We actually went to the location on Colombo since Manchester St was having their ticketed Fresh Hop…read moreFestival. We did debate on attending that, but the offerings and accompanying special event glassware didn't look that appealing. Manchester St looked to be more a typical brewery, housed among some warehouses, while Colombo was more a bustling beer bar with an energetic atmosphere (as a live music venue) and adjoining outdoor beer garden. We ordered a flight offered with 5 tasters. Other than the Fresh Hop which was a Pilsner, the other beers were lackluster at best, especially after already traversing the South Island for many a fresh hop and IPA. Just very dull in flavor, not as bright, and almost old and creaky-like. I was more entertained by the stag party shenanigans outside which the staff were in good spirits about -- cheehoo! Chill brewery, nonetheless, and beers did seem a little cheaper... despite their foot print across the South Island, though, know that you will find significantly better beer at the smaller breweries!

After a long day being shown around Christchurch and the countryside, all I wanted was to quietly…read moretry some new beers. Thankfully Two Thumb was right around the corner from our hotel, so I braved the frigid air and walked there about half an hour before closing. The brewery was easy to find at the back of a small business plaza down a private driveway; they have free parking here and the entrance to the brewery. Inside it was warm and cozy. It felt like a cross between a barn, working brewery, stage, and living room. They had plenty of seating of various types for groups of all sizes. Offices were along the left, with the brewing equipment in the dark behind the bar. The bar had a selection of all their beers offered on draught, as well as glass case with bottles to-go. Be sure to check this out as some of the offerings are bottles only. Two Thumb has a unique distinction for breweries on my trip: they offered 4 of their UK-centric beers on hand-pulled beer engine. This serving style physically pulls the beer from the kegs into your glass instead of using gas. Carbonation is lower leading to a creamy mouthfeel and clean full head. This isn't for everyone, but it went well on a cold night. I had a flight of beer; the glasses were generous and prices were low. I explained why I was there and disappointed it was so late, but the bartender graciously offered to let me try all their beers and said I could stay as long as I wanted. These little things mean so much. I enjoyed their beer, and took one special bottle to-go. I recommend coming here if you love beer and are in the Christchurch area!

They were open as early as 10am when the Lyttelton Farmer's Market was in full force on a Saturday,…read morebut we didn't wander in until around noon following our perusal of said open air market and nearby site of interest, the Lyttelton "time ball" station. Lytellton is rather "little", no joke, this brewery's location on the main drive hard to miss. Having ate our way through the market already, we weren't keen on ordering any food. We opted for 2 pints which we enjoyed on the 3rd floor landing. The benefit of this area is that it gave an outstanding view of the harbor and surrounding mountain tops. It does not offer a view of the happenings of the street below though. That view is to be had from the 2nd landing. I speak on the environment primarily because our beers were nothing to write home about, whomp. Honestly, I only remembered that they were nearly room temp which is a no-no. The environment, again, with the ocean breeze sailing in, was a rather choice place to post up and rest after a morning stroll.

Got back too early from Christchurch. So I decided to visit…read morethis small quaint town near Christchurch, Lyttleton. Maybe the name says it all, Lyttle... Quality/Quantity - Wanted to grab a beer before getting back on the ship. The goal was to be the last person back on the ship, but amazingly there were still 75 people that have not come back... As what I thought was the only tourist left, all the locals were at the bar/cafe next door. Surprisingly they did not seem welcoming, and more importantly I wanted craft beer. Decent selection; I tried the Pale Ale APA and Hazy IPA. The Hazy IPA won the taste test. They have wine, spirits, and food also; see menu. Atmosphere - Impressed that a small town even had a craft brewery, thank you. Indoor/outdoor seating. Good size small brewery. I think they even had an upstairs...? I did not check it out. Hung out at the bar, then outside to relax before hitting the seas again. Service - Good. Price - $14 NZ for 475ml; $8.50 US. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 2012. See you next time I am back.

Hoppy beer hoppy life. Loved visiting this Brewery. It's been around for 6 years and has a small…read morearea to purchase beers. It is a takeaway Brewery so there is no taproom. However, we were able to sample some beers before we decided to take away! Most of the beers have a good healthy hop forward taste. If you love hops you must try these beers! Also walked away with a couple t shirts ! Will rock them in California!

We took a break and popped into Fluffy to load up on caffeine and pastries…read more Inside was a simple decor with seating along the windows and a few stand alone tables. Bathrooms were out the back in the parking garage. Display cases neatly displayed all available pastries, donuts, cake slices and sandos. Lots of tempting yummy goodness. We ordered at the counter and our pastries and coffees were delivered to our table. Service was cheerful and friendly. The large flat white was creamy with strong coffee flavor. The pistachio brûlée filling was a bit too much but the enveloping dough was pillowy soft. Above average for a filled donut The blueberry danish was flaky and sweet. We would definitely like to try more options on a future return visit.

A little bit of an unusual find, when you walk in there's a table and the coffee bar up front. In…read morethe back they have bags and bags of coffee and a section where they roast their coffee, I guess to sell elsewhere or in the shop? Not quite sure. The coffee was excellent though. I had a flat white, and the coffee was really well made, it had a nice scent and rich aroma and it went well with the milk. My coffee experience in New Zealand has been that almost every place has been really good, but this place was a little more special than average to me.

It might be awesome? It is closed apparently when we came Wednesday morning on 19 July. Pictures…read morelooked awesome though.

The only market that is centrally located in Christchurch. It's right across the street from the…read morebus interchange on Lichfield Street. Great for commuters, workers, and visitors. It's also surprisingly large. One entire aisle is devoted to alcohol. There's a small deli with sandwiches, cold foods, and hot foods. Not a ton of fresh meats, but that's been true of every market I've been to in New Zealand. Largest selection of produce I've seen so far, but more veggies than fruit. Got some nice-looking strawberries. Mostly self-checkout / pay by card, but help is available if something goes amiss or you want to pay cash. Prices were cheaper than the other two markets I've been to.

Great product range but abysmal human service from a uninterested staff member: I'm sorry I…read moreinconvenienced her

We found this fusion coffee cafe and it was a great spot for our breakfast with an Asian twist…read more Inside was spacious with an outside patio that was closed slide to the rainy weather. The menu had some familiar breakfast items combined with mostly Korean flavors. We found our own table and then went to the cashier to order (note 2% credit card surcharge added), got a number and then food and drinks delivered in short order to the table to the table. Dak Jakk was a porridge like dish filled with shredded chicken, an onsen egg and kim chee on the side. It was warm and comforting on that cold, rainy morning. Noki Benny with chadolbaegi (thinly slice beef brisket) was really quite good. I liked the crispy hash brown as the base instead of bread. Eggs were cooked perfectly and the tom yum hollandaise and kimchi furikake gave it a nice unique taste. The chaolbaegi was a nice protein side that complemented the dish. A great fusion of flavors for a satisfying breakfast. Service was quick and friendly. Would definitely come back here on a future trip even as it's a walk from CBD.

Four of us just had a great meal here. All the dishes were good and were generous sizes. The…read moreseafood pasta was ordered by two of us and we could have easily shared one. There was so much seafood in it. Really tasty. One had a pizza that had a ton of meat on it and the other had the lamb gnocci which was also tasty. We all enjoyed our meal. Prices were reasonable. We would go again for sure.