Family dining in Christchurch

On the plate at We Cook, the idea is simple, bistro‑style and well judged. Serve sizes show solid value. A family‑friendly feel comes through naturally. Takeaway travels well and holds its crunch. Pri...

“Very authentic Thai food! Recommend the green curry and the beef salad. Great service as well. Saw that they have Thai green iced tea. Might try next time.”

“Unreal brunch spot, chicken cheese melt reminds me of prime Fortnite days, simply perfection. Never been more of a brunch man than I am right now. Top stuff”

“We’ve had the BEST pizza in NZ here so far! It's a lovely restaurant with a unique history and good food. It's a must-visit when in Lincoln. Be aware that they’re not open every night.”

“I really enjoy the Hoyts Lux experience. Its obvious the higher end of expense but we use as a treat every now and then. What i particularly enjoy is the personalised attention from when you are greeted at the door right through to ordering food and drinks. Its nice to feel special once in a while sitting in a recliner, drinking a cold alcoholic beverage and waiting for the sliders to arrive. Its definitely the highlight of my week.”

“Great fast service, most clients are heading shows as perfectly placed for a pre show meal. Recommend booking as small restaurant and previously we have not been able to get a table. Food delicious, tasty and friendly team.”

“One of the nicest places in the city for Sunday high tea brunch. French creperie with multiple choices of both sweet and sour French crepes, including some vegan options. There are plenty of suggested options, but you can also go wild and create your own one. Crepes are really amazing, very tasty, good size portions and amazing taste. It’s really great that there is vegan options available, made of buckwheat. If you have not enough of sugar you can finish with a great desert selection. Coffee is slightly bitter and not the best blend , but tea selection is perfect.”

“This place is my absolute favourite! The food is always made to perfection – easily the best souvlaki in Christchurch! I tell everyone I know about it. I don’t know how they do it, but even when there’s a big queue, my order is ready so quickly. The regular chicken souvlaki with feta is my go-to, and it’s always so delicious that I finish it in no time. The service is consistently fast and friendly. Thank you so much – please never close!”

“We went to The Old Leithfield Hotel for dinner on a busy Saturday night (super rugby final) with our 5 month old baby. Even though we didn't have a booking the friendly wait staff went out of their way to accommodate us and made sure we were comfortable. We both had the roast which was generous and delicious. The beef was tender and the veges perfect it was the best pub experience with a young baby, and the best roast beef. We also had the salt and pepper squid entree which was fantastic. Perfectly tender and crispy! Thank you very much to the team at The Old Leithfield Hotel.”

“Amazing team, great food delicious, and well-proportioned, sauces were on point definitely recommended to family and friends”

“Great experience!! We hosted our end of year work function here for Lunch and it was so amazing. There was heaps of food, great staff and really nice outdoor function room! Very good experience organising this with staff before the event and they were lovely to deal with. Everyone reported they had an amazing time and one of the things everyone has said since the event was "would love to do this again next year". 10/10”

“Amazing food and great service at Indian Roots! The flavours were authentic, and the staff were warm and welcoming. Highly recommend for anyone craving quality Indian cuisine.”

“Came in while wondering what to have for dinner Ended up getting the chicken dhaba after the young man working there recommended it i asked for Punjabi style as i know the flavour are so much more intense i was amazed at how amazing it was especially with chipati to dip in it Value for money”

“Went at this lovely South Indian restaurant for dinner last night, we ordered Samosa chat as entree, mysore masala dosa, cheese dosa and plain dosa for mains. All the food is absolutely delicious and the dosa is very crunchy which I love the most also the coconut chutney and red chutney are delicious. Must try dosa from Chanakya one of the best in town highly recommend. There are sitting area in the restaurant but very limited. Don’t forget to book the table cause it’s always busy and hard to get table for dine in.”

“We had a great experience at this restaurant! We started with the coconut prawns and spring rolls — both were very flavorful and fresh. For mains, we had the Pad Thai and Thai Green Curry, which were absolutely delicious. The service was excellent — the lady who served us was so nice and friendly, and the gentleman was very prompt and attentive. Overall, it was a fantastic experience and we loved the place!”

“Great service, food was excellent will definitely come back again.”

“Wonderful place to meet up. Food is great and authentic. Atmosphere very friendly. See you there.”

“Was recommended this place by a freind, it had been playing in my mind to order here as I had tried their lard about three years ago and it was average as. Nonetheless I ordered. We were told 40 mins. We waited some more. With a 40 minute wait you’d expect to walk in and have mutlple chefs gone but no. There was one. I walked in the store and got the food. After a brief and frisk drive home, the smell of this takeaway wofting into my nostrils had me readily for a goon. I then got home. One sip of the Panang curry, One bite of curry puff, one tear of spare rib. I knew I’d hit a gem! Ken oath legends This Thai place is a keeper!”

“Tremendous food and excellent service. Only thing was that as an American Diner there should have been filtered coffee, then I found it. Absolutely perfect”

“Went to Hello Vietnam last for phở . We got the beef special. That was one of the best phở we have had including during our recent trip to Vietnam. Today we went back for bánh mì and cà phê sữa đặc. The fillings and taste of the bánh mì are truly authentic. The size is a bit bigger than in nam. We could only eat one between us, the other came home for dinner. The coffee was superb. We will be back for certain.”

“Japanese ramen and love the taste, Spicy Miso Ramen is the best one if you are spicy lover. The staffs are friendly, will be my default ramen in Christchurch. :)”

“Very good dining atmosphere. Had The sushi train experience. Wish there could be more sashimi variety that will be amazing.”

“11/10 dim sum spot. Everything was delicious and fresh. Quick, polite service. Weekends have fresh baked pork and custard buns. Very reasonably priced. Menu has pictures and color coded pricing for each set of items ranging from $5.90 to $9.90 with the odd higher priced dish like the Peking duck. Wish I had more room to try more things. We will definitely be back.”

“We came here based off a recommendation and will definitely be back! We ate early, so there wasn't much of an atmosphere and the service was a little relaxed - which is fine, as we weren't in a rush. The food was out of this world! The portions are huge and the flavour in everything was just amazing. Our table each had something different and everyone thought that their dish was the best. We honestly loved this place and can't wait to visit again!”

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Had an amazing experience at Boteco Cafe & Restaurant! The shisha, food, and service were all absolutely top-notch. A special shout-out to Dev, who looked after our table—his friendly personality and genuine care truly elevated the whole experience. He really knows how to make customers feel welcome and valued. Great work team! Highly recommended and will definitely be back.”

At Chiwahwah Mexican Cantina Bar, the menu stays classic fish‑and‑chips with tidy execution. Fillets arrive fresh and the fry keeps clean. A family‑friendly feel comes through naturally. Front‑of‑house runs with calm, helpful energy.

“what a great spot for breakfast with the family. delicious eggs benedict, excellent plating and presentation, and great staff as well! they have plenty of gluten free goodies as well”

“Really enjoyed the food, atmosphere and service. Very attentive helpful staff. Enjoyed trying a couple of cocktails. Really enjoyed the drama of the stone grills. Great touch with the branded burger buns. Only slight improvement would be for the Jameson jeus as it had no flavour at all, but a super easy fix”

“Live this place. Friendly staff. Clean theater Our local. Great films And special events”

“Really cool place & the bar had a great atmosphere. The people running the venue were lovely and very helpful. It is by a main road but great value for what you get and conveniently close to the airport.”