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.
Beach
Review
About
Situated in the gorgeous seaside village of Sumner, Beach is one of New Zealand's iconic restaurants. Built on the sand, within metres of the Pacific Ocean, looking out across the Bay to the snow capped Southern Alps. Bask in the sunshine or watch the sun go down both inside or out on our spacious decking. Open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner 9am - til late.
Features
CUISINES
Bar, Pizza, New Zealand
Meal types
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Drinks
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
FEATURES
Accepts Credit Cards
Beach
Dog Friendly
Free off-street parking
Full Bar
Gift Cards Available
Highchairs Available
Live Music
Mastercard
Outdoor Seating
Reservations
Seating
Serves Alcohol
Street Parking
Table Service
Visa
Waterfront
Wheelchair Accessible
Wine and Beer
Location
Free off-street parking, Street Parking
Does this restaurant have live music
Save this restaurant
Hours
Open until 10:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 am - 11:00 pm
Monday
9:00 am - 10:00 pm
Tuesday
9:00 am - 10:00 pm
Wednesday
9:00 am - 10:00 pm
Thursday
9:00 am - 11:00 pm
Friday
9:00 am - 11:00 pm
Saturday
9:00 am - 11:00 pm
Contribute
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
3.8
255 reviews
Excellent
109
Good
63
Average
34
Poor
23
Terrible
26
These reviews are machine translated from their original language. Show machine translations?
This service may contain translations powered by Google. Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, express or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and noninfringement.
luckys15
Christchurch246 contributions
Dec 2024 • family
We decided to dine here because they could accommodate a celiac diner and it is such a lovely location. Unfortunately, the food was a bit of a let down for 2 out of the 3 main meals we got. We ordered the mussels, which had basically no broth and no taste. Being on a beach and right by the ocean, we expected a bit more from this. The salmon was also a let down, which is a shame. The burger however, was really good and I would definitely get that again if I ever went back, but overall just an average visit which costs too much. Not really worth the money in the end, which is unfortunate because it is in a prime location.
Written 20 January 2025
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.
Erin Duck
Hi luckys15,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience of Beach Bar with us. We’re disappointed to learn that some of your meals didn’t meet expectations. We always strive to deliver flavorful and high-quality dishes, and we appreciate your feedback. Being so close to the ocean, we certainly want our seafood to impress, so we’ll be reviewing this with our kitchen team to see where we can improve.
On the other hand, we’re pleased that you enjoyed the burger! We truly appreciate your honest input, as it helps us refine our offerings and provide a better experience for our guests.
If you ever decide to give us another try, we’d love the opportunity to provide a meal that exceeds expectations. Please reach out to me directly at erin@maestrohospitality.co.nz.
Kind regards,
Erin Duck
Group Venue Manager
Written 3 February 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Navigator07600336093
6 contributions
Jan 2024 • couples
Meet and greet was very slow and cool.On finally being seated we quickly fell in with the very pleasant seaside ambience. Seafood chowder was very good and greatly enjoyed. The seafood pizza was light on topping , almost felt as if the kitchen were trying to make a little bit of seafood go a long way.
Staff were very pleasant and quick to respond to any requests. Regardless of our comments above, this is a really neat place to dine at , it has a really nice vibe Whether your food meets your expectations or not you will still come away and say as we did "hey that was fun'.
Written 4 January 2024
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.
Erin Duck
Hi Navigator,
Thanks for your candid comments and lovely words. We are so pleased you had a delicious meal and our staff looked after you well! Looking forward to welcoming you back again in the future.
Written 28 April 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Williams Family NZ
Christchurch60 contributions
Apr 2022 • couples
Have been to Beach a few times and all previous occasions were excellent, however last night was really disappointing, and to cap it off we’d brought another couple with us after telling them how good our previous visits were.
Note; this our first evening meal at Beach, other times have been breakfast or lunch.
The food was really disappointing, the seafood chowder (wife also made the comment “who puts peas in a seafood chowder”) was not up to the normal standard, the burger and chips appeared to have sat under heat lamps for a reasonable period of time, and for the price was extremely sparse.
Of note was the price of Bluff Oysters, had to do a double take on this when we looked at it.
I will say the service and staff was excellent, very friendly and helpful.
I’m sorry Beach I don’t normally leave feedback like this, but the old adage, if you don’t know you can’t change.
We will return, but probably not for dinner.
Written 2 April 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.
Greg K
2 contributions
Aug 2024 • solo
Disappointed with the Bluff oysters I was served today. Firstly the batter promised was to be tempura but in fact was really only beer batter. Secondly I was charged $48 for 6 oysters... $8 more than was indicated on the menu for 6 oysters. Their ruse is that they double the number of oysters (ie 3 goes to 6 and 6 goes to 12, etc) but more than double the prise. Would you pay $48 for 6 beer-battered oysters?
