The Goldfinch

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#6 of 1,093 Restaurants in Christchurch$$ - $$$, European, Asian, Vegetarian friendly

+64 3-244 0464+ Add website

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Hours

Sun

5:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Tue

11:30 am - 11:00 pm

Wed

11:30 am - 11:00 pm

Thu

11:30 am - 11:00 pm

Fri

11:30 am - 11:00 pm

Sat

11:30 am - 11:00 pm

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What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

5.0

92 reviews

#6 of 1,093 Restaurants in Christchurch

Travellers' Choice 2024

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

European, Asian, Fusion, Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

“We opted for three of the small plates: the pork dumplings, the mushroom taco...”

“Just back from a wonderful meal at The Goldfinch - seared tuna, mushroom taco...”

“Dumplings weren't my favorite, but the egg plant was stunning.”

“Loved the beef salad, the seared tuna, the mushroom tacos.”

Location and contact

145 Victoria Street, Christchurch 8013 New Zealand

+64 3-244 0464

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Does this restaurant have a full bar?

Yes

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Details

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About

Indulge yourself in an unique dining experience in the heart of Christchurch City at The Goldfinch. We create carefully curated South East Asian inspired meals with a modern European twist. As well as an extensive list of exotic hand crafted cocktails.

CUISINES

European, Asian, Fusion

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner

FEATURES

Reservations, Seating, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service

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5.0

92 reviews

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Average

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Scotty

1 contribution

Awesome food! Colorful, vibrant, very well presented and expecially delicious. Fantastic service.

Apr 2022 • none

We really had a great time, Marko which looked after us really make the experience unforgettable. Waiting at the bar while a table was freeing up while having fantastic cocktails, then sitting down we weren't sure what to order so beside few picks we asked the staff for some suggestions. The indeed got the right pick for us, we had many dishes too share, everything was delicious and you could pick up on the attention to details. We ended up staying until late and finishing the night at the bar to enjoy more cocktails and drinks. Highly recommended!

Written 7 May 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Vaughan61

Oxford11 contributions

Great dining experience.

Nov 2022 • none

We were served by a French waiter who was a great host and provided good insight into the many options on the menu. Goldfinch has a good atmosphere, and our food was very tasty and came in good sized portions. Definitely recommend.

Written 15 November 2022

Leonie Cowen-Willis

Christchurch74 contributions

Delicious food & best cocktails in town

Apr 2022 • friends

We love this place..dont be put off by the dark drive leading to it as it really is a hidden gem. You are met by Marco or Adam who are faultless in their service. I have been three times now and cannot fault any of the dishes. Calamari is best I have ever tasted..melt in your mouth. Prawns are delicious as is the fried chicken.Thai beef salad..yumm. Endamae beans fresh and delicious and then there is the mains. Lamb Mussaman curry is delicious, as is the salmon and pork belly. Desserts are delish especially the chocolate mousse. Did I mention the cocktails?? They are the best in town and not full of ice that they are gone in 2 sips. It is the full dining experience. You will not be disappointed with the service, food, flavors or the cocktails

Written 16 April 2022

Rowena

Dunedin4 contributions

Ultimate Asian Fusion Experience

Sept 2022 • couples

Wow! This place is a must when in Christchurch. From the moment you walk in the door you can tell you are in for a treat. Incredible ambiance and amazing front of house staff to greet you. We were told by our waitress the best experience is to share plates for the ultimate tastebud sensation, so that’s exactly what we did. Between two of us we had 3 sharing plates and 2 shared mains. I cannot rate the quality of the food high enough with the meat dishes so perfectly cooked, they melted in your mouth. The flavours were incredible and left you wanting more. The dumplings are an absolute must too! We will 100% be back and highly recommend this restaurant for any special occasion or an enjoyable date night like we did. 5 star dining for sure!

Written 18 September 2022

evets1232016

Sydney465 contributions

A bit different

Feb 2023 • none

Goldfinch goes for share plates of various sizes, which we like. The menu is a real mix of different cuisines from all over Asia and elsewhere. We had chicken satay and thai-style beef salad, and on the owner's recommendation we added an eggplant dish which seemed more Middle Eastern, but they were a harmonious combination. Each dish was beautifully plated, and each was slightly surprising, in that we weren't quite sure just exactly what ingredients we were tasting. Fine dining done a little bit differently-highly recommended.

Written 22 February 2023

Danielle Lewis

3 contributions

Amazing food!!

Nov 2021 • none

Have had a couple of dinners at The Goldfinch and will definitely be back! The food selection is great and such good value - the portions are very generous. Love how fresh all the food is, even just the garnish salad is packed with flavour. Personal faves are the pork dumplings, thai beef salad, calamari, tofu fritters and the kaarage chicken YUM!!

Written 9 January 2022

Tracey Anne

West Coast Region51 contributions

This place is the whole package... Flavorsome Food, Friendly Service, Fun Atmosphere. It's a MUST-GO!

