+64 3-366 1389+ Add websiteImprove this listing
Hours
Sun
12:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Mon
12:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Tue
12:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Wed
12:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Thu
12:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Fri
12:00 pm - 1:00 am
Sat
12:00 pm - 1:00 am
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
Travellers' Choice 2024
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
Learn More
PRICE RANGE
$6.00 – $33.00
CUISINES
Mexican, Latin, Healthy, South American, Central American
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
meals, features
Details
About
Think back to a time when prohibition ruled over America. Dark times for some. For others, a time of opportunity and prosperity. One who seized the moment was Mr Hugo A Chile. Hugo was born 27 June, 1905. He was only 15 when the prohibition came into effect, about the time he was taking over his fathers mini-home distillery. Originally learning his craft to support the now fatherless family, Hugo created unthinkable profits by running rum to LA. Back then this journey would take 9 weeks each way, but after the third journey he was able to buy a lorry. After the fifth run he had his distribution network established. He never looked back. When you enter Casa Publica, you’re entering Hugo’s world. Come, sit and savour the taste, the obsessions, and the lifestyle of a man whose time begged the bending of rules, a little ruthlessness, a lot of rum, and an insatiable obsession for women’s shoes.
PRICE RANGE
$6.00 – $33.00
CUISINES
Mexican, Latin, Healthy, South American, Central American
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Drinks
FEATURES
Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Street Parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Mastercard, Visa, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Live Music, Gift Cards Available
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.
4.5
1,591 reviews
Excellent
1,022
Very good
383
Average
109
Poor
56
Terrible
21
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.
Martha F
Oxnard6 contributions
Dec 2024 • couples
Fabulous place. We just stumbled into this South American restaurant near our hotel. We wanted to eat light so we ordered the charred avocado guacamole. It was made table side. So delicious. Simple ingredients that were perfectly blended, served either flour tortilla chips. We also had the chipotle rubbed lamb with smoked eggplant, potatoes,spinach aioli and some nuts. It was to die for. We are here for a few more days and will return. The good is inventive, fresh, beautifully plated and delicious. Service was good, but took a bit longer for the lamb to come out. Very friendly staff.
Written 8 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.
Australian Venue Co
Martha, we’re thrilled you discovered us and enjoyed the charred avocado guacamole and lamb! Your compliments on our food and service are much appreciated. We can’t wait to welcome you back during your stay—there's always more to explore on our menu!
Written 12 December 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Dominique R
Saint-Medard-en-Jalles230 contributions
Jan 2025 • friends
What a pleasure that this restaurant, the kindness of the staff, the beautiful setting, South American music, warm atmosphere and what to say about excellent dishes
A tip opt for the chef's suggestions menu after crazy cocktails, a culinary discovery that pleases , unknown dishes, wines that hold the road
For a price of 60€ per person it is exceptional
Automatically translated
Written 3 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.
Australian Venue Co
Dominique, thank you for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled you enjoyed the warm atmosphere and our chef’s choice. It’s great to hear you appreciated the cocktails and unique dishes. Looking forward to welcoming you back!
Written 4 January 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
tintin630
North Yorkshire368 contributions
Mar 2024 • couples
This is definitely a place for a good meal out and if you like South American/Mexican you will be spoilt for choice. Despite the rather lack lustre service the large interior gave off good Latin American vibes and a chilled atmosphere. The food was excellent! We started with a very tasty prawn starter with tortilla chips and I followed this up with the Adobo De Cordero, a lamb dish with patatas bravas that was exceptional with wonderful smoky flavours. My wife had Pele's favourite which was also good, but came as a huge portion. To complete a great meal I had the Banana Chimichanga which was incredibly moreish. Three months later this is a meal we remember well for all the right reasons.
Written 23 June 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.
AVC Manager
Hi tintin630! Thank you for your detailed and positive review of our restaurant. We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the South American cuisine and the overall atmosphere. Your feedback on the service is duly noted, and we appreciate your kind words about the food. We hope to see you again soon!
