Fiddlesticks Restaurant & Bar

Someone from this business manages this listing.

1,757 reviews

#22 of 1,080 Restaurants in Christchurch$$ - $$$, European, New Zealand, Vegetarian Friendly

+64 3-365 0533+ Add website

Hours

Sun

9:00 am - 10:30 pm

Mon

9:00 am - 10:30 pm

Tue

9:00 am - 10:30 pm

Wed

9:00 am - 10:30 pm

Thu

9:00 am - 10:30 pm

Fri

9:00 am - 11:00 pm

Sat

9:00 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

4.5

1,757 reviews

#22 of 1,080 Restaurants in Christchurch

Travellers' Choice 2023

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

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PRICE RANGE

$15.00 – $39.00

CUISINES

European, New Zealand

Special Diets

Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options

meals, features

Location and contact

Cnr Worcester Blvd & Montreal St., Christchurch 8013 New Zealand

+64 3-365 0533

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Does this restaurant offer highchairs for toddlers?

Yes

Unsure

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About

Sophisticated, sociable and relaxed, Fiddlesticks Bar & Restaurant is Christchurch's newest retreat. This distinctive centrally located restaurant and bar provides an inviting atmosphere in which to while away some time. Watch the street side activity while soaking up the ambiance in front of a roaring outdoor fire in our well sheltered courtyard, or join friends in one of the intimate dining spaces.Providing in-season, sensational local fare, the talented kitchen crew offer up a menu of beautifully cooked tasters and intriguing meals. Open from 8am for coffee and pastries, with a full menu served from 11am, or from 9am for brunch on weekends - Fiddlesticks is the perfect place to kick back and unwind in the heart of our city.

PRICE RANGE

$15.00 – $39.00

CUISINES

European, New Zealand

Special Diets

Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, After-hours

FEATURES

Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Gift Cards Available

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4.5

1,757 reviews

Excellent

1,019

Very good

541

Average

133

Poor

Terrible

Charles S

San Francisco70 contributions

Good place for a good dinner

Jan 2020 • none

This is a more considered restaurant than most in Christchurch. There is a sense of somewhat flashier contemporary design for the interior rooms. There are patio seating options. It required reservations and they filled up around 6:30PM. The food was of better quality and presentation than all other places we ate in NZ. Good cocktails and wine selection. Still casual, although I suppose flip-flops might be out of place at night.

Written 4 January 2020

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.

glennandcaz

46 contributions

Had a ‘hmmmm???’ moment...

Jan 2020 • none

Food was amazing and the service was great but we had a bit of a ‘hmmmm’ moment when steak was on the menu and we were asked individually as we ordered ‘it comes medium rear’. I asked for mine to be medium and the waitress went and asked the chef who said that was fine, but when others at the table asked for theirs the same the waitress commented ‘it’s just easier for the chef if the steaks are medium rear so he can put them all on at the same time’. This is a very nice restaurant and we were paying $60 each for a 2 course set menu so it was a surprise that as the paying customer we couldn’t say how we wanted our steaks cooked. We had two pregnant woman at the table who needed their food cooked well. Being dictated to by the chef tainted our experience of what could have otherwise been a flawless night.

Written 18 January 2020

David F

Shipston on Stour69 contributions

One of the very few restaurants

Jan 2020 • none

One of the very few restaurants I could find in Christchurch open at New Year, which alone is worth a star or two! Unfortunately, every other new arrival in the city had discovered this, too, so there was a significant wait for a table on New Year’s Day, and I ended up eating instead in a rather soulless hotel restaurant. However, I returned the following evening: the only table available was outside, which suited me fine. The food was excellent, and the service exemplary (I have a personal allergy to the response “No problem”, but was prepared to forgive my delightful waiter on this occasion! I was particularly impressed with his respectful attention to an older lady dining alone). Heartily recommended.

Written 3 January 2020

robertjamesw494

146 contributions

Just OK 😕

Feb 2020 • friends

We were 4 business people dining before the Blanc de Blanc show. We got a lovely welcome and shown to our table by a male staff member. Drinks & food menus given to us then we waited and waited and waited for someone to take our drinks choices. (The restaurant was not busy, nowhere near half full) Finally I got up and went to find someone. The youngish women that arrived to serve our table throughout our stay was very abrupt & unwelcoming, certainly not there to ensure we had a pleasant experience. The food was just ok. The wine I ordered was barely chilled. Overall an average experience. There are many, many more amazing restaurants in the CBD so we will not be returning to or recommending Fiddlesticks. 👎

Written 14 February 2020

Cliff J

London2084 contributions

Good Service and Food

Mar 2020 • none

Situated between the ruined Christchurch Cathedral and the Botanic Gardens and on the Christchurch Tram route, it is well situated. We stopped for an early evening drink and sat outside under an umbrella. Having looked at the menu we decided to have dinner and moved inside. There was a nice atmosphere in the restaurant; the staff were excellent, friendly, chatty, helpful and efficient. The meal was not cheap but the lamb was the best I had tasted in the whole of New Zealand and we had been here for 3-weeks and sampled lots of lamb dishes. We also returned for breakfast the following morning and their toasted muesli with fruit and yoghurt was lovely.

