Chillingworth Road Restaurant

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#31 of 1,094 Restaurants in Christchurch$$$$, European, Wine Bar, Vegetarian friendly

+64 3-352 7784+ Add website

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Hours

Mon

9:30 am - 2:30 pm

Tue

9:30 am - 8:00 pm

Wed

9:30 am - 8:00 pm

Thu

9:30 am - 8:00 pm

Fri

9:30 am - 8:00 pm

Sat

11:30 am - 8:00 pm

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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

371 reviews

#31 of 1,094 Restaurants in Christchurch

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

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PRICE RANGE

$24.00 – $174.00

CUISINES

European, Wine Bar, New Zealand

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

meals, features

Location and contact

2/478 Cranford Street Papanui, Christchurch 8053 New Zealand

+64 3-352 7784

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Is this a wine bar?

Yes

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About

At Chillingworth Road, we epitomize the pinnacle of fine dining, meticulously crafting an unparalleled gastronomic journey for our esteemed guests. With an unwavering commitment to culinary excellence, we meticulously select locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, fostering personal relationships with our suppliers to ensure the utmost quality. Our extensive beverage selection, carefully curated to cater to discerning palates, features a distinguished array of wines, craft beers, cocktails, and non-alcoholic options. Guided by our esteemed Executive Chef, our culinary artisans, supported by our impeccable Food & Beverage team, cultivate an ambiance that seamlessly blends warmth with sophistication . Keep an eye out for our exclusive events or inquire about joining our Advanced booking list for an unforgettable fine dining experience that exceeds expectations.

PRICE RANGE

$24.00 – $174.00

CUISINES

European, Wine Bar, New Zealand

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Dinner, After-hours, Drinks

FEATURES

Reservations, Private Dining, Seating, Parking Available, Free off-street parking, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Gift Cards Available

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4.5

371 reviews

Excellent

269

Very good

Average

Poor

Terrible

Keza6

5 contributions

Excellent Food, Fabulous Staff And Lovely Surroundings

Feb 2020 • none

This was our first visit to Chillingworth Road and we can quite honestly say they have exceptional food and amazing staff. We had the 7 course degustation menu and we could not fault it, it was absolutely delicious. We were made to feel welcome, each dish was described as it was delivered. We will definitely return and highly recommend Chillingworth Road.

Written 4 February 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.

Emjay09

Sydney27 contributions

A Faultless Experience

Jun 2020 • none

One of the best dining experiences I have had in New Zealand. The service is absolutely outstanding, staff are welcoming, friendly and knowledgable. Dietary requirements/preferences are easily catered for and each dish was absolutely delicious. We will be back!

Written 3 June 2020

BB23

3 contributions

Absolutely the best Restaurant in Christchurch

May 2020 • none

This is our favourite restaurant above and beyond all the others. We have been a number of times and were back again on Saturday and the food was absolutely amazing as per usual. Our stand out favourite dish this time was the mushroom and potato gnocchi. Any dish that Darren and his team do with mushrooms is just so incredible (and I never used to eat mushrooms but they have certainly changed my mind on that). Their menu changes seasonally so each time it is different. The Service is above par and Mark and the wait staff team are exceptional at their job. The restaurant is peaceful and has a lovely relaxing atmosphere. It is such a perfect restaurant for a romantic or special dinner out, they take such good care of you. It is well worth the money you spend.

Written 27 May 2020

Zucoto

Christchurch66 contributions

Not a rave but nice enough.

Nov 2021 • none

We took our best friends for a special lunch and raved to them about a previous meal we had eaten at Chillingworth road a couple of years ago. Sadly, it did not live up to our memory. Lunch may not have been the best time to visit. We were dining in a largely empty bistro with two other table with two pensioners each. I wondered later if they were using "first table" vouchers as this is not a cheap restaurant. The wine list is good. The bread was nothing to rave about. We were somewhat disappointed as it sounded great - home baked. It seemed that it may have been fried in garlic butter (a good way to use up the old bread from yesterday?). Our problem was the main took an hour to arrive. Quite a long wait at lunchtime. One of our table had to go back to work and was getting a little agitated. Our feeling was that the waiter was perhaps also the chef. There was no sound of anything happening in the kitchen. I suspected that the small serving of cauliflower, brocolli and bean was reheated from the night before. It was a bit soggy and a little cold. The lamb and the steak, however, were excellent. We very much enjoyed the dessert. There was no time for coffee. We will not be returning. Christchurch has a lot of restaurants. This one seems to have lost it's fizz. Our waiter was friendly but we needed more than that to justify the expense.