Jun 2023 • couples

The Goldfinch is by far the best Restaurant we have been to in Christchurch for some time. It has that magic and special touch that is lacking in so many NZ restaurants. The menu has many tantalizing options. including flavorsome vegetarian and inviting vegan options, all unlike anything we have had anywhere else. We went for the Togarashi Mushroom Tacos, seared Ahi Tuna and the Grilled Eggplant which left us licking our lips and smiling from head to toe. We were satisfied and full, yet the food was just so full of flavour we had to try one of their desserts, we chose the Lychee Mille-Feuilles. There's many great wines to choose from to compliment your meal and some fantastic sounding cocktails (that we will try next time) The service is from the owner himself and another very friendly, helpful, down-to-earth waiter. They treat you as though you are family and you, at once feel very comfortable. This is our new favourite restaurant whenever we are in ChCh and we will be sharing this place for many fun times and fine delicious food with our friends & family.

Written 30 June 2023

SkyeWanderer777

Christchurch90 contributions

EXCEPTIONAL DINING!

May 2022 • none

What a sensational experience it was dining at The Goldfinch. Service was impeccable (thank you, Marco!) The food was divine. For starters, we had the Chicken Karaage (crispy on the outside, moist and juicy inside!), the Coconut Calamari (Yum! We would’ve wanted more wasabi in the mayo, though, for contrast!), and the Seared Ahi Tuna studded with sesame seeds and served with mango salsa, ponzu and citrus herbs ( a stunning and harmonious layering of complimentary flavours!) Oh, that was divine! Then we had two entrees: the Wild Boar Skewer and Sichuan Pork Dumplings. Oh my! Everything was luscious! Marco made a heavenly Mango Daiquiri that was so smooth and perfect, I wanted it to last! If you want to try The Goldfinch, and you should, may I suggest that you start with two entrees and then two mains? That way you’ll have room for dessert. The small plates are not as tiny as Spanish tapas plates, and you can always order more as you go along. Service was FAST. We were so impressed! Love The Goldfinch! It was exceptional all around!

Written 15 May 2022

spraggbj

Christchurch166 contributions

Very, very impressed

Jun 2023 • friends

Some friends were staying in the city and asked for a recommendation so we went with The Goldfinch as work colleagues of my wife had given favourable reviews. Our waiter was really helpful and suggested sharing three small, two medium, and two large plates between the four of us. We started with tuna, calamari and pork dumplings. All were delicious. Our medium choices were wild boar skewers (just ok) and the duck … which was delectable. Onto the chicken stir fry and ribs as the mains. Both really good but we would have preferred a zingy Korean style barbecue sauce with the ribs. Decent beers and excellent cocktails made this an extremely enjoyable dining experience.

Written 10 June 2023

carolk50

Christchurch147 contributions

This has to best one of the best restaurants in Christchurch

Jul 2023 • couples

My partner and I eat out every Sunday and usually go to our favourites as we have been disappointed in the past trying new restaurants BUT NOT THIS TIME! From the moment we walked in here on a dark wet Sunday evening we were greeted with a smile shown to a table and that’s where the magic began, this has to be hands down one of the best meals we have eaten in ages. We opted for two small plates and two medium with helpful suggestions from the owner(?) we started with the seared tuna with fresh mango salsa then tōgarashi mushroom tacos followed by wild boar skewers OMG 😀 and Thai beef salad every dish was a taste sensation, we really didn’t need a dessert but did manage to share a cremē brûlée with saffron & cardamon, honestly the best food we have had in a very long time, great service, warm and attentive, highly recommended.

Written 16 July 2023

Colourqueen

Melbourne324 contributions

Delish

Mar 2024 • couples

I really can’t fault the food in this restaurant. We dined on the lemongrass dumplings, Thai beef salad and pork belly. All were absolutely delicious. Our attentive waitstaff, Alok and Olivier, were very helpful with menu suggestions and their service was excellent. I’d happily return to dine here again. Food was great, service was great. Lovely restaurant. What more could you want?

Written 2 March 2024

EllenLovesHawaii

21 contributions

Outstanding dining experience

Nov 2023 • couples

This place is delicious! The food is so refreshing, and beautifully presented. We enjoyed every bite. The Owner/chef was very helpful with advice on dishes. The setting felt very special. It was one of our two favorite places in our three weeks of dining through New Zealand.

Written 27 December 2023

Doug P

12 contributions

Superb food and excellent service at The Goldfinch!

Feb 2024 • couples

Just back from a wonderful meal at The Goldfinch - seared tuna, mushroom tacos, coconut calamari, tiger prawns and cauliflower pakora. Every dish was interesting and intensely flavourful. Chef Bhubnesh served us - very engaging and full of useful information, and genuinely pleased that we were enjoying our meal as much as we did. Loads of GF options. The small plates were generously sized - the two of us shared five and we couldn't have eaten another bite. Excellent. Go if you can!

Written 24 February 2024

MereteMadsen

Assens277 contributions

Great

Jan 2024 • couples

We got excellent service here. Food is What I would Call fusion. Dishes that originate from different countries. We were told about the sizes of the dishes, and recommended to share…which we did not, as we want different types of food. As some of my tuna was “Funny” tasting, the waiter deducted it from the bill. The food was fresh and I am sure many love it….it was a little do different for us to want to come again, though, we are more into original thai and vietnamese dishes.

Written 31 January 2024

Tania C

Woodend41 contributions

Lived up to reviews

Apr 2024 • friends

Enjoyed every mouthful . Great food n service. Staff showed great knowledge of the menu, offered suggestions, and were very attentive. Thanks team you rock the service and the food was tasty n well presented.