Cityscape Winter 2021

CHRISTCHURCH CURATED | WINTER 21 Cityscape is taking exploring our city to a whole new level. We’re meeting the residents who have set up between the four avenues, and reviewing some of Ōtautahi’s hottest suburbs. Get between the covers for the latest on upcoming events, fashion, food, home styling and wellbeing.

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This winter in Christchurch FEATURES 17 Centre of attention We examine the future of central Christchurch living.

38 Arthouse Tips and tricks from Christchurch's art pros.

47 Rituals: Making time Cityscape helps you take some me-time.

FIVE MUST-DOS FOR THIS SEASON Make the most of your weekend and have a good old-fashioned Sunday Lunch Roast at The Pantry at Mona Vale – a classy affair with soup, beautifully roasted meat, and dessert.

62 Power brunching Put a little swank in your tank for that much-loved in-between meal.

92 Treasure islands South Pacific island-hopping with Heritage Expeditions.

97 On stage Lifting the curtain on Christchurch's vibrant performance art scene.

REGULARS 10 Word on the street 26 Fashion 33 Home & lifestyle 46 Wellbeing 57 Flavours of Christchurch 92 Travel 96 Culture 109 Entertain me 112 The last word

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Get central. There’s seriously cool stuff going on in the four avenues and if you haven’t checked it lately you’re missing out.

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Watch a Cinema Italiano Festival movie at Lumière Cinemas, whether it be an absurd Sardinian film, or a classic Sicilian flick.

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Rest your mind and get that well-deserved break with a restorative yoga class at Grassroots Yoga & Health.

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Catch a performance at Little Andromeda – there are new top-quality shows on every week.

TAKE AN ORIGINAL PHOTO! Think beyond the frosty park shots and alpine vistas. Come up with a new angle on the winter weather theme – and send it to Cityscape (we might just publish it). #cityscapephoto | info@somocreative.co.nz

Note to readers Our magazine is full of unique and independent

businesses that stand ready to provide you great service. So get out there and support them, and don’t forget to say you read about them in Cityscape!

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CITYSCAPE MAGAZINE Winter 21 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & PUBLISHER

Andrea Rickerby GROUP EDITOR

Jamie Small CREATIVE

Tristan Brehaut PHOTO: SUSANNAH BLATCHFORD

EDITORIAL

Eva Urlwin DIGITAL

Eileen Yee ACCOUNT MANAGERS

Uran Ormandy Snap Rusewebsites ADMINISTRATION

Claire Ross ON THE COVER

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we’re making some bold predictions about what the future will bring.

We’re also showing off some of the best brunches available in Ōtautahi, exploring the little rituals that help us reconnect with our lives, and checking out all the goods you can get delivered on a subscription basis to give you more time for the important stuff. We’ve got interviews with art experts, top Christchurch theatre directors and actors, the all-women creative team behind The Marriage of Figaro, and more. And in Cityscape, you’ll never be short of information about what our city has to offer when it comes to fashion, food, homeware, culture and events.

hy do I live in the suburbs?

Mainly because of my resident border collie who needs more or less constant access to a large back yard lest he go even madder. But increasingly I have become interested in the residential developments of central Christchurch. To me, they represent a new era in Kiwi living, a step away from our generational attachment to an outdated way of urban living and towards something that has the potential to be much better: living in a place where everything you need is close at hand, and your community is wrapped around your residence. In this issue, we’re meeting some of the people who live within the four aves, as well as the people behind the residential development that is bringing central Christchurch into the 21st Century, and cityscape.co.nz

Jamie Small editor@somocreative.co.nz

cityscape.christchurch

cityscapemagazine_chch

Royal New Zealand Ballet dancer Ana Gallardo Lobaina as the Firebird in The Firebird.

Photo: Ross Brown NEED TO GET IN TOUCH? Advertising, editorial & distribution enquiries: 03 366 3340 info@somocreative.co.nz cityscape.co.nz PUBLISHED BY

SOMO Creative Ltd somocreative.co.nz Cityscape is a division of SOMO Creative Ltd. Cityscape is subject to copyright in its entirety. Opinions expressed in Cityscape are not necessarily those of Cityscape. Editorial contributions welcome. No responsibility taken for unsolicited submissions. Prizewinners will be notified by phone and email. If Cityscape is unable to contact the winner within 14 days, Cityscape reserves the right to draw another winner. Cityscape reserves the right to use image/name of competition entrants for publicity purposes.

ISSN 2324-4879 print | ISSN 2324-4887 online

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We take sustainability seriously Our printing partners are Enviro-Mark Diamond certified and exceed the requirements of ISO 14001, one of the World’s best known environmental standards. PAPER: Cityscape is printed on paper sourced from sustainable forestry which is covered by PEFC1 and FSC2 certifications. PEFC and FSC are not-for-profit organisations promoting sustainable and responsible forest management. PEFC and FSC certifications cover over 539 million hectares of forest globally (roughly 20 x the area of New Zealand). INKS: Cityscape is printed with inks based on vegetable oil and fatty acid alkyl-esters (modified vegetable oils) containing less than 1% non-renewable mineral oil. WASTE: Any waste water coming from the production process is treated and remains well within New Zealand’s strict environmental requirements. All waste paper, right down to the smallest offcut, is captured through extraction systems for recycling.

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PROGRAMME FOR THE ENDORSEMENT OF FOREST CERTIFICATION (WWW.PEFC.ORG) 2 FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL© (WWW.FSC.ORG)

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LUST LIST This season’s essentials

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1 Bow Blouse (RRP $435) from Mahsa 2 Cloudy Day Somewhere by Don Service (POA) from Rightside Gallery 3 Balloon Vase (RRP $139) from BoConcept 4 Eichholtz Topanga Mirror (POA) from Trenzseater 5 Blue Lace Agate Geode ($39) from Earthly Treasures 6 Chloe Darryl Small Saddle Bag (RRP $1798) from Workshop 7 Eva Solo / Nordic Kitchen Serving Tray (RRP $260) from Corso Merivale 8 Delicate Cleansing Milk 100ml (RRP $50) and Sensitive Simplicity 100ml (RRP $50) from Wildflower Botanicals 9 R.M. Williams Lady Yearling Boot (RRP $645) from Ballantynes 10 Balmain Hair Perfume (RRP $258) from Mod's Hair 11 Hunter Livingston Dog Sofa (RRP from $240) from Charli & Coco

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Word on the street TIP-OFFS, TRENDS & MORE

CITYSCOOP

CHRISTCHURCH COMINGS AND GOINGS For the freshest art space in town, check out Xgaleri (Mars by Max Brown, pictured) at the Guthrey Centre in Cashel Street. The newly opened gallery is run by mother-and-son duo Sheila and Max Brown. They’re both super-talented artists – Sheila’s painting focuses heavily on New Zealand birdlife in action, and Max offsets this with his abstract art style, as well as his own jewellery line. Saffron Café & Restaurant is Colombo Street’s latest eatery, with authentic Middle Eastern dishes, tea, coffee and desserts. Hopefully you had a chance to say goodbye to Universo Brasserie & Bar before it got new owners, a new look, and a new name: The Thirsty Peacock. The new owners are continuing the fine tradition of combined café, restaurant and bar.

Over in Victoria Street, new men’s fashion boutique Man About Town has set up shop with ultra-modern dressed-up and casual looks. Also in Victoria Street, ECC has opened a new architectural showroom, showing off the little (and big) touches that can set off your home interior design. You can now get a massage, facial or your choice of beauty treatments right in Merivale Mall – look for the blissful sanctuary of Bhava Nails & Beauty, which has recently expanded its treatments.

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TWELFTH NIGHT Romping Illyrian rom-com. > 12 – 14 Aug

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NZ OPERA: THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO

Flamin’ tutus!

Busting nozze.

Taste with the winemakers.

Don’t be shaken by this murder mystery.

> 26 – 28 Aug

> 8 – 13 Jul

> 9 – 10 Jul

> 1 – 10 Jul

Connect with us

WINETOPIA

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RNZB: THE FIREBIRD WITH PAQUITA

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THE LAST MARTINI

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WORD ON THE STREET

COMING SOON

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre is almost finished, it’s got its first bookings, and it’s looking sharp with its shiny new ceremonial entranceway artwork being installed. We’re looking forward to the influx of new faces and another well-deserved boost to the central city’s wicked hospo and retail businesses. tepae.co.nz

BURGERS

BLACK BURGER These burger maestros believe that simplicity is king – their burgers stick to a basic recipe and a few, top quality ingredients to create a taste experience that is both premium and timeless. Black Burger’s menu boasts juicy and delicious LA-style classic cheeseburgers made with locally sourced grain-fed Wagyu beef, New Zealand smoked cheddar, and slapped between a pillowy bun from Grizzly Baked Goods. Stop salivating – just order one already! blackburger.co.nz

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DELIVERING THE GOODS Christchurch startup GIMME is taking on the big shots of the online food ordering world. Co-founder Abhay Pratap delivers the low-down.

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ig changes are in the works for this local online ordering and delivery business. With a new name, redesigned app, and a thirst for expansion, GIMME is ready to take on the world, and the big kids of online delivery.

The business gained fame during lockdown under its original name – Give Me Bread – delivering takeaways, groceries and drinks to the hungry homebound as well as flowers, gifts and even prescriptions. Now it’s had a full rebrand and GIMME is ready to be a permanent fixture on the delivery scene.

In 2017, Abhay and his partner Chandni Jain started Give Me Bread, an app that let people order delivery from all their favourite Christchurch restaurants and gift stores, at a time when that was a very new idea.

Their big breakthrough came in 2019 when the business got a license to deliver liquor. This would come in handy for the people of Christchurch in 2020. “During

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lockdown, we were the only company delivering alcohol on demand,” Abhay says.

“A lot of people signed up in those months.”

This was followed up with an agreement with Canterbury District Health Board to deliver prescription medication from pharmacies to people’s homes.

Since then, the locally owned and operated app has rebranded as GIMME and spread to Dunedin, offering delivery from over 300 restaurants, cafés, breweries, florists, liquor, grocery and gift stores across the two cities. Abhay says he plans to expand it to other cities too. He says the business is committed to charging a lower commission than similar apps, so more money goes into the pockets of the local businesses filling orders. GIMME also looks after its drivers – the app doesn’t charge them any commission, and has an incentive programme for driver rewards.

In 2021, Christchurch businessman and restaurateur Gaurav Soni came on as the company’s co-owner and managing director, and Abhay says his expertise will help take GIMME to the next level.

Some of the classic Christchurch restaurants featured on GIMME include Grater Goods, BASE Woodfired Pizza, Coriander’s, Ceylon Kitchen, Burgers & Beers, The Dish and Pedro’s House of Lamb.

“It’s great that restaurants and diners are supporting the local option when ordering online,” Abhay says. “We’re really stoked that people are choosing GIMME.” gimmedelivery.co.nz

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Winter 21

WORD ON THE STREET

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SNAP VERSUS MORALITY Meet the man who

sold his name… twice. He’s the founder of Good Times Comedy Club and he’s got things to say about Christchurch, comedy, Comet the dog, and kiwi.

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K Mr man-of-many-names, let’s start with the basics – why are you called Snap?

It’s just my name, dude. I had weird parents. Cool. And Rusewebsites?

That’s not even my last name any more! Well legally that’s my name, because I was signing a lot of contracts and changing my name again legally would have been a nightmare. But that contract is done and I re-sold my last name to Game Kings who make Kiwis Versus Morality. So I go by Snap Versus Morality now. That contract is up though so if you know anyone...

Snap Cityscape has a certain sibilance to it. What about Grandpa Figs? He’s a half man, half fig, who drinks scotch through his dick like a curly straw. I am merely his public representative. Old Figsy isn’t doing much these days though, so I’m running gigs through PHUCK Entertainment. What’s the short version of your comedy story? I started out in radio as the drive announcer on Pulzar FM. I decided to try my hand at stand-up and a few months later toured the country. Since then I’ve just been desperately trying to build an industry here so I don’t have to move to Auckland. You’re a pretty snappy dresser. Where’s your favourite place to shop? Honestly, EnCompass at the Tannery. You just go in there and tell him you want jeans, then he gives you the best jeans of your life. It’s dope. And for fancy stuff it’s definitely Man About Town, which just opened but sold me the lightest pair of shoes I’ve ever worn. What’s hot at Good Times Comedy Club this winter?

Everything. It’s all hot, baby! We’re rolling out karaoke every Friday and Saturday night from 10pm ‘til late.

‘WHO GETS PLEASURE OUT OF SOMETHING THEY FEEL GUILT FROM?’ 14

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How Queer on July 2nd features Neil Thornton from Wellington who is absolutely brilliant. And we’re working on a soon-to-beannounced festival, so keep your eyes out. Who’s the best comedian you’ve ever seen live? You’re a real son of a gun for asking this, I know most of the acts I’ve seen. Raw talent it’s Urzila Carlson and Brendhan Lovegrove, best solo show I’ve seen is Justin ‘Rusty’ White. For me, though, James Nokise is the best comic I’ve seen live. And who’s an up-and-comer on the Christchurch scene we should be looking out for?

Jadwiga Green. Hands down. 2020 winner of Best Comic at the Good Times Comedy Awards, 2020 winner of Raw Comedy Quest, and winner of the Director's Choice Award at the 2021 NZ International Comedy Festival. Jadwiga will be an international success and I’d stake my career on it. What’s your favourite guilty pleasure? Who gets pleasure out of something they feel guilt from? What are you binge-watching at the moment?

Nothing. I spend my weeks desperately waiting for episodes of Taskmaster and New Zealand Today.

If you could invite anyone, living or dead, to a dinner party, who would it be? Buddy the dog. He got famous for playing himself in Air Bud, but he also played Comet in Full House. He’s a good boy. You’ve got friends coming from out of town. Where do you go and what would you do to show off the city in… Two hours: Street art tour. It’s weird we don’t promote the fact we’ve always been Aotearoa’s greatest source of artists, so I like to show that side of our city… Hahaha honestly who does this? I’d just get high with them or go grab a beer. A half-day: Willowbank. A year pass is so cheap and they have capybara now. The kea are still the best bit, and kiwi still suck. 24 hours: Just go on a pub crawl and then sleep away the leftover hours.

FB/GoodTimesComedyClub

The best bits Cityscape reviews a few of Ōtautahi’s most unique and personality-heavy communities.

WOOLSTON

RESENE SEACHANGE IMAGE: CHRISTCHURCHNZ

SUMNER After a drive around the reopened and frankly stunning Sumner-Lyttelton Corridor we arrive in the sunny seaside suburb, where the hardcore winter surf bums rub up against the café culture of the flash hillside suburbs. Cyclists in coloured spandex whizz along Main Road from the city; skateboards, scooters and feet grace the broad beachside boulevard; and paddleboards and kayaks launch from the clock tower to explore the coast or catch waves with the surfers. The skate park on the corner of Nayland Street is a great gathering hub for the young, and just a skip away from some killer eateries. The north end of the beach is the spot for dog walkers from all over the city. Open to canines year-round, the sandy expanse next to Shag Pile is always populated with furry friends chasing driftwood and running around like mad things in the shallows, and that makes us happy.

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RESENE BANANA SPLIT

SEE: The local art in LEstrange Gallery DO: Take the little path to the top of Cave Rock for views down the beach, or get a surf lesson EAT @: Fire and Slice, Coriander’s Sumner DRINK @: Beach Sumner, Clink, The Headless Mexican RATING: 5 happy beach doggos out of 5

Ah Ferry Road, the great divider – the slash separating Opawa and St Martins from Bromley and New Brighton; the conveyor that carries cars and bikes from the city centre to Ferrymead, the gateway to Mount Pleasant and Sumner. It’s a road that is somehow both straight and meandering, slowly carrying us past Christchurch eccentricities like the 24/7 Bakery, a plethora of ethnic eateries, takeaways, burger joints and one-of-a kind second-hand boutiques like the Ferry Antique Centre and Around Again Cycles. A trip to Garlands Road is where things get really interesting: The Tannery. With the distinctive brick-and-angledroof aesthetic left over from its former life as an actual tannery, this trendy mall is home to the kinds of stores and eateries that you absolutely will not find in a chain mall.

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Winter 21

RESENE GRENADIER

SEE: Beer being brewed in front of your eyes while you enjoy a drop at Three Boys Brewery DO: Bike or walk the Heathcote River Trail EAT @: Nori Table DRINK @: The Brewery RATING: 5 unique boutiques out of 5 The attached pub is a post-trip hangout for Port Hills explorers, climbers, kiteboarders and the like – and out back is wicked indie live music venue Blue Smoke. A wander through the corridors and ancillary buildings will lead you to gems like ecoconscious fillery Food For Thought, Euro-inspired emporium Cosi Fan Tutte, holistic studio Grassroots Yoga & Health, legendary jeans and streetwear store EnCompass, and unbeatable fresh sushi eatery Nori Table.

IMAGE: PAM CARMICHAEL

VICTORIA STREET Even old Queen Vicky herself would stop and waggle her little finger excitedly at everything to be found on a trip down Victoria Street. It’s an oddly-angled deviation from the north-south-east-west grid of Christchurch’s central city, and at just 800 metres from start to finish and a generous splashing of watering holes along the way, it’s just the sort of street that’s begging for a pub crawl from the casino to the Carlton. Of course, being the sensible and responsible drinkers we are, we don’t condone this sort of behaviour. But we do condone dropping into some of these fantastic establishments to sample the creations of some of Christchurch’s most famous cocktail mixologists, chefs and offbeat establishments. We also spot the very cool fashion boutique Man About Town and the ever-fresh Court Florist.

RESENE BARISTA

SEE: The heritage registered Victoria Clock Tower, which stopped at 12.51pm on the day of the February 22 earthquake.

DO: Stop by the Town Hall for a classical concert or contemporary gig EAT @: King of Snake, The Dish, Spagalimis DRINK @: The Dirty Land, Boo Radley’s RATING: 5 gourmet bar snacks out of 5

NEW BRIGHTON We pull up to the city’s definitive coastal neighbourhood on a day when the waves are crashing and there’s a gentle breeze blowing along the beach. The sun’s out and there’s a group of people in puffer jackets and softshells gathered at the end of the pier, taking photos of the Pegasus Bay coastline and the distant Kaikōura peninsula, and gawking at the very-braveor-very-stupid winter surfers. We opt for a stroll up the beach, followed by a two-hour soak at He Puna Taimoana for one of the best-value relaxing experiences in Christchurch (booked in advance). The New Brighton café scene offers plenty for the coffee and brunch lovers among us – Switch New Brighton is an eastern classic, and further exploration of the Brighton Mall area reveals chilled-out eateries like The Burger Joint and Level One. Returning to the waterfront area we check out the beachside playground, complete with waka and the famous whale pool, followed by an exploration of the beautiful New Brighton Library and a cocktail at Salt on the Pier.

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RESENE SEA BUCKTHORN

SEE: The longest stretch of sand in town, from Southshore to the Waimakariri.

DO: Get your best pier photos printed and framed at Frame ‘n’ Copy.

EAT @: Switch New Brighton

DRINK @: Beach Café and Wine Bar RATING: 5 steaming hot salt water pools out of 5

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Winter 21

RESENE SEA WORLD

There’s been a sea change in the central city – not just the buildings popping up and the gravel carparks disappearing.

The feel of the place is changing, and we think it’s got something to do with the switch of gear in the residential scene.

We’re seeing SOLD signs all over the show, and an attitude to the people who live in the four avenues, that they’re proud central citizens. Cityscape’s taking a close look at central Christchurch living, the tropes, the developments, the people and what (we hope) is to come.

ARTIST'S IMPRESSION OF PARAKIORE RECREATION AND SPORT CENTRE

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SATIRE

CENTRAL CITIZENS

Cityscape sticks its tongue in its cheek with a take on some of the personalities who live between the four avenues.

THE YO-PRO

THE HOSPO HERO

She’s smart, she’s slick, she’s just landed her first six-figure job and she’s burnt her first month’s wage on an iPhone 12 and the deposit on a two-bedroom rental. Life is pretty good when the gym and the local cinema – easily her two favourite places to pass a weekday evening – are both just around the corner.

She’s just scootered home from work via Riverside Market for some fresh weekend groceries, her fridge is stocked with Sauv and she’s about to text the girls to meet up for a pre-weekender at a pretty sweet new bar in High Street.

Those fools may have to Uber into town and back, but she’s all set with a good pair of flats for a five-minute walk to funky town.

Smart. Lives in the SALT District, home of the fun and fashionable.

