest food, made from scratch by passionate people, using local organic and biodynamic ingredients. The philosophy here is all about bringing high-quality produce to the table, from the owners' garden, preserve cellar, and foraged nature. The degustation menu from the open kitchen includes seasonal specialties like blackfoot paua (abalone), Muscovy duck, wagyu beef, long-line caught fish, and guinea fowl.
It's worth the climb 27 steps to this stylish European bistro, consistently rated one of New Zealand's best and situated on New Regent Street's heritage row. The welcoming staff delivers stand-out dishes (including several excellent vegan options) made with a wide variety of fresh local produce, including Canterbury beef, lamb, Te Tapu venison, and Akaroa salmon. A generous wine cellar, with an emphasis on Waipara locals, is tucked into the snug cocktail bar.
Set in the heart of Christchuch's dining haven, The Terrace, this rain-forest-inspired restaurant combines delicious food with friendly service. Behind the busy bar is an opulent dining area with an open kitchen where you can watch the talented chefs create Mediterranean-style dishes.
Named after a notorious American pirate, this modern restaurant occupies a great site overlooking the yachts moored in the harbor. New Zealand cuisine is highlighted, and there are light and full-size main courses for breakfast, lunch, and dinner all year round.
Here you can dine in a 1920s Tudor-style house, looking out on the Botanic Gardens and the Peacock Fountain, or take a garden table and be part of it. The menu has tapas selections and a good variety of seafood, with owner–chef Javier Garcia producing authentic Spanish cuisine evoking an old-world atmosphere. Try the Cordero Asado (slow roasted alpine lamb shoulder) or something a bit lighter like the Spanish Paella served in its pan. The kitchen garden supplies herbs, berries, and vegetables to the restaurant, and they have a strong environmental policy to keep things green.
In a renovated villa on the main road into Hanmer, No. 31 serves exceptional food. Its well-established local chef specializes in modern New Zealand cuisine, using the best local produce, offered with a selection of wines from the Waipara–Hanmer area. Candlelit, moody, and romantic inside, you can also dine alfresco in summer.
This predominantly seafood restaurant is renowned for its creative, conceptual New Zealand cuisine. From the moment you set foot into the white space-age foyer at the George Hotel, taste buds are tantalized with local, seasonally influenced and sustainably sourced ingredients. Choose from the à la carte or degustation menu and enjoy some unusual pairings (think celery sorbet with chocolate). There's an extensive wine list to accompany the interesting food.
European spins on local produce, meat, and seafood, along with a seaside location, make for sought-after reservations here. Dark wooden floors, white tablecloths, and leather chairs lend a seaside chic quality, and, on a nice day, you can sit outside. Seafood is the highlight, with Akaroa salmon and local grouper featuring, along with Banks Peninsula lamb and a duo of beef. Lunch is all about the sea with a salmon tasting plate, a seafood platter for two, and mussels marinière.
Please try a broader search, or expore these popular suggestions:
There are no results for {{ strDestName}} Restaurants in the searched map area with the above filters. Please try a different area on the map, or broaden your search with these popular suggestions: