top pick

165 Gloucester Street | @odeonchch

We should thank our lucky stars that Odeon has opened its doors in Christchurch. The interior will make you wish you wore linen and sandals to fade into the tranquil vibe of the dining room. This restaurant has a love for food, and this carries all the way to the plate. Chef Shafeeq’s Ottolenghi-inspired menu is dripping with flavour with a nuance in balancing spices and cookery methods not always seen on the same plate of food.

Add to this a wine list with some incredible picks and my kind of range rating whereby sparklings are listed from ‘playful’ to ‘serious’, whites from ‘crisp’ to ‘voluptuous’, and reds from ‘fruity’ to ‘bold’. To get a taste, I recommend getting a table in the Bodega area (walk-ins welcome) for some small plates or even brunch. Then put aside a decent chunk of time to do the dinner justice and let the chefs feed you.

Sam Parish @sam.parish.food

Sam Parish is a freelance chef, food writer, editor, recipe developer, podcaster, food stylist, and food tv producer who has worked for the likes of Donna Hay and Google. She joins the Avenues team as the food reviewer for 2023. Sam has just released her cookbook Cook Me, which centres around simple food done well under the philosophy of MOFMOF; Maximum of flavour, minimum of fuss. Follow Sam’s food journeys this year as she ventures out to the best hospitality spots our city has to offer, sharing her take on what those places are doing to earn them a spot in this review section.