Written 6 August 2024
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.
John and Elizab... G
29 contributions
Oct 2023 • friends
First time we've been there and we were disappointed. Great location right on the sand at Sumner and we hoped for better. The burgers were OK but unexciting, they came with chips. The fish and chips were disgusting - a monster plate of chips with a dark tan-coloured square (!) of greasy battered hoki on top, a tiny bowl of "mushy peas" the same size as the tartare sauce serving. No salad or garnishes. Strong smell of charring coming from the kitchen at times. We have rarely encountered such a bored, disengaged, personality-less waitperson and she wasn't listening properly at times, with the result that a drinks order was incorrect. By contrast, the staff member who corrected this was very pleasant and said she would have a word. Perhaps our staffer was new, but she needs to be a little more interested in her customers.
Written 18 November 2023
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.
Shaun Halliwell
Good morning,
Thank you very much for your review and the appreciate the time you have put into this. We appreciate all feedback, good or bad as it helps us to ensure that our standards are either being met or not.
Unfortunately, we did not meet your expectations when you visited us recently. Please accept my sincere apology as this is very disappointing. It is never our intention to ever have our customers walking away feeling the way you did.
We will review this with the team and see where our processes have failed us.
Thanks again for taking the time to review us. Have a great week.
Regards Shaun
Written 19 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
pritchard8024
Christchurch119 contributions
Sept 2024 • family
This is a regular brunch/lunch venue for us for a reason. In addition to the excellent “right on Sumner beach view” it has great decor and good seating to allow everyone a good view for all diners. Great professional service and a good variety menu usually fits everyone’s tastes. Excellent coffee and beverage service. Pricing is reasonable (generous and good variety of cocktails).
Written 2 October 2024
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.
Erin Duck
Hi pritchard,
Thank you so much for your lovely review after dining with us at Beach Bar! We're so pleased to know you enjoyed the food, service and especially the views we're lucky to see every day!
Please know your comments will be passed along to our team, and we look forward to welcoming you back again soon!
Kind regards,
Erin Duck
Group Venue Manager
Written 15 October 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ASSINDIA1
Sydney183 contributions
Feb 2025 • couples
A very nice location overlooking the beach
I ordered salmon with poached eggs and Avocado and got a full mashed Avocado two poached eggs and a big chunk of salmon very tasty. Staff very friendly even at peak tine. Can highly recommend this place
Written 22 February 2025
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.
Erin Duck
Thank you for your kind words! We’re so glad you enjoyed the beautiful beachside location and that your meal hit the spot. It’s also great to hear that our team provided friendly service, even during peak time. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back again soon for another great experience!
Kind regards,
Erin Duck
Group Venue Manager
Written 24 February 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kate P
Napier55 contributions
Feb 2023 • none
We were a group of 19 ex Sumner school classmates from the mid 1960s who, after 55-60 years, met again at the Beach restaurant for lunch. With a varied, interesting menu the restaurant offered scrumptious, great value for money meals, which we all enjoyed. I had the Stone fruit and burrata salad which was delicious; others chose the Beached Burger, tempura fish and chips, caesar salad, and pizzas. All were of a good size and well presented. The restaurant was busy and appeared to be fully booked, however the staff were welcoming, attentive, professional and friendly, always checking that our needs were being met. We were allocated a staff member who went out of her way to make sure everything was as it should be. After the lunch the group moved out to the deck where we continued to socialise and enjoy drinks. I highly recommend this restaurant. I've enjoyed dinner there on previous occasions and it has always been an enjoyable experience.
Written 25 February 2023
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.
ErinMaestroHospitality
Hi Kathryn P,
Thank you so much for taking the time to let us know about your recent meal at Beach. We are delighted to hear that you were well looked after by our lovely staff and the food was smashing!
We look forward to having you and all your mates back again soon.
Kind regards,
Erin Duck
Group Venue Manager
Written 2 March 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
marie j
Christchurch86 contributions
Sept 2024 • friends
This is amazing to find a quality restaurant at a reasonable price , Beach hits all the spots. From welcoming into the restaurant, to leaving, couldn't fault the place and staff. The food was pretty good too. We visited yesterday tea time, and enjoyed a what you could call food experience. I must compliment the chef for producing mouth watering dishes. Who could take gnocci and turn it into such a delicious meal, pizza, the same and seafood chowder. All were enjoyed by myself, husband and friend. Will def visit again
Written 13 October 2024
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.
Erin Duck
Hi Marie,
Thank you for taking the time to let us know about your fabulous experience at Beach Bar! We are so pleased to know you and your guests had such a great time, and enjoyed the food & service.
Looking forward to welcoming you back again soon!
