So for the first time in this holiday, I went for something other than satay (although the dish did…read morehave 2 satay skewers in it) but for me the Nasi Goreng wok was all it looked to be. The taste was delicious and the cutting of the egg and mixing it through made it all the better. A delicate balance of local flavours and fresh ingredients, although the chicken leg did seem a little out of place. For entrée it was Peking duck pancakes. Strange that the pancakes came out with the sauce, skin, cucumber and leek all wrapped up with the duck on the side. This was annoying as we had to unwrap them and put the duck inside. We had a group of 12 so negotiated a 15% discount, meaning we only paid 6% above the menu price. (All food here is +tax and +service fee, normally making the bills 21% dearer)

Dinner on the beach with the sunset. Oh yeah, it was amazing sitting around with my toes in the…read moresand and grabbing beers with friends I met in town. I loved watching everyone laugh and taking candid photos of the good times we were having. If I ever went back then I would take my friends to each here.

My meal did not meet my expectations. I ordered the special which was rump roast that was slowly…read morecooked which was suppose be tender and moist according to our wait staff person, The meet on the plate was dry and not very tender, implying that it was over cooked. The potato side dish was so-so. For dessert I ordered a lemon infuse olive oil cake, To my surprise the cake was extremely dry and I was unable to finish it. The setting for the restaurant is in an upbeat part of Christchurch and has an eclectic vibe to it. The staff was friendly and very attentive. I wish the meal would have been fitting for the environment.

Twenty Seven Steps - what a spot! Intimate space in a lovely location with great service, expansive…read morewine selection and they are happy to make you a tasty mocktail that suits your palate. Now... the food. Epic. Seasonal. Simple. Divine. I started with their marinated tomato salad which was fresh and flavorful. Entree was the steak with potato, onion rings and veggies - absolutely incredible. Naturally I had to save room for dessert and landed on the vanilla crème brûlée (though all the options sounded amazing). It came with fresh fruit and pistachio biscotti and was a great way to round out the meal. I would come back here again and again and again. Bravo!!

Self serve frozen yoghurt and gelato store. Eat in or take away. Huge variety. They also have a big…read morebar of yummy toppings ranging from frozen fruit and nuts to lollies and chocolate. There is about 6 syrup toppings to choose from. They also sell coffee here and some sandwiches. I had the dairy free chocolate and strawberry self serve in one small cup with lots of toppings and chocolate syrup. This came to $4.90 which I thought was a good price. This shop had recently opened when I visited and I enjoyed my yummy desert, I hope they continue keeping up the standard.

This would definitely be my go to cafe! Food is always so good (also affordable) and staff are so…read morefriendly!

Had lunch with two friends. They had pumpkin soup which was smooth and creamy, and very tasty. I…read morehad a delicious spinach, goat cheese, balsamic and roast tomato dish. The coffee was awesome! I would recommend this little gem to anyone driving through Amberley on their way North or South.

Nice breakfast place in Amberley. Good coffee. Menu and food surpassed my expectations. The banana…read moretoast with syrup and ice cream was top shelf good!

Hands down, New Zealand has some of the most beautiful wineries in the world. And this one, along…read morewith their on-site restaurant is in my top 5 places and spaces I've enjoyed. The fact that this place is non-pretentious, has good quality food and wine, and a relaxed atmosphere is amazing. The staff was great and my tour guide was very knowledgeable. I'd go back.

This is where you will find me on any given weekend; luckily it's the closest winery to…read moreChristchurch. Pegasus Bay Winery is just off Route 1 down a small sheep-strewn farm road. The entrance greets you with large wrought iron fences affixed to pale salmon colored concrete pillars. The lawn leading up to the parking lot is beautifully manicured and adorned with risque statues. Once parked, the path leads to the gardens of Pegasus Bay or you can turn left at the fountain and wander into the castle-esque building that is Pegasus Bay. The winery was founded by a doctor whose wife introduced him to wine via the book "Wine" one Christmas. His life was clearly forever changed as he makes some of the best wines in the region. I recommend picking up a copy of Ivan Donaldson's autobiography "The Truant from Medicine" as it is an interesting read (especially if you are married to medicine and love wine, too). Pegasus Bay offers free wine tastings in their beautiful rustic tasting room that overlooks the many barrels of wine. My favorite is the Sauvignon-Semillion 2012. It's crisp with a lime/rock-melon taste and is absolutely refreshing for any time of the day; we buy a bottle of this anytime we stop by. Among others you'll taste are their Chardonnay, Reisling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Noir. I would tell you about my tastes, but I don't want to spoil the experience and the vintages I tried may have changed. Honestly, all of their wines are delicious and there will be something for everyone's palate. We often purchase the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as well. Over the years as Pegasus Bay has become world-reknown for their wine, they developed a fantastic restaurant to pair with their wines. Their worldclass chef pumps out amazing dishes daily which brings such a crowd that you absolutely must make a booking ahead of time. They do offer a cookbook if you want to try to recreate their masterpieces, "The Vintner's Table". Once you've had a taste of their wines, order a glass of your favorite and stroll around the grounds. They have planted beautiful native plants and trees that creates a small walking path down to their gorgeous pond. Be sure to ask the bar for some "eel food" if you want to feed their underwater pets. "Swanston" is the beautiful white swan in the pond, so be sure to snap a few photos of him as well. Pegasus Bay is a serene oasis and a fantastic place to dine. You will never grow tired of the beautiful views (both of nature and architecture) nor the delicious wines. You MUST MUST MUST stop here.

I live in Florida so I don't often get to Christchurch, but when I do I always stop at The Blue…read moreDuck. Everything on the menu is fresh and delicious.

We just arrived to Christchurch from Auckland and on the way to Akaroa we decided to stop at Blue…read moreDuck Cafe. It was totally on a whim, we were just hungry. There was only 1 couple there and 1 worker who was also the chef and owner. I asked him what he recommended and he suggested the classic caesar salad. My friend had the salmon eggs benedict and I also ordered the date scone and coffee. It ended up being the best meal we had in New Zealand! Everything was so fresh and made from scratch. Another couple came in after us and since he was the only one there, we had to wait for our food for awhile while he took their order. Good thing I ordered the scone since that just needed to me warmed and was presented to us fairly quickly. OMG, the best scone I've ever had. I can't even give it a proper description. It was kinda fluffy but rich. The clotted cream and raspberry jam paired perfectly with it. I usually don't like raspberry but sigh, it was sooo perfect with it. The caesar salad had dry cured bacon, a poached free range egg, focaccia croutons and shaved parmesan. I've never had caesar salad with bacon but it was perfect. Breaking open the soft poached egg and mixing it up with the focaccia croutons, it was pure bliss. My friend's salmon egg benedict with spinach was also sublime. He said it was the best he's ever had. As we were driving away, we saw the little garden he had next to the cafe. No wonder the salad greens tasted so fresh. Not a wilted green in sight.