8 Places to Elevate Your Dining Experience

Sitting pretty on one of Christchurch’s most iconic streets, Story invites you to sit back, relax and enjoy set-menu dining. Current chef, Shafeeq, turns local, simple ingredients into incredible taste experiences. The three-course menu changes daily according to the fresh produce available. Expect to be surprised, well looked after and well-fed. Keep an eye out for pop-ups and themed dinners featuring guest chefs.

Arguably well worth the drive up North, Black Estate is a true foodie destination. Its a la carte menu is created with local, organic and spray-free produce. Choose from the vegetarian, fish or meat option and be prepared to have food envy either way, as all the food at Black Estate is simply delicious. Pair your dinner with a full wine tasting to find out what this special spot is really all about.

Chillingworth Road's degustation dining, which centres around classic cuisine, done well, is one to shout about. The culinary style at this Redwood restaurant is classic European fare influenced by seasonal local flavours and ingredients. Choose from five-, seven- or nine-course degustation options, with dishes served in the elegant formal dining room adorned with chandeliers, plush seating and dark wooden tables.

Another New Regent Street gem, Twenty Seven Steps boasts a downstairs bar perfect for pre-or post-dinner cocktails, a great way to create a dining experience that is a little out of the ordinary. Upstairs you’ll find one of the cosiest restaurants in town, offering local fresh cuisine and an impressive list of New Zealand wines.

If you haven’t treated yourself to an evening at this petite restaurant, you are seriously missing out. The creative menu at Gatherings changes with the Canterbury seasons. It is constructed with responsibly sourced seafood and local, organic vegetables. A great way to get the full Gatherings experience is by choosing the ‘Let Us Feed You’ option - the chef’s selection of smaller portions from the evening’s menu. The good people at Gatherings are experts in all things wine and the restaurant boasts a cellar with over 100 bottles from which to choose that perfect pairing.

Do dinner the Italian way and indulge in long-form dining with a group of your favourite people at The Birdwood. Begin the journey with antipasti and a nice glass (or bottle) of wine. Move on to a pasta or risotto dish from the primi menu, follow with some protein with a secundi and finish well with a dessert, such as the crowd-favourite: Tiramisu.

The Inati experience is like no other. Guests are seated along the chef’s table and invited to witness the theatre of the kitchen. Inati aims to deliver dishes that challenge the palate and open the mind to the magic that can be created with Canterbury produce. The Inati lounge invites guests to indulge in a pre-drink before sitting down for the full meal.

If there ever was an elevated dining experience to be had, dining at Otahuna is it. Begin the evening with a glass of bubbly, canapés and a wander through the magnificent grounds of the historical Otahuna estate. On return indoors, settle down at one of the private dining rooms (complete with a roaring open fire) for an intimate evening of intricate flavours from the chef’s degustation menu created mostly with offerings from the estate’s own garden and paired with local wine.