Coffee and a Bagel and other Christchurch, New Zealand Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Name: Yellow Rocket New Regent St

After generally managing the Cathedral Square branch, Becs has branched out and opened up a new coffee store under the same name. Becs has grabbed the best staff from the Square and is now operating a Yellow Rocket coffee shop in new Regent Street. Being near a tram stop it's also an easy option if you are tripping around our fair city in the Tram.

The shop is located on the corner of New Regent and Armagh in what was the Daily Grind but with an extension into the old book store next door. The result is a coffe place with several different seating areas providing their own style of seating.

Favorite Dish: The coffee is on the good side and the food options are really nice with Bagels leading the way. There are also lots of sweet and sticky options plus smoothies if you don't want coffee.

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Theme: Coffeehouse
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Directions: Corner of Armagh and New Regent St

Restaurant Name: The Coffee HOuse

Normally the domain for the suited variety of cliental, the Coffee House is a very nice spot to go for a coffee and something to eat. The seating is divided into indoor, outdoors and covered outdoors so you have plenty of options including sitting outside if you wish to have a ciggy with your coffee.

You can get most styles of coffee here including those with syrup (if you like that sort of thing) plus teas, wine and soft drinks. As you can see in the photo, the Coffee house roasts its own beans. Coffee is good so they must have the process down pat!!

The food is quite good if a bit limited and it's all priced similarly to other coffee shops in the area. Service is fast enough and everything seems to be done with a limited amount of fuss. If you want to have an evening meal then you're in luck as the Coffee House has an evening menu. Looking at what they have I'd recommend that you go over the road to the Dux de Lux.

The only minor issue here is car parking as the shop, being in the middle of town has other places wanting the vacant car spaces. Lots of parking however down on the corner of Montreal and Cashel St in a big car park that is under utilised.


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Theme: Coffeehouse
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 365 6066
Address: 290 Montreal Street
Directions: just west of the square and east of the Art Centre

Restaurant Name: Ironside

Ironside Thai restaurant is a very nice place to go for a meal in Christchurch. The food is consistantly good, the wine list has something for everyone and the service excellent. The place is fully licenced though, for an $8 corkage charge, you can bring your own wine.

The restaurant is situated near the middle of town in a converted two story townhouse. The restaurant is downstairs and there are two rooms set up for dining. In winter, the fires are lit and add an extra bit to the experience.

We were here on 20 June with swings & hubby Essam.

Favorite Dish: Angie loves the sweet & sour veges with Chicken. My favourite is beef with cashew nuts & veges. swings had a calamari red curry and Essam had a green chicken curry - both were very happy with their meals. Ironside also does a great mixed entree with satay chicken, spring rolls etc at a coat of $12 for two. Main meals are in the range of $18 which is very reasonable for a restaurant.

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Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 3-3656999
Directions: Corner of Salisbury, Montreal and Victoria streets

Restaurant Name: Caffe Roma

I have listed Caffe Roma as a breakfast place as it offers an all day breakfast. Having said that they have a separate lunch menu so are not limited to just breakfast stuff. Roma is based in an old Mens club just down the road from Rydges Hotel (formerly Noahs) over looking the Avon River.

Service here is normally superb and the staff never use a number to remember where you sat or what you ordered. The food is very good though is a bit more pricey than other places. The coffee here is amongst the best in town so you shouldn't be disappointed.

Favorite Dish: I tend to get the full cooked breakfast and it costs $18. It includes eggs, bacon, sausage, mushroom, tomatoes & toast. It is quite big & should keep you going until mid afternoon if you are here for an early meal before exploring Christchurch. For morning tea I'll just get one of the yummy cheese scones & tea!!

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Theme: Breakfast
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Address: 176 Ocford Terrace

Restaurant Name: Le Bon Bolli

Le Bon Bolli is virually two restaurants in one. Downstairs the atmosphere is more relaxed and casual with upstairs being the place of a more formal dining experience with service and prices to match. The menus are quite different with the downstairs brasserie not having the extensive choice.

This restaurant isn't a place to go for a cheaper meal but it is an award winning restaurant with good food and very good wine list to match. If you want a spot for a special night out then this is it.

