I really want to give Dux Dine a better rating, but the food just... wasn't good. A darn shame. Ambiance is great. Cute spot indoors and outside with plenty of patio seating. Staff is also lovely. Great wine selection. Honestly everything about this spot is wonderful *except* the food. I started with the mussels. The broth was pretty good, though lots of massive garlic chunks. The mussels were kinda gross. They were huge and tough and not at all what I expected. For my entree I had the quinoa cakes. They sounded lovely but didn't hit the mark. A little overcooked and not wildly flavorful. Again, a darn shame. Oh well. read more

See all

So love the ambiance of this place! The service is wonderful, friendly and efficient. We were seated straight away and our server came and greeted us with water. They do not take reservations and do seem to get busy around 7:30 so perhaps come a bit early. The food itself was beautifully plated and everything tasted amazing! Loved the muscles so much we had a starter and a main! The salmon was tender with a perfect sauce that complemented instead of overpowered the dish. The special was equally tasty! read more

See all

Called before and asked if there was a dressed code..a gentleman told me "No, we do not have a dress code." Came in at November 4th, 2023 6:00 p.m. tonight there were a lot of tables not occupied. Please tell me why they choose to sit me in the back and hide me behind away from everything. I asked if I could move into the patio room and was informed that the table I wanted was booked and reserved. I asked later waiting for the waitress to come back, if there were other tables I can move to or if they were all booked in that room. She told me that some are booked and some aren't clearly. You can tell that I did not want to be seated where I was sitting at. I felt as if they were just trying to hide me or maybe I'm the only Asian person in the building and they didn't want me in the dining population I asked at third time about another table and another room. She told me once again that I was dining by myself and that was the only table they allowed me to sit at and the other table, I didn't see that there was four chairs A fourth time I've asked about the other table in the first room with two chairs. The dirty blonde waitress told me that since I am dining by myself I have to sit at the table that she set me at It's a shame this is how you treat loan diners, hiding them away from everyone when there was clearly a table with two seats in the front capable of hosting me. I WALKED OUT. I was super annoyed. Driving in from Lake to capo, to dine here and this is how I get treated. read more

Not a huge complaint but I ordered a beer at the bar and the barkeep told me the waitress would deliver the pint to my table. On the way to my table I ran into the waitress and told her I ordered a beer at the bar and she would send it out with you. After 10 or 15 minutes I walked back to the bar to check on my order. "You didn't order a beer" was her response. Problem solved but somewhat of a surprise response. read more

I am somewhat confused as to the meaning of the word "Dux" in New Zealand vernacular; I think it means something like "Ace" or "#1", but in any case, this restaurant, while not unbeatably good, certainly fit the bill for my needs as a weary traveler. Their prices are quite high, but I found that pizzas were on special upon talking with the staff (a special not evident on their website or anywhere in the restaurant that I saw, which they might want to look into if they want people to take them up on it). With pizza being cheap, I totally pigged out on what I knew would be my one real meal of the day, adding some sort of fried potato thing and a berry smoothie that was heavier than I anticipated (yogurt, I think). It all worked out well for me. I was full for as long as I needed to be on my cross-island trip, and it was all very good. The menu was friendlier to special dietary needs than many in South Island New Zealand, and the setting a pleasant renovated home. If I was in Christchurch, I'd definitely consider going here. I would also note that they were open on a holiday without any extra charges, which is awfully important for those of us on vacation. read more

See all

A lovely seafood meal in Christchurch - excellent food. Details by dish below. - Salmon - highlight of the meal - cooked to perfection and beautifully decorated. - Groper - ok / standard good - Calamari - fresh and well-fried. Not chewy - Mussels - ok / standard - Pumpkin and peas soup - ok / standard - would have loved the pumpkin to shine more (now a bit overpowered by the pea) - Salad - ok / standard - For desserts, we had the chocolate budino and the deconstructed pavlova - both are good but not particularly memorable/amazing - Good wine selection - we enjoyed the special Chardonnay - Friendly service though sometimes feel a bit inattentive (we had to call our server several times to get certain things) - Ambiance is very homey. Strongly recommend if you are in Christchurch read more