Often spotted carrying a KeepCup and a yoga mat. Catchphrase “Adulting so hard right now.”

Management major by day, mixologist by night. He moved in with two classmates last year, and between them their jobs cover coffee, cocktails and chef duty. He’s just been promoted to bar manager and refers to himself as a “career hospo professional”, slinging martinis with a charming grin and an immaculately-ironed black shirt. He communicates with his close mates via a WhatsApp group chat called 'Chch kids 2.0', and with everyone else via Insta stories. Today he’s off duty and caught up on his readings, so he’s grabbing a late lunch of vegan loaded fries at The Welder before he hits up an art exhibition opening for some free canapés. Lives just around the corner from Welles Street. Often spotted cycling with a laptop bag slung over his shoulder. Catchphrase “Up2?”

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THE HAPPY FAMILY

THE EMPTY NESTERS

THE MAN ABOUT TOWN

The kids’ eyes lit up when they saw their new neighbour was the Margaret Mahy Playground, but the real winner was Dad, who’s spent the last four years driving to and from parks with different combinations of sports equipment trying desperately to burn off a bit of his offspring’s energy. Now he’s sitting on a bench with The Press, keeping one eye on playground happenings and adjusting his Crusaders scarf while he reads about plans for the arena down the road. Mum’s walking home from a quick shopping mission and the afternoon is set aside for some quality family fun exploring the riverbanks – there seems to be more time for that now that commutes are a thing of the past.

Lives in the Moa neighbourhood, just north of the Ōtākaro Avon River. Often spotted checking out the posters for kid-friendly shows in the Isaac Theatre Royal window.

Catchphrase “Gelato time?”

Got. It. Sorted. They held on to their big drafty villa for years after their youngest daughter moved out “just in case”. But this year they had a collective epiphany: they sold up, bought a warm apartment overlooking Hagley Park and never looked back. Now they spend their days practicing golf and their evenings catching concerts at the Town Hall and The Piano. They tell their kids they got a bargain because the home will only appreciate in value, especially once the Canterbury Multi-Use Arena and Parakiore Recreation and Sports Centre are finished (they only refer to these by their full official names). But really what’s got him buzzing is the idea that Springsteen might come back to rock the city, and she’s keen to have morning swims together before their customary stroll through the Botanic Gardens. Now that’s cute. Lives half way between green space and retail central.

Often spotted carrying new indoor plants into the elevator.

Catchphrase “You’ll never believe who we bumped into today.”

Nobody’s quite sure what he does (something with computers?) but they sure know who he is. He greets his neighbours and baristas by their names, and seems to be everywhere at once, rotating between working from home, various local cafés, and his favourite shared working space. He visits the barber down the road at least twice a month, his Instagram account has over 2000 followers, and he takes the time to set up the lighting before posting a story. He owns six tailored suits thanks to the savings he makes by being part of a car share collective. He may have grown up in the ‘burbs, but he’s found his good life and can’t imagine going back to anything else. Lives next to Rauora Park, where he can see nature but doesn’t actually have to participate in it. Often spotted lifting at the gym. Catchphrase “This is gonna be a game-changer.”

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CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Winter 21

What does the Christchurch CBD look like in the future? Cityscape hazards some wild predictions.

FUTURESCAPE

THE FUTURE VIBE TOUR The central city has become a mosaic of little neighbourhoods, each with its own personality. The retail district is the heart – walking streets and mixed-use zones have spread out from Cashel Street, filled with stores ranging from hyperlocal boutiques to high-end international brands, with spots of activity gathered around live musicians, street food and artists.

Across the river, an arts and heritage district has fully fledged.

Its staples are The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora and the redeveloped Canterbury Museum, but its crowning glory is a brand new high-rise in Cambridge Terrace – a development that houses contemporary international art and projects 3D installations onto the footpath outside.

The Victoria district has become an inner-city extension of Fendalton and Merivale, where flashy homes and luxury accommodation are a stone’s throw from fine dining and high-end boutique retail stores.

Diametrically opposite, the SALT District’s High Street offers a

grittier alternative. Some of the city’s most legendary bars and cafés have established themselves here, along with über-cool retail offerings that include up-andcoming designers and tech-savvy tattoo parlours that can implant the latest technology in your body.

The southern central city has become a place where the industrial brushes up with the residential and retail: it’s a hub of microbreweries and roasteries, and there’s even a new urban winery with a multi-storey hydroponic vineyard.

Meanwhile, the east frame has become the place to be – flats of 20-somethings live in between growing families and high-powered executives, who all bump shoulders in the shared spaces. A walk around the ‘hood reveals a thriving network of community gardens where residents pick herbs, take cuttings, pick up produce at honesty boxes, and socialise with their neighbours. A sprinkling of mature native trees are regular hangouts for tūī and korimako which have long been central city residents thanks to extensive planting efforts.

THE FUTURE CITIZEN Walking down Cashel Mall and along the riverfront reveals a mélange of people going about their business, from professionals in shorts and collared t-shirts (shirt-and-tie corporate wear is long a thing of the past), young people in smart threads that change colour with the mood of the wearer, and neo-hipsters rocking 2020s fashion staples.

Post-quake housing has aged and become more affordable, leading to an influx of students, families and first home buyers looking for that urban lifestyle, while new developments continue to attract the professionals who are sick of commuting and the retirees who want easy access to the city's leisure and hospitality facilities.

VIRTUALLY YOURS Taking an overseas holiday is sooo 2019.

The future citizen can get away any night of the week using the latest virtual reality tech to see, taste, smell and feel the best the world has to offer.

AFTER DARK

THE NEW CURRENCY No, it's not Dogecoin. It's time.

Thousands have flocked to the central city to buy more minutes and hours by cutting out the hustle and bustle associated with living miles away from the best things in in Christchurch. And what are they spending the new currency on?

Time to get home and relax after work; time to BBQ with friends on a Saturday afternoon; time to watch the family grow; time to drop into the local for a drink and a yarn before a big gig at the arena; time to take in every little thing this future city has to offer.

Rooftop bars and penthouse apartments have become a real thing around Oxford Terrace, and a walkable skybridge connects many of them together. The whole riverside is lined with the kinds of haunts visiting celebs like to be spotted in.

St Asaph Street and its surrounds have fully metamorphosised into rave central, where the quasi-industrial surrounds absorb the heavy beats of a thriving dance-bar scene, complete with skyward-facing spotlights and velvet ropes. The Cathedral Square and Te Pae area has become a corporate dining and fancy pub zone, known for its swishy hotel bars and themed restaurants as well as the neighbouring performing arts district, where Isaac Theatre Royal, The Piano and the new Court Theatre are regularly frequented by a hot mix of talented locals and international acts. Around the corner, New Regent Street is the nightly haunt of the sit-and-sip crowd looking for relaxed cocktails and speciality drinks with a low-drama vibe. Several late-night cafés have popped up around Manchester Street and Latimer Square, providing a place for the inner-city young and young-at-heart to mingle when the sun goes down.

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CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Winter 21

‘COOLER THAN COPENHAGEN’

IMAGE: CHRISTCHURCHNZ

Cityscape gets the word on the street from people living in the central city.

THE KIWI ACRE (OR 15,000 ACRES)

Cityscape takes a look over the fence at the best back yard in town.

As far as yards go, this one’s pretty sweet. It’s got a big lawn, wicked water feature, curated gardens, and trees as far as you can see. We’re a city full of people who love to get out and do things, and we demand an outside area that fills our needs. Luckily, Ōtautahi central delivers in droves. The central city’s shared space is so much more than a private garden could ever be. Hagley Park is the foremost part of our classic Kiwi plot. Te Māra Huaota o Waipapa Christchurch Botanic Gardens are a world-class display, and the best part is you don’t have to do any of the weeding and pruning yourself. If you like a home with a good pond or a stream, check this out: it’s called the Ōtākaro Avon River. Instead of goldfish there are friendly native eels, and you can even punt, paddleboard or kayak down the river.

GWYN GUANZON

MAX LUCAS

ROZ PADDY

Your neighbours are…

Chester Street East is a very supportive community. It has a Facebook page that can keep everybody in the loop. Why do you choose to live here?

I moved to Christchurch three and a half years ago. I was enrolled in Ara and I preferred to walk to school.

Neighbourhood: SALT district, Atlas Quarter.

How’s the vibe? Urban.

Secure. Private. Great community. Your neighbours are… Winnie Bagoes, The Welder, South City, Pak’nSave.

Why do you choose to live in the four aves? The excitement of a ‘new’ city.

Biggest drawcard?

Access, by foot mostly.

Neighbourhood: Cambridge Terrace, near Margaret Mahy Playground. Biggest drawcard? The small complex we live in. It’s quality, close to amenities, and the location is great for public transport. How do you get around?

Walk, scooter, car. Is work handy to home?

Yes, very handy.

SIMONE REWA PEARSON Neighbourhood: The Chester East community.

How's the vibe?

Beautiful, tree lined and friendly. Why do you choose to live here? It’s never boring. Always life and activity close by, with easy access to where we work, live and play.

What's the Christchurch of the future? Modern and safe, with a thriving central city.

PETER WELLS

DALE DEAVOLL

Why do you choose to live in the four aves?

Community. I live with 19 others in a Victorian backpackers (closed for COVID) that we've converted into a community house. It's a beautiful space to live and remarkably well organised. How do you get around? Mostly walking or cycling. It's easy to borrow a car to escape for a weekend.

Your neighbours are…

Great. Apartment living is very misunderstood. You share some things but you have the same level of privacy as you do in the suburbs. I'd even say people are actually more considerate when you share a wall or a stairwell.

We cross the road and chat with neighbours, too.

How does Christchurch's future look? Cooler than Copenhagen.

VICTORIA MOA AVON LOOP L4 INNER CITY WEST

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A1

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CORE

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CHESTER EAST

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LATIMER

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HAGLEY

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CENTRAL CITY SOUTH

SOUTH EAST

four ave-news

Cityscape investigates what’s coming up in the central city.

ANCHORS AWAY If you’re not aware of the big hitters of the central city redevelopment, then you need to come out from under your rock and get excited about some so-called ‘anchor projects’.

Nearly finished is Te Pae Christchurch Convention and Exhibition Centre A1 , which may not affect your day-to-day life but should bring a bustle of business into town from afar. Next on the list for completion is Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre A2 , which will bring

several pools (including a 50-metre competition pool) to the central city along with indoor courts, gym and other facilities. Then there’s the Canterbury Multi-Use Arena A3 . Work hasn’t started on it yet so we don’t know all the details, but it’s going to have a roof for year-round sports including international rugby, excellent acoustics for massive gigs, and at least 25,000 seats. ccc.govt.nz/the-council/future-projects/ major-facilities

EXPLORE THE FOUR AVES For your handy pocket guide to the central city, complete with news on the latest and greatest local businesses, check out the Cityscape app. cityscape.co.nz/app

CULTURE BOMB There’s a whole lot of development incoming to keep the city’s artistic and cultural scene thriving.

New site for The Court Theatre C1 courttheatre.org.nz/news The Arts Centre revitalisation C2 artscentre.org.nz/about-us/our-vision Canterbury Museum redevelopment canterburymuseum.com/about-us/ museum-redevelopment-plans

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MOVING TO TOWN Thinking about making the move? Check out these great resources for info on living and working in Ōtautahi. ccc.govt.nz/live-here christchurchnz.com/live

LIVING SPACE ONE CENTRAL

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Up to 900 homes planned as one of the key residential developments of the central city. Between Lichfield, Kilmore, Manchester and Madras Sts – fletcherliving.co.nz

RIVERBANK QUARTER

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A mixed residential and commercial development fronting onto the river between Colombo and Manchester Streets. 243 Cambridge Tce – dgmgroup.co.nz

LANEWAY APARTMENTS

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Retail on the ground floor, five storeys of apartment living above – including accessible housing and Kiwibuild homes.

150 Tuam St – inovo.nz

THE SPIRE

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Nine floors of beautiful residential apartments and penthouses on top of the Wyndham Garden Hotel.

64 Kilmore St – thespire.co.nz

THERE ARE ALSO OLDER HOMES HITTING THE MARKET – perfect for heritage hawks, budget-conscious buyers and resident renovators.

a market view

Let’s find out what’s happening on the building front. Cityscape gets the low-down from some of the big names behind the central city’s residential developments.

GORDON MACLEOD

RUSSELL PYNE

Can you tell us about your residential developments in the central city? Fletcher Living has a number of developments either completed, underway or planned, all of which are components of our overarching project One Central.

This incorporates some 14 land parcels within seven city blocks running between Lichfield Street in the south and Kilmore Street to the north, and framed by Manchester and Madras streets. Overall, we expect to provide housing options for upwards of 2000 residents across potentially 900 dwellings.

Which nearby attractions make it a cool place to be? With Rauora Park serving as the spine of the

development, we love the open space and new art installations including VAKA ‘A HINA and the sections of the Berlin Wall. Along with our temporary installations like the pump track, basketball court, and mini golf, these have helped One Central become a vibrant, welcoming community in the heart of Christchurch. What is the central city’s greatest asset?

Perhaps in one word, ‘proximity’.

There is so much amenity in such close proximity to One Central that people are loving the opportunity to walk to work, eat out, get to the gym in a couple of minutes, catch a show or meet friends for drinks and a meal. Others are looking to the opening of Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre and the building of the newly announced home for the Court Theatre opposite the library in Gloucester Street. When you add the Town Hall, the new Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre and the Multi-Use Arena there is just about everything you need or want just moments away. fletcherliving.co.nz

Can you tell us about Park Terrace? We have proposed to build a new central city retirement village complex on two sites we own on Park Terrace. We’re planning to build a Warren and Mahoney-designed village which will include apartments and rest home, hospital and dementia care.

It will be home to more than 300 residents, and will include an indoor swimming pool, café and movie theatre as well as beautiful grounds for the residents to enjoy, right on Hagley Park. Are you optimistic about this market? The population aged over 70 is growing fast and will almost triple over the next 30 years as the baby boomers retire. The projects will free up houses in the Christchurch market, and provide warm, architecturallydesigned homes with care on hand.

It will be one of the largest reinvestments in the city post the quakes. We’re in the midst of the biggest demographic change in generations. What’s your vision for the city? Intergenerational living in a beautiful built environment. The city's well on the way to this. Finally! rymanhealthcare.co.nz

MIKE GREER Can you tell us why you’re steering your attention towards inner-city, medium-density development? We have been building a lot of this housing in the North Island but hadn’t focused on it in Christchurch for years. The inner city needs more quality homes, and we knew we could do it well. So we decided to take on some larger central city projects.

Can you tell us about your residential developments in the central city? We have 33

townhouses going up in Armagh Street, another 33 being built in Peterborough Street, and 100 townhouses and apartments in Gloucester Street. They are all a mix of two- and three-level homes, some with garages or carparks. Are you optimistic about this market?

We are confident the time is right for larger, well-planned city developments. The city has moved so far, so quickly with some lovely commercial architecture – now it’s time for residential. What’s your

AARON PERO

Can you tell us about The Spire apartments? They’re 29 apartments across four levels and sit on top of four floors of hotel rooms. Are you optimistic about the central city real estate market? Yes, very optimistic. I'm meeting a lot of people who are wanting to give up the home in the suburbs and move into the city. Living in the city isn't just convenient; it's convivial and conducive to a better life. What’s your five-second sales pitch for a central Christchurch apartment?

vision for the city? It's definitely a very young city, both in terms of its developments and its people. Over the next couple of years, more and more homes will pop up in the city.

Finally we will see the end of gravel car parks. What do you think about the new non-residential developments? I can’t wait for the convention centre to be finished.

From what I’ve seen, it looks outstanding. Truly a world class asset for Christchurch. mikegreerhomes.co.nz Cut the commute and live above the city in luxury. Who are you seeing move into these new homes? The Spire is mostly 50-plus couples from the suburbs wanting to spend less time maintaining houses and more time entertaining.

What is the central city’s greatest asset? I think with any city it is the people and it's no different here.

We have a lot of great people doing amazing things across hospitality, retail and other businesses. What’s your vision for what the city will become? I'd love to see lots of people living in the city and more large-scale projects like The Spire. The city has a lot to offer and now it just needs more people. What’s your favourite central city neighbourhood? The north-west is my favourite, it's the closest to Hagley Park, the Art Gallery, and some great architecture. I'm biased because I'm selling a bit around there but I don't think that makes me wrong. thespire.co.nz

Fashion

Salasai Sanctuary Tee Dress (RRP $369) from EnCompass

Status Anxiety Succumb Bag (RRP $219) from Stencil

Gioielliamo Diamond Rings (RRP from $2825) from Roccabella

new season edit Hot looks for the cooler months

RESENE TOORAK

RESENE SUPERNOVA

RESENE AMAZON

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Marle Cait Cardi (RRP $450) from Infinite Definite

FASHION

Crossline Jacket (RRP $750) from Nom*D

Marle Selina Jacket (RRP $700) from Infinite Definite

Thing Thing Poppy Dress Long (RRP $159) from Stencil

Sempre Di Heeled Boot (RRP $379) from Issimo

Cord Blazer (RRP $399) from Kate Sylvester

Thing Thing Clement Coat (RRP $289) from Stencil

Galaxy Rose Gold Earrings (RRP $1200) from Debra Fallowfield

Lattice Knit Scarf (RRP $89.90) from Witchery

Chloe Small Darryl Bag (RRP $1898) from Workshop

Collective Canvas Baan Sneaker (RRP $129.90) from Untouched World

twenty-seven names Dystopia Coat (RRP $670) from Infinite Definite

Joe Browns Lovely Layerable Jumper (RRP $165) from Dear No One

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Float Sweater (RRP $589) from Untouched World

FASHION

True colours

What’s warm, colourful, perfect for winter and you can wear it anywhere? The smart new line of Italian jewellery landing at Roccabella.

Fresh on the shelves at Cashel Street jewellery trailblazer Roccabella, you’ll find the new line of pieces from Italian fine jewellery house Gioielliamo (that’s pronounced ‘joy-ee-arm-oh’).

Roccabella has a long relationship with Gioielliamo, spanning back to the pre-earthquake days when Roccabella had a different location and was run by current jeweller Vikki’s mum, Margaret.

“This is a special partnership we’ve developed, and there’s a lot of trust both ways,” Vikki says. As well as viewing what’s on display, Roccabella visitors have the opportunity to design a custom-made Gioielliamo piece with Vikki.

“You can talk to me, see the colours, stones and designs that are available, and I collaborate with Gioielliamo to get your

very own piece made in Italy and shipped to Roccabella,” she says.

Gioielliamo has been in the jewellery business for 20 years, and in that time has developed its own distinctive and artistic style, playing with gemstones and diamonds, and embracing vibrant colours to produce jewellery with traditional elegance and modern taste. roccabella.co.nz We’re incredibly grateful for the support we get from advertisers all the wonderful Christchurch businesses, from bakeries to bike shops, that we get to rave about in the pages of Cityscape.

SUNGLASSES

HAPPY TO SIT ON YOUR FACE From the weird and wacky to the bold and beautiful, Happy To Sit On Your Face is the edgy go-to for all your sunglass needs. As Leigh, the mad mind behind HTSOYF, proclaims: “Live lusciously, in a world of your own invention.” HTSOYF is a Christchurch brand stocked around New Zealand and abroad, as well as online with a full catalogue. Join the party of showstopping optics! happytositonyourface.nz

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If you’ve been wowed by what you’ve seen here, go check them out.

Take your friends.

Tell your local business you saw them in Cityscape.

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Winter 21

MEN’S FASHION

MAN ABOUT TOWN Step into the handsome new shop in Victoria Street, where you’ll find quality menswear with a pop of individual flair. Owner Sharon Biddle has years of experience and a true flair for fashion. There’s something here for the man who enjoys looking and feeling good, whether it’s casual, businesswear or threads for a night out.

Find them on Facebook

FASHION

UNTOUCHED WORLD™

FASHION/ACCESSORIES | BURNSIDE

Recognised by the UN for sustainability, NZ lifestyle fashion brand Untouched World believes you don’t have to give up great design to be good to the planet. Timeless pieces are thoughtfully designed and consciously created from luxurious natural fabrics and fibres that are easy on the earth. This feel-good fashion brand is on a mission to make a positive impact, donating a percentage of all sales back into community initiatives.

Flagship Store & Café, 155 Roydvale Avenue, 03 357 9399 untouchedworld.com

DEAR NO ONE

FASHION | MERIVALE

Dear No One is a unique clothing boutique that loves colour and believes fashion should make a woman feel as confident and beautiful as she looks. Dear No One offers women of any age the attention and advice needed to achieve this feeling. Whether you desire special occasion wear, casual wear or anything in between, the boutique has the perfect item that will have you looking and feeling fantastic.

