The Jetty Restaurant

You're sat right on the Stour, watching the water lap against the restaurant's edge—it's the kind of setting that makes you forget you're in Christchurch proper. The Jetty doesn't mess about with unnecessary theatrics; instead, it lets good ingredients and proper technique do the talking. Expect seasonal menus that shift with what's actually worth eating, fish done right without being fussy about it, and a wine list that feels genuinely considered rather than marked up to the heavens. It's the sort of place locals book for occasions without it feeling stiff or pretentious.