Restaurants Overview

Christchurch's restaurants are becoming increasingly sophisticated and diverse in their decor and menus. There's a growing Asian influence, both in restaurants devoted to a specific country's cuisine and in places that fuse Asian ingredients or techniques with New Zealand cooking. The newcomers are not all Asian though: you can find everything from Cajun to Indian. Restaurants in the city are usually open every day; if they do close it will be either Sunday or Monday. Busy times are 7 to 9 PM on Friday and Saturday nights, so it's best to reserve; otherwise, you should be able to get a table without trouble. With the exception of the Casino, which has set rules on what not to wear, dress tends to be informal. Outside Christchurch, restaurants are more likely to close on Mondays and sometimes Tuesday as well.

Along with its vineyard boom, the Waipara Valley is seeing a surge in adventurous cooking. Local food producers are broadening their horizons; word is that Canterbury's first truffles planted in the Waipara area are being harvested. Locally sourced saffron, hazelnuts, manuka (an indigenous kind of tea tree) honey, and ostrich meat are making their way onto area menus in delicious and innovative ways.