188 Papanui Road, 03 355 1433 dearnoone.co.nz

STENCIL

FASHION/ACCESSORIES | SYDENHAM

Established in 2002, Stencil has long been stocking national and international brands such as Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Vans, Reebok, Nudie Jeans, Patagonia, Carhartt, Levis, Huffer, Champion, Converse, Herschel, Thing Thing, Stüssy and Bellroy. The store packs an unbeatable selection of sneakers, hand-picked apparel and accessories, so pop in for a wealth of product knowledge and friendly service in a relaxed environment.

The Colombo, 363 Colombo Street, 03 374 6134 stencil.co.nz

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FASHION

FASHION

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1 Cassum Crew Sweater (RRP $549) from Untouched World 2 Blend Bhnatan Chino Khaki (RRP $120) from Man About Town 3 Huffer Mens Classic Down Jacket Military (RRP $419.90) from Stencil 4 Workshop Denim Mens Lined Chore Jacket (RRP $429) from Workshop 5 Taion V-Neck Down Vest (RRP $130) from Infinite Definite 6 Hunter S T Sunglasses (RRP $59) from Happy To Sit On Your Face 7 Stan Ray Ball Cap (RRP $100) from Infinite Definite 8 Carhartt 1999 Ad Evan Hecox T-Shirt (RRP $99.90) from Stencil 9 Rains Msn Bag (RRP $150) from Infinite Definite 10 Adidas Stan Smith Kermit (RRP $160) from Stencil

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FASHION

INFINITE DEFINITE FASHION | CENTRAL CITY

Founded in 2008, Infinite Definite is an independent high-end streetwear, fashion and lifestyle store. Owneroperators Jono and Sarah Moran curate an eclectic mix of designers and products hand-sourced by them from New Zealand, Australia and around the world.

246 High Street, 03 371 7465 infinitedefinite.com

DEBRA FALLOWFIELD JEWELLERY | DUNEDIN/ONLINE

Debra Fallowfield creates modern jewellery that continually pushes the boundaries between contemporary and classic. Debra crafts her jewellery completely by hand, each piece made with care, integrity and destined to be cherished forever.

Debra works remotely with clients across New Zealand and the world, and offers a fully bespoke engagement and wedding ring service. Peruse her collection online or on the ‘Gram.

26A George Street, Port Chalmers, Dunedin, 03 472 7221 debrafallowfield.com, IG/debrafallowfieldjeweller

ENCOMPASS

FASHION | WOOLSTON

Your go-to store for modern streetwear fashion, EnCompass has all your favourite brands for the new season, including Please, Salasai, WeSC, G-Star RAW, Ksubi, Nudie Jeans, Federation and Fil Noir. The store specialises in premium denim from a huge range of brands. Browse the extensive denim wall and be treated to impeccable service and the exceptional fitting expertise of owner and top jeanswear salesman Benji, or check out the newly updated website to shop the look.

Shop 26, The Tannery, 3 Garlands Road, 03 381 4065 encompassclothing.co.nz

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FASHION

YOU’VE GOT SOMETHING ON YOUR FACE

Cityscape talks to Leigh Pickering for a brief history of her business, Happy To Sit On Your Face.

Funky, bold, well priced. That’s Leigh’s philosophy for sunglasses. A few years ago, she spotted a gap in the market for some facial fashion that made a statement, and her brand has been growing ever since.

Her Christchurch sunglasses label Happy To Sit On Your Face has gone from strength to strength, and is now stocked across New Zealand and Australia, including at high-end fashion stores like Trelise Cooper.

Leigh’s been in the fashion industry for about 30 years, selling everything from Ray-Ban to Christian Dior and beyond. About five years ago she stopped working, when her father was sick with motor neurone disease. Around this time, she slowly began building Happy To Sit On Your Face. “I saw my father dying and I wanted to bring some happiness into the world,” Leigh says. “Life is hard, so let’s have something that’s fun.”

She immediately started to get positive feedback about her sunglasses – people were stoked with the range of designs, each wildly different from the last.

“Protecting yourself from UV is a practical matter but you can be

‘Life is hard, so let’s have something that’s fun.’ amazing, different and bold while you’re at it,” Leigh says.

Around two and a half years ago, Happy To Sit On Your Face really started to take off and became a full-time business for Leigh. As well as being extensively stocked in fashion stores, online sales have picked up in a big way and Leigh regularly sends sunglasses to the UK and USA, as well as around Australasia. And she still brings her glasses to some of the bigger markets around town, like the Lyttelton Market, where she demonstrates her uncanny skill for picking out the perfect pair for someone at first sight.

So what’s her secret? Leigh says it’s about making products that make you happy, creating something high quality that anyone can have at a good price, and ultimately, “being yourself and bugger what other people think”. happytositonyourface.nz

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FASHION HAPPENINGS

PUT A (KIWI) LABEL ON IT Innovative Aotearoa designer Jason Lingard’s labels have hit the shelves at The Tannery boutique Cosi Fan Tutte. Jason's eponymous label is dark and bold, paying homage to Japanese and neo-Gothic aesthetics with a decidedly modern bent. He has a deep appreciation for high-end finishings and loves working with quality, natural materials such as linen, leather, silk, wool and fine cottons. His second label, Gaard, strikes further in the direction of streetwear, with printed hoodies, tees and multipurpose garments.

The Gaard range was born from an Asia New Zealand Foundation trip where Jason and other ethicallyminded Kiwi fashion designers travelled to Asia to explore family-run factories and meet with local designers. These collections are both designed to fit interchangeable body shapes, genders and ages. cosifantutte.co.nz

Home & lifestyle

LIGHTS ON These rechargeable Easy Peasy lamps from ECC set the mood on an elegant desk, shelf or dining table. ecc.co.nz

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BY DESIGN

Six things we’re coveting this winter.

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1 101 Copenhagen range (from $49.99) from Frobisher 2 Doc Burgess vases (RRP L: $149.90, S: $139.90) from NED Collections 3 Mater Accent Oval Lounge Table (RRP from $3560) from ECC 4 Sebastian Desch Hood Clothes Rack (POA) from Matisse 5 Belle Interiors Collection Lennon Sofa (POA) from McKenzie & Willis 6 Sove Linen Duvet Cover (RRP $279) from Città

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HOME & LIFESTYLE

Office update Resene consultant Rebecca Long tells Cityscape all about bringing some DIY design into your home office setup.

Whether you need an organised area for your DIY supplies or a space to work from home, chances are you don’t actually need four walls surrounding you to get the job done. You can put a workspace just about anywhere, and paint can help you define the space. Creative use of colour is one way to create boundaries beyond walls and it is an opportunity to add enthusiasm and boost productivity. resene.co.nz

RESENE ALERT TAN RESENE FAST FORWARD RESENE HALF BISCOTTI

INTERACTIVE Whiteboards can easily take on many shapes, forms and colours with the help of Resene FX Write-on Wall Paint. This special paint works with your existing décor by allowing the colour of your walls to show through the clear finish. Experiment with a variety of shapes and create a feature that is creative, fun and interactive as well.

Complement with a vibrant colour such as Resene Alert Tan and make catching up on work energetic and enjoyable.

RESENE POMPADOUR

STRATEGIC AND FOCUSED Blue is thought to be associated with intellect and for some, being in a blue room can increase productivity.

For long, focused hours, surround yourself with Resene SpaceCote Flat on the walls, tinted to lovely blue hues such as Resene Fast Forward, Resene Bismark or Resene Liberty. Offset with soothing, soft hues such as Resene Shilo or Resene Soulful.

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NEUTRALS If you’re seeking a neutral hue, Resene Half Biscotti has a soft, creamy undertone of rose and taupe and is a great neutral to introduce to your home when you desire further warmth and productivity.

Celebrate and embrace the warmth, and pair with burnished coppers and vibrant art to keep you inspired.

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Winter 21

FINISHING TOUCHES Introduce green foliage throughout the room to make even the longest hours inside more enjoyable. Paint out pots in vibrant shades such as Resene Pompadour, Resene Koru and Resene Funk and layer an assortment of hanging planters.

TIME & SPACE: A GARDEN FOR ALL SEASONS Paul Roper-Gee from Canopy Landscape Architects has some practical tips for creating a garden that looks great all year round.

AUTUMN

W

inter can be a quieter time in our gardens but that provides an opportunity to plan ahead and think about how the garden can look good in all four seasons. In garden design, as well as three-dimensional space, we can also play with the fourth dimension of time.

In the winter months the ‘bones’ of the garden become obvious. Hard landscape elements including paths, pergolas, walls and boundaries provide structure that remains important throughout the year. Evergreen plants including New Zealand natives provide strong form and texture that give a garden weight and provide a backdrop to set other ‘flashier’ plants against. The winter skeletons of trees, ornamental grasses and selected perennials can also provide ‘good bones’.

Gardens need not be static but can change and flex through the seasons, taking advantage of plants that have their ‘wow moment’ at different times of the year.

To set up a moving wave of colour and interest from spring through to the following winter, succession planting is one of the best ways to make the most of ‘time’ in your garden. Flowers and perennials are your allies. Understanding when plant species will be in flower and which plants can be layered together in the same space is important.

Bulbs give the garden a head start in late winter and get it rolling into spring.

Perennials and annual plants can then be combined so that as one flower fades, another is flourishing and ready to take its place. Late season flowers can take you right through into autumn, by which time the autumnal leaves will take centre stage.

Planning good structure together with a succession of changing foliage and flowers will create a garden for all the seasons. canopy.co.nz

WINTER

SPRING

SUMMER

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CAN I HAVE LUXURY EVERY DAY? Anna Dick from Anna Margaret Interiors talks deluxe home décor and how to get that luxury retreat feel in your own home.

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veryone deserves to have elements of luxury in their home every day. And yes, it is attainable. First of all, you need to work out what luxury means to you.

It might mean having a matching set of hand soap and moisturiser in your bathroom or that wine fridge you have been longing for, a beautiful view from your kitchen window, or the softest curtains you pull at the end of the day. It can cost the earth, or be modest, because you define what luxury means for you.

Luxury is when you like what you see, smell, feel, touch and taste.

Luxury is when all your senses feel loved and catered to. A warm blanket or a smooth bench; scented candle or your fave wine; a beautiful view or your favourite ornaments on display; your favourite music gently playing in

the background or simply the sound of silence. Luxury is when you feel happy in a home or space that is designed with your needs and wants at the foremost – with all the elements of design being brought together in a thoughtful way to create a feeling of whatever luxury means to you, with your comfort being the main goal.

Whatever your needs are, a good designer can customise a space that will achieve a feeling of elegance and comfort. You can bring touches of luxury into any space, whether it be kitchen, bathroom, bedroom or living. It might be an oversized bath for a resort feel, a plush velvet headboard that you can’t help but touch every morning, or positioning an oversized chair in a sunny window to curl up in. Luxury can happen in any room of the house, and doesn’t necessarily have to put a strain on the wallet.

Here are a couple of simple tips to get a luxury accommodation feel every day in your own home.

Luxe layout – With the right layout, you can create a harmonious flow throughout the home, making

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‘You are the dictator of what luxury means to you.’ connections between spaces. Get some advice on the right use of colours and texture to give your home a luxurious feel.

Blissful bedtime – Nothing makes you feel more luxe than getting into some amazing bed linen. It’s worthwhile spending a little extra in this area, after all we spend a third of our lives in bed.

There is some amazing quality bed linen available in the most beautiful colours which will definitely bring the deluxe into your bedroom. And don’t forget about bath towels – again, there is nothing nicer than wrapping yourself in a beautiful silky towel after a long, lazy soak.

Outdoor opulence – Take the time to create a beautiful outdoor area that’s an entertainer’s dream. It can be easy to neglect this or put it in the ‘one day’ basket, but choosing outdoor furniture and decorations that make you happy will pay off big time. annamargaret.co.nz

SHEILA BROWN, RUFFLED FEATHERS | XGALERI

ASKEW ONE & JASMINE GONZALEZ CONTINUUM 6 | FIKSATE GALLERY

ARTHOUSE

Choosing new art? Making your own? Looking to frame or hang it in the coolest way possible?

Cityscape has tips and tricks from the Christchurch art world.

XGALERI'S MAX AND SHEILA BROWN ON CHOOSING THE PERFECT PIECES Choosing art to match a home theme or personality Max: It’s love for the piece. Learning to live with it. Either something that feels right for your interior or love for the piece and work. Knowing when you’ve found the right piece Sheila: The right piece will speak to you. I feel like for every piece of art, there is one owner. Put it out to the universe, visiting studios visiting galleries. Research artists that connect to you on some level through the subject matter or the artist’s personal journey. Tips on choosing colours in a piece Max: Sometimes, go with the seasons.

Learn to live with a piece year-round. Consider the style of your home – art can change the whole look. Finding your personal art style Sheila: I think it comes

back to the right piece speaking to you. Buy art with your heart, not the label. Making it look great Max: Think about what the art will look like in a frame. Frame memories.

Create significance.

IG/x.galeristudio

FIKSATE STUDIO & GALLERY'S JENNA INGRAM'S GUIDE TO FRAMING There are five main ways to frame your artwork. 1. Straight to edge The artwork comes right to the

edge of the frame and is kept off the glass with spacers. This style can suit prints, posters and artworks that have a lot of space around them. 2. Matboard This affordable method can really enhance the overall impact.

Matboard is kind of like cardboard and can come in different colours.

3. Shallow float mount This is where your artwork is hinged directly onto the back of the matboard inside the frame. This option is great for prints or originals on thicker paper, deckled edges, or artwork that goes right to the edge. 4. Shadow float mount This is the most expensive, but the results are truly stunning. We use a complementary matboard as a backing and create a 'mini box' in the frame so all sides and back match and are seamless to the eye.

5. Tray frames for canvas Loose canvases should be stretched and

FRAME ‘N’ COPY'S KATHY DUNCAN ON SAVING KEEPSAKES Thinking outside the box As well as photographs and art, you can frame dried wedding bouquets, war medals, album covers, feathers, letters, cards, rugby jerseys and postcards. We have even framed a carpet with a picture of Queenstown woven into it. Incorporating stories into an object display You can write a note which we will attach to the back of the piece so the story can stay with it. Making the most of your memories Dust them off and bring them out for display – as well as capturing wonderful stories, they make great art! framencopy.co.nz

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STRANGE VISIONS Jacob Root is an urban artist who’s all about spreading the good vibes, and whose murals have brightened a fair few dull walls around Christchurch, including the bright yellow Audrey Hepburn mural at Lemon Tree Café. You’re not limited to viewing his work out on the street, though – through his business Distranged Design, Jacob can bring the street art right into your living room, with individual artworks, commissions, or even an indoor mural, aiming to create effects you’d see on a wall down a city alley. Jacob’s style is all about finding positives in the negatives; showing that there’s light through the dark. Jacob is a bit of young blood on the scene, and he has had a busy few years since kicking off his art career at age 17, including being part of the Melbourne urban art festival Can’t Do Tomorrow in 2020 and spending time collaborating with other street artists and painting murals in Los Angeles in 2019. distrangeddesign.com tray frames can surround them.

This protects the canvas edges and gives them a final border that gives an amazing impact. fiksate.com

RIGHTSIDE GALLERY'S DON SERVICE ON CREATING ART Starting an art piece I start with timber and get a bit of an idea and go from there. Method 1 Sometimes I get an idea, and say that’s what I’m going to make.

Then I get timber, or ply, or steel, and make it. Method 2 Sometimes I just stare blankly at a piece of timber for a bit, and see what pops into my head. Inspiration Some days you’re creative, and some days you’re not. Sometimes I’m out doing my art-hanging work and I get inspiration from that. And I spend time out in nature, I love getting inspiration from natural colours and forms. Starting out in art The best way to start is just to start. You have an idea, and crack on with it. That’s the Kiwi way, isn’t

it? Don't wait for somebody to tell you to start. Selling art I think the art shows, like the Christchurch Art Show and the NZ Art Show, are a great way of getting your art in front of a lot of people in a short space of time. To be an artist you have to sell work, and to sell work you have to get in front of people.

IG/rightside_art_gallery

DISTRANGED DESIGN'S JACOB ROOT ON INTEGRATING ART Commissioning art Pick a space where you want to hang a feature piece, measure it out, and then talk to an artist whose style you like to work on some ideas. It helps to have an idea of a theme or colours you want to pick out before you start. Integrating art in your space I tend to go for opposite colours to what’s already in the room. You don’t want your art to blend in with its surroundings. You want it to pop. distrangeddesign.com

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NAILED IT ART HANG'S HAMISH NOSTER ON HANGING ART LIKE A PRO Before you hang Lean art against the wall and get a feel for how it will look. Avoiding sunlight fading You can frame art behind special glass that reduces fading in sunny spots. Command hooks Don’t use them. Small screw holes are easy to fill in later if you want. The right height A lot of people naturally hang things too high. Keep the centre of the art at eye level. naileditarthang.co.nz

HOME & LIFESTYLE

SUBSCRIBE YOUR LIFE A huge range of Kiwi companies now deliver their wares to your door, on repeat. Are there any limits to subscription services? Cityscape finds out.

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t’s waiting for you on your doorstep in the morning: a selection of local craft beers. Next comes your week’s worth of fresh vegan meals. A regular delivery of treats for your dog. 48 rolls of organic, tree-free toilet paper. A fresh toothbrush – great, yours was nearly done.

The rise in subscription services has opened up new ways to automate our lives.

Subscribe once, and these essentials are delivered on schedule. Say goodbye to the mishmash of errands taking up your Saturday and the hassle of keeping the pantry stocked through your busy week.

Subscriptions also allow you to consciously choose ethical, local producers, rather than being funnelled into whatever’s available at your local supermarket.

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TR AVO

O FO

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THE

FIT

Christchurch Chef Tom Riley creates delicious plant-based meals from locally-sourced ingredients. His business Green Dinner Table delivers recipes and ingredients right to your home, so you can easily join the plant-based revolution. Taking things back a step, you can get a fresh box of raw seasonal organic veggies on your doorstep every week thanks to ethical Canterbury farm Streamside Organics, the perfect basis for healthy home feasts. Nadia Lim’s My Food Bag has been a hit in New Zealand – you’ll get a bag of delicious local ingredients and great recipes to cook to. Riverside Market Box comes from your favourite Christchurch market with THE ESSENTIALS meats, pantry staples, fresh seasonal produce, eggs and cheese, as well as a Anyone learn about Maslow’s Hierarchy of specially-picked treat from one of Needs at school? It went like this: before Riverside’s fantastic vendors. For humans can get on to creative solutions and ultimate convenience, try Fitfood’s big picture projects, we need our basic needs chef-prepared ready-to-eat meals. They sorted. That means food, water, rest and come fresh, not frozen, so you still get that somewhere to poo. Back in 1943, Maslow lovely crisp texture in your vegetables and probably didn’t envision getting those needs salad. Fitfood caters for a huge range of delivered on the regular without having to lift diets, with gluten free, keto and weight a finger. Browse these great services, get your management menus, and even a order in, then get to work on world peace. delicious healthy Indian food subscription.

Maslow didn’t include caffeine anywhere on his needs pyramid, so we can only assume it was meant to go right there with fresh air and water.

Crafted Coffee will make sure you don’t wither into a coffee-deprived shell of a person, delivering you a new batch of premium beans monthly (coffee lover), fortnightly (coffee needer) or weekly (coffee fiend) – choose from the standard blend or the ultra-dark full-bodied Le Chat Noir blend. Meanwhile, at the other end, Smart Ass is as pure as essentials get. Sign up to a Smart Ass subscription and you’ll STREAMSIDE ORGANICS

TOOTHCRUSH

SS SMARTA

PET.CO.NZ

STRIPPED JERKY never be caught without toilet paper again. It’s made from sugarcane and bamboo, with no plastic wrapping, and there’s even a games range – every roll comes in a playful interactive wrapper to keep you entertained.

When your dentist tells you to get a new toothbrush every few months, they’re not lying. Toothcrush delivers you a premium bamboo brush every two or three months, so you’re prompted to make the change as often as you should.

Pet.co.nz’s AutoShip subscription service means you’ll never have to rush to the supermarket when the cat food bucket is empty, and there’s a discount for any pet food ordered by subscription. Plus the delivery box can be up-cycled into a swanky cat castle. Win.

