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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.
Set in a retro-vintage shop on MacMillan Street, this café has treasures along with its legendary bacon-and-egg sandwiches and excellent coffee. Grab a granola breakfast here and a muffin for later. The house made soups are also good.
This cozy haunt is packed with locals who come for the tasty tapas-style food, produced in a tiny kitchen, and the excellent cocktails. There's an eclectic selection of international and New Zealand wines, spirits, and craft beers.
If you've left Christchurch a bit late for breakfast, about 30 minutes south in the Selwyn district, stop at the Dunsandel Store. It's a fascinating mix of local store, deli, and café with excellent food. The offers plenty of tasty sandwiches and baked goods. They also have a good range of breakfasts and all-day treats made from mostly local and organic produce. There are tables indoors and out, surrounded by a courtyard full of fruit trees and vegetables.
One of the city's most beautiful pieces of architecture also houses one its most popular cafés. Christchurch Botanic Gardens' rare plants and nurseries sit alongside a busy dining room in this modern take on a glass conservatory. With their own vegetables and herbs just outside, the ilex chefs are no doubt inspired by the 52 acres surrounding them. Line up with the locals for well-priced and inventive seasonal soups, pies, and salads washed down with organic soda or a glass of wine. On a fine day grab a picnic blanket from the friendly staff and spread out on the impressive lawn.