Written 24 June 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Karen F
Christchurch17 contributions
Feb 2024 • family
Having just returned home from an enjoyable month in South America we were keen to return to this restaurant for a family birthday. Four of us there on a Tuesday night, after a busy day at work, we were open to suggestions so we decided on the “Trust the Chef” menu. The first course was two bowls of guacamole (slightly different flavors and one warm and one cold) with chips. Then the next course we were served bowls of salsa and ceviche with more chips. We were also served 4 small tacos (tofu, fish, chicken and beef) and two of us decided to try and cut two in half to try two different flavors but that wasn’t very successful as they were small and crumbly and tough to cut. For the main we were served two skewers (a sausage coil and chicken) with couscous, corn potatoes and salad but we didn’t eat all of that as appetites had been spoiled by too many dips and chips. Finally we were served 2 chocolate desserts, which were stodgy and unpleasant. We had food envy looking at the food that fellow diners were eating (especially the beef skewer) and afterwards we wished we had chosen the menu ourselves. We felt we were be given what there was a surplus of in the kitchen, and not what the chef was proud of. We wouldn’t have ordered 2 guacamole and wouldn’t have ordered so many starters. If you were serving us a taco each, why not ask us what flavor we would like and serve us on individual plates. And give us two different flavor desserts as not everyone likes chocolate (and, sorry, the vegan chocolate dish DID taste vegan!).
Written 17 February 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.
Curious14397967021
1 contribution
Dec 2023 • family
We ordered 8 ‘trust the chef’ meals thinking it would showcase the menu. We got bowls of guacamole and ceviche with chips, 4 skewers of meat and a 1 small plate of deserts. For $500 I would choose what you want rather than being given what felt convenient and easiest.
Written 3 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.
Sightseer29722542880
3 contributions
Jun 2023 • couples
Casa Publica is our go to favourite and phenomenal South American Rum bar and amazing food restaurant.
My husband and I aren't from Christchurch and we specifically stay at the nearest hotel just for Casa Publica.
Last night like all others was exceptional, both levels of the property was full of happy people enjoying their evening and the staff manage their guests with outstanding professionalism and pride.
We've been going to Casa Publica for a few years now and there's always a familiar face within the staff including the young man who manages his bar with precision so it shows Casa Publica is also a great place to work.
Normally we do tapas but last night we did trust the chef and wow, for $60pp we discovered it was too big and ended up with a takeaway container and I've got brunch for today, four courses proved too much for us but that's no way negative, we prefer smaller meals, thank you chef for another exceptional meal.
Eldorado rum is our rum of choice especially when we're enjoying the vibrance of the Casa Publica.
Highly recommend and we'll see you all next time.
Thank you Casa Publica.
Written 21 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.
Getaway64455229402
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • family
Hi, the food was great but unfortunately, we had to wait a very long time for it! After an hour after we ordered one of us asked the waiter how long our food would be and he told us that the manager was supposed to come over and tell us that our food was now coming in half an hour. As compensation for this, we were given a free guac and told that the rest of our drinks were on the house. When we came to pay, the free drinks were not the case. Overall was a good restaurant with good food, and kind staff, but wish that we had more communication from the staff about what was going on in terms of both our food and drinks so nobody else has this confusion again.
Written 7 December 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.
Operations Casa Publica
Hi Getaway64455229402,
Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback on your recent dining experience with us.
It is very disappointing to hear that the issues you mentioned around communication wait times led to a negative experience.
I would love to discuss with you further so i can learn a bit more about what happened
If you could provide me a contact number to operations@casapublica.co.nz?
Kind Regards,
Kayla
Venue Manager
Written 8 December 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kieran Wellington
1 contribution
Feb 2022 • none
The weather outside was cool and wet last Sunday but the food and service inside more than made up for it. We took our son to Casa Publica and were treated to a wonderful meal and service. From the person on the front desk to the waiter and waitress the service was professional and welcoming. We were lucky enough to sit in one of the booths and were treated to the guacamole being made at our table. The restaurant was busy but not too loud with Spanish music playing in the backround. The food was excellent but listen to your servers as the meat on the skewers was huge and we should only have ordered 2 for 3 people. This is the best Mexican food any of us have eaten. We will definitely return
Written 13 October 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.
GrandTour22691614960
1 contribution
Mar 2024 • family
The food was delicious and the staff did a great job of explaining what each dish was.
When we booked we were reminded that we had to free the table up after two hours, which was fine as we had a show to go to. We checked the option on the booking to state that we were going to a show afterwards. We arrived on time for our booking, but were left waiting for half an hour or so before our order was taken. We chose to Trust the Chef, and were delivered three wonderful courses, but with ten minutes remaining in our booking we hadn't received our desserts, and we had to leave to get to our show. Had the service started earlier to our booking starting, we would have had plenty of time to finish all the courses.