Kind regards,
Erin Duck
Group Venue Manager
Written 14 October 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
sabeeja1
1 contribution
Dec 2022 • family
This restaurant had a great beachy vibe! A friendly welcome on arrival and we were promptly shown to our table overlooking the ocean. Jade was our friendly waitress who was outstanding at her job. She provided the service we had been looking for and that we hadn’t seen in the whole 2 weeks we spent holidaying on the South Island NZ. She made some great recommendations on the food and wine. We even taught her something about dessert wines. Her attention to detail and quick service was great to experience. The food was delicious, great serve sizes and the presentation would put a lot of 5 star restaurants to shame. The seafood chowder was soooo good, I was full half way through but couldn’t leave the rest. The pizzas were authentic wood oven cooked and very tasty. The pork belly had the best crackling. The salmon was cooked to perfection with a crispy skin. All the dishes were well priced for the quality and presentation served.
A must visit if in Christchurch. Thanks guys keep up your great work!!!
Written 7 December 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.
ErinMaestroHospitality
Hi sabeeja1,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write us a review of your recent experience at Beach! We are so chuffed that you enjoyed everything, from our amazing food to our fabulous service.
Please know we will pass your kind words onto the lovely Jade! We look forward to welcoming you back again soon.
Kind regards,
Erin Duck
Group Venue Manager
Written 11 December 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
jaconiemand
Christchurch138 contributions
Nov 2022 • none
Great view and location. Kids' pizza was awesome. The burger lack flavour and the bottom bun smelled and tastes like old fish oil. Bit expensive compared to other options.
Written 13 November 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.
KikoR
6 contributions
Aug 2022 • solo
I’ve eaten at the Beach bar often but today I was blown away by the quality of food.
I’m well traveled and have had the pleasure of enjoying excellent cuisine from around the world.
Beach Bars new chef has completely elevated the taste of this restaurant to a Michelin quality, while the portions are ample enough to satisfy your hungry punter. Specifically, I was blown away by the taste sensation and variety packed seafood chowder: the caper hit was superbly prepared. The side of seasonal vegetables were a hit just by themselves with the seasoning, almonds and perfectly drizzled honey.
I pared my tempura bluff oysters with Duncan’s coco husk stout & was not disappointed.
Overall, I highly recommend venturing out to Sumner for a walk on the beach or paved walkway (when the tide is high) and lunch or dine here!!
Beach is currently offering fresh and tempura Bluff Oysters if your lucky enough to be visiting while available.
Written 2 August 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.
Jon
Christchurch3 contributions
Jan 2021 • couples
Ordered a pint of cider, the pint was filled to 2 centimetres from the top when asked why was told that's the way they do it there. To allow for ice or foam????
Not only is it an offence to do so it is ripping off the customers.
Won't be back.
Penalties for breaching the Weights and Measures Act
Under the Weights and Measures Act, it's an offence to:
use a false or unjust weight or measure, or a weight or measure that's not approved as required under the Act deliver a lesser quantity of goods than purchased where goods were sold by weight, measure, or number.
Depending on the offence, you could be issued with an infringement notice and required to pay a fine of up to $500. Alternatively, you could be charged in the District Court with breaches of the Act. Depending on the offence, you could be subject to a higher penalty.
Written 16 January 2021
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.
Alessandro B
Catania857 contributions
Nov 2024 • friends
A typical seaside restaurant, close to Cave Rock, with veranda and views of the beautiful Sumner Beach. We took the fries and they were delicious. The beers were also very good. Staff always very friendly, helpful and ready. Prices are average for the area. If you sit on the veranda, beware of the seagulls that want your fish!!
Automatically translated
Written 29 December 2024
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.
jalofts
Auckland11 contributions
Jul 2023 • family
My 96 year old mother took us here for lunch the day before her birthday. It was easily accessible with parking in front of the restaurant. Service was very efficient and the food/drinks were excellent. Very tasty seafood chowder, the best smoked salmon and we had the last 6 Bluff oysters with Cassel’s milk stout. Such a memorable lunch.
Written 8 July 2023
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.
Erin Duck
Hi jalofts,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write and let us know of your recent meal at Beach Bar.
We love reading reviews like these and we are so pleased you and your family had such a memorable time with us!
We can't wait to see you for another milestone birthday with us soon.
Kind regards,
Erin Duck
Group Venue Manager
Written 24 July 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Showing results 1-15 of 243
As Featured In
By Tripadvisor
New Zealand in autumn and winter: epic experiences and otherworldly wonders
With swathes of treasured national parks, jewel-bright lakes and snow-speckled mountains, New Zealand has a fine repository of all things natural. Beyond the visual majesties, there’s plenty to do to unleash your inner adventurer.
Best moderately priced restaurants
See all
Best nearby
We rank these hotels, restaurants, and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Best nearby hotels
See all 
Best nearby restaurants
See all 
Is This Your Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Free Listing