Written 12 November 2021

Sarah4213

Christchurch39 contributions

Awesome night out

Dec 2020 • friends

Once again we visited Chillingworth Road for the 9 course degustation menu with wine matching and it was amazing as usual. The food is different every time but always delicious. My sister is allergic to garlic but they easily took that into account without a heads up beforehand- even made her a completely different soup than mine as the first course! I couldn't recommend this restaurant enough - the wait staff are wonderful, friendly and very knowledgeable about the food and wine. Food was absolutely delicious and exciting. 100% my favorite chch restaurant.

Written 27 December 2020

Samantha M

105 contributions

Disappointing....

Feb 2021 • couples

We came for lunch, really looking forward to it as we have had great evening meals here. The bistro menu was really uninspiring and the dishes themselves were really not great at all. My husband ordered the steak which was so overcooked. I ordered 3 smaller starter plates, which all came with the same sauce, and were actually pretty bland and boring. Really disappointed chillingworth. I think you need to pick your game up for lunch.

Written 26 February 2021

Rudi H

Orewa145 contributions

What an absolute SHOCKER

Sept 2022 • business

We booked a table of 6 and I was pretty excited to eat at this fine dining restaurant, given the limitations of fine dining in Christchurch. Put aside it was my biggest customer and that I was trying to treat them, the standard we experienced tonight was absolutely shocking. Every single one of our dishes had flaws in taste and presentation ranging from a burnt cauliflower dish where the cauliflower could have been trimmed better by a blind, one armed kitchen hand, to blatantly raw lamb that is sent back to the kitchen and then gets re-served as tough and overcooked to a chocolate soup desert and every permutation in-between. That’s before we have 2 spilled meals that are either left on the table or simply covered up with a napkin. Not a single one of the dishes came out uniformly with many of the dishes being substantially different in size and presentation quality to the next. Top that off with every single dish being under seasoned and simply average. If you’re going to label yourself as fine dining, this is simply not good enough. I am going to have to say that this was the worst degustation menu I have ever experienced, hands down. I cannot believe that we paid $135 per head for a meal that could not be compared to the average 3 course hotel dinner or pub meal and I find myself angry even writing this review. Even worse is that I contacted the restaurant and no one has got back to me.

Written 11 September 2022

GallopingGourmet51

Christchurch133 contributions

An Exquisite Experience

Oct 2021 • couples

We dined at Chillingworth Road in the “fine dining” room and fine dining it was indeed. My wife and I chose the 9 course degustation menu with the addition of wine paired with each course. Safe to say everything was perfect and the wait staff described each dish and it’s accompanying wine to perfection. The whole experience, from being seated to cashing out, was exquisite and if I win the Lottery I would consider eating every meal for the rest of my life in the back room of Chillingworth Road.

Written 12 October 2021

Trevor W

Sydney31 contributions

An Amazing Experience

Feb 2023 • none

A suburban restaurant in a shopfront, the back half of which has been closed off with dark wall drapes and chandeliers, which was fully occupied for dinner. It’s amazing because it has no menu! It offers either 3, 5, 7 or 9 degustation courses but the diners have absolutely no idea of what they will be served. The chef’s imagination reigns supreme! Now why would anyone pay good money for a meal they have no idea what it will be.? Our entree was tasty but we could hardly see it because the lighting was so poor. We asked questions of the waiter as to its content. Our main was basically a square of braised beef seriously overcooked (burnt). Ironically the braised beef served on Air New Zealand today was far, far better and edible! We finished with dessert, a strange concoction which again we had to ask our waiter what it was. So the puzzlement is how can the chef fill his restaurant whilst keeping his diners literally in the dark and feed them mystery dishes. If you decide to dine here, take your mobile phone torch and ask questions.