See all

Best breakfast we had on our 3 week honeymoon in New Zealand. The Salmon was so moist and flavorful. That is saying something since we come from the pacific northwest where we can get some amazing salmon. Loved the garden/cottage vibe. Very inviting and cute. Would be a good place to hold an event. read more

Not quite the experience I had prepared myself for, but maybe it's my fault? I don't eat fish, but had rather hoped the vegetarian side of the mains would be a little more extensive. There were really only two items on the menu for me, spanakopita and aubergine, so I ordered the one with the least amount of mushrooms: spanakopita. I must say, it was quite tasty and I am not a big fan of spinach. Definitely not a meal for someone counting calories, but the filling was delicious and the puff pastry was cooked perfectly. We tried the cauliflower and cheese balls as a starter, which were also delicious. My husband ordered the blue cod, which he enjoyed very much. I love that this restaurant operates in a small cottage-style home. The rooms are bright and flow easily into one another. I was a little disappointed as the reviews mentioned "ducks everywhere" and I only counted two. The decorations were more reminiscent of the olden days in Christchurch with old tyme photographs and foggy mirrors on the walls. The atmosphere was more casual and group friendly and less romantic. Not necessarily a bad thing, but again, not what I was expecting. We were initially placed at a table practically touching the hostess stand and in direct line of the door. We quickly asked to be re-seated as many people coming through the door meant many drafts and noisy people listening in our quiet conversation. Not much of a date night feel. We were re-seated in the corner next to a group of 10 (guess we weren't going to get that private date night atmosphere afterall) but we were much warmer and enjoyed the ambiance just as well. We were served by 3 different people throughout the meal. There was no consistency nor communication between the three. It didn't matter much as our food was served quickly, but it was hard to know who to flag down for a refill. Overall, while I wouldn't recommend Dux Dine for a date night experience, I can see why this restaurant has survived over the years from the old student union to this casual, group dining experience. Next time we'll remember to bring 8 friends. read more

See all

This inviting little cottage set back from the main road houses a wonderful restaurant whose focus is on locally grown produce. Friendly staff were able to fit me in at a lone table despite walking in without a booking on a busy Wednesday night. Beautiful fish cooked perfectly in garlic and herbs, fresh salad, a slice of sumptuous chocolate tart and a couple of pints of house beer left me stuffed but satisfied. The warm hum of a full house provided a happy atmosphere, and despite the throng the staff were never anything but attentive and conversational to this tourist passing through. Thanks for a lovely night. (Try to book if you can - you may not be as lucky as I was with getting a table.) read more

Dux Dine - Fish of the day with garlic and herbs. - Restaurants Near Me - Christchurch, CAN

Lovely ambience in this converted villa. Great range of food. I have a delicious pizza while my table mates had excellent seafood and vegetarian options. uPDATE: Came for a second visit. 3 people had crusted fish which was delicious. I had pea & haloumi fritter which was tasty but why too much. Good meal but service appalling. Late lunch on a Saturday but no excuse for being left with dirty plates for over 15 minutes after leisurely eating. Had to ask for dessert menu. Never offered more drinks - disappointing so have downgraded previous review. read more

I ordered a Blue Duck beer with the salmon. The beer was definitely good. Not quite the type the waitress told me it was though. The Akaroa Salmon was great. I prefer my salmon a little bit less cooked but it was not too cooked for common standards. Everything in the plate was mixing very well together. I had a lemon tart to finish the meal. The dessert menu had a lot of desserts I love. The ice cream was coupling pretty well with the lemon but the tart itself was pretty basic. A bit disappointed on that point. Service-wise, it was good. Not outstanding but nothing serious to complain about. The restaurant atmosphere is nice with a garden and interesting decorations inside. Generally a good experience. This is a solid 4. Could have been a 5 if only the dessert was as good as the salmon. read more

