Restaurants in Christchurch

“Absolutely loved this place! A cozy, family-run Japanese restaurant with amazing food and a welcoming atmosphere. The food was fresh, beautifully presented, and full of flavor. The staff were kind and attentive, making us feel right at home. Perfect spot for anyone who appreciates Japanese cuisine and warm hospitality!”

“Absolutely glorious food! The team at No. 31 know what they're doing. I'm still dreaming about the duck entrees... The staff are lovely, the historical building is cosy, and the art displayed around is inspiring. Enjoy a delicious meal in a lovely atmosphere. Well worth a visit!”

Christchurch Tramway Restaurant favours a simple, bistro‑style mix with clear flavours. Service stays present without fuss. Orders move at a steady pace. Serve sizes show solid value. A sensible spend...

Royal Vietnamese Cafe & Restaurant delivers a burger‑led line‑up that’s straight to the point. A sensible spend for the spread. Serve sizes show solid value. Fries and sides round things out neatly.

“INCREDIBLE! We're visiting Christchurch and I wish we'd discovered this restaurant earlier in our trip to have visited a couple more times. The space is welcoming with a beautiful patio heated by wood burning fireplace and electric heaters. The staff is friendly and attentive. But the FOOD, y'all! Each thing we tried was creative, beautiful, and incredibly delicious. Tonight's fish was grouper and it was served 2 ways: fried and grilled - both absolutely stunning. The tomato and peach burratta caprese would have been delicious as is but was topped with basil ice cream instead of fresh basil and it was one of the most unexpectedly scrumptious things I've ever had. What a culinary gem!!!”

“Dont go for indian often,will be back next week..very nice,great value and tasty.”

“We had the high tea which did not disappoint. It was hard to choose a favourite they were all so delicious and there was a good amount of food as well. Lovely waitress looking after us who took the time to explain all of the tasty treats. Highly recommend, I will certainly be back!!”

“Very enjoyable dining experience, came here 30th November for dinner, was pretty quiet when we got there got a little busier an hour later but the service was amazing from Sage. I appreciate the food and helping us decide excellent food, I got one of the steaks.”

“Over in New Zealand for a vacation, and I would come back from Australia just to have the Braised Beef Cheeks again. Just beautiful!”

“My third time here and I’m always surprised in a good way! The food is very tasty and well made, and they even give you a starter with soup and tea. I really recommend it! The service is always great too.”

“Each dish was amazing! Came for yum cha from Melbourne Australia so my expectations are quite high and I have to say this little gem has hit the notes! Wonderful flavours, proportions and price. This is also the most clean restaurant ive been to”

“Good experience and quality yummy fresh food. Nelly, the waitress, provided wonderful service and recommended dishes that exceeded our expectations! Everything is beautiful and will definitely go back again with friends.”

“Humble interior nothing fancy. The food is amazing- hot, fresh & very tasty. Huge servings! Friendly welcome and really reasonable prices too. Will definitely be keen to try some other dishes here.”

“The staff were very pleasant, polite and smiling. The food was delicious with generous proportions. I had the prawns and others had pork and the Dynamite Chicken. Prawns were presented nicely and had tails on, and stir fried, medium spicy was not very hot. I don't like deep fried food, but others who had the Dynamite Chicken enjoyed it. They said medium spice was not hot either.”

“The reason for our visit to the Garden Restaurant Buffet was for Christmas Lunch. This is the first time we have gone out for Christmas Lunch so was a bit dubious about it all and having read some of the reviews (mostly to be honest from just the normal buffet service) wasn't sure we had made the right decision. After getting more nervous by the day as Christmas Day came we arrived at 11.30am for our allocated 2 hour dining experience. It was busy as can be expected for Christmas Lunch. We were shown where our table was, given our drinks vouchers (one glass of bubbly or non alcoholic per person with the cost of the dining experience) Tickets for the Lunch were (I think) $180 per person and we dined with 4 adults and one child. The tables were nicely laid out with Christmas Crackers, candles and a chocolate for after per person. As it was busy (we thought booking at 11.30 would be a good time) we all decided to have a quick look through the buffet and decide what we wanted to try first. Initially we were disappointed as most of the more popular dishes were almost gone and had not been replenished but it only took a request to some of the staff for these to be quickly replenished or as quick as the chefs could get them prepared. To be honest the selection of food was more than anyone could expect for a Christmas Lunch, so many choices (food stations) and the food had their individual flavours and didn't taste like a buffet sometimes can. It was faultless and not to mention the salad station and the dessert station (if you could cram it in after the selection of mains) also available was tea and coffee and a selection of Christmas baking. I would like to thank the Garden Restaurant and Buffet for their efforts on Christmas Day, and for the staff taking time out from their families to work to feed all the people that turned up on the day. I was impressed and so were our other guests especially being first time Christmas Day buffet goers. Just thinking if we would go again, and yes we probably would. $180 per person is quite pricey but given that it's Christmas Day, the selection of food and the amount of staff that were on I considered it to be well worth. Only thing we would do next time is arrive a lot earlier or at least for the first time slot of the day. Thanks team.”