THE ARTISANS These fantastic Kiwi products can really put a smile on your face. Whether you’re into trying new beauty products or edible treats like chocolate, honey and beer, there’s a subscription box that will allow you to explore something exciting from our wonderful artisan producers.

Stripped Jerky offers a ‘Jerky Mix’ subscription of different flavoured Canterbury jerky in boxes of 20, 36, 50 or 100. The Avo Tree loads up this season’s high-quality, freshly-picked New Zealand avocados and delivers them directly to your door. Barrys Bay Cheese from Akaroa will deliver a quarterly package of hand-selected cheeses to your home or office. Local specialist store The Beer Library has several

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subscription options, including hoppy packs, malty packs, Belgian packs, and a mix of everything. Gold Fern Honey in Spreydon offers regular deliveries of honey and other bee products, and gives a 5% discount on any subscription orders. Mel from Little&Luxe takes your preferences and curates the best of the best: four to six products centred on homewares, beauty, personal, edible and practical items, just for you. Explore Kiwi sweeties with Kapiti Chocolate Factory, in which the chocolatiers handpick six or nine different types of chocolate-based treat for you to enjoy.

THE THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW YOU NEEDED Some subscriptions services have gone past essentials, past the luxuries you know you love, into the realm of things that are incredibly wonderful, but so ingenious you’d never have thought of them yourself. These are the services that can streamline you into being the person you’ve always wanted to be – a gifted gardener living in an indoor jungle, or a talented baker who knows all Granny’s recipes by heart.

Each month Plant Baby sends you a fresh pot plant to add to your collection, along with tips and care instructions and some extra treats for yourself. Cool Plants delivers a different beautiful easy-care or low-light plant and modern planter to your door once a month for three months. Every month, SeedBox sends you four ready-to-plant seed packets to grow seasonal herbs and vegetables. Rediscover classic Kiwi baking with Home Baked, sending biscuits and slices with a monthly theme. You can even choose gluten free and vegan boxes.

With all this to choose from, you can tailor an automated subscription experience that frees up your time to do the things you really love, like exploring our beautiful city and trying your hand at making some recipes by top Christchurch chefs (Page 66), which as far as we know you can’t yet subscribe to.

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Winter 21

HOME & LIFESTYLE

FLORIST

GIFTS

Delight with brilliant bouquets from one of Christchurch’s foremost florists. This iconic brand has been blooming since 1937, and is still creating perfect posies for any occasion. Be enthralled by the beauty of stunning fresh flowers, creatively arranged by the talented team. For every day or special occasions, for yourself or someone else, Court Florist brings you inspiration in spades. Pop into the beautiful inner-city store on Victoria Street today or simply order online. courtflorist.co.nz

Step into an emporium of sensory delight in the beautiful Tannery and you’ll find yourself surrounded by gorgeous wares, embraced by delicious scents, and lulled by beautiful sounds. Inspired by the vintage markets of Europe, every item in Cosi Fan Tutte’s extensive range of clothing, homewares, gifts, and jewellery is personally sourced locally and internationally and is selected for its uniqueness, natural beauty, and Olde World charm. cosifantutte.co.nz

COURT FLORIST

COSI FAN TUTTE

STONES & CRYSTALS

EARTHLY TREASURES This calming, relaxing space is all about wellbeing, filled with plants, bean bags, and cruisy music to help each customer find a sense of calm and peace as they step through the door. Earthly Treasures’s range of crystals, rocks and minerals can be used for whatever suits the individual, whether it's healing, something to keep close, or simply a beautiful gift. The store also stocks sterling silver jewellery, clothing, handmade soaps and shampoos, beeswax candles, and giftware. earthlytreasures.co.nz

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HOME & LIFESTYLE

ANNA MARGARET INTERIORS INTERIOR DESIGN

Imagine how you’ll feel in a home that cleverly blends your personality, travels and lifestyle with timeless, elegant interior design. Specialising in kitchen, bathroom, and whole house interior design, Anna weaves a cohesive aesthetic ensuring your experience throughout the journey is extraordinary. Learn how to save time and energy for a fun and successful project with Anna Margaret Interiors.

027 672 3364 annamargaret.co.nz

MOFFATT’S FLOWER CO. FLORIST | HALSWELL

Moffatt’s Flower Company is excited to introduce super-trendy house plants into the mix. The store now has a large selection of indoor plants in all shapes, forms and sizes to enhance your home or work environment.

Moffatt’s stocks an extensive range of flowers and the talented florists are available to create stunning bouquets for any occasion. For all your floral or plant needs, pop into the Moffatt’s retail store, visit the website or give the lovely team a call.

1 Candys Road, 03 322 7975 moffatts.co.nz

UNIVERSITY BOOKSHOP BOOKSHOP | ILAM

UBS Canterbury is your independent community bookshop. It caters for all ages and interests, with an extensive children’s section and a diverse range for adults, from the latest fiction to tomes on politics or history. New Zealand titles are strongly represented and you can find unique gifts as well as cards. The special order service will track down those hard-to-get books, and UBS’ experienced staff are always ready to offer suggestions.

University Drive, 03 364 2043 ubscan.co.nz

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HOME & LIFESTYLE

HOMEWARES

BIKES

Founded in 2015 by an architectural designer and an ex-rugby player, NED Collections was born from the belief that walking into a beautiful space can have a positive influence on the way you feel. Every product in the collection is hand-sourced by Brett and Dan from small and family-owned businesses around the world.

With a well-honed eye for design, the pair curate a collection of understated beauty that will make your home feel like a breath of fresh air. nedcollections.co.nz

Switch from four wheels to two with a custom-built bike.

Bespoked Cycles rocks a huge number of build combos including unlimited colour options. Design your bike from scratch with high-quality components to fit your style, adding flip-flop hubs so you can switch between fixed and freewheeling, or take your pick from the range of primo prebuilt bikes. bespokedcycles.co.nz

ART GALLERY

ART FRAMING

NED COLLECTIONS

BESPOKED CYCLES

XGALERI

FRAME ‘N’ COPY

Home to mother-and-son artist team Sheila and Max Brown, Xgaleri is a cross between a working studio and a fine arts showroom. Whether you’re looking for beautiful scenes or deep emotional abstractionism, Sheila and Max’s works provide a unique colour palette across the board for any household. Located down the Guthrey Lanes in the heart of the city, this is your hub for fine art, handmade pottery and custom jewellery, all made here in New Zealand.

IG/x.galeristudio

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Serving locals in New Brighton and around Christchurch for over 30 years, Frame ‘n’ Copy loves turning empty walls into happy spaces of framed mementos and memories from your own life story.

New owners Kathy and James are committed to continuing Frame ‘n’ Copy’s friendly service, excellent craftsmanship and affordable prices, and can preserve all your treasures for display, from postcards and concert tickets to medals, heirlooms and clothing. framencopy.co.nz

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HOME & LIFESTYLE

NAILED IT ART HANG PICTURE MOUNTING

Sick of your artwork not being level or falling off the wall due to those pesky Command strips? Let Nailed It Art Hang sort it out. With eight years’ experience, Hamish provides a fast, precise and professional service to make sure your artwork sits flush against the wall and looks absolutely perfect. Whatever you need to hang, from TVs and mirrors to curtains and blinds, Hamish can do it all. He can even help with shelving and flat pack assembly, and will probably save your marriage in the process!

027 380 3579 naileditarthang.co.nz

FIKSATE

ART GALLERY | SYDENHAM

Fiksate Gallery is New Zealand’s only specialist urban contemporary art gallery. The gallery offers original artworks from leading New Zealand urban artists alongside a handpicked selection of international talent.

Located in a great creative hub in Sydenham with many other art galleries nearby, Fiksate showcases diverse artworks that vary from abstract to portraiture, prints to sculpture and everything in between.

The team also offer a comprehensive custom framing service.

54 Hawdon Street fiksate.com, FB/Fiksate

RIGHTSIDE GALLERY ART GALLERY | CENTRAL CITY

Local artist Don Service’s funky gallery and workshop space is opening this winter in the central city, where art lovers can peruse a wide selection from local and national artists, including Joel Hart, Rachel Rush, Odelle Morshuis, Sarah Albisser, Dr Suits, Charles Hannah, Hamish Anderson, Paula Petherick and more. Don also exhibits his own work at the gallery – a fascinating collection of pieces that play with form, texture and colour – and offers an art hanging service as well.

380 St Asaph Street, 021 238 1501 integraledesignart.com

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Wellbeing BREATH OF LIFE Veronica King of

Grassroots Yoga & Health talks breath work, and how you can take the simple first steps to mindfulness.

The breath is the most important resource we have for living in a mindful way and staying present in the moment. When we feel our breath – truly take notice of it – then slow our breath, we slow our thoughts. And when we slow our thoughts we gain clarity, perspective and peace. The breath is the secret ingredient of a good yoga class. It's a powerful portal to relaxation and the key to self-regulation. We are physiologically wired to change the breath in response to external situations, and the breath can be used to change our internal state. It's powerful, it's free and the capacity is within all of us to harness the power of breath.

Having said that, it can be hard at the start, and that's where a teacher can help you get started. Little and often is a great way to start, when I first began meditating I would try doing it for an hour, a total disaster. I would end up agitated and frustrated.

Here is a simple ritual for you to begin working with your breath right now. Set a timer for five minutes. Sit or lie down in a quiet space, close your eyes, do three deep slow breaths, then simply keep your attention on the natural breath moving in and out of your nose. Your mind will wander; bring it back to your breath when you notice you are distracted. At the end of the five minutes, notice how relaxed the body is, how quiet the mind is, how soft the breath is. Your journey to better living is under way. grassrootsyoga.co.nz

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RITUALS: MAKING TIME

In a busy life, the little things can mean so much. Cityscape takes a moment to think about the rituals that can make life that little bit better, and where in Christchurch you can get help performing them.

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t can be challenging to make time for me-time in between all the things to do and people to see, but here’s a hot take: when we say ‘make time’, what we really mean is ‘take time’. We choose what gets prioritised and what doesn’t. So let’s be more mindful in the choices we make every day, and choose something that gives back to number one every now and then.

APPRECIATE YOUR MORNING RITUAL The morning can be yours. This is the time for setting your intentions, taking a moment for gratitude, or starting your day with reflective meditation. If you can become an early riser, you’ll be rewarded by a calm space before the rest of the world (and your kids) awake. Try making it your ritual to get up for sunrise every day, or at least open your curtains to let the morning light in. However you start the day, those hours (or minutes) between waking up and embarking upon the day are precious time for self-care. If you’re a tea person, get yourself a nice teapot and make tea using actual leaves. Wildflower Botanicals in Sydenham stocks a wide range of loose leaf tea blends, all made in-house, so you know you’re getting a unique, quality artisan product. No gumboots here. Enjoy the moment – brewing with leaves instead of bags means deeper flavour, fresher tea, and room for the water to flow and extract essential vitamins, minerals

and aromas. If you’re more of a coffee person, sit at your favourite café and enjoy the ritual of sipping your cuppa from start to finish, rather than existing out of takeaway cups. Or brew it at home – select your favourite mug, inhale the glorious aromas, and enjoy warming yourself from the inside out. Many people also find the morning the best time to read an inspiring book. Your brain is fresh and ready to absorb information, and it sets you in a good frame of mind for the day.

TREAT YOURSELF Scheduling in time to do something just for you, whether it’s once a week or even once a month, helps lower stress and increase energy.

Taking time doesn’t have to be complicated, or even expensive.

Go to the movies and relish the ritual of settling in to do nothing else for 90 minutes. Lumière Cinemas even lets you take a glass of wine or hot drink in with you, and its Bijou Bar has velvet chairs and a lovely view if you feel inclined to extend your self-care session that little bit further. After you’ve spent an hour and a half without looking at your phone, getting up to check dinner, or folding laundry, you’ll feel refreshed and content AF. A massage is an ideal way to treat yourself that will do both your body and your mind some good.

Koru Healing’s Chinese therapeutic massage is specially designed to help with injury recovery and

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decreasing tension, which sounds delightful to us. Getting to that half-asleep, melting-into-the-table, state of relaxation can reduce stress and anxiety, and has myriad physical benefits, depending on the treatment you go for.

Yoga is another excellent way to turn some of that self-care towards your body. Yoga comes in many forms, from the super-flexy to the intense cardio or strength workouts, and all the way to the long and slow or deep relaxation styles, such as yin yoga or yoga nidra. In fact, yoga nidra is sometimes known as yogic sleep – interested yet? This special form of guided meditation teaches you to slow your brain, supporting psychological, physical and spiritual healing. You can find a range of classes at Grassroots Yoga & Health at The Tannery, covering gentle, restorative yoga, breath work and relaxation techniques, or try theyoganidraproject.com for a library of guided meditation practises you can do yourself.

Surrounding yourself with things you enjoy every day is a great, small way to inject some joy into your life. Candles are instant cosy sticks, with warm light and sweet

RITUALS: MAKING TIME

smells. Dot a couple around your house and make a little ritual of lighting them when you get home – take a moment and separate from the stress or busyness of your day. Crystals look lovely and are thought to have a positive effect on the energy of your space and your own sense of peace and calm. Visit Christchurch’s own Earthly Treasures and ask the team for a recommendation – they have a wide range and can offer plenty of knowledge and advice about the properties and benefits of each crystal. Place them in the windows to catch the light, in the bathroom or bedroom to aid relaxation, or even wear them. And then of course, there’s plants. Research has shown that bringing some of the outdoors indoors can have benefits for your health, mood, energy, stress levels, focus, and even physical benefits such as reducing headaches, dry skin and boosting immunity and pain tolerance. And indoor plants add a lushness and freshness that are a joy to come home to. There are plenty of great places in Christchurch to top up your indoor jungle – Moffatt’s Flower Co has recently launched a range of potted plants grown in its own greenhouses. While you’re there, think about buying someone some flowers. Who? You. Make it your weekly ritual to get yourself a beautiful, aromatic bunch of flowers to liven your home and make you feel special.

SAY THANKS TO YOUR BODY Our bodies do a lot for us. They carry us through everything, from running errands to running marathons (if you’re into that sort of nonsense). Show your body some gratitude by taking it for a little TLC at Saga2Wellness. After all, you wouldn’t keep driving your car without a warrant of fitness, would you? Saga Juliet Gibbs is a professional reflexologist with 30 years’ experience in natural therapies, and also specialises in Indian head massage, a unique therapy stemming from Saga’s training with ancient Ayur Vedic cleansing massages in the UK. It incorporates the whole back and upper arms, face, neck, shoulders and head and is incredibly effective at relieving built-up tension. Saga also employs an ancient tool called a Kansa wand, used with oil for a soothing, detoxifying effect. saga2wellness.nz

DON’T JUST RELAX, DEEPLY RELAX Unless you’re the Buddha himself, it’s probably safe to say you could do with relieving some stress. A great number of physical illnesses can actually have roots in the mind – namely, the stress and tension that many of us carry around on a daily basis. At Inner Calm Reflexology, qualified reflexologist Alex Teen provides client-focused treatments in a peaceful, nurturing environment for you to relax, unwind and forget about the stresses of everyday life.

Alex’s treatments are designed to induce deep relaxation, which provides the best opportunity for the body to self-heal, rebalance and provide a sense of inner calm.

Reflexology treatments can also ease pain, boost energy and circulation, calm digestive issues, aid sleep and provide symptomatic relief for numerous conditions.

Sounds like a great self-gift to us! innercalm.co.nz

TAKE CARE OF YOUR MIND One of the best things you can do to really take care of yourself is to nurture your state of mind. For some expert help, Dr Jo Battye from Mind Detox is passionate about guiding and empowering people on a journey to find peace with mind, body, and spirit. For Jo, a doctor of 25 years, detoxing the mind is all about looking at the connection between mind and body, and self compassion – loving and being kind to yourself. This can mean learning to meditate, gentle healing of painful emotions, or even just practising spending time in the present moment. In a series of restful sessions tailored to the individual, Jo gives clients the tools to stay well, observe our thoughts, neutralise toxic beliefs and find holistic harmony. minddetox.co.nz

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WELLBEING DR LIBBY

THE GOOD LIFE

Detoxification is a process that is often misunderstood. It goes on inside us all day, every day. We wouldn’t be alive without it.

However, the lifestyle choices we make influence how efficiently our body does its critical detoxification work.

T

he liver plays a major role in detoxification, which is essentially a transformation process. It takes substances that would harm you if they were to accumulate and changes them into substances that are less harmful so that you can excrete them.

Substances that either require detoxification, or impact on this process, include alcohol, caffeine, synthetic substances (such as medications, pesticides, and synthetic ingredients in skincare and household cleaning products), trans fats (damaged fats usually found in bought cakes and biscuits, snack bars and deep-fried foods), and sugars, such as refined sugars.

These are the substances I refer to as ‘liver loaders’. The liver also has to detoxify substances your body makes itself, such as oestrogen and cholesterol, which can have their own impact on your health.

When I am guiding people with what foods serve their health, one element that is firmly in my mind is minimising (or, in some cases, eliminating) ‘liver loaders’, as this

allows the body to pull problematic substances out of storage (from body fat and other tissues) to be processed and excreted.

FOODS TO SUPPORT DETOXIFICATION PATHWAYS Leafy greens The liver loves, and is stimulated by, bitter foods and there is no better way to stimulate the bitter taste buds than with green leafy veggies. Turmeric Turmeric naturally contains a substance called curcumin that is well known for its powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions. Broccoli A member of the brassica family of vegetables, deserving of its superstar accolades, this green vegetable contains powerful phytochemicals that are highly beneficial for liver detoxification pathways. St Mary’s thistle Also known as milk thistle, St Mary’s thistle helps to maintain liver health and supports liver detoxification processes. It also has

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antioxidant properties, helping to reduce free radical damage to cells, which can occur during the detoxification of problematic substances. Globe artichoke Helpful for stimulating bile (made by the liver), which is necessary for digestion as well as preparing some problematic fatty substances for elimination (e.g. most pesticides and herbicides are fat-soluble). This herb also has antioxidant properties.

Gentian A highly bitter herb that is commonly used by those with digestive complaints. Additionally, the bitterness assists the detoxification and elimination of fat-soluble substances that we don’t want to accumulate in the body.

The power of the body’s natural detoxification process is often forgotten, which is one reason I am brimming with encouragement for people to consume a wide variety of whole, real foods, including plenty of plants that assist with stimulating and supporting all body systems, particularly those involved in detoxification processes. Is it time you showed your liver a little extra love? You can read more about caring for your liver at www.bioblends.com.

Dr Libby Weaver (PhD) is a nutritional biochemist, speaker and best-selling author of 13 books. Her new Wellness Cards (RRP$34.95) are available exclusively from her website www.drlibby.com.

STYLEMAKERS

Cityscape meets four stylists from True Grit, each at a different stage of their career and each with a unique perspective.

CASEY ROXBURGH

HAYLEY MURRAY

LIBBY FLECK

NAOMI ANDERSON

ADVANCED STYLE DIRECTOR

NEXT GENERATION

NEW GENERATION STYLIST

MASTER STYLIST

My role involves being a busy senior stylist, pampering and creating gorgeous hair for clients. It is the most amazing feeling when my clients look and feel incredible with their new ‘dos. Natalie Anne is an industry favourite of mine.

She does great tutorials online and just creates beautiful hair that is achievable. I always wanted to be a hairdresser, and the only way I could finish school early was to get an apprenticeship, so that’s what I did! I’m really into the '70s-'80s vibe, all the shaggy textured haircuts, curtain bangs and rich soft colours. If I were trapped on a desert island, I’d bring my wee family, red wine, and a music player.

My favourite treatments are any of the Kérastase rituals.

They are all divine in the hair and made bespoke.

I’m very fortunate to be doing an apprenticeship with such a great team at True Grit. Having completed my third-year assessments, I am working towards getting on the floor more and cutting. I am really enjoying colouring. I love both doing the colour and seeing the outcomes. I love the constant creativity here. We are encouraged to try new styles and influence others.

I, like so many others, love creating a soft balayage and curtain bangs. I think they are both stylish and will be hot for a while. If I were trapped on a desert island, I’d bring a music player, guitar, and Niall Horan.

I love using smart bond treatments. You can really feel the difference at the end. On myself, I love a Kérastase Fusio scrub. My scalp feels so clean and refreshed afterwards.

I’m a recently qualified stylist, and I did all my training at True Grit. The most valuable thing I have learnt is all my technical skills and how important a good team is. The highlight of a typical day at True Grit is getting to make my clients leave the salon feeling amazing, and also all the girls I work with! What I love about working in the hair industry is making women and men feel and look great.

