Christchurch guide
The best cocktails in Christchurch
Christchurch's cocktail game has come a long way — from hidden laneway bars to restaurants with someone behind the stick who actually knows what they're doing. These are the spots mixing the city's best, whether you want a classic done right or something you've never heard of.
23 places pouring proper cocktails across the city — densest through the Central City, with standouts in Addington, Riccarton and over in Lyttelton. A mix of dedicated bars and restaurants worth perching at just for the drinks list.
The good bars get busy from Thursday on, and the best lists change with the season — when in doubt, trust the bartender's pick.
Venue data checked weekly · Updated August 2026
The picks
- 01King of Snake · Restaurant · Central City
Euro-Asian fusion done properly, one floor up on Cashel Street with views over the mall and the Avon.
- 025th Street · Restaurant · Sydenham
An upmarket modern restaurant in Sydenham — seasonal, refined cooking and a smart cocktail list in a stylish room, open evenings.
- 03Casa Publica · Restaurant · Central City
South American plates and a rum list 160-deep, set in a prohibition-themed room on Armagh Street.
- 04Dux Central · Bar · Central City
Craft beer and live music under one roof — a long-running central spot with its own brews and bands most weekends.
- 05Bloody Mary's · Bar · Central City
A central steakhouse and brasserie leaning on Canterbury produce — grill-focused, with a secluded whisky library and a sheltered terrace.
- 06Fat Eddie's · Bar · Central City
Live jazz and an American-leaning menu on the Hereford Street riverside — sax, funk duos, burgers and wings till 3am on the weekend.
- 07OGB · Bar · Central City
Bar and restaurant in the grand Old Government Building on Cathedral Square — cocktails, a deep wine and beer list and live music on weekends, in one of the…
- 08Amazonita · Restaurant · Central City
South American on the Terrace, right on the Oxford Terrace riverside — leaning on the grill, with churrasco-style meats and a serious cocktail list.
- 09Bessie · Restaurant · Central City
A St Asaph Street meat specialist — cuts dry-aged at least 45 days in-house, then seared in a charcoal oven at 250°C.
- 10The Last Word · Bar · Central City
A snug whisky and cocktail bar on New Regent Street — 600-odd whiskies, well-made cocktails and a low-lit, unhurried mood.
+ 13 more on the map below ↓
Keep exploring
Common questions
- Where are the best cocktail bars in Christchurch?
- Head for King of Snake, 5th Street, Casa Publica, Dux Central, Bloody Mary's. A mix of dedicated bars and restaurants with someone behind the stick who actually knows what they're doing — a classic done right or something you've never heard of.
- Dedicated bars, or restaurants too?
- A mix — proper cocktail bars plus restaurants where the drinks list is good enough to perch at the bar just for that. Either way, there's someone who actually knows the craft on the shaker.
- When do they get busy?
- Thursday through the weekend, and later into the evening — if the room's busy, ask what they'd make you and you'll rarely go wrong.