Written 2 March 2023

Samantha P

London9 contributions

Pretty bland dishes

Nov 2021 • couples

We went here last night for our anniversary meal. We had heard mixed reviews from a few friends but thought we would give it a go. First off, the waitress was amazing! Could not fault her. Unfortunately the food was pretty bland. When fine dining I expect flavour and not desperately spend my time wanting to ask for salt and pepper. The dishes were average which is heart breaking when paying the price they request for them. I also expect to come out full after 7 courses but my partner and I felt we could have more! Unfortunately we will not be rushing back anytime soon.

Written 6 November 2021

G3657WKjohnc

Christchurch33 contributions

Very nice fine dining

Jan 2022 • none

We went to Chillingworth for our 25th wedding anniversary and had the 7 course meal with matching wines - superb. I am not a white wine drinker but I have to say they matched the white wines perfectly with the meal, so much so went and bought a few bottles of the Craggy Range Chardonnay. Service was exceptional. We are now shouting a friend and his wife there for his 50th, with us tagging along of course, for the 9 course with matching wine option, looking forward to it. Pricing is at the high end but if there is one thing COVID has taught us, life is short, so go and enjoy it.

Written 27 April 2022

Skinny_Tim

Auckland37 contributions

Excellent Service

Apr 2021 • none

We booked here on the advice of friends but were disconcerted to find that the restaurant is in a shopping strip and more concerned when we walked in to find something that looked more like Cobb and Co than a fine dining restaurant. We waited in the bar area and nervously ordered a round of drinks. Once the drinks arrived, we were led through to the ‘back room’ and from then on everything was pretty much perfect. Sometimes you go to restaurants with great food, but the staff are busy, stressed or disinterested. The joy of the experience for us was not only the lovely food in the 7 course offering, but the enthusiasm, humor and knowledge that the staff displayed throughout the 4 hours that we were there. We went for the wine pairings, that were all nicely described and matched with the dishes. Last to leave at midnight, we still felt welcome and unhurried. Service is the key. We’ll be recommending this place to all our friends.

Written 3 April 2021

kiwiana7902014

Auckland85 contributions

An excellent fine dining experience

Mar 2021 • none

There was a warm, welcome at the door on arrival, then we met Elliot our waiter who was knowledgeable, very well trained and delightful. All courses of the degustation menu were interesting, flavourful and beautifully presented. The wine list was comprehensive and reasonably priced. An excellent restaurant.

Written 24 March 2021

Karl D

Bristol4 contributions

Some of the worst food I’ve ever eaten

Mar 2023 • family

We went as a large family group for the 7 course degustation menu, and were very disappointed. The first course was barely edible, with most of it sent back uneaten. We were optimistic that in a tasting menu you often come across a course that’s not to everyone’s liking. Unfortunately it simply went from bad to worse. The flavour combinations and quality of the food was simply awful. The entertainment for the evening turned into scoring just how terrible each course was. Several members of the group went to McDonalds on the way home, as they left hungry. On a positive note the wait staff were really good, and the food was well presented.

Written 9 April 2023

Navjot Singh

Thank you for your review. We are happy you enjoyed the service, we do wish your thoughts regarding our menu had been brought to our attention so we could have had the opportunity to do something different to salvage the evening. Ultimately we are sorry to hear you didn't enjoy your time at Chillingworth Road. We wish you the best for future culinary experiences.

Written 11 April 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Culture20495984874

1 contribution

4th time and it was ok.

Nov 2023 • friends

It’s the 4th time I’ve been, it was nice but not quite the mind blowing expectation I was hoping for. Did the 9 course, the lamb was chewy, very under and tiny. The cheesecake was 3x2x1cm, the soup 1st course lacked depth of flavor, if you’re going to start with a vegetarian soup make it start with a bang, it just echoed what was to follow. I know the degustation is designed to be small but these were tiny bites, it feels a touch ungenerous and at the eye watering prices they charge they need to be. On a positive the duck confit and the summer trifle were outstanding, just tiny. The lighting was too bright, the first time l went it was gorgeous and dimly lit, this particular evening felt like l was in a show room. The staff were their usual professional and friendly, the charming Indian chap could speak up a little more sometimes it was a little hard to hear him and we were too shy to ask him to repeat but we loved his manner.