My industry heroes are Alex Competto and Viva La Blonde salon. My favourite look is balayage, money pieces, and blondes, because they are so bright and beautiful. If I were trapped on a desert island, I’d bring a puppy, my phone and water. The Kérastase Fusio-Dose ritual is my favourite hair treatment to do on clients and to receive.

Being a master stylist, I have been lucky enough to train and work in different salons around the world. It is awesome to be able to pass down skills as it helps apprentices to keep learning and growing their passion. As a teen I loved going to the salon getting my hair done. I looked up to the hairdressers and thought of them as such groovy, confident people who could make people feel amazing every day. I love the shag look, so much texture and movement. I also love colour panel work and have been enjoying more razor styles recently. If I were trapped on a desert island, I’d bring sunscreen, endless cold gin and tonics, and Chris Hemsworth. My favourite hair ritual is Kérastase’s ‘The Lux’.

It’s the ultimate treatment.

True innovation. True passion. True hair. truegrit.co.nz 50

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WELLBEING

NAILS BY TOMO

NAIL SALON | BRYNDWR

Nails By Tomo is helmed by leading nail professional Tomoko Tsuji, who has over two decades of Japanese nail art experience. She caters to all your nail needs, including manicures, polish and gel, acrylic, pedicures and stunning nail art using only the finest quality products from Japan.

Your nails will not only look amazing but also grow healthier and stronger.

With friendly one-on-one service and unique designs, a visit to Nails By Tomo is sure to leave you smiling.

7/250 Clyde Road, 022 194 6055 FB/NailsByTomo

KM SURGICAL

COSMETIC SURGERY | CENTRAL CITY

KM Surgical is directed by dermatologic surgeon Dr Ken Macdonald, who specialises in local anaesthetic cosmetic surgery and laser treatments, including facial resurfacing and rejuvenation. The team at KM Surgical are dedicated to providing first-class care and helping you on your aesthetic journey. The clinic is located on the ground floor at Avenue Health and is accredited for day stay surgery and procedures.

202 Bealey Avenue, 03 379 9467 kmsurgical.co.nz

BLACK HAIRDRESSING HAIR | SYDENHAM

Exciting things are afoot at Black Hairdressing. The store now stocks its own range of human hair wigs, toppers, ponytails, fringes, clip-in extensions and more. The extension experts at Black have the tools and techniques to make all your hair dreams come true, and hair loss boss Janine has found the best hair loss products on the market for beautiful, proven results. The skilled team at Black Hairdressing bring you the latest in hair, helping women look beautiful and feel confident.

Shop 3C, 363 Colombo Street, 03 379 0022 blackhairdressing.co.nz

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WELLBEING

THE NEW NIGHT OUT After dark, Mod’s Hair takes on a whole new aspect. It’s a haven of style and good times, and Cityscape steps out to learn more.

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he new night out is so much more than a drink at a bar or a boogie on a crowded dance floor. The ladies at Mod’s Hair in Merivale have their own after-dark experience that brings a whole new level of fun and luxe to a girls’ night on the town.

It’s warm, it’s safe, it’s stylish as hell, and there’s a fully licensed bar.

As you step in from the chilly night

air, you’re greeted by a warm bubble, the sweet aroma of a well-kept salon, and the sound of mood-setting evening music.

Grab yourself a G&T, or perhaps a Negroni, or a glass of French Champagne. Settle in and prepare to be pampered.

This is the perfect setting to meet for pre-drinks and styling before a special night out, or the

whole night can start and end at Mod’s. Bring a group of three or four to enjoy drinks and giggles over simultaneous styling, or book in with a larger group and take turns in the stylists’ chairs while you enjoy the evening and socialise.

As Mod’s Hair owner Julianne Liebeck puts it: “It’s winter, it’s dark.

We’re embracing the dark.” modshair.co.nz

WE ABSOLUTELY LOVE ALL THE WONDERFUL CHRISTCHURCH BUSINESSES – FROM BAKERIES TO BIKE SHOPS, SALONS TO SOCIAL CLUBS – THAT WE GET TO RAVE ABOUT IN THE PAGES OF THIS MAGAZINE. IF YOU’VE BEEN WOWED BY WHAT YOU’VE SEEN HERE, GO CHECK THEM OUT. TAKE YOUR FRIENDS. TELL YOUR LOCAL BUSINESS YOU SAW THEM IN CITYSCAPE. 52

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Winter 21

WELLBEING

NIRVANA BEAUTY LOUNGE BEAUTY | CENTRAL CITY

Hana of Nirvana Beauty Lounge has created a new space that reflects her idea of Nirvana – a soft and warm environment that draws you in, where the friendly staff can attend to all your beauty and wellbeing needs.

Hana wanted the lounge to impart a sense of comfort and relaxation, so when you walk in you feel like you belong. Offering beauty services, microblading, massage and pamper packages, Hana and her team want the lounge to be your nirvana.

11/21 Bealey Avenue, 03 348 0252 nirvanabeautylounge.co.nz

TRUE GRIT

HAIR/MAKEUP | CENTRAL CITY

The team at True Grit are true experts, providing exquisite service in a fabulous environment. Experience the creative, skilful professionalism of True Grit’s dynamic masters, style directors and new generation stylists.

Beautiful hair goes deeper than a cut and colour, which is why True Grit offers fabulous luxurious bespoke rituals to treat your hair and leave you with stunning, well-maintained locks. Book now with the experts in hair beauty. True innovation, true passion, true hair!

87 Manchester Street, 03 377 7889 truegrit.co.nz, shop.truegrit.co.nz

VERTEX ATHLETIC GYM | CENTRAL CITY

Bring your crazy dream to the team at Vertex Athletic, and they will work with you to make it a reality.

The experts here have the best knowledge and equipment to help you jump higher and run faster, whether your goal is to make the team or just to be the best you can be. With New Zealand’s only altitude and heat training booth, top notch coaches and physios from Inspire Motion Physio, Vertex Athletic can deliver high performance training for everyone.

41 Moorhouse Avenue, 027 258 8800 vertexaltitude.co.nz

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CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Winter 21

A FAT LOT OF GOOD

KM Surgical’s Dr Ken MacDonald draws back the curtain on fat transfer, a life-changing cosmetic surgical process. Cityscape finds out more.

So what is fat transfer? We use a person’s own fat to improve the appearance of parts of the body that may have lost tissue volume due to aging, trauma, surgery, birth defects or other causes. Where does the fat come from? Usually the thighs or abdomen. And what kind of places do you usually transfer it to? It depends on the patient and their needs, but often the backs of hands, face, breasts, buttocks or hips. Does it hurt? It’s not too bad. Before the procedure, we inject an anaesthetic to the area to minimise bruising and discomfort, and there’s also an option for sedation.

We use a very narrow surgical instrument called a cannula to remove the fat using a liposuction technique. Then what happens to the fat? The fat is then washed and filtered with gravitational settling before being returned to the body using another small cannula. How long does the surgery take? Four to five hours. What’s the recovery time? We suggest a week to ten days. Some clients do this on Thursday or Friday and are back to work on Monday if they are doing desk work. Is it a one-off or does the surgery need to be repeated? It is a long-lasting treatment. However, some of the fat will lose its volume over time, so your surgeon may inject more than is needed to start with. Over a few weeks the amount of transferred fat will decrease a bit, and sometimes another transfer will be needed to maintain the desired results. Do you need a GP referral for this surgery? You can come directly to KM Surgical for a consultation. kmsurgical.co.nz HAIR SALON

THE HAIR ROOM Tucked away on a busy Hoon Hay side street, The Hair Room is a stylish salon that caters to the whole family. Owner Becs specialises in highlighting techniques and builds exceptional client relationships while achieving precision cuts and gorgeous colour.

The salon also stocks products to keep your hair healthy and fresh. thehairroom.co.nz TRAINING WITH A DIFFERENCE

PERFUME

ATHLETIC HEIGHTS

FRAGRANZI

Vertex Athletic has recently expanded its offering to include an 'Athlete Development Programme’.

The hot new training tool is the Movement Screen – this assessment lets you measure your range of motion, strength deficiencies, and imbalances for a tailored training programme specific to you so you can dominate your goals. vertexaltitude.co.nz

Christchurch’s only perfume studio offers artisan perfumes; a make-your-own experience for one, or groups up to 15; and perfume design events led by the perfumer who guides you on an informative and creative experience. To enhance your knowledge and creativity, one-day courses can also be booked. fragranzi.co.nz

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CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Winter 21

WELLBEING

GRASSROOTS YOGA & HEALTH YOGA | WOOLSTON

Yoga for all stages of life taught by experienced teachers. Grassroots offers a friendly community to share yoga, meditation and life with. The beautiful, light-filled studio in the Tannery is open seven days, with lots of free parking available. Try the 14-day unlimited classes introductory offer, with special offers for Seniors Yoga and Prenatal Yoga also available. Practise meditation from home with the new online library at theyoganidraproject.com The Tannery, 3 Garlands Road, 03 260 0237 grassrootsyoga.co.nz

WILDFLOWER BOTANICALS NATURAL REMEDIES | SYDENHAM

Driven by a passion for pure plant skincare and wellbeing for the last 14 years, Wildflower Botanicals’ ethos shines through in its craft, creating products to ensure you are healthy, radiant, and glowing from the inside out. The extensive range of skincare, natural remedies, fragrant spice blends, teas and infusions are all formulated using certified organic, fair-trade and wildcrafted botanical ingredients. The team always have a pot of tea on, so head in for a chat today or check out the website.

462 Colombo Street, 03 974 3002 wildflowerbotanicals.co.nz

KORU HEALING

HOLISTIC HEALTH | BECKENHAM

Tracey of Koru Healing has a wealth of experience in treating a vast range of health conditions, using acupuncture, therapeutic massage and reiki to support her clients’ health and wellbeing. She works hard to ensure clients feel completely at ease during the process. Tracey offers holistic treatments for injuries and other pain-related issues, specifically tailored to each client’s needs and focusing on deep relaxation to support the body’s own capacity to heal.

140 Colombo Street, 021 0269 5523 koruhealing.co.nz

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CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Winter 21

WELLBEING

MUSCLE PEOPLE PHYSIOTHERAPY

HEALTH/PHYSIOTHERAPY

Providing world-class physiotherapy with several locations around Christchurch and Canterbury, Muscle People work to relieve pain, rebuild strength and stability, and help you exceed your fitness goals.

Established in 1998, the experienced team now provides professional physiotherapy to the greater Canterbury region with clinics in Bishopdale and Wigram Skies, as well as the city clinic in Hereford St. Bishopdale, Wigram Skies and Hereford Street, 03 360 3606 musclepeople.co.nz

NICOLA QUINN BEAUTY & DAY SPA

HEALTH/BEAUTY | MERIVALE

Knowledgeable experts, personalised treatments and powerful products come together to help you put your best self forward. The skin therapists specialise in premium anti-aging treatments including Dermapen microneedling, LED and advanced facials alongside classic relaxing spa treatments. Looking for the ultimate gift? Spoil them with a luxurious spa voucher from Nicola Quinn!

209/211 Papanui Road, 03 355 6400 quinnbeautyspa.co.nz

EARTH ORGANIC HAIRDRESSING HAIR | CENTRAL CITY

Fabulous for you. Fantastic for the planet. Earth Organic is the central city’s first vegan and sustainabilityfocused salon. The products are 100% plant-based and no products are tested on animals, so you can sit back and relax while knowledgeable and creative senior stylists carry out your fabulous hair edit. The stylists have over 30 years of experience and are committed to and passionate about all things hair.

181 High Street, 03 365 7393 earthorganichairdressing.co.nz

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Flavours of Christchurch

THE STREAMSIDE ORGANICS TEAM ARE THE MASTERS OF GROWING ETHICAL, LOCAL PRODUCE.

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FLAMIN’ GOOD

There’s nothing quite like a woodfired pizza, and there’s no woodfired pizza quite like Fire & Slice in Sumner.

S

ince its launch in August 2018, Fire & Slice has become a Sumner pizza legend. It’s a buzzing joint, and on any given evening you’ll find takeaway customers hanging out in the front watching pizzas fly in and out of the oven, while diners enjoy a beer over their pizza at the tables down back.

Fire & Slice isn’t faffing round with pasta or desserts. This restaurant knows what it does best and sticks to its guns: pizza, chips, beer and wine. And when it comes to the pizza, there’s nothing else quite like it in Christchurch.

The dough is hand-made with fresh yeast – not the instant stuff. It takes two days to rise, giving it a signature flavour and texture – it digests easy, and never feels like eating a heavy fast food pizza.

Almost all the ingredients, from the wheat to the meat and the buffalo mozzarella, come from Canterbury. A few bits and pieces come from around New Zealand. Italy makes a contribution to the restaurant, too: the oven, the pizza tools, and the tomatoes come from the home of pizza. Fire & Slice founder Pal Singh says he experimented with making sauce from New Zealand tomatoes, but the Italian ones were dryer and better for his hand-made passata.

Pal and his team spend hours every day

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prepping everything by hand, making dough and sauce, slicing veggies, cooking meat, and getting the oven to 400 °C. The signature pizza is the Bianca di Bufala – the restaurant’s margherita made with Wairiri Buffalo mozzarella. “It’s hard to find buffalo mozzarella in New Zealand because there’s not many buffalo around,” Pal says. “We were lucky that Wairiri agreed to supply us from day one.”

He’s also got a secret signature – the Pistachiosa. The ingredients for this nutty pizza are so classified they’re not listed on the website or menu. Ask after it next time you’re in the store if you want a real treat.

A massive Land Rover Series II is mounted over the oven, greeting people as they walk through the door. In the early days, Pal bought the wrecked Landy off TradeMe, had the front cut off and fitted over the oven, and donated the parts to home mechanics working on projects. The tray is still out back, and has been converted into a fresh herb garden.

But the ultimate draw card for Fire & Slice? It’s undoubtedly the unique pizza.

Pal says the secret to the perfectly-cooked crunchy pizza is plenty of fire. “If you can’t see flames, you’re making toast.” fireandslice.co.nz

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Winter 21

7 STEPS TO PERFECT PIZZA Watching the Fire & Slice team make pizzas is an entertainment all in itself.

1. Grab a ball of dough.

2. Toss some semolina on the bench so it doesn’t stick.

3. Get that oven flaming. They’re not making toast!

4. Hand-stretch the dough – never take the shortcut of using a roller.

5. Spread on some hand-made Italianstyle passata sauce as a base.

6. Carefully spread the cheese and other ingredients.

7. 90-120 seconds in the oven, rotating and lifting the pizza for even cooking.

W THE LAND DOUGHVER IS HERE.

hat’s like a Land Rover, but pumps out delicious woodfired pizzas?

Fire & Slice’s new mobile pizza truck, the Landdoughver!

It’s a modified, ex-army 1982 Series III Land Rover, V8 petrol beast with an Italian-made pizza oven on the back. A sister vehicle to the Series II mounted over the pizza oven in the Sumner restaurant, the Landdoughver is a roving pizza machine that will be gracing festivals, community events, weddings and private gigs all over Canterbury.

It’s got upgraded suspension springs, braking and power steering to incorporate the 900kg oven on the back. The oven sits on a custom-engineered frame with in-built fireproofing, and the concrete coating on the oven has layers of fireproofing built in so even when its burning at 400 °C inside, it’s just warm to the touch on the outside.

But the most important part is the pizzas. The Landdoughver runs a custom

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menu for each event it’s at, whether it be a range of Fire & Slice classics, a few specialities, or even a vegan pizza menu.

All the pizzas use the same, two-day slow-rise dough as Fire & Slice, and the same quality ingredients and hand-made pizza sauce.

So why the Landdoughver? Why not just open a second pizza joint? Fire & Slice founder Pal Singh says he’s keen to get out and explore Christchurch and Canterbury through an outdoor dining lens.

“Different group sizes and type, it’s always a great challenge,” he says. Any given day could be completely washed out or crazy busy – both situations happened on the Landdoughver’s launch weekend at the Single Fin Mingle surf festival in April – and Pal loves the variation.

“We’re going to travel Canterbury and visit different communities for different events, and cook some amazing pizza.” fireandslice.co.nz/landdoughver

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Winter 21

SERVING TWO MASTERS Not one but two Masters of Wine will be presenting at Winetopia in July. Emma Jenkins and Bob Campbell pop the cork on a discussion of grapes, regions, and the best budget and top shelf wines.

BOB CAMPBELL MW Can you tell us about a lesserknown wine region that’s captured your heart? Waitaki. It's a small, wonderfully scenic region on the border of Otago and Canterbury, and it’s capable of producing great wines given the right vintage conditions. What interesting things are coming out of the big-hitting regions this year? Expect top Chardonnay and Syrah from Hawke's Bay, intensely flavoured Sauvignon from Marlborough and high quality Pinot Noir from Otago. What’s exciting you in the world of Canterbury wine at the moment? Cabernet Franc. It makes amazingly ripe, intense wines, but there is not much of it so keep an eye out.

How much do you need to spend for a bottle of New Zealand méthode traditionelle that goes toe-to-toe with a French Champagne? The fantastic No. 1 Family Estate Assemblé NV goes for just over $30. Does a méthode have to be made with the traditional three grape varieties or is there room to mix it up? I really don’t think so. The traditional French Champagne blend is Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and

Chardonnay, but my favourite fizz is 100% Chardonnay. What other varieties make for a good bottle of bubbles? I like German Sekt made from Riesling although there are not many local examples.

Chenin Blanc is another strong contender. ‘Pinot Gris-ViognierRiesling-Gewürztraminer’ is both a mouthful and a hard sell. How can we get past the hurdle of naming and marketing lesserknown but delicious grape blends in New Zealand? Don't declare the grape varieties and give it a catchy brand name – there are a few wineries in New Zealand who do this really well. The wine must also be delicious to succeed. What’s your favourite up-and-coming New Zealand wine variety?

Albariño. It’s a Spanish white aromatic grape that is already producing some great wines here.

Most of the plantings are in Gisborne, and some Albariños are coming out of Hawke's Bay, Marlborough and North Canterbury. Are there any varieties you’d consider a failed experiment in New Zealand?

Arneis, Grüner Veltliner and Viognier are struggling a bit, which is a pity because there are some good examples if you are willing to

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THE TRADITIONAL FRENCH CHAMPAGNE BLEND IS PINOT NOIR, PINOT MEUNIER AND CHARDONNAY, BUT MY FAVOURITE FIZZ IS 100% CHARDONNAY.

sniff them out. Can you name one budget wine and one top shelf wine you’re loving at the moment? Budget is the 2019 Akarua Rua Pinot Noir which goes for around $23, and a great top shelf is the 2018 Radburnd Chardonnay. What’s a 2020 wine that’s worth cellaring for a few years? 2020 Craggy Range Le Sol Syrah. I've only tasted a tank sample as the bottles aren’t on the market yet, but it is magnificent.

You’re only allowed to drink one wine for the rest of your life – what is it? 1985 Mugnier Musigny – the best wine I have ever tasted.

What’s the most common misconception about wine? It all improves with age. Many wines are best when they’re young and only certain styles cellar well. One day I'll... taste a 1947 Cheval Blanc.

You’ll be joined at Winetopia by Master of Wine Emma Jenkins– what’s it like working with her?

Great! She is very bright, has a great sense of humour and loves wine as much as I do.

SERVING TWO MASTERS

FOR A RELATIVELY SMALL WINE OUTPUT [CANTERBURY] DELIVERS A LOT. THERE’S PLENTY OF WINE HISTORY IN THE REGION, AND SOME FANTASTIC VINEYARD SITES AND WINE STYLES AS A RESULT.

EMMA JENKINS MW Can you tell us about a lesserknown wine region that’s captured your heart? Well, I kind of hope there are no lesser-known wine regions in New Zealand these days! But if I had to nominate somewhere that people often overlook, it’s the sub-region of Alexandra, in Central Otago. It’s a little bit further-flung and there aren’t as many well-known names as its mostly very small producers, but the unique and sometimes extreme conditions can produce some of the region’s most expressive fruit. What’s exciting you in the world of Canterbury wine at the moment? For a relatively small wine output it delivers a lot. There’s plenty of wine history in the region, and some fantastic vineyard sites and wine styles as a result. There are some amazing quality wines, including some benchmark wines for the country, plus quite a few producers who really like to push the boundaries, all of which makes it a

constantly evolving and fascinating place. How much do you need to spend for a bottle of New Zealand méthode traditionelle that goes toe-to-toe with a French Champagne? I would say $40 onwards will get you some pretty smart fizz, and if you’re willing to pay around $80 to $100 a bottle then you will get wines of great depth and character that would easily beat the equivalently priced Champagne. What’s your favourite up-and-coming wine variety being produced in New Zealand? I think the Spanish white variety Albariño has shown a lot of promise. It seems to work well with our vineyard conditions and the crisp fruity style is one that is familiar and popular here, plus it suits a lot of our food. Can you name one budget wine and one top shelf wine you’re loving at the moment? My friend Jane Skilton MW recommended the 2018 Main Divide Merlot Cabernet and she was spot on – it’s both delicious and a steal at $20. I love great Central Otago Pinot, which is not

inexpensive though I still think it delivers excellent value for money.

