The Best Restaurant in Christchurch and Canterbury, New Zealand

Background Illustration for Restaurants

Christchurch has an exciting foodie scene, and many new restaurants, cafés, and bars have opened in recent years. Restaurants are usually open every day; if they do close, it’s either Sunday or Monday. Outside Christchurch, restaurants are more likely to close on Monday and Tuesday and during the winter.

The Waipara Valley is seeing a surge in exotic food production. North Canterbury is now a key producer in the country's fledgling black truffle industry. Locally sourced saffron, hazelnuts, manuka (an indigenous kind of tea tree) honey, olive oil, and ostrich meat are making their way onto area menus.

Dux Central

$$$ Fodor's Choice

This restaurant's laneway setting and beautifully restored two-level building gives it a London pub feel. With food and drinks to suit all tastes, it's a popular hangout for locals day and night. Plush dining rooms and a wide covered veranda lead to a manicured garden that is also a year-round source of produce for this busy kitchen. The pizzas are hard to skip (try the salmon), and the lime-and-coriander-crusted fish is a treat. Staff go out of their way to make you feel at home for brunch, lunch, dinner, or a drink anytime. The emphasis here is on seafood, vegetarian, and vegan dishes. The Dux also brews its own acclaimed beers.