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.

128 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.