One of the best brewpubs I have been to in the world. Whatever else we may want to say about the…read moreEnglish, they understand the science of crafting a good pub, or at least they used to. Wooden tables and floors with a comfy interior that beckons you to sit, drink, think, and talk in a convivial mode. The twisted hop has all of this as well as great food and beer. They brew their own beer, or rather Jim brews it, and they specialize in English style "real ales" although they have other varieties of beer and wine as well. Real ales are ales that are cask conditioned, that is, they continue to ferment in the cask. They are also dispensed with a hand pump instead of a C02 tap. This makes them delicate and amazingly flavourful in a way that typical lagers and "bright" ales are not. The beers at the Twisted Hop are great and you will want to give yourself some time there since you will want to try them all, maybe more than once. The food, despite The Twisted Hop's English DNA, is really good as well. They have Scotch eggs (ask, or maybe don't ask, what is in them), excellent chips and fish, and everything else looked good too. If you live in Christchurch, you should be reading this while seated at the Twisted Hop. For those traveling to Christchurch, this should be on your list of stops.

We visited The Twisted Hop on the 4th of July. They were promoting a 4th of July celebration event…read morethat evening and we decided to check it out. The first small victory was the private parking the back. Though there aren't many spaces, it was nice not to have to fight street parking. We entered through the back patio door which leads onto a covered, cozy patio great for enjoying a beer with a friend on a warm day. The restaurant inside is dark and rustic, but the bar is aglow with the colorful chalkboard promoting the beers on tap that day. We spent some time with the bartender discussing the beers available and he helped us find the perfect fit for our palates (pilsner for me!). We sat at a four top table near the wall of books at the front where you can buy a book for a donation that benefits the Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund. I can get behind that! There is a spot for a stage and a counter full of board games. Awesome. For dinner, we stuck to the American-theme menu and ordered tacos and wings. They were delicious, but the tacos were definitely my favorite. Next time I would like to try something off of their real menu, which looked wholly filing and belly-warming. Do you have a favorite brew? They take special requests and will do their best to stock it for you! Definitely recommend this a top bar to spend the afternoon or the evening imbibing craft brews and devouring delicious snacks.

We sat next to a local on the plane ride and he happened to be from Ashburton (our first night's…read morestop between Christchurch and Queenstown). He recommended this restaurant without hesitation so we decided to give it a go. We ordered the vegetarian parcel (pumpkin, feta, pine nuts in filo dough) and the braided fried chicken and mash. The fried chicken was good, but the vegetarian parcel was unique and delicious. It comes out in 3 beautifully packaged pockets filled with pumpkin and feta! The pockets (parcels)are in a bed of delicious sweet sauce and beets. Yum! The quality of the food was good, it's too bad we were only in town for one night. We ate at the bar, but there is an adjoining restaurant with a whole different menu. I imagine it's even more delicious!

I have had a few bad experiences at Braided Rivers in the past but kept going back because of the…read moreshortage of venues in Ashburton. I struggled with this but it has to be done; especially if it means saving some visitors from this tourist trap which does not represent what a dining and bar experience in the South Island is. As a restaurant, Braided Rivers boasts itself as a versatile, elegant and vibrant establishment in the Ashburton region. After much pondering and several trips there, I would describe it more as small-minded, outdated and snobbish; reminiscent of the kiwi expression "mutton dressed as lamb". Braided Rivers represents many things that are wrong about hospitality monopolies in small towns. It has no originality, no authenticity, and because of its position in the Ashburton market, it is not accountable. People will go back again and again because of the lack of choice but at the end of the day, a dining and a bar experience are so much more than just going somewhere and stuffing food and beverages down our sad faces. Braided Rivers lacks imagination and beckons a nouveau riche vibe that is over-hyped, over-priced and tries too hard. The food unfortunately doesn't try anything at all. Neither does the service. The level of the latter is directly correlated to how much money the staff thinks you have in your wallet and what you look like. I experienced this first hand more than once. The food kinda dissolves in your memory the same way the taste of a stick of gum does. I tried the pork belly and it was dry, I had to teach the bartender to how to make my Bloody Mary and all the components on the cheese board can be purchased at the local supermarket. Bar nights at Braided Rivers which start on Thursday, Friday and Saturday boast the best in top 40 music played from the televisions scattered throughout the bar and a band on weekends. It's a lovely testosterone filled atmosphere if there is the right ratio of farmers per women which is usually about 4 to 1 and you will fit right in if you are white, upper middle- class and basic. For everyone else, I suggest checking out the smaller and more authentic eateries and drinking holes around the Ashburton district; such as the many ones in Methven, or driving the extra hour to Christchurch to party. Another great idea would be to grab a bottle from one of the local vineyards and heading out to the beach, Lake Heron or one of the many beautiful natural spots around the region and enjoy yourselves while enjoying the magnificent views and a more fulfilling experience.

