4 Best Restaurants in Christchurch and Canterbury, New Zealand

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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.

Roots

$$$$ Fodor's Choice
It's well worth making the journey to this award-winning haven for honest food, made from scratch by passionate people, using local organic and biodynamic ingredients. The philosophy here is all about bringing high-quality produce to the table, from the owners' garden, preserve cellar, and foraged nature. The degustation menu from the open kitchen includes seasonal specialties like blackfoot paua (abalone), Muscovy duck, wagyu beef, long-line caught fish, and guinea fowl.
Modern New Zealand Fodor's Choice $$$$ Dinner
8 London St., Lyttelton, 8082, New Zealand
03-328--7658
www.rootsrestaurant.co.nz
Known For
  • <PRO>eight-course degustation menu of seasonal and local products that changes every three months</PRO>
  • <PRO>wonderful wine pairings</PRO>
  • <PRO>open-kitchen setting</PRO>
Restaurant Details
Reservations essential

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No. 31 Restaurant & Bar

$$$$

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.

Modern New Zealand $$$$ Dinner
31 Amuri Ave., Hanmer Springs, 7334, New Zealand
03-315–7031
restaurant-no31.nz
Known For
  • Award-winning beef, lamb, and venison dishes
  • Great craft beer selection
  • Romantic atmosphere

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Welles Street

$$$

This inner-city pub anchors the emerging South Town neighborhood of the Central Business District, and this big indoor–outdoor space has plenty of atmosphere. Menu items range from contemporary pub food to Mediterranean cuisine, all made using local produce. You cant beat the souvlaki served with Greek donuts. They often have live music, and there's a pool table in the back.