Where To Indulge In A Long Lunch In Christchurch

Add a dash of elegance, old-world sophistication and history to your long lunch by dining at Miro Restaurant. Sitting proudly in the heart of Christchurch city is one of the few remaining heritage buildings, now home to Miro, originally built in 1934, the building is adorned with history and art décor. Gaze out upon the river Avon as you sip on a steaming cup of tea and dine upon sensational cuisine. For lunch opt for a 3-course extravaganza or dine al la carte. The entrées include the likes of venison tartare, with ponzu, crayfish mayonnaise, pickled guava and brioche. Mains are even more luxurious with aged bavette, cooked over charcoal and steamed monkfish with marinara sauce. Dining at Miro is an unforgettable experience, kick it up a notch with the wine pairing option – you won’t regret it.

Smokey T’s takes long lunches to a whole new level; you won’t be able to move for hours after dining here, the food is too good to resist. The restaurant specialises in low and slow BBQ cuisine that will have you licking your fingers clean. The ocean beef brisket is smoked for 12 hours, the pork belly for 6, and the jerk chicken for 2. After you pick one of the above; you then choose how to eat it; in a taco, burger or on a platter. We love the platter for two; it showcases Smokey T’s expertise and allows diners to try a little bit of everything. On the board, you’ll find brisket, pork belly, pork ribs, buffalo wings, jalapeno cheese sausage, grilled tortillas, slaw and more. Wash everything down with Smokey T’s sauced ale or a refreshing iced tea.

We can’t resist visiting Grater Goods; the plant-based bistro, café and shop have all the ingredients to make our hearts sing. If you want to make the Gram-worthy platters at home, you can buy all of the goodies from Grater Goods deli. Or, you can park up in the warehouse-style dining area with a group of food-loving friends and spend the afternoon sampling all that’s on offer. Get your hands on the La Boeuf burger with the GG beet patty, onion jam, lettuce, GG sauce and cheese in a sesame bun. Otherwise, treat yourself to signature dishes like the courgette fritters, loaded fries and the Reuben sandwich; made with plant pastrami! If you still have room left for dessert, we highly recommend the tiramisu.

If organic foods and raw goodies sound like your cup of tea, Barefoot Eatery is the lunch spot for you. The food is fresh, local and seasonal – it tastes too good to be true. This is a guilt-free lunch we can rally behind. The 100% plant-based menu includes crowd favourites like the smashed avo on fermented seed loaf, toasted sammies with veggie seed patties and mouth-watering burgers with a delicious kumara hemp hash. However, there’s one dish that steals the show, the nourish bowl. Made with house-made falafel balls, roasted root vegetables, cashew dukkah, herb salad, rainbow quinoa, beet pickle, hummus, and so much more. We never imagined so many stand-out flavours in one dish. Complete the experience with an expertly made Chai latte, a morning detox tea or an iced berry milkshake.