Take the elevator to Level 7 of the Muse Art Hotel in Christchurch, and from there you’ll be ushered into the elegant restaurant, Seven. The masterminds behind Earl, Bottle & Stone and Pink Lady  have done it again, with a luxe modernist bolthole exuding style and grace. 

If Pink Lady is Baja California, Seven is undeniably East Coast. The mahogany hues, exposed concrete walls, pendant lighting and easy sophistication, signal New York chic. The unadulterated views of the city across to the Port Hills, cast a spellbinding vista for dinner guests. From the comfortable leather booths you can watch the evening unfurl with almost certain irregularity, all part of the charm. No two visits will ever be the same. 

The menu is bountiful. All plates are designed to be shared and every dish graciously bows to the season.  Ingredients are sourced at their freshest and most plentiful and the chefs have had a field day revelling in the opportunity, you can tell by the techniques and processes like confit leeks and citrus foam. As the restaurant stays in step with the seasons, the menu changes regularly but the execution is always excellent. A selection of fine wine is served either by half glass, glass or bottle, giving you the chance to sample different varieties depending on your dinner choices. 

Attentive and insightful service accompanies the experience, and the recommendation for the signature clarified raspberry cocktail blew our little cotton socks off. Seven feels intimate, in sync with its guests and nature, and even the birds seem to have got the memo, flying in tune to the laidback beat. It was much more than a seven.