Christchurch guide
The best pubs in Christchurch
Christchurch still does a proper pub. Some of the best are in old buildings — the Pegasus Arms has poured in an 1852 building on Oxford Terrace, Churchill's in Sydenham has held a licence since 1882 — and plenty more are the suburban locals with the sport on and a cheap feed.
26 of them across the city. In town, Pomeroy's craft-beer pub on Kilmore Street, The Victoria Free House, The Bog on Victoria Street and The Church Pub. Out from the centre, Moon Under Water in Beckenham, Cassels at The Tannery in Woolston, The Lyttelton Arms over the hill, and the taverns and sports bars of Bishopdale, Riccarton, Spreydon and Halswell.
Most do a pub menu through to dinner and get loud when there's a big game on, so it's worth booking if you're bringing a group for the rugby. Quiz nights, live bands and specials move week to week. Check with the pub before you make the trip.
Venue data checked weekly · Updated October 2026
The picks
- 01Pomeroy's Old Brewery Inn · Bar · Central City
A family-run craft-beer pub on Kilmore Street since 2001 — taps from far and wide, scratch-made pub food and a snug for the cold months.
- 02MOON 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.
- 03The Loft Bar · Bar · Central City
An NYC-loft-style sports bar upstairs at Riverside Market, built around a 167-inch LED wall for the big games.
- 04The Church Pub · Bar · Central City
A big live-music pub with an open bar, a mezzanine and a sun-trap courtyard.
- 05A Rolling Stone · Bar · Central City
An Irish-style pub on Colombo Street by day that turns into one of the city's hardest-working live-music rooms by night — proper stage, sound and lights, and a…
- 06The Victoria Free House · Bar · Central City
A British-style freehouse in a 1920s building looking across to Victoria Square — Sunday roasts, meat pies and fish and chips, with a rotating list of…
- 07The Riccs · Bar · Riccarton
A Riccarton sports bar — big screens, pub food and a few on tap for the game.
- 08Mayor Of Ale · Bar · Riccarton
Riccarton's local pub and sports bar, on Riccarton Road — cold beer, pub food and the game on the screens.
- 09Cassels The Brewery Bar & Restaurant · Restaurant · Woolston
The Tannery's brewery and the precinct's anchor — Cassels brews on site and pours it alongside wood-fired pizza and pub plates.
- 10Bridie's Bar & Bistro · Bar · Linwood
Linwood's local — an all-day bar and bistro with a light Irish lean, doing breakfast through to a late dinner, seven days.
+ 16 more on the map below ↓
Keep exploring
Common questions
- What are the best pubs in Christchurch?
- A few to start with: Pomeroy's Old Brewery Inn, MOON UNDER WATER, The Loft Bar, The Church Pub, A Rolling Stone. It's a good spread — British-style freehouses and Irish pubs in town, craft-beer locals like Pomeroy's and Moon Under Water, and the suburban taverns and sports bars that every neighbourhood leans on.
- Where's a good pub to watch the rugby?
- The Loft at Riverside Market is built around a 167-inch screen. Out in the suburbs, Tavern Harewood in Bishopdale, The Black Horse on Lincoln Road, Mayor of Ale and The Riccs in Riccarton and Pint and Pony in Halswell all put the sport on the screens with pub food to match.
- Any proper Irish or British pubs?
- The Bog on Victoria Street pours Guinness with live music every night, Celtic Arms on Selwyn Street is the Spreydon version with a pool table and darts, and Bridie's in Linwood has a light Irish lean. For the British side, The Victoria Free House does Sunday roasts and pies across from Victoria Square, and the Rose and Thistle in Papanui is a British-and-Scottish pub.
- Which pubs are good with kids or dogs?
- The Halswell has a secured playground in sight of the tables. Moon Under Water in Beckenham and Cassels at The Tannery are dog- and family-friendly, and No.4 and Bailies in St Albans welcome dogs too. Check with the pub if you're bringing either after dark.