I love this place. I live nearby and it is a total asset to the neighbourhood - I use it both as a…read morecasual place to drop in when I don't feel like cooking, and also to take friends from out of town to show off the amazing tannery. The wine and cocktail list is refined but comprehensive, and the tapas are awesome - delicious, sophisticated, ranging from light (pickled vegetables with fresh herbs, or pil pil prawns with garlic confit) and fresh to sticky, fried yumminess (Yorkshire puds, braised beef cheek croquettes). The decor is also beautiful and original and if you're lucky there will be a piano player in the house, giving it a luxey, retro lounge bar vibe.

Super chill place with a nice upstairs bar area. We were planning to go to a few places in the…read morearea but ended up closing the night here. The bartenders were playing requests that day, asking everyone who came in to name a song on top of their mind. Drinks were strong and tasty - had the Commie Mule with the freshly crushed ginger (first choice was Dr. Orders - but no can't do as rosemary was out of stock). The beer flight was good as well as you get to try all 5 beers that they have on tap. Highly recommend on coming here.

The Institution is a small craft cocktail and beer bar. The staff is friendly and generous. There…read moreare 5 local beers on tap with a selection of bottles behind the bar. They'll let you try all their beers on tap before purchase. I enjoyed all of them. The cocktail I had was also great. They have a cheese platter which is also amazing. The bar seems to attract interesting people. Both times I went, I ended up in fascinating conversations with people I met at the bar.

Very cool spot, great fixed price lunch on Saturday. Lovely ambiance, friendly staff, attentive…read moreservice. Delicious oysters appetizer, monkfish burger and salad, pair with a tasty white wine. Finished with a Campari Parfait. A real gem. Don't miss out! I came back for dinner. WOW!!! One the two best restaurants in the city.

...extraordinary culinary delight...what a supreme surprise this small gem was just steps away from…read morethe Mayfair Hotel...

Great vibes, loved the food, loved the idea behind "we don't do individual plates, only shared"…read more Great drinks. Lovely people too.

Very elegant and nice warm wooden interior, love all the plants and natural light!…read more Service was also great, waiter explained the menu and was very attentive in answering questions and refilling water Plating of food was beautiful! Great flavor profiles and ingredients felt high quality. The saffron cauliflower was perfectly warm and hearty. The cucumber salad was creamy and refreshing. And the lamb shoulder was sooo super tender, no knife even needed! The whipped labneh cream and zaatar flavoring paired so well w the lamb. Great meal, felt full and very satisfied after :)

The staff and the food were beyond amazing!! It was asparagus season and it was a must order! Would…read moreeat here everyday if I could!! The ambience is also really pretty and intimate with an open kitchen concept. I told all my friends they have to try it since it was new and they haven't been before. Cant say anything negative about my experience and would give them 6 stars if I could.

Beautiful environment, great food and service. I ordered the lunch salad with lamb. Delicious!…read moreBack for the chicken schnitzel sandwich!

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 loved shop eight! It helped it was a balmy 27 degree C day when I stopped by however being warmly…read moreand friendly greeted by the chef and waitress as I read the menu was lovely. I also really like the philosophy behind their daily menu showcasing local ingredients and that chef loves to prepare! The waitress was very friendly and enjoyed discussing the business and was really up to matching the dishes to wine; or at least asking chef to recommend something. I had to try the lamb heart with capsicum and carrot jelly as it just sounded so unique and it delivered; ultimately I could not finish the dish as it was a bit to rich for me though the three glasses of wine may also have had an affect! I highly recommend checking out the menu to see what's new that you can try!

You'll find this cafe in the oh so cute and historical New Regent Street…read more The cafe itself is on the small side, but they serve really good coffee and have friendly, efficient staff. They also serve the delicious cakes you may have already sampled at the Riccarton house market - 'By Anna' - which is conveniently awesome. Interestingly, many of the furnishings in the cafe have been made out of wood that came from buildings damaged in the earthquake; and have now been recycled and made into furniture. So if you are in central Christchurch, needing a coffee or a bite to eat - visit Shop 8 (and eat cake).

In for an evening beer, most of the tables (but not all!) were reserved, so I was able to find a…read morespot with my pint and my laptop to watch the place slowly fill in with even more regulars. This is definitely the neighborhood watering hole and it's a friendly sort of place. Comfy vibe, I enjoyed my time here. [Review 396 of 2024 - 49 in New Zealand - 21429 overall]

We flew into Christchurch this afternoon and needed a good, local pub for dinner. The Brewers is…read morethat and more. Outstanding service - the bartender was very attentive, and even knew what a Seabreeze is (I'm from the US). We had Buffalo wings and the pizza with sausage and brisket on it (I forget the name). While I'm not sure the crust was homemade the meats, sauce and cheese definitely hit the spot! I highly recommend you stop by for a pint some pub food and good conversation at the Brewers!

Idyllic location, good food, kid/dog friendly and an impressive gin selection! We had the Tirol…read morepizza and prawn taco - both delicious. It looks like a great spot to see some live music and meet the locals. The Israeli waitress was so friendly our kids want to go back every day. She even played their favourite music

Cute taco and gin restaurant right on the beach in Akaroa. All the staff were friendly and the…read morebarbacoa tacos were amazing! And the view cannot be beat.