This is a great pub in Ferrymead that's well worth the drive from Merivale for quiz night on…read moreWednesdays. (You definitely need to make a booking if you want to play.) The bar is right off the water and the outdoor patio seating receives a nice cool, salty breeze. There is plenty of seating inside from tall top tables to more intimate seating and group tables. There are plenty of TVs to catch a game or catch the clues for quiz night. The menu is limited but good quality. The chicken sandwich is hearty and topped with an aioli dressing and bacon. The side of chips are thick-cut and soft on the inside. You can order aioli or ketchup on the side. I have seen a fish and potatoes ordered, the fish are smothered in a sauce and, as a non-pescatarian, I find it sloppy and unappetizing. The onion rings as an entree would be a good choice as they are crispy on the outside and slimy onion on the inside..just the way any good onion rings should be. I recently tried the three ice cream and warm chocolate chip cookie which was heavenly. The cookie is thick and crumbly and the ice creams were stellar (double chocolate, vanilla with cherry and mint chocolate chip). There are on Monteith's beers on tap and some rotating summer options. There are other beer options by the bottle if you prefer as well as an adequate wine selection. Soft drinks and well drinks are available, too. The staff is great (our table loves Alex) - they're quick with orders and always wandering around looking to help. Definitely the best drinking establishment in Ferrymead and worth a stop if you live in the area.

Awful, rude service and the food was poor quality. Staff appeared melancholy and the atmosphere was…read moreconstantly ruined by a slamming door and kids running in and out of the restaurant, bar area and kitchen. This is not a gastropub. It's cheap eats at inflated prices at best.

Great food, particularly the pork sliders. Very nice, trendy environment and the service was also…read moreexcellent. While it doesn't come across as a cheesy 'family' venue, it is equipped with a change table and high chairs and the staff are very accommodating. There's quite a range of low alcohol drinks. Would get five stars if they had some good NZ craft beers available.

I wanted to eat somewhere this afternoon near a park and with an opportunity to enjoy the sunshine…read more I was not disappointed at Terrace Tavern. Menu has many options and they were serving brunch until 3 PM on Sunday. I opted for sharing the corn and and crab soup with my aunt, and having the grilled cauliflower with halpumi, couscous and arugula salad. I was very impressed by the number of vegetarian options at this Gastro pub like spot. Most of the patrons were seated near the door or outside. Many were enjoying beers and snacks that afternoon. I was also super happy that the food was not overly salted. In fact I could've used a little bit more but was glad for them to err on the side of less. Service was friendly and helpful; the only drawback was that I asked for my bill three times before it came.

We stopped here for lunch and I orDered the Pastrami sandwich and a glass of Sauvignon blanc. My…read morehusband ordered the oysters and they were not tasty. My sandwich was great. Menu had some great items and they have free Wi-Fi

This place was very busy on a Saturday, but we managed to get a table in the bar by at 6.15pm…read more Not being hugely hungry so early in the evening, we opted for 3 small plates - courgette hummus, salmon ceviche and house falafel. All delicious. I particularly like the seeded biscuits that came with the hummus. We washed that down with a nice Sauvignon, leaving just enough room for a passion fruit mousse {vegan, GF, DF}. A lovely meal, only marred by the ever-increasing volume from neighbouring groups, which by 7.15 had reached the shouting stage, to the point that any music being played was totally redundant! So yes, l lovely food, but try to get a table in the restaurant, not the bar!

Fiddlesticks is serious! I did not realize how long they've been around until I saw food pics here…read morethat are 10 yrs old. From the pics, it looks like they've really upped their game! We got in here on a Friday night without a rezy and so glad we did since most people have one. First time I've had an alcoholic ginger beer, with a twist of lime, so divine! Our server gave us the low down on what were the serious kitchen movers, which was spot on! We started with the fried chicken thighs appetizer, just brilliant presentation and tasty with homemade "ranch-like" drizzle, pickled onions, and micro greens. Our mains were the lamb and the grilled salmon. The attention to detail was impressive. The server explained that the potato's used for the lamb are roasted with wagyu fat, which have gave them a smoked, perhaps beefy flavor. The tastiest roasted potatoes I have ever tasted. The salmon was perfectly seared at medium rare, but I think my American palate has become use to medium texture, but still divine! My only suggestion would be to use French green beans as they are more tender than the typical green bean and would better compliment the presentation of the salmon, but that's just getting into the Minutia, perhaps the name for Fiddlesticks next location!

Gastro Pub Food!…read more This is pub food at it's best - beautifully presented, well prepared and reasonably priced. The staff are very friendly and helpful and the beer is good and cheap too. It was right next door to the motel we stayed at and we enjoyed the food so much that we went there a second time!

Nice atmosphere. Good food. We had a very long wait for food (around an hour) and when we mentioned…read moreit (even though my initial estimate of the wait was even longer), the staff was argumentative about it. For me, friendly service makes up for mediocre food but not the other way around. Ultimately, still worth a visit but unfortunately our experience was soured.

No 4 is definitely a "regulars" type of crowd. During the summers, the patio is filled every night…read morewith loud laughs, a sporting event on the TV or live music on the weekends. The average age is around 40, but on Thursdays it does draw in a good young population. With various specials featuring every day, it's a great place to unwind after work. As it's located in the Merivale/Saint Albans area, except to drop more than a few gold coins for a drink or a bite to eat, but the food is pretty tasty (put the mango back in the mango chicken salad, please!) and the drinks are made with care. Most of the beers on draught are Monteith's, so if you fancy something different, try a different spot. What makes this such a great bar (besides the taxi stand out front) are the various rooms that available. There are two separate outdoor patio areas (a larger one where live music is played with high top and low top tables and a smaller more intimate area great for a small group gathering to watch a sport match or for a birthday dinner). Inside they have a more formal dining area, a high top area and a library with a large TV and tall top tables. This is where the hen parties can go wild. It's definitely one of the top choices if you're in the area.