What’s a 2020 wine that’s worth cellaring for a few years? Good quality 2020 Hawke’s Bay reds and Chardonnays will definitely reward patience. What’s one thing people probably don’t know about the wine industry? How small New Zealand’s production really is on a global scale – we produce less than 1% of the world’s wine, which makes our global reputation ever more impressive. What’s the most common misconception about wine? That it’s intimidating. Don't be afraid – it’s just wine! Ask questions, try new stuff, have fun.

Most wine people are pretty friendly and eager to share wine knowledge and info about wines they love. What are you looking forward to at Winetopia 2021?

Engaging with consumers, talking about a topic I love, seeing familiar and unfamiliar producers, and learning new stuff. Bob Campbell MW is a bit of a legend in New Zealand wine. Can you tell us a bit about what he’s like? He’s great.

Passionate about wine, super knowledgeable, generous and he has a great sense of humour.

Bob is someone from whom I learned a lot when I first started out in wine, and still do. He encouraged me to do my MW. He’s not afraid to voice an opinion on things and I always look forward to his company.

Read our full Q&A with Bob & Emma at cityscape.co.nz

Meet the winemakers and explore 45 top Kiwi wineries at Winetopia.

Fri 9 & Sat 10 July, Air Force Museum of New Zealand, winetopia.co.nz 61

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Winter 21

Somewhere between the practicality of breakfast and the midday break of lunch lies the decadent experience of brunch.

Cityscape takes you on a tour of some of Christchurch’s best bruncheries and, more importantly, their superb dishes.

EGGS BENEDICT WITH BACON Why: The house-made rosti and hollandaise make this brunch classic an absolute winner. The menu here also caters to all dietary requirements. Where: The Old Vicarage. Come for the food, stay for the beautiful garden surrounds, cosy, atmospheric interior and range of private rooms.

HASH BENNY

APPLE PORRIDGE

Why: Eggs benny with an irresistible Kiwi twist – a bit of native horopito is added to the fabulously crunchy hash.

Where: Mona Vale Homestead and Pantry. Come for the food, stay for the relaxed atmosphere, vegan options, dog-friendly patio and stunning manicured gardens.

Why: A soul warming classic perfect for chilly mornings, the spiced apple crumble makes this porridge a satisfying treat.

Where: Switch New Brighton.

Come for the food, stay for the bustling atmosphere, good vibes, excellent Switch Espresso and new takes on brunch classics.

SOUP OF THE DAY

SMASHED VEG

Why: Crafted Coffee’s hot and hearty soup of the day is your winter warming comfort food done right, all vegan and served with a delicious slice of Bellbird Bakery bread. Where: Crafted Coffee Company Come for the food, stay for the barista workshops, coffee tastings and specialty coffee (natch).

Why: The Smashed Veg sits gloriously atop the legendary house charcoal toast, stacked to the heavens with wholesome ingredients and flavours. Where: Untouched World Kitchen. Come for the food, stay for the oasis feeling away from the hustle, complete with toasty gas fire.

MITCHELLI’S SPECIALE Why: It’s Mitchelli’s signature dish, and the combo of beans in a tasty tomato sauce, a poached egg and an added chorizo, all drizzled with sage brown butter, is pretty much a party in your mouth. Where: Mitchelli’s Café Rinato. Come for the food, stay for the welcoming family feel with excellent food and cheerful table service.

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SMASHED AVOCADO WITH SALMON

APPLE PANCAKES Why: It’s hard to beat a good classic, and there’s nothing more classic than this combo of cinnamon with apple, apple with pancakes, and pancakes with maple syrup, all made fresh on site. Where: Frank’s Café. Come for the food, stay for the dog-friendly seating outside in the sun.

Why: First of all, it’s smashed avocado, and we don’t need much more of an excuse than that. It’s served on sourdough with poached eggs and feta, and it looks so damn pretty to boot. Where: Black & White Coffee Origins Come for the food, stay for the rad environs, locally sourced ingredients and absolutely top-notch joe.

STC TOASTIE

CRISPY CHICKEN BURGER

Why: This indulgent and fun take on a croque monsieur has it all: local free-farmed ham, gruyère, crispy chilli. Add a fried egg to get that trad brekkie fix. Where: South Town Club. Come for the food, stay for the innovation and quality, buckets of natural light, and good yarns.

Why: This crispy, crunchy treat is perfectly accompanied with bacon, melted cheese and pineapple on a soft bun.

Where: Café Stir. Come for the food, stay for the ideal spot for watching the world (and the tram) go by, plus some great photo ops on Christchurch’s prettiest street.

MAPLE ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP Why: It’s soup season, and this independent coffee house has the warming goods with a rotating menu of daily soup specials.

Where: Max Dose. Come for the food, stay for the cosy setting, sunny courtyard, and relaxed atmosphere, with a strong focus on matching exceptional coffee with great service.

NOT SCRAMBLED EGGS

JASMINE RICE PORRIDGE

Why: This egg-free scramble is so good it kicks eggs’ butt.

Scrambled tofu with chives, tomato kasundi and hazelnut dukkah on toasted ciabatta.

Where: Town Tonic. Come for the food, stay for the modern spin on brunch classics, locally sourced produce and superfriendly staff.

Why: This Asian-inspired jasmine rice porridge with crispy pork, pickled onion, poached egg and coriander is a lip-smacking good time.

Where: Fiddlesticks Restaurant & Bar. Come for the food, stay for the buzzing atmosphere, outdoor fire and watching the world go by.

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CINNAMON PORRIDGE WITH BERRY COMPOTE Why: This warming, subtly spiced porridge topped with rhubarb berry compote, house made granola, banana, local honey and runny cream is the definition of comfort food. Goes well with a cup of delicious Allpress coffee. Where: Grain Coffee and Eatery.

Come for the food, stay for the sleek, modern surrounds with an industrial flavour, and some bonus free Wi-Fi.

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Winter 21

IT’S ALWAYS GREENER ON THE STREAMSIDE Cityscape checks out Streamside Organics, a spearhead of the Canterbury organic growing scene.

chemically produced fertilisers here. The farmers use regenerative farming techniques, and work hard to maintain quality soils that are dense with nutrients. Good for the environment, good for the veggies, and good for the person who ends up with Streamside Organics on their plate.

The operation is also socially responsible, and pays all team members a living wage as a

minimum. The Streamside philosophy is that looking after its family makes for a top team, healthy community, and high-quality vegetables.

You can subscribe to Streamside Winter Box Shares on the website. streamsideorganics.co.nz

WINE

On the outskirts of Christchurch there’s a little farm making a big difference. Streamside Organics is a haven for happy people and healthy vegetables, and it’s delivering the goods direct.

Founders Dominique Schacherer and Logan Kerr started the farm on just 1 acre in 2014. Since then it has expanded to 50 acres, with a big team of passionate organic farmers. The Leeston business supplies produce to cafés, restaurants, wholefood shops and local supermarkets, and delivers weekly seasonal veggie boxes to homes around Christchurch and surrounding areas.

Everything grown at Streamside Organics is, unsurprisingly, organic.

You won’t find any pesticides or

VISIONARY VINTAGES PRIMO NOIR For a taste of Burgundy right here in Canterbury, pour yourself a glass of the Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir 2018. It’s made with traditional French winemaking methods to produce a truly complex and well-balanced wine with a brooding mélange of aromas and a refined flavour. pegasusbay.com

Pegasus Bay Winery, one of the original and definitive North Canterbury wineries, released its first wines 30 years ago in 1991. But its story started in the 1970s with some of the first grape vines in Canterbury. Ivan Donaldson and wife Christine were behind those early plantings. Ivan was a consultant neurologist who started making wine as a hobby in their Christchurch garage. In 1986, Ivan and Chris purchased some land in the Waipara Valley with a vision of creating what is now Pegasus Bay. Their four sons, aged 8 to 14, helped plant the vineyard. The first vintage was in 1991 once the vines matured, the wine made in the same Christchurch garage where it all began. In the 30 years since, Pegasus Bay has become a globally recognised brand exported around the world, with its own winery and events centre on site at the vineyard. All the Donaldson boys are still involved in the business today: eldest son Mat is the winemaker, Mike is the Canterbury sales manager, Paul is the general manager, Ed is the marketing manager, and his wife Belinda is the events manager. Ivan and Chris are also still involved, with Ivan overseeing the vineyards and Chris evolving and maintaining the winery gardens. pegasusbay.com

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MAKE YOUR OWN TERIYAKI SAUCE AT HOME Love teriyaki and ready to give it a go at home from scratch? Tomi Japanese Restaurant Chef Joe Chan tells us it’s surprisingly simple – and tasty.

Chef Joe says there is no comparison to making your teriyaki sauce from scratch. It’s an incredibly easy recipe, and the result has a better flavour and texture than anything you’ll get in a bottle.

“The cuisine I create is nothing complex. I use seasonal, fresh ingredients. People don’t come to Tomi and expect something too fancy – the food is based on skilful preparation, not exotic ingredients,” he says.

Joe started his hospitality journey in his home city of Hong Kong, working in restaurants from the age of 14. He moved to Japan and learned the arts of Japanese cuisine in hotels, cafés, bars and

restaurants before getting married and moving to Christchurch.

He started Tomi Japanese Restaurant here nearly 10 years ago with his wife and father-in-law.

“My wife is Japanese, which is why we have a Japanese restaurant. My father-in-law is a chef with more than 40 or 50 years in the business, and he retired two years ago, so my wife and I are managing the whole place, still as a family restaurant.”

The secret to teriyaki perfection, Joe says, is mixing together equal parts of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. Mirin is a sort of Japanese rice wine, kind of like sake but it’s sweeter and lower in alcohol.

“You have to cook the sauce until it becomes shiny. Teri means ‘shiny’ in Japanese,” Joe says.

Once you’ve got your sauce, you can use it to finish off crispy fried chicken or tofu after draining the cooking oil from your frying pan. tomi.co.nz

SO SHINY, SO DELICIOUS!

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ON THE BLACKLIST Black Burger is slinging a simple concept: cheeseburgers made with top-notch Wagyu beef.

Cityscape takes a big juicy bite.

Black Burgers are a premium version of a classic LA-style cheeseburger. It’s a timeless recipe, perfected.

Start with a soft, pillowy bun and fill it with a beef patty, cheese, pickles and burger sauce. The difference here is the pure quality of the ingredients.

The milk buns are from the Christchurch bread aficionados at Grizzly Baked Goods, and the fillings are high-quality locally sourced produce including New Zealand smoked cheddar cheese.

But the real secret weapon here is the beef patty, made from Black Origin’s grain-fed Wagyu mince, AKA the world’s tastiest beef. These cows come from purebred Japanese Kobe Wagyu stock, raised in Canterbury with soothing music and daily massages.

The beef patties are cooked on the grill in a smash style. The cooks make them into a ball and squash them onto the grill to form the round patty. This increases the contact of the patty onto the grill, creating a more deeply-fried coating via more surface area.

Black Burger has a range of special ingredients for that little something extra, whether it be the humble tomato and lettuce, premium smoked bacon, caramelised onion, onion rings, jalapeños, or a vegan bun with a Brother’s Green vegan patty.

There is currently no Black Burger restaurant – these beauties are only available for pick-up or delivery – but that’s all about to change. The burger joint will soon be moving to a sweet new digs. Keep an eye on the Black Burger Facebook and Instagram pages for announcements about the big move. blackburger.co.nz

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Winter 21

RECIPES

CHOCOLATE CRÈMEUX WITH HONEY TOFFEE AND RASPBERRIES This chocolatey treat is decadence at its best, and it looks amazing on a plate. bloodymarys.co.nz

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CHEF CHRISTOPHER WALKER “I would describe the cuisine I create as ingredient-focused food. I love to highlight great Kiwi and local produce as well as using the freshest possible ingredients I

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Winter 21

RECIPES

SERVES

PREP. TIME

COOK TIME

DISH THE DEETS

8

30 minutes

Overnight

Gluten free, vegetarian

INGREDIENTS

MAKING IT HAPPEN

CHOCOLATE CRÈMEUX

CHOCOLATE CRÈMEUX

• 250g cream • 250g milk • 100g egg yolks (approx. 5-6 yolks) • 240g dark chocolate

1. Combine milk and cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil.

2. Place your egg yolks in a bain marie and slowly whisk in the hot cream. 3. Cook the mix to 84 °C. 4. Add the mix to the dark chocolate and mix until completely melted and emulsified. 5. Pour into a mould and place into the fridge. Leave to set for 4 hours.

CHOCOLATE SOIL 1. Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to 160 °C on the stove. 2. Melt the dark chocolate and combine. The final product will resemble soil.

CHOCOLATE SOIL • 220g sugar • 150g water • 150g dark chocolate

HONEY TOFFEE 1. Combine all ingredients except the baking soda in a pot and bring to 162 °C. 2. Remove from heat, whisk in the baking soda and pour onto a tray. 3. Leave to cool and snap into pieces.

HONEY TOFFEE • 270g sugar • 40g glucose • 50g honey • 60g water • 15g baking soda MILK CRISP • 250g whole milk • 75g glucose TO SERVE

MILK CRISP 1. Combine ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil.

2. Once boiled, foam with a stick blender until you can scoop the foam onto dehydrator trays. 3. Dehydrate at 75 °C overnight.

4. Break into pieces.

SERVE Place the crèmeux on a plate and arrange all of the other components nicely on top. Garnish with fresh raspberries dipped in chocolate.

• Fresh raspberries • Melted chocolate, for dipping

can get my hands on. My career began as an apprentice at the Hermitage Hotel, Mt Cook where I quickly established a passion for great New Zealand-focused cuisine and the camaraderie of the kitchen. After earning my chef qualifications, I then took my trade abroad to work in Italy, adding to my experience in a five-star hotel where the food was extremely traditional but laced with passion and skill. I returned to New Zealand to work for a former colleague and mentor, Ken O’Connell, who had just successfully opened his own restaurant in Dunedin. Following this, I moved to Banks Peninsula to join the Roots Restaurant team and after a year, I earned my first head chef role. My next move was to take the head chef role at Logan Brown restaurant in Wellington. 2018 saw me

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‘Start with the best possible produce that you can find.’

recruited and relocated for an executive chef role in Dubai, opening two restaurants for a new hospitality group. Two years went by and it was time to bring the family home to settle in Christchurch and join the Bloody Mary’s family. What’s your pro tip for really good food? Start with the best possible produce that you can find. A great dish needs a great foundation. I can’t leave the house without… Car keys and a kiss from my wife. If you could invite anyone to dinner, who would it be? My brothers and sister. I come from a large family so it’s very rare to get us all in the same room.

Who are your culinary heroes? Daniel Humm and Thomas Keller. What’s the next great dish you’re working on? Through autumn I have been working with some Canterbury truffle and mushrooms.

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Winter 21

RECIPES

CHEF JAYDEN MITCHELL

JAYDEN’S STICKY DATE PUDDING WITH GINGER CARAMEL This pudding with creamy caramel sauce is perfect for a mid-winter get-together. no4bar.co.nz SERVES

PREP. TIME

COOK TIME

DISH THE DEETS

10

25 minutes

30 minutes

Vegetarian

INGREDIENTS

MAKING IT HAPPEN

SAUCE

PUDDING

PUDDING

• 2 cups pitted dates, chopped • 1 banana, mashed • 1 cup water • 1 tsp baking soda • 70g butter • 2 eggs • ½ cup sugar • 1 pinch salt • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1 ½ cups plain flour • 2 tsp baking powder

1. Pre-heat oven to 170 °C. Grease an oven-proof dish (approximately 20cm square). 2. Place dates in a pot with the banana and water, and heat on medium until soft. 3. Remove from heat and stir through baking soda and butter.

Set aside for 10 minutes.

4. Whisk eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla extract.

5. Mix egg mixture in gently with the dates and banana. 6. Sift in flour and baking powder – gently fold together, don’t over-mix. 7. Pour into a greased dish and bake for 30 minutes.

1. Put sugar and water in a large saucepan and heat on medium until sugar dissolves. 2. Add ginger, then turn up the heat and cook until sugar turns a golden brown.

Watch closely so it doesn’t burn – it can catch you out quickly!

3. Slowly add cream while stirring. 4. Once smooth, whisk in the butter and allow to cool.

5. Pour over pudding.

SAUCE • 2 cups caster sugar • ½ cup water • 30g fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped • 1 cup cream • 20g butter

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“The cuisine I create is food that feels like home with a modern twist and local produce. I started out washing dishes at Plato in Dunedin 11 years ago and saw the fun, creativity and fast pace of a working kitchen. I spent four and a half years there before moving to Christchurch to take on a sous chef role at Casa Publica. I then joined the Maestro Hospitality group where I was sous chef at Fiddlesticks for three years before they offered me the head chef job at No.4 just recently. What’s your pro tip for really good food? Take your time, taste everything and enjoy the ride.

Making the perfect dish can be as fun as eating it.

It’s all part of the journey.

I can’t leave the house without… My motorbike.

If you could invite anyone, living or dead, to a dinner party, who would it be? Definitely Anthony Bourdain and David Bowie, bloody legends. What’s the next great dish you’re working on? Sticky pulled brisket sandwich with pickles and smoked cheese in a soft bread roll. Lunch is served.

FLAVOURS OF CHRISTCHURCH

Whiskey us away

The Kiwi Spirit Distillery is distilling spirits made with Kiwi spirit.

Cityscape talks to Kiwi Spirit’s founder and head distiller Terry Knight about what makes his Waitui Whiskey uniquely New Zealand.

T

erry is a passionate self-taught distiller who has been pushing the limits in the world of spirits for the last twenty years. His distillery, the Kiwi Spirit Distillery in Golden Bay, is renowned for creating spirits that tell a uniquely New Zealand story. Take his Waitui Whiskey – it may be based on an old world tradition, but it doesn’t pretend to be Scotch, or Irish or bourbon, for that matter.

To start with, Waitui Whiskey is aged in the very barrels Terry uses to make his mānuka honey mead.

Scotch whisky, by comparison, is aged in barrels formerly used for making sherry or bourbon.

“The Scots believe that whisky was invented in 1494 by a man called John Cor, but we know the monks came back from the Middle East around the year 500 with the art of distillation,” Terry says. “Really, I think that in that 1000-year gap, they must have put their grain into a still. They had honey mead barrels, and that’s what we’ve used, going back to those basic roots of whisky.”

The barley comes from South Canterbury, and the barrels Terry uses are made of Bulgarian oak – he

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started using them years ago and found they produced a deep profile far beyond what he could get from American or French oaks.

“The Bulgarian oak imparts Waitui with a deep, clean oak taste, and the honey element in the barrels adds to the delicate rounded experience. It’s what I’d call a gentle whiskey. Very easy to drink,” he says. “I have it neat with a drop of water in the winter, and in the summer it’s beautiful over ice as a sipping drink.”

Waitui Whiskey really is its own style – a true single malt produced from start to finish at the Kiwi Spirit Distillery and aged for eight years in mānuka honey mead barrels.

“There’s a lot of people who think you need to copy Scotland,” Terry says. “But New Zealand has some really good producers, and the New Zealand whiskey industry is really going from strength to strength.”

Waitui Whiskey embodies the developing whiskey culture in New Zealand. It’s a unique, proudly New Zealand whiskey hand-crafted with passion, an exquisite drop. kiwispiritdistillery.co.nz

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Winter 21

Artisans, parties & shops

WHEN IT’S TIME TO STAGE YOUR OWN EVENT, SPECIALIST STORES AND VENUES HAVE ALL YOU NEED TO GUARANTEE YOUR GUESTS FEEL THE ‘WOW’ FACTOR. HERE YOU'LL ALSO FIND ALL THOSE ARTISANS COMMITTED TO DOING THINGS ‘THE OLD WAY’ – BE THAT MAKING SWEET TREATS, VEGAN GOODIES OR GIN INFUSED WITH THE FINEST NATIVE BOTANICALS.