Written 17 April 2020

mervspain

Playa Flamenca138 contributions

Food and ambience enjoyable

Jan 2020 • none

We visited this restaurant on our first visit to Christchurch because we liked the look and ambience. Service was welcoming and very efficient. We ate outside in view of the good weather and chose the lamb in a bun and chips from an extensive menu. The lamb was cooked to order (pink) and it was delicious and very ample portions. Washed down with some well chilled sauvignon blanc and coffees, it was a most enjoyable experience.

Written 7 January 2020

BarryL303

Sedona52 contributions

Great food, great service.

Feb 2020 • none

After our hop-on/hop-off bus tour around the city (the stop was conveniently located a block away), we arrived at Fiddlesticks without a reservation a little earlier than normal dinner hour. We were seated immediately but with a warning that, by 8PM, we'd have to be out because of others who would be coming (and had made reservations). That gave us 2+ hours for a relaxing dinner with excellent food and drink. Our waitress (Tuesday) was helpful and provided perfect service. If we ever get back to Christchurch (and I hope we do), I'll return for another dinner.

Written 5 March 2020

c c

Singapore6 contributions

Excellent Dinner!

Feb 2020 • none

The restaurant was recommended by the hotel I stayed in and I went there early for dinner without a reservation. The restaurant was quite full but the manager, Sarah, accommodated me with a table as there was a later time reservation. It may be her job to please guests and fill the restaurant but I could see that she was geniunely trying to find a table for a guy looking eagerly to a good dinner. What an excellent dinner I had! I was served by Ms Antonella who provided great service and recommendations. She was always cheerful and smiling, and patiently explained the menu and the specials for the day, and recommended the Soup of the Moment (Day) which was a Cauliflower Chowder. I ordered the cup size, and it was excellent. I regretted not ordering the bigger bowl size! For mains, I had the salmon and it was one of the best salmon steak I have ever eaten. It was done medium rare, which Antonella recommended and it was perfect. The skin was crispy! I like the food so much that I wanted to go for dessert which I believe would also be good, and it did not disappoint. I had the Salted Caramel Dolice, recommended by Antonella and it was very good with a mixture of sweet and sour. My first meal in Christchurch and I was really glad that I went to Fiddlesticks. The food was excellent and so was the service. Even though I need to vacate the table by a certain time, the whole meal was not rushed, thanks to Sarah and Antonella! I would certainly go back there to try the other dishes in the menu!

Written 11 February 2020

Mary G

10 contributions

Gourmet Lunch in Christchurch

Feb 2020 • solo

Fiddlesticks served the perfect mid-afternoon lunch for a tired, jet-lagged tourist who had arrived that morning from the USA and had spent a few hours visiting museums. The perfectly cooked fish of the day and vegetables were delicious. I returned the next day for scallops and a salad. Again lunch was a gourmet treat with excellent service

Written 16 February 2020

Sarah Villrist

1 contribution

Lunch un Christchurch

Jan 2020 • friends

Headed over fiddlestick today for some lunch with my husband. Had the lamb sandwich and the salmon salad, just hit the spot and you can tell everything was really fresh. Our waitress from south America (Antinella) was lovely, she took great Care of us and recommended the caramel deliss for dessert (exquisite). Highly recommend and will return for dinner next time. Thanks again Antinella!

Written 16 January 2020

SRB8889

Sydney19 contributions

Exceptional food quality & best duck fat potato’s ever

Jan 2020 • couples

We stumbled across fiddlesticks by co-incidence really. We were on a day trip from a cruise that had stopped at Akaroa and it had taken us about 2 hours to arrive at Christchurch and we were dropped off right near Fiddlesticks. Fiddlesticks was such a wonderful place to stop for lunch. Service was genuinely friendly and food quality was outstanding and extremely fresh. The duck fat potato fries are the best we have ever tried anywhere in the world. Everything we ate was sensational which is what moves me to write about this place. The menu prices are also very reasonable. The restaurant had a very homely feel to it and we could only guess it must be a family run business.

Written 2 January 2020

emptyhead

262 contributions

Excellent meal

Feb 2020 • none

We shared the pate to start which turned out to be a good decision as it was a generous portion and of high quality. We both had the fish of the day which was tarakihi, which was light and beautifully prepared and presented. For a dessert we shared the caramel delice which was mouthwatering. Sharing the starter and dessert meant we weren't too full so it worked well for us. Service was very good and efficient and we will return next time we are in Christchurch.

Written 8 February 2020

martinvena

Christchurch8 contributions

Great evening

May 2020 • none

We often go to fiddlesticks for coffees and occasionally for wine/coctails. Last night we went for a meal. Delicious food. with plenty to choose from. Great service - well worth the money. We had a wonderful night.

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Written 20 May 2020

Sightseer693582

Brunswick Heads24 contributions

2 visits both superb

Mar 2020 • couples

We went there on a Sunday for brunch, they have not only the lunch menu but all day breakfast. I had the Lamb sandwich/ burger on a charcoal bun. It was sensational. My wife had the scrambled eggs, we also indulged in Duck Fat Potatoes. The lunch menu I had the same and my wife had the house made tomato soup and lamb croquettes. It was so good we went back for lunch the next day.

Written 10 March 2020

Chris F

Wroughton245 contributions

Busy and obviously popular

Jan 2020 • couples

Busy and obviously popular restaurant with a very good range of food choices on the menu. Very pleasant friendly service from the serving staff. Good choice of wines at reasonable prices. Was recommended this restaurant by our host in Kaikoura who was an international chef in his early career. I had the lamb which was very good and full of taste. Cost of meal for two was NZ$135 including a couple of glasses of wine.