Dux Dine - Restaurants Near Me - Christchurch, CAN

See all

Dux Dine is one of the finer restaurants in Christchurch. This also means the restaurant gets pretty crowded even during week days and you need to make advance reservations. Luckily when we came in for dinner on Monday without reservations, we got seated immediately by the fireplace. Loved the ambiance - cozy, comfy with fire places in every room. It is like a little cottage turned into a restaurant. There was a steady flow of patrons coming in through the night and for a Monday night, I'd say it was a full house. Here's what w ordered. - Potato Arancini Balls for appetizers - Delish - Gnocchi for entree - served with home made tomato sauce, sprinkled with a little bit of cheese and slivered almonds, this dish is mouth watering - Date cake with caramel sauce (this is not the exact name) - yumm yummm... Great service; delicious food and romantic ambiance. Highly recommend. read more

Once a beautiful cottage, now artfully converted into a restaurant. The locals seem to have taken to this place like dux to water! Why, I cannot fathom? Is it the decor or the warm, cozy fireplaces that draw them in? It most definitely, isn't the food. The prawn and crab dumplings were actually wontons and nothing to quack about for $17. The aubergine presse was ghastly! This over baked and completely tasteless dish cost us $28. The tuna was beautifully cooked. Wait for it though, here comes the BUT...it was drowned in an overpowering sauce and topped with crumbed prawns that looked like they had been to hell and back a few times. The prawns were beyond redemption. Its fate, most cruelly sealed by the chef. We did however, have some success in rescuing the tuna from its ocean of misery! That mission cost us $38. The polenta fries were delicious but I'm pretty certain that even Pollyanna would have frowned, if she was made to pay $100 for a feed that even the dux would refuse to dine upon! read more

See all

In Christchurch for work and per the hotel and yelp's recommendations, I stopped in for dinner. I heard another diner complain about the exclusively vegetarian/seafood option - please don't let this deter you. The food here is amazingly flavorful! I had the daily fish special, with fried polenta and a salad. I ended the night with the delicious sticky date pudding - yum! Overall Great food with even better service, which is sometimes hard to come by as a solo dinner. read more

The fried chicken had a spicy aioli and hit the spot. I washed it down with one of their craft brews and enjoyed the atmosphere. read more

See all

We booked for party of 4 at 1pm today, we arrived at 1.05pm and waited 5 minutes to be greeted and then seated at an unset table. The waiter asked if we wanted coffees and explained if we did there would be a long wait. We asked for wine and beer and never saw him again. 20 minutes waiting and we saw no-one, so we left. Really disappointed, as we'd all sorted our drinks and food orders. Left our table, which was still unset, we were still unattended, unfed and unseen. Went to Papanui Club with NO BOOKING and it was awesome, cheaper, great quality and they served and greeted us straightaway. read more

I was very disappointed and even insulted. We were a party of four people of color with a 7:30pm reservation. After being seated we began to order. We asked for the soup special and our waiter returned to tell us they no more soup. We ordered our starters which included the bread and dips special. Our waiter returned to tell us they ran out of bread. The women in our group ordered the cocktail special. Our waiter returned to tell us they ran out of vodka. Hmmmmm. Other tables sround us seemed to get what they ordered in a timely fashion. So we left! read more

We decided to try this place after seeing numerous positive trip advisor reviews, and the place itself looked very cosy and welcoming on a cold winters night. We sat next to the fireplace and the ambience of the restaurant is lovely. No complaints about service, our server was friendly and attentive. We ordered the seafood chowder with garlic bread and it was delicious, large bits of seafood, and very nice to eat when you're feeling a little cold. We also ordered the scallops, since they're usually one of my favourite types of seafood, but unfortunately I didn't pay attention when I ordered them, since if I had, I would've realised that they're deep fried in batter. They were sill tasty, however I much prefer scallops to be seared on a BBQ or lightly pan fried, since battering and deep frying masks their subtle flavour. This was no fault of the restaurant, but be aware that they'll arrive deep fried. For mains we ordered the special of the day which was yellow fin tuna, covered in sesame seeds and served with garlic mashed potatoes. It was nice, however I thought it was a little overcooked and too firm for my liking. We also ordered the blue cod which was served with a garlic and spinach sauce and scalloped potatoes. I preferred this over the yellow fin tuna. Overall we were both happy with our meal, and completely satisfied. The portions were very large for a fish restaurant, most of which leave me feeling hungry after I leave, but not at Dux Dine. read more