Our bill was discounted, but it was a shame to have missed out on dessert.
Written 24 March 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.
The Globe
Hi GrandTour, thank you for sharing your experience with us. We're glad to hear you enjoyed the food and service overall. We apologize for the delay in taking your order and the timing issue with dessert. Your feedback is valuable to us as we strive to improve. We hope to welcome you back soon!
Written 24 March 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Wisi
8 contributions
Jun 2024 • family
We went with the meat share platter and threw small plates which we requested all together. We're not big eaters, so in hindsight, we probably would have been fine without the small plates, or just ordered the small plates first, rather than with the main.
All in all, a lovely evening out with great service.
Written 15 June 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.
Vacation23485163369
2 contributions
Aug 2024 • family
The food, the music, the ambience and the service were all outstanding. We could not fault it and cannot wait to return. Casa Publica was full that night and it was easy to see why. It really was one of best restaurants I have ever been to - and the cost was not prohibitive at all.
Written 1 September 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.
AVC Manager
Thanks for the fantastic review! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the food, music, and service at Casa Publica. We can’t wait to welcome you back for another memorable experience!
Written 2 September 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Navigator727119
Christchurch3 contributions
Jul 2023 • couples
Had a lovely experience dining here recently.
The vegan options were happily pointed out to us, by our waiter who was top notch, and he also advised his favourite dishes too, from those options.
It’s a pleasure to go to a local bar and eat well, enjoy the ambiance ( watching cocktails being created was fun) and be treated as if you matter.
Often being vegan is like being an outcast, it’s so easy to get the wrong impression, but we enjoy eating with the crowd at fully catered restaurants to suit all. Is that too much to ask? ( the other 90% of restaurants out there) not interested in being told we can adapt a menu, that’s not good enough.
Casa Publica had a few choices, maybe could improve those choices slightly, but they also had an amazing chocolate mouse on the desert menu which was outstanding, wether you’re a vegan or not so big thumbs up from me.
Making the Guacamole table side was also a nice touch and it was delicious with the home made chips.
Thanks and will be returning soon for a third time
Written 5 August 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.
ChicagoKiwi2009
11 contributions
Apr 2022 • couples
The restaurant was alright but definitely not as amazing as we thought it would be. We had a reservation for dinner and the service was really slow - waiting over 30 minutes for first course (guacamole) to come out and then just hurried for the subsequent courses. The food was consistently under seasoned and the steak and the churros in particular were both over cooked.
Great selection of runs but we probably won’t be back - we spent approximately $160 for the chef’s choice 4 course menu and drinks and I would have preferred to just go to Inati for that amount.
Written 1 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.
Operations C
Hi ChicagoKiwi2009,
Thank you for taking to time to provide feedback on your dining experience with us. It's disappointing to hear that we missed the mark on this evening!
I would love to learn a bit more about your experience, if you could send me an email with a contact number to operations@casapublica.co.nz
Kind Regards,
Kayla Stratton
Operations Manager
Written 1 May 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
richard h
Christchurch11 contributions
Jun 2022 • couples
We eat out regularly in Chch and was struggling to get a reservation at short notice.
Came across CR and OMG what a great find, we went with the " chef 's choice " menu @ $60 per person and was entirely satisfied with the menu, quality, variety,presentation & the fantastic service from all staff.
Have no hesitation in recommending this restaurant, staff were amazeballs 8-)
For sure we shall be back to visit, and will introduce friends & family.
Written 25 June 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.
CarlyGerrardWalsh
Christchurch2 contributions
Feb 2024 • friends
We recently visited for my sister's hen do.
We had booked a large table upstairs with the balcony and were all looking forward to a lovely meal at her favourite restaurant.
Unfortunately due to the fact my sister was wearing a veil, the bride to be was advised alcohol would not be served to her. This left her very upset and embarrassed and ruined what was supposed to be a lovely evening. Would have completely understood if she had been making a spectacle of herself, this was the start of her evening and we hadn't even been served drinks!
The staff were not particularly concerned that the bride to be was upset, we advised we were to leave for this reason and they happily let a large group of 18 who would have spent alot of money walk out!
Very disappointing as had been previously and had always enjoyed, probably wouldn't return due to the poor service.
Written 24 February 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.
Showing results 1-15 of 1,535
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