ARTISANS GRATER GOODS GOURMET FOOD/WINE BAR A haven of

vegan goodness. ‘Cheeses’, chutneys and vegan-friendly ‘meat’ – and there’s a mean little menu at the wine bar. 105 Orbell St, Sydenham, gratergoods.co.nz JUNO GIN DISTILLERY Four sensational seasonal gins released each year using New Zealand botanicals – perfect for cocktails with a difference. junogin.com KIWI SPIRIT DISTILLERY DISTILLERY These creative distillers craft exceptional Kiwi whiskey, blue agave Tequilana spirit, gin, and more from some of the purest water in the world. 430 Abel Tasman Drive, Golden Bay, 03 525 8575, kiwispiritdistillery.co.nz LYTTELTON DISTILLERY DISTILLERY This artisan gin producer uses carefully chosen botanicals including juniper, mānuka, wild thyme and citrus to create fine gin. 027 626 6528, lytteltondistillery.co.nz RIVERSIDE COLLECTIVE GOURMET FOOD A micro community for small businesses to showcase their products, from raw vegan foods, to handcrafted candy, gooey brownies, and flavourful condiments. Riverside Market, Central City, riverside.nz/collective THE SPIRITS WORKSHOP DISTILLERY Curiosity Gin or a single malt whisky? Pop in to the distillery or Riverside

gin bar to sample or purchase from this fabulous range of award-winning spirits.

11 Sandyford St, Sydenham; Riverside Market, Central City; 021 336 416, curiositygin.com STRIPPED JERKY BEEF JERKY Your local handcrafted jerky company, putting an all-natural and delicious spin on the art of drying meat.

170 Wordsworth Street, Sydenham, 020 413 67237, strippedjerky.com WHITE HEART GOURMET FOOD The team at White Heart turn hazelnuts grown in Tai Tapu into a range of nut butters, baked goods, condiments and snacks. 021 464 244, whiteheart.co.nz

CATERING CATERWAY

FIONA’S FOOD CATERING A boutique caterer serving up fresh, honest, uncomplicated and delicious fare. Every tasty morsel is made from scratch using the finest, freshest ingredients. 027 229 5671, fionasfood.co.nz VICTORIA FOOD SERVICE CATERING Zesty fare and deliciously different menus for corporate events and private functions, cocktail parties, weddings and celebrations of every kind.

42 Leeds St, Phillipstown, 03 365 0022, victoriafoods.co.nz WORLD CUISINE CATERING A full dining experience, a private dinner party in your own home curated by globally experienced Chef Liz Maynard. 021 544 029, worldcuisine.co.nz

COOKING SCHOOLS

CATERING/ONLINE A Christchurch

RIVERSIDE KITCHEN

online marketplace that lets busy corporate customers order from the best local caterers. No email chains, no fuss.

Kahukura Building, Moorhouse Ave, Central City, 03 242 0072, caterway.nz

HEALTHY EATS/COOKING SCHOOL

THE DRIFTING TABLE CATERING/JAPANESE Yakitori is the Japanese art of grilled, skewered chicken, traditionally cooked on charcoal right in front of you. Seasonal vegetarian options also available. 022 150 2203, thedriftingtable.com

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An exciting cooking school in the oh-sotrendy Riverside Market. Hands-on and demonstration classes to suit all skill levels, with professional chefs leading each class.

Riverside Market, Central City, 021 168 7209, riversidekitchen.co.nz TWO RAW SISTERS CATERING/COOKING SCHOOL/ HEALTHY EATS These raw food advocates

have taken their passion for health food into The Welder to keep the central city fuelled and nourished. The Welder, 20 Welles St, Central City, 027 500 2025, tworawsisters.com

ARTISANS, PARTIES & SHOPS

GRATER GOODS

Images: Dave Richards

VEGAN DELICATESSEN | SYDENHAM

Cosy up in Grater Goods’ bohemiancool wine bar and bistro this winter, with a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, a fab selection of local wine and beer, live music, and a menu of tempting plant-based meals to set your tastebuds tingling. Or to take some of the deliciousness home with you, the deli and gourmet store is your one-stop-shop for delicious plant-based goods, from Plant Pastrami to Cashew Mozzarella, Faux Gras and so much more.

105 Orbell Street, 027 289 9295 gratergoods.co.nz

OCEANS NORTH SEAFOOD SEAFOOD | WIGRAM

These seafood connoisseurs supply premium seafood to some of Christchurch’s best restaurants, and Oceans North Seafood can also deliver the catch of the day to your door. Hop online and check out the day’s offerings: from crayfish to blue cod, there’s something for every seafood lover. Ethically and sustainably sourced, this top-quality ocean bounty will be delivered to you fresh or snap frozen, so you can cook the seafood that chefs choose to use.

100B Hayton Road, 03 348 1588 oceansnorth.co.nz

PEGASUS BAY WINERY WINERY | AMBERLEY

Canterbury’s most unique wedding and events venue boasts breathtaking gardens, lakes and wetlands as well as two floors of tastefully decorated restaurant space. Pegasus Bay’s cellar door is open on weekends. Taste a large range of estate-grown wines with views through to the barrel hall.

A blackboard menu with aged wine from the cellar is exclusively available at the cellar door.

263 Stockgrove Road, 03 314 6869, events@pegasusbay.com, tasting@pegasubay.com pegasusbay.com

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ARTISANS, PARTIES & SHOPS

EVENTS 360 EVENTS EVENT PLANNING Specialising in events

that celebrate business and government achievement, entertainment and education, and raising awareness and funds for good causes. 11/77 Gloucester St, Central City, 03 943 2237, 360de.co.nz EQUIPMENT HIRE Truly Yours supplies

THE LINCOLN PANTRY GOURMET FOOD STORE This local independent café and store specialises in nutritious cabinet food and local, organic and gourmet goodies. 4 Eastfield Dr, Lincoln, 03 325 7717, thelincolnpantry.co.nz

premium clear marquees and quality furniture, specialising in weddings, corporate events, product launches, client evenings, and celebrations. 027 293 0678, trulyyours.co.nz

OCEANS NORTH SEAFOOD SEAFOOD The same fresh fish the restaurants get, ordered online and delivered to your door ready to unleash your inner chef. oceansnorth.co.nz

TRULY YOURS

YAKITORI CATERING

THE DRIFTING TABLE This mobile yakitori restaurant will drift to your place and set up everything you need for a fine dining experience at home. Owner Yuki has 23 years’ experience and makes everything from scratch, so any dietary requirement can be catered for. All food used at The Drifting Table is organic, locally sourced and free range. thedriftingtable.com

MEET THE MAKERS Christchurch is full of farmers' markets teeming with fresh, locally grown produce, artisan goodies and awesome handmade trinkets.

Ditch the supermarket and score some local foodie finds. Riverside Market Your central-city farmers' market bringing small producers together under one roof. 7 days, 96 Oxford Terrace. The Riccarton Market The grandpappy of Christchurch markets is the biggest of its kind in New Zealand. Sunday 9am – 2pm, Riccarton Racecourse.

Christchurch Farmers' Market Established in 2003, this market is a scenic affair by the river at Riccarton Bush. Saturday 9am – 1pm, Riccarton House. Lyttelton Farmers' Market All the best fresh organic produce and delicious eats Lyttelton has to offer. Saturday 10am – 1pm, London Street.

choose from the deli’s range of awesome meat and dairy alternatives, including Roast Furkey, Plant Pastrami, Cashew Mozzarella, and so much more. 105 Orbell St, Sydenham, 027 289 9295, gratergoods.co.nz

FOOD SUBSCRIPTION THE AVO TREE FOOD BOX/HEALTHY EATS Freshly picked

creamy avocados delivered directly to your door. You can select the amount of avos you want each week. theavotree.co.nz FITFOOD READY MEALS/HEALTHY EATS

Nutritionally balanced fresh, healthy meals to suit any diet or lifestyle, from keto to vegan, vegetarian and including all your family favourites – just heat and enjoy.

03 310 7179, fitfood.nz GREEN DINNER TABLE FOOD BOX/HEALTHY EATS Everything you need to cook delicious and healthy plant-based food at home – including restaurant-quality sauces, pastes and spice mixes – delivered to your door.

021 438 269, greendinnertable.co.nz STREAMSIDE ORGANICS ORGANIC PRODUCE This certified organic farm supplies beautiful fresh veggies to local markets, restaurants and your home.

366 Brookside And Irwell Road, Leeston, 022 091 8503 streamsideorganics.co.nz

GOURMET FOOD STORES FOOD FOR THOUGHT FILLERY Christchurch East’s hub for zero-waste shopping. Ethically-sourced products and big supermarket brand alternatives. The Tannery, Woolston, foodforthoughtchch.com GRATER GOODS VEGAN DELI/BISTRO Try your best to

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TASTE@TWENTY GOURMET FOOD STORE/ARTISAN

This café-cum-artisan store is a one-stop shop for all things fresh and gourmet. 20 Colombo St, Cashmere, 03 982 1399, FB/tasteattwenty TRAITEUR BUTCHERY/ARTISAN European butchery

with top-notch beef, chicken, wild venison and pork as well as a selection of takeaway options. Cnr Aikmans and Papanui Rd, Merivale, 03 355 7750, traiteur.co.nz WILDFLOWER BOTANICALS HEALTH STORE Find a huge range of herbal teas, spices, herbs and superfoods at this whimsical and welcoming store. 462 Colombo Street, Central City, 03 974 3002, wildflowerbotanicals.co.nz

VENUES MONA VALE HOMESTEAD VENUE This gracious Victorian building is heritage at its best, operating as a wedding, special occasions and meeting venue. 40 Mona Vale Ave, Riccarton, 027 815 7081, monavale.nz PEGASUS BAY WINERY/VENUE The team at Pegasus Bay sustainably grow grapes of the highest quality, with minimal intervention.

Great food and wine. 263 Stockgrove Rd, Waipara, 03 314 6869, pegasusbay.com THE TANNERY VENUE A variety of function rooms and event spaces make The Tannery ideal for gatherings from 10 to 600 people.

3 Garlands Rd, Woolston, 0800 482 66379, thetannery.co.nz

ARTISANS, PARTIES & SHOPS

TASTE @ TWENTY

GOURMET FOOD STORE/CATERING | CASHMERE

taste @ twenty stocks a tempting array of fresh produce, Vic’s breads, Hummingbird espresso and beans, free-range eggs, and milk. The store also offers its own range of pestos, hummus, aioli, and some say the best coffee in Christchurch. Everything is made with love and a smile. Catering is also available, from finger food for your function to tasty treats for your work shout.

20 Colombo Street, 03 982 1399 FB/tasteattwenty

VICTORIA FOOD SERVICE CATERING | PHILLIPSTOWN

Get all your catering needs sorted with Victoria Food Service, where you get more than food – you get an experience. From corporate events and weddings to private functions at your venue or home, these expert caterers provide a culinary journey worthy of your special occasion.

With over 30 years of expertise, the team make it their mission to impress your guests. Check out the delicious menu options, or let the team create a menu just for you.

42 Leeds Street, 03 365 0022 victoriafoods.co.nz

THE SPIRITS WORKSHOP SPIRITS/DISTILLERY | SYDENHAM

Best known for the fabulous Curiosity Gin and now the new Divergence Single Malt New Zealand Whisky, these distillers are certainly talented craftsmen. Pop in to The Spirits Workshop Distillery for a tasting or tour where you can see the stills, soak up the smells and enjoy your own gin and whisky masterclass – you’ll learn to talk the talk like a true expert. Buy gift vouchers online or give the friendly team a call to book your distillery experience.

11 Sandyford Street, 021 336 416 thespiritsworkshop.co.nz

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Caffeine

IF YOU’RE ON THE HUNT FOR A MORNING LATTE, A LUNCHTIME LONG BLACK OR A BAG OF PERFECTLY ROASTED BEANS, YOU WILL FIND ALL THESE AS WELL AS CLASSIC ESPRESSO CUPS, A NEW SEAL FOR YOUR TRUSTY STOVETOP OR THE LATEST IN HOME COFFEE MACHINES AMONG THE CAFÉS, ROASTERS AND SPECIALIST STORES LISTED HERE.

CAFÉ STIR

CAFÉ | CENTRAL CITY

For excellent Switch Espresso coffee and a friendly atmosphere in lovely heritage surrounds, look no further than Café Stir. Located in the picturesque New Regent Street with Christchurch’s historic tram making periodic stops right out in front, this is a spot to easily while away a pleasant morning. With all day breakfast, the ‘Grammable pink eggs bene and many other delicious menu items, Café Stir has you covered.

27 New Regent Street, 03 371 7219 Find them on Facebook

CHRISTCHURCH ADVENTURE PARK CAFÉ/BAR | CASHMERE

Nestled among the pine forest in the Port Hills, with a large covered deck (heated in winter), a fully licensed bar, and delicious coffee, Christchurch Adventure Park is the place for post-ride and after-work drinks, coffee catch-ups and dining all day long. Enjoy your food out on the deck and watch the adventure unfold around you as mountain bikers tear down the trails, walkers emerge from the forest and zipliners soar overhead.

225 Worsleys Road, 0508 247 478 christchurchadventurepark.com

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CAFFEINE

CRAFTED COFFEE CAFÉ | RICCARTON

This premium roaster and café makes great coffee an art form, with several awards to prove it. The team love to share their knowledge too, offering regular barista workshops, courses and coffee tastings to up your skills.

Both the menu and cabinet are stacked with delicious snacks, from hot soups and zingy salads to the crowd favourite jalapeño sausage rolls, as well as plenty of vegan options. The café is now open every Saturday, perfect for a comfort food fuel stop on a busy weekend.

121 Blenheim Road, 03 348 4833 craftedcoffeecompany.co.nz

PENNY BLACK VICTORIAN TEAROOM TEAROOM | WOOLSTON

Celebrating a bygone era and looking right at home in boutique shopping destination The Tannery, Penny Black Victorian Tearoom is a picturesque place to stop and enjoy traditional Devonshire tea, treat yourself to a beautiful high tea with friends, or simply select one of the house-made goodies from the cabinet and settle in with a coffee. Penny Black can also cater or even host your special occasion, whether it’s a birthday, bachelorette party or baby shower.

The Tannery, 3 Garlands Road, 022 460 1840 penny-black.co.nz

REAL FRUIT PARLOUR CAFÉ | ST ALBANS

A café born from St Albans’ local fruit and veg shop, Real Fruit Parlour is all about fresh, real food. On the menu you’ll find a range of colourful and nutritious seasonal salads, refreshing cold-pressed juices, and of course, great coffee. In the cabinet is a wonderful range of sweets, cakes and raw slices, and you can treat yourself in summer with real fruit ice cream made from local frozen berries. The café caters to vegan, vegetarian and gluten free diets.

1066D Colombo Street, 03 366 9883 realcrisp.co.nz

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CAFFEINE

ADDINGTON COFFEE CO-OP CAFÉ This beloved café has a passionate following for its fair trade Jailbreaker coffee and primo brunch options.

297 Lincoln Rd, Addington, 03 943 1662, addingtoncoffee.org.nz

BUNSEN CAFÉ Order your brekkie and Switch Espresso with a side of Christchurch history at Bunsen, in the Arts Centre. 2 Worcester Blvd, Central City, 03 260 2272, FB/bunsenltd

ALLPRESS ESPRESSO CAFÉ/ROASTERY Christchurch’s home of Allpress is the perfect spot for a quick flat white or a smart business meeting.

Check the selection of cabinet food.

110 Montreal St, Central City, 03 550 0341, nz.allpressespresso.com

C4 COFFEE

ALLY & SID CAFÉ If absolutely Pinterest-worthy surroundings and excellent coffee is your jam, then pop in for a caffeine hit and an array of unfairly delicious cabinet snacks.

4 Walker St, Central City, 027 948 9246, allyandsid.co.nz ANTIGUA BOAT SHEDS CAFÉ Take away a picnic basket or sample some delicious fare from the extensive menu of tasty and filling classics.

2 Cambridge Tce, Central City, 03 366 6768, boatsheds.co.nz BELLE CAFÉ/ROASTERY Bink Bowler, the legend

behind Black & White Coffee Cartel, has gone back to what he loves most – roasting and serving his guests the best coffee he can at his central-city café. 168 Armagh St, Central City, 027 346 0140, FB/bellechc BLACK & WHITE COFFEE ORIGINS CAFÉ The sole specialty coffee store in the Black & White Coffee Cartel, this institution can hook you up with both raw and roasted beans as well as brunch and a brew. 150 Lichfield St, Central City, 021 0214 4455, blackandwhitecoffee.co.nz BLACK BETTY CAFÉ Black Betty is Switch Espresso’s home in the central city. You’ll find it packed to the brim with brunch-goers on the weekend and bustling with students during the week. 165 Madras St, Central City, 03 365 8522, blackbetty.co.nz BRIGITTES RESTAURANT & BAR CAFÉ/RESTAURANT This Merivale icon has been delivering the goods for more than 35 years. Classics made to the highest quality, and there’s a sunny courtyard sheltered from the elements. 209 Papanui Rd, Merivale, 03 355 6150, brigittes.co.nz

CAFÉ/ROASTERY Taste your way to your

favourite blend or single origin and then take some home. C4 also stocks barista tools and spare parts. 113 Fitzgerald Ave, Central City, 03 366 7370, c4coffee.co.nz CAFÉ RAEWARD CAFÉ Fruit and veg store Raeward Fresh punches above its weight with its buzzing on-site café, complete with playground.

800 Harewood Rd, Harewood, 03 359 2772, raewardfresh.co.nz/cafe-raeward CAFÉ STIR CAFÉ Serving up breakfast and brunch all day, featuring such gems as the ‘Grammable pink eggs benedict and delicious French toast. 27 New Regent St, Central City, 03 371 7219. Find them on Facebook.

THE CAFFEINE LABORATORY CAFÉ This hot New Regent Street café serves up a mean brekkie and has a cabinet stacked with treats guaranteed to give you a sugar rush. 1 New Regent St, Central City, 021 0862 2925, caffeinelab.co.nz CHILD SISTER CAFÉ Great coffee amid cool surrounds is the recipe here. The coffee beans are from Lyttelton Coffee Co. and the next-level fitout adds a dash of panache to the scene.

277 Manchester St, Central City, 03 222 2117, FB/childsistercafe CHRISTCHURCH ADVENTURE PARK CAFÉ & BAR CAFÉ Take your mountain bike for a hoon around the Adventure Park before parking up with a latte at the on-site café. 225 Worsleys Rd, Cracroft, 0508 247 478, christchurchadventurepark.com CITY SOCIAL CAFÉ Serving coffee, tea, beer, wine, brunch, pizza and bagels every weekday, City Social has you covered. 151 Cambridge Tce, Central City, citysocial.co.nz THE COFFEE MONSTER COLD BREW The Coffee Monster Cold Brew is brewed using two types of the finest single origin coffee beans, then

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supplied to establishments around town. 150 Lichfield St, Central City, thecoffeemonster.co.nz THE CRAFTED COFFEE COMPANY CAFÉ/ROASTERY As well as roasting some of the best beans in the city, The Crafted Coffee Company serves breakfast, lunch and more. 121 Blenheim Rd, Riccarton, 03 348 4833, craftedcoffeecompany.co.nz DOSE DINER CAFÉ This Riccarton café has plenty of mains and sharing options available, as well as some piping good Lyttelton Coffee.

295 Blenheim Rd, Upper Riccarton, 03 343 1999, dosediner.co.nz EMBASSY BREW BAR CAFÉ The team are dedicated to ensuring you get the perfect cup of coffee. They love mixing up their roasting style and trying new things. 107 Fitzgerald Ave, Central City, 03 366 2090, FB/EmbassyCoffeeEspressoBar ENGINE COFFEE BREWERS CAFÉ This inner-city café oozes cool.

With a finger-on-the-pulse approach to coffee, there’s always something new to try. 270 St Asaph St, Central City, FB/enginecoffeebrewers ESPRESSO245 CAFÉ The duo behind Espresso245 are self-confessed coffee geeks, using various brew methods to cater to every palate.

