From this spectacular restaurant halfway up the Port Hills, you'll have superb views over Christchurch and the Canterbury Plains to the Southern Alps. The castlelike structure was part of an early-1900s plan to build a series of inns along the Summit Road, all the way to Akaroa. The plan was only partially realized, but the restaurant is a long-standing local favorite for its silver-service style and reinterpretations of classic Kiwi dishes. This imposing place suffers from mixed reviews at times, but new management is turning that around. Try the merino lamb rubbed with peppery horopito and wild briar rose for a distinctly local flavor.
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