Favorite Dish: Last time here I had a venison main which was fantastic and a bottle of Chardonnay (Kumeu) at $50 a pop. My wife had a chicken dish that she was very happy with. We came here for a big celebration and were not disappointed.

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: 3 374 9444
Address: Corner Worcester Street and Montreal Street Chris
Directions: Central

Restaurant Name: Backstage

Sited in behind the Court Theatre the Backstage is a great place for a coffee and nibble before you go to see a show. As you can see from the blackboard in the photo they are also open quite early so you can get a coffee early in the day before going off and exploring Christchurch.

There is a good range of coffees plus heaps of really yummy items to eat. You can purchase eats from basic muffins all the way through to Soups & light meals.

Prices are easy on the pocket and the situation with a few outside seats allows you to 'chill' a bit before your big Theatre experience..........


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Theme: Coffeehouse
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Directions: Behind the Court Theatre

Restaurant Name: Six Chairs Missing

Six Chairs Missing is located on new Regent Street amongst many other eating places. Casual diners can eat downstairs with the main seating area upstairs. The decor basic and the tables generally quite small.

The service was fairly quick and the food fairly good. Main meal prices ranged from approx $22 (for a single Lamb Shank) to $36 for the Rack of Lamb. Entrees were around $12 and deserts the same with a couple of cheaper options.

You can bring your own wine here at a cost of $5 per bottle for corkage - makes the overall meal cheaper. We spent $112 for the two of us.

Favorite Dish: The Lamb Shanks were nice but not the best I've had. I had the Seafood Chowder as an Entree and it was really good.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Address: New Regent St. City Centre
Directions: At the Armagh St end of the Street.

Restaurant Name: Pedro's

Pedro's is one of the best places in Christchurch with their signature dish Shoulder of Lamb. The waiters are very friendly and service good. Pedro's is licenced and has a good wine list but also has the advantage of a BYO licence so you can buy a good wine at supermarket prices before going to the restaurant.

The menu changes every month or so and has, generally, the same price for each dish in the same part of the menu. When I was here last the entrees were all $18 and main dishes $31 each so at the higher end but not the most expensive. The range of dishes included a vegetarian option and several different kings of meat and seafood all done very nicely.

Favorite Dish: I normally am very boring here and get the Shoulder of Lamb - it's very big but very tender and I can recommend it. It is served with the vege's of the day and is matched with a good Marlborough Pinot Noir or maybe a Cabernet Merlot if you want something a bit bigger.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Directions: Corner of Worcester and Manchester Sts

Restaurant Name: Dux de Lux

The Dux is an easy place to drop in to and have a meal. The menu is heavily in favour of the vegetarian diner with a few fish dishes thrown in for good measure. You order at the bar and the food comes to your table. Several of the Dux's own brewed beers are available with the Nor' Wester my favourite. There is also a good wine list.

If you are on a tight budget you can get a simple salad plate for as low as $6 - with the Dux's selection this is normally good enough for those needing a quick & cheap feed.

Once you have finished there is often a live band playing next to the restaurant (often a bit heavy so be warned) and great outside areas.

Favorite Dish: I really like the fresh fish with Cajun spices.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Address: At the Artcenter Worcester Boulevard

Restaurant Name: Drexel's

Drexel's have been cooking up breakfasts and lunches since the 1980's and have just recently moved to new premises. Michelle & her team cook up a large number of dishes in an American styled place (including American strip bacon) with their Special being a cooked breakfast plus 2 pancakes for under $16. Other dishes include French toast, Lox & Bagel, Fruit Salad, a wide variety of cooked stuff with eggs cooked what ever way you want. You can also get a bottomless cup of coffee (if that's your thing) or pot of tea. They also do a variety of coffees on their espresso machine.

Seating is in really comfortable alcove styled bench seats with tables of many sizes to fit groups of up to 10.

Favorite Dish: I tend to get French Toast (no butter!) and Earl Grey tea & it costs me $8.40 - if I'm feeling really hungry I'll go for the cooked breakfast (2 eggs plus bacon & mushrroms & hash browns). Watch out for the bacon though - it's american style so strip bacon & not the big chunky style stuff Brits are used to.

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Theme: Breakfast
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Directions: On Hereford St between Oxford Tce and Colombo St.