Delicious, creative and homely. I am already planning on using this restaurant to host my wedding reception!

Would like to start by saying the table service was faultless and the staff were very nice. However, this is where the positives end. I ordered the squid which was inconsistently cooked as some were acceptable whereas others were like masticating a piece of car tyre. My partner ordered the whitebait omelette. I understand the kiwi classic of whitebait with sliced white bread but i didnt expect it to be 99c, stale and chewy. The omelette itself was a dry egg fritter fried in oil. We ordered $16 mojitos which were, in essence, Rose's lime corial with water and a mint leaf thrown on top. $176 for a terrible experience. read more

We had dinner here our first night in Christchurch. Close walk from the hotel. Started with an old fashioned which was good. Also had the bread and dips which had pesto, pumpkin hummus, olives and some other dip. Tasty but not fabulous. Husband had the spanakopita and I had the salmon. They both were good but the salmon was really delicious with a carrot and parsnip confit. Also had a bottle of New Zealand Pinot noir. read more

Pretty awesome place to go for a brunch and no doubt most other types of meal - they make a good espresso martini to go with your crabcakes or egss benny too read more

Have been in NZ just one week (Nelson, Queenstown) and hands down this was the best meal we've had to date. Not easy to find a restaurant that pleases both an omnivore and a vegetarian but Dux Dine more than succeeded. Place was packed when we arrived and we were happy to be offered seats at a comfortable two top in bar. Outstanding beet salad starter was fresh and flavors balanced. Catch of the day and tofu curry were excellent. Friendly, knowledgeable waitstaff. We'll be back. read more

Although I used to frequent Dux de Lux a lot, I hadn't yet been to Dux Dine. I had been missing out! On a recent trip home to New Zealand I met up with a friend at Dux Dine. Having only recently just started eating fish, I would only eat fish when I absolutely had to, and had never once ordered it as a first choice when there were other things on the menu I could have. I also have a number of food allergies - gluten, onion etc... but there were so many options for me on this menu! It was so hard to decide! The staff were very attentive and knew the menu and the ingredients inside out. I was very impressed. In the end I decided to order the fish of the day (Gurnard) with the crumbed coating and it was absolutely delicious. I was blown away actually! It came with polenta fries which were also very good. The setting is wonderful too, although it's right by the railway line so can be a bit noisy at times. The atmosphere is lovely and the garden area is perfect on a summers evening. I'll definitely be back! read more

The food was fantastic but the service and management was significantly lacking. Upon ordering entrees and drinks our entrees arrived before all of our drinks. We were celebrating a special event that night and had to wait almost 30 minutes to receive all our drinks and have a toast. We had to ask for additional silverware during the meal when they were cleared and request a water refresh for the table. The most disappointing part of the evening was when the waitress dropped a knife directly on my phone shattering the screen. Upon discovering the damage she quickly disappeared and never came back to the table. In the remaining hour of service 3 different waitresses came by but never the original, I never received an apology but the most appalling is that no one else from the restaurant came by to ask about the damage or to apologize....Not the owner, manager or another server. I understand accidents happen but the complete disregard in damaging my phone shows poor service and awareness. While the food was good I encourage you to look elsewhere for quality service.... read more

We love this place. Every time we are in NZ we have to go here. A wonderful throwback to the earthquake-destroyed duxe deluxe. The breakfast is incredible and the norwester beer is a must have! read more