“Who would think an airport hotel would provide one of the finest dining experiences we had in 2 weeks of travelling Southland? Attentive personal service from a gorgeous host. Perfect lamb dukkha and fish. Finished off with dessert. Leaving NZ very satisfied thank you Chef and hostess. If you don’t stay here - drop by for dinner.”

“I come from Linwood to buy their Chicken fries noodles. This is my favorite Chinese one anytime in Christchurch.”

On the plate at WHITFORD'S RESTAURANT at Woolston Club, the idea is grill‑focused and well judged. Grill work shows a clean sear and rested meats. Front‑of‑house runs with calm, helpful energy. Orders move at a steady pace.

“delicious food!! size was pretty massive, we were there when they almost close, but they let us in and cook for us. very kind gesture. we ordered a bunch of food and couldn't finish it. the highlight is their congee, i really enjoy their century egg congee. full of eggs inside. their yumcha also very nice. i would recommend this place.”

“It's been a while since we last had a meal here , we forgot how good it was ! Food was amazing the service sid and his staff gave us was faultless and the atmosphere was relaxed . Know we live closer to shamairaz we will definitely be visiting more often . I would highly recommend shamairaz if you enjoy high class Indian food.”

On the plate at Brazilian Grill & Restaurant, the idea is classic fish‑and‑chips and well judged. A sensible spend for the spread. Portions suit sharing without tipping heavy. The team keeps things friendly and organised.

“My husband and I come here quite often and we always enjoy it! The service is top notch, lovely friendly and attentive staff. My husband orders the same thing every time (the goat gnocchi) as he loves it so much. I recently had the fish of the day, it was salmon and it was so good!! If you are needing a gift for a friend, a voucher to here would be such a good idea. The portions are great, the staff are amazing and the atmosphere is good.”

“We visited today as a family and ordered the Wagyu lunch set. The salad, kimchi, pickles, rice, and the tender, flavorful beef were absolutely delicious and melted in our mouths!!! The girls had so much fun grilling the meat themselves. We also tried the chicken karaage. it was big, crispy, and really tasty. We were so impressed by the kindness of the staff, especially the kind lady who served our table. Her attentive and friendly service made our meal even more memorable. Thank you!!!”

Tussock Hill Vineyard and Cellar Door Restaurant leans into a simple, bistro‑style approach with tidy execution. The team keeps things friendly and organised. Portions are generous yet well judged. Pricing lines up with the offer.

“Lovely place for a surprise 70th gathering. Outside area was great, nice amount of shade and sun, toilets clean, food yummy and beautifully presented…. Everyone enjoyed it!! Will come back again!”

“Absolutely amazing place to have dinner. Staff was super friendly and very welcoming. Food was incredible and the serving size is incredible. Will definitely be back. Thank you for such an amazing first impression of Hillary House.”

AJA Indian Street Food, Restaurant & Takeaway runs with a simple, bistro‑style menu and a relaxed pace. Portions are generous yet well judged. Orders move at a steady pace. Packaging keeps things in good shape to go.

“Amazing food and great value. We had the red curry paste crispy pork and the crispy salmon and both were excellent. The crispy spring rolls and curry puffs for entrees were very good too. Great service. We really enjoyed dinner here and will definitely return!”

Saket Indian Restaurant - Prebbleton favours a simple, bistro‑style mix with clear, clean flavours. Easy carry‑out for a simple night in. A sensible spend for the spread. Vegetarian picks read as complete plates.

“My son and his family lives in Christchurch and he's been talking about this Afgan place and would take us there if we're in Christchurch. A must-try spot in Christchurch! There’s no menu—just walk in and let them know how many people are dining or ordering takeaway. They usually open around 5:30 p.m., and there’s always a long line, so give yourself extra time. The food is simple but absolutely delicious—choose chicken, lamb, or a mix, served with tasty rice and curry. It’s great value for money and always consistent. We ordered 3 servings for 5 people, and it was more than enough. Don’t expect a typical restaurant setup. You get your own drinks, plates, and cutlery. If you're dining in, you can skip the takeaway queue—just find a seat and order at the counter. We always get an extra serving to enjoy for lunch the next day. Tip: Join their Facebook group to check if they’re open. Long wait, but totally worth it!”