Christchurch guide
Outdoor seating in Christchurch — courtyards, beer gardens & sunny tables
When the sun's out, Christchurch lives outside. These are the bars, cafés and restaurants with somewhere good to sit in it — courtyards tucked off the laneways, proper beer gardens, riverside tables, and a few spots where you can watch the surf.
30 places with outdoor seating across the city — thick through the Central City and Addington, out at New Brighton by the beach, and over the hill in Lyttelton with the harbour in view. Everything from a quick flat white in the sun to a long afternoon on the deck.
Outdoor tables fill fast on a still day and they're at the mercy of the weather — if you're set on sitting out, get in early or call ahead.
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.
- 02Pomeroy's Old Brewery Inn · Bar · Central City
A family-run craft-beer institution on Kilmore Street since 2001 — taps from far and wide, scratch-made pub food and a snug for the cold months.
- 03Unknown Chapter Coffee Roasters · Cafe · Central City
A St Asaph Street roastery taking the coffee seriously — beans roasted on site, traceable, pulled by baristas who clearly care.
- 04MOON UNDER WATER · Bar · Beckenham
A Beckenham craft beer pub named for Orwell's ideal-pub essay — 18 rotating taps, 70-plus small-batch gins and a community streak with weekly fundraisers.
- 05Arbour Woodfired Pizza and Bar · Restaurant · Lyttelton
Artisan woodfired pizza on Oxford Street, Lyttelton — a sharing menu, local brews and a community 'home away from home' feel.
- 06Miro · Restaurant · Central City
Refined dining in a 1934 heritage building, with a riverside terrace and a pair of open fires for the cold months.
- 07Punky Brewster - Bar and Fillery · Bar · Addington
A craft-beer bar and 'fillery' in Addington — a rotating tap list, growler fills to take away and a laid-back feel.
- 08Hillary House Restaurant · Restaurant · Papanui
A Kiwi bistro on Papanui Road themed around Sir Ed and Tenzing's Everest climb — burgers, seafood, pasta and Kiwi classics with weekly specials.
- 09C1 Espresso · Cafe · Central City
Set in the old High Street post office, C1's the one where curly fries and sliders arrive by pneumatic tube — genuinely fired across the room.
- 10The Rockpool Bar · Bar · Central City
A Hereford Street gastropub running from breakfast right through to the small hours — open later than just about anyone in town.
+ 20 more on the map below ↓
Keep exploring
Common questions
- Where can you sit outside to eat and drink in Christchurch?
- Good sunny picks: King of Snake, Pomeroy's Old Brewery Inn, Unknown Chapter Coffee Roasters, MOON UNDER WATER, Arbour Woodfired Pizza and Bar. Think courtyards tucked off the laneways, proper beer gardens, riverside tables and a few spots where you can watch the surf.
- Are these covered if the weather turns?
- Some have shelter or heaters for a grey day, but a lot are open-air and fair-weather only — worth a glance at the forecast before you commit to sitting out.
- Better for a drink in the sun or a meal outside?
- Both are covered: beer gardens and laneway courtyards for a long afternoon drink, riverside and deck tables for a proper meal outdoors. The list spans cafés, bars and restaurants.