6/245 St Asaph St, Central City, FB/espresso245 ESPRESSO STUDIO BY FUSHOKEN CAFÉ These cool city digs boast a three-shot standard espresso. In front of the main entrance of Riverside Market, you’ll find Espresso Studio serves coffee not only to coffee lovers, but many skilled baristas. Riverside Market, Central City, FB/espressostudiobyfushoken FOUNDATION CAFÉ CAFÉ Coffee’s friendly takeover of downtown Christchurch has extended to Tūranga, the central city library, so you can settle down with a stack of books and a bodacious brew. Tūranga, 60 Cathedral Sq, Central City, 03 365 0308, FB/foundationchristchurch FRANK’S CAFÉ CAFÉ A perfect between-shopping stop or a destination all of its own, Frank’s has

CAFFEINE

SOUTH TOWN CLUB CAFÉ | CENTRAL CITY

This hip spot is a champion of understated quality, with an ever-changing menu that offers an original take on traditional brunch.

STC keeps it interesting through drool-worthy menu items such as giant cookies, decadent donuts and the full English brekkie muffin – like a McMuffin on steroids. Add to that a collection of local suppliers providing the very best ingredients, Coffee Supreme in the cups and excellent chat from the staff, and you’ll find this a hard one to stay away from.

10 Welles Street, southtownclub.co.nz

UNTOUCHED WORLD™ KITCHEN CAFÉ | BURNSIDE

A hidden gem, Untouched World Kitchen is the perfect oasis away from the hustle for a delicious and nutritious breakfast, brunch or lunch.

Whether you’re vegetarian, vegan or a lover of meat, you’ll be treated to honest, simple food that is big on flavour. A light, airy, relaxed space awaits you inside, or dine al fresco in the peaceful garden setting. Located just five minutes from the airport with plenty of off-street parking.

155 Roydvale Avenue, 03 357 9499 untouchedworldkitchen.com

Want cutting-edge web design and development, head-turning creative, game-changing PR & social media strategies, brandbolstering event partnering, and industry-leading publishing?

You’ve come to the right place. The skilled and dedicated team of attention-grabbing writers, wildly talented designers and creative thinkers behind Cityscape magazine know Christchurch and New Zealand intimately, and have all the right connections.

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CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Winter 21

CAFFEINE

been a go-to since way back. Eastgate Mall, Linwood, 03 420 3366, FB/FranksCafeChristchurch GENTLE GIANT CAFÉ Searching for a caffeine fix around the city’s industrial streets? Scoot on down to Gentle Giant. The bangin’ menu is worth a look-in too – light options, sweet, and savoury. 158 Ferry Rd, Waltham, 03 366 9144, FB/gentlegiantcafex GOOD HABIT CAFÉ This café serves up Prima Coffee alongside a kick-ass brunch and lunch menu. 319 St Asaph St, Central City, 03 365 0707, goodhabit.co.nz GRAIN COFFEE AND EATERY CAFÉ Housed in a repurposed rubbermoulding factory, this eatery is best known for its daily changing grain bowls, delicious sandwiches and filled bagels.

19 Southwark St, Central City, 021 206 5154, FB/graincoffeeandeatery HELLO SUNDAY CAFÉ This Sydenham staple is a favourite among brunchers, with a menu to delight fried chicken fans and healthy eaters alike. 6 Elgin St, Sydenham, 03 260 1566, hellosundaycafe.co.nz ILEX CAFÉ CAFÉ Breathe in the fresh clean air at the Botanic Gardens’ finest venue, Ilex Café.

Christchurch Botanic Gardens, 03 941 5556, FB/ilexbotanicgardens INDUSTRIE ESPRESSO BAR CAFÉ/ROASTERY Watch the magic happen right in front of your eyes at this wee espresso bar with tables next to the Switch Espresso roastery. 4/25 Birmingham Dr, Middleton, 03 338 3530, switchespresso.co.nz/industrie LITTLE MERCHANTS CAFÉ Located at the front of curated workspace B-18 Studios, Little Merchants keeps Addington’s business folk pepped with tasty brews and creative lunch offerings. 18 Bernard St, Addington, FB/littlemerchants LITTLE POMS CAFÉ Next door to sibling Pomeroy’s Old Brewery Inn, Little Poms specialises in delicious food, lovely coffee and great service. 294 Kilmore St, Central City, 03 366 5808, littlepoms.co.nz

LUX ESPRESSO CAFÉ This sleek and intimate café connects to CoCA, the Centre of Contemporary Art. Enjoy an Allpress blend before heading through to the gallery. 66 Gloucester St, Central City, 03 366 3104, luxespresso.co.nz LYTTELTON COFFEE COMPANY CAFÉ Pay Lyttelton Coffee Company a visit on any given day and you’ll find it humming with locals and city dwellers alike. The view will take your breath away, as will the coffee. 29 London St, Lyttelton, 021 750 555, FB/lytteltoncoffeecompany MADE ESPRESSO BAR CAFÉ Honest, wholesome and simple is the recipe here. The team use organic and unrefined ingredients to produce dishes that delight the palate and celebrate good health. 56 Cashel St, Central City, 03 379 2592, madeespressobar.co.nz MAX DOSE CAFÉ A grungy, independent coffee house with a cosy setting and sunny courtyard, matching exceptional coffee with great service. 36 Southwark Street, Central City, 027 629 3673, FB/MaxDoseCH MITCHELLI’S CAFÉ RINATO CAFÉ Tasty breakfast menu and coffee to match, with a wide variety of cabinet food including gluten free and vegan options and an ever-changing lunch menu.

The Tannery, Woolston, 03 389 4443, FB/mitchelliscafe MONA VALE HOMESTEAD & PANTRY CAFÉ Enjoy some light refreshments indoors or on the sun-drenched terrace, or book in for an exquisite High Tea. 40 Mona Vale Ave, Fendalton, 03 341 7450, monavale.nz ODDFELLOW’S CAFÉ CAFÉ The former Oddfellows Society Hall is home to one of Addington’s finest cafés, crafting fresh breakfasts and lunches.

5 Disraeli St, Addington, 03 377 6757, oddfellowscafe.co.nz THE OFFICE CAFÉ CAFÉ With a small but awesome menu and a cabinet bursting with goodies, there’s something for everyone and every appetite. Old School Collective, 1429 Main North Rd, Waikuku, 027 633 4232, FB/theofficecafewaikuku THE ORIGIN CAFÉ This St Albans café is all about

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speciality teas and coffee while the kitchen team serve up innovative, pure plant-based cuisine. 95 Westminster St, St Albans, 03 355 5939, FB/TheOriginNZ PASSENGERS & CO CAFÉ This lush café boasts a fresh brunch menu and offers a selection of freshly squeezed juices, homemade lunch delights and raw treats. 92 Russley Rd, Russley, 03 342 9490, passengersandco.co.nz PENNY BLACK VICTORIAN TEAROOM CAFÉ/TEAROOM This elegant spot is reminiscent of times gone by and is perfect for pulling up a pew and indulging in moreish goods. Shop 37, The Tannery, Woolston, 03 381 3445, penny-black.co.nz PRIMA ROASTERY CAFÉ/ROASTERY This passionate team of coffee drinkers craft a comprehensive range of aromatic blends and single origin coffees each day. 387 Brougham St, Sydenham, 03 373 8180, primaroastery.co.nz REAL FRUIT PARLOUR CAFÉ/JUICE BAR A café born from St Albans’ local fruit and veg shop. Colourful and nutritious seasonal salads, refreshing cold-pressed juices, cakes, and great coffee. 1066D Colombo Street, St Albans, 03 366 9883, FB/realfruitparlour THE RESIDENCY CAFÉ An all-day-every-day café serving breakfast, lunch and bar snack menus with a candid, unfussy approach in the SALT district. 159 Manchester St, Central City, 03 356 0373, theresidency.co.nz SAFFRON CAFÉ AND RESTAURANT CAFÉ Serving up delicious and authentic Afghan and Middle Eastern food, including traditional Arabic coffee. 574 Colombo Street, Central City, 03 261 6041, FB/saffroncafenz SCARBOROUGH FARE CAFÉ Located on the esplanade of beautiful Scarborough Beach, where you can grab a bite to eat in the ‘laxed dining atmosphere or soak up the scenery with a beer or wine. 147 Esplanade, Sumner, 03 326 7923, scarboroughfare.info SIGN OF THE KIWI CAFÉ & BAR CAFÉ Pedal up to the Sign of the Kiwi to take in the breathtaking sights of the Port Hills and indulge in some delicious, fresh

CAFFEINE

COFFEE

CAFÉ

CAFÉ

Located just in front of Riverside Market since October 2019, Espresso Studio by Fushoken serves award-winning coffee with a triple shot standard espresso. The bar is run by Fumihiko Takai, a barista hailing from Tokyo, Japan with 13 years’ experience in bars and cafés around Christchurch.

FB/espressostudiobyfushoken

Located in Eastgate Mall, Frank’s Café has a local fanbase of loyal customers, some of whom have been coming to Frank’s for over a decade. All the food is made fresh on site, from the big breakfasts and cabinet food to burgers and pizzas.

With outdoor seating available, Frank’s is great for kids, and dogs are also welcome.

FB/FranksCafeChristchurch

This bold and bodacious café is staunchly popular with the locals, who flock in to soak up the good vibes and bustling atmosphere.

These guys serve up a seasonally changing brunch menu and delicious cabinet food all created on site. Rock up to grab your fix of Switch Espresso, with whole beans or fresh grind also available.

FB/switchbtown

ESPRESSO STUDIO

BY FUSHOKEN

FRANK’S CAFÉ

SWITCH NEW BRIGHTON

WE’RE INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT WE GET FROM ADVERTISERS - ALL THE WONDERFUL CHRISTCHURCH BUSINESSES THAT WE GET TO RAVE ABOUT IN THE PAGES OF CITYSCAPE. IF YOU’VE BEEN WOWED BY WHAT YOU’VE SEEN HERE, GO CHECK THEM OUT. TAKE YOUR FRIENDS. TELL YOUR LOCAL BUSINESS YOU SAW THEM IN CITYSCAPE. food. 2057 Summit Rd, Christchurch, 03 329 9966, signofthekiwi.co.nz SOUTH TOWN CLUB CAFÉ A laid-back local serving excellent Coffee Supreme and a seasonal menu full of creative, inspired options. 10 Welles Street, Central City, southtownclub.co.nz SWITCH ESPRESSO ROASTERY Ethically sourced coffee from around the world, roasted by a local crew right here in Christchurch. 4/25 Birmingham Dr, Middleton 03 338 3530, switchespresso.co.nz SWITCH NEW BRIGHTON CAFÉ A short walk from New Brighton Beach, this cool café serves up good vibes, a huge selection of food and impeccable coffee. Shop 7/78 Brighton Mall, New Brighton, 03 388 9886, FB/switchbtown

TASTE@TWENTY CAFÉ/ARTISAN This café-cum-artisan store is a one-stop shop for all things fresh and gourmet. 20 Colombo St, Cashmere, 03 982 1399, FB/tasteattwenty TOWN TONIC CAFÉ This renowned restaurant is more than just a great spot for dinner. Pop in during the day for a coffee and a bite from the impressive all-day menu. 335 Lincoln Rd, Addington, 03 338 1150, towntonic.com UNKNOWN CHAPTER CAFÉ Unknown Chapter’s hearty brunch options hit the spot while a cabinet full of sweet treats and takeaway fare is simply irresistible. 254 St Asaph St, Central City, unknownchaptercoffee.co.nz UNTOUCHED WORLD KITCHEN CAFÉ This café is dedicated to seasonal,

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locally sourced and free-range produce.

The meals are loaded with flavour.

155 Roydvale Ave, Burnside, 03 357 9499, untouchedworldkitchen.com VIC’S CAFÉ CAFÉ This friendly cosmopolitan café offers a relaxed atmosphere with an extensive breakfast and lunch menu. One of the longest-running and busiest cafés in town. 132 Victoria St, Central City, 03 963 2090, vicscafe.co.nz VIVACE ESPRESSO ROASTERY/ESPRESSO BAR Take one sip of

Vivace Espresso’s premium coffee and it’s easy to understand how this roastery is flourishing more than 20 years after first opening its doors. 474 Tuam St, Phillipstown, 03 381 2474, vivaceespresso.co.nz

Drinking

FROM BOHO CHIC TO COSY PUB TO SWISHY BAR, THERE’S A DRINKING HOLE FOR EVERYBODY AND ANY OCCASION. CRAFT BEER ENTHUSIASTS CAN SAMPLE AN ALE AT THE BREWERY WHERE IT WAS MADE OR TRY A RANGE OF BREWS AT AN INNER-CITY BAR. IF COCKTAILS ARE YOUR THING, THE CITY’S TALENTED MIXOLOGISTS STAND READY.

12 BAR CRAFT BEER/LIVE MUSIC If you love a

good beer, a welcoming atmosphere and some classy blues music, this is the place for you. 342 St Asaph St, Central City, 03 260 0333, 12bar.co.nz AIKMANS BAR & EATERY GASTROPUB The ideal venue for a stylish meal or relaxed catch-up at the bar.

Small plates, platters, brunch, dinner and drinks. 154 Aikmans Rd, Merivale, 03 961 6545, aikmans.nz AUSTIN CLUB BASEMENT BAR Navigate a wee alley to find this post-war-style cocktail bar, night club and late-night entertainment venue.

236 High St, Central City, austinclub.co.nz BANGALORE POLO CLUB SWISHY BAR The legendary Polo Club is a cosy, dark and sophisticated bar for a late drink, where people party on deep into the night. 126 Oxford Tce, Central City, 03 377 4144, bangalorepoloclub.co.nz

THE BREWERY BAR & RESTAURANT GASTROPUB/ BREWERY Take in the sights of The Tannery from a table at The Brewery, the home of Cassels craft beer and a fine gastropub. The Tannery, Woolston, 03 389 5359, cassels.nz

CROCKETT

CANTERBURY BREWERS COLLECTIVE FILLERY/BAR These beer masters specialise in locally made craft beers and ciders. Pull up a stool at the chilled-out bar or take a container of fresh beer home. Riverside Market, Central City, 021 0295 8041, FB/canterburybrewerscollective

CURIOSITY GIN COCKTAIL BAR This wee bar in Riverside Market serves creations made with the best of The Spirits Workshop’s gins, whisky and more. Riverside Market, Central City, 021 336 416, FB/curiositygin

CARLTON BAR & EATERY GASTROPUB This Christchurch bar and eatery has you covered for a swanky meal out or a roaring good time in the bar come Friday night. 1 Papanui Rd, Merivale, 03 355 9543, carltonbar.co.nz

a visit for a pint of beer and a toe-tapping good night at one of the many live music gigs. 336 St Asaph St, Central City, 03 974 2425, darkroom.bar

CASA PUBLICA

cold and hot drinks, and an excellent range of board games to keep you entertained late into the night. 181 High St, Central City, 03 925 9786, FB/diceandslicechch

SWISHY BAR/SOUTH AMERICAN You’ll

BOO RADLEY’S FOOD & LIQUOR SWISHY BAR The impressive cocktail menu makes this hip inner-city bar a must-visit next time you’ve got cause to celebrate. Level 1, 98 Victoria St, Central City, 03 366 9906, booradleys.co.nz

be transported back to the days of South American prohibition at this moody restaurant and bar that specialises in rum.

40 New Regent St, Central City, 03 366 1389, casapublica.co.nz

BREW MOON BREWING COMPANY BREWERY/BAR Brew Moon’s Amberley Pale Ale is named after the brewers’ home town and is a refreshing drop with a subtle sweetness.

12 Markham St, Amberley, 03 314 8036, brewmoon.co.nz

GASTROPUB/EUROPEAN Tucked away in

CIVIL & NAVAL Lyttelton’s main drag, you’ll discover this teeny piece of paradise. Watch the cooking in the open kitchen and sample the wellcurated wine and spirit list. 16 London St, Lyttelton, 03 328 7206, civilandnaval.co.nz

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SWISHY BAR/RESTAURANT A modern

take on a saloon, this rugged yet refined bar and restaurant explores American cuisine through a contemporary lens.

122 Oxford Tce, Central City, 03 366 6644, crockettbar.co.nz

DARKROOM CRAFT BEER/LIVE MUSIC Pay darkroom

DICE & SLICE BAR/PIZZA/BOARD GAMES Fresh pizza,

THE DIRTY LAND SWISHY BAR The Dirty Land exists in its own little world, with moody lighting, exposed brick walls and eclectic fitout.

Order a thirst-quenching cocktail or a bottle of top-shelf bubbles. 131 Victoria St, Central City, 03 365 5340, thedirtyland.co.nz DUX CENTRAL SWISHY BAR/CRAFT BEER This craft beer

bar is a staple on the scene and is known for its tasty house brews, lengthy menu

DRINKING

and plush function spaces. 6 Poplar St, Central City, 03 366 6919, duxcentral.co.nz FAT EDDIE’S SWISHY BAR Christchurch’s leading live jazz venue is great for a night out, an afterwork drink or a big Saturday night kneesup. Cnr Hereford St and Oxford Tce, Central City, 03 595 5332, fateddiesbar.co.nz THE FERMENTIST BREWERY A micro-brewery and taproom in Christchurch with beer at its roots and sustainability in its heart. Great beers brewed on site, and sensational seasonal food. 380 Colombo St, Sydenham, 03 363 8413, thefermentist.co.nz FIDDLESTICKS RESTAURANT & BAR SWISHY BAR/RESTAURANT Located at

the heart of the Arts Precinct, this relaxed restaurant is a perfect spot for pre- or post-show dining. Cnr Worcester Blvd and Montreal St, Central City, 03 365 0533, fiddlesticksbar.co.nz GIN GIN. SWISHY BAR This intimate bar dedicated

to gin is the perfect place to share a G&T with friends. Newly moved to funky New Regent Street digs. 4-6 New Regent St, Central City, 020 4156 4946, gingin.co.nz GOOD TIMES - COMEDY CLUB COMEDY/BAR Laughs aplenty are served up right alongside your drink at this dedicated comedy house. 224 St Asaph St, Central City, FB/GoodTimesComedyClub GRATER GOODS GOURMET FOOD/WINE BAR/VEGAN

Check out the tasty little plant-based menu at Grater Goods’ wine bar. 105 Orbell St, Sydenham, gratergoods.co.nz THE INSTITUTION CRAFT BEER/BAR You’ll find the team at The Institution serving up craft beer and cocktails. 28 New Regent St, Central City, theinstitution.co.nz THE LAST WORD SWISHY BAR This bohemian whisky and cocktail lounge stocks an impressive bar with rotating craft brews and a global selection of whisky. 31 New Regent St, Central City, 022 094 7445, lastword.co.nz MR BRIGHTSIDE ROOFTOP BAR ROOFTOP BAR Looking out over the river from Oxford Terrace, you’ll get complimentary views of Hagley Park and

beyond with your drink and meal. Level 4, 152 Oxford Tce, Central City, 0508 538 354, mrbrightside.co.nz

by a solid menu and cocktail list. Level 7, The Muse Hotel, 159 Manchester St, Central City, 03 365 0373, pinkladyrooftop.co.nz

MICKY FINN’S COSY PUB One of the oldest bars in town, Micky Finn’s is the ideal destination for a post-work beverage, a bite to eat and a game of pool. 85A Hereford St, Central City, 03 374 9461

POMEROY’S OLD BREWERY INN GASTROPUB/CRAFT BEER This traditional English-style pub has a hand-picked selection of craft beer on tap, including limited and seasonal varieties. 292 Kilmore St, Central City, 03 365 1523, pomspub.co.nz

THE MILLER BAR & CAFÉ CAFÉ/BAR The go-to bar in Addington for more than 25 years. Live music and traditional meals for affordable prices.

Weekly entertainment includes local bands, a quiz night and karaoke night.

308 Lincoln Rd, Addington, 03 338 9361, themillerbar.co.nz

THE ROCKPOOL POOL HALL/PIZZA This standout entertainment venue has been around since 1995. Pizza, pool tables, beer on tap and rockin’ live music. 85 Hereford St, Central City, 03 374 9461, therockpool.co.nz

MOON UNDER WATER CRAFT BEER/BAR Stop by Moon Under Water for a rotating selection of craft beer on tap and a helping of comfort food done right. 152 Somerfield St, Somerfield, 03 331 8001, moonunderwater.co.nz NO.4 BAR & RESTAURANT GASTROPUB Tucked away in the Merivale Village, No.4 is your friendly neighbourhood gastropub with a lively atmosphere throughout the week and into the weekend. 4 Mansfield Ave, Merivale, 03 355 3720, no4bar.co.nz O.G.B. SWISHY BAR An old-skool speakeasy

with a lengthy wine list, craft beer on tap and live music to groove along to on the weekends. 28 Cathedral Square, Central City, 03 377 4336, ogb.co.nz ORIGINAL SIN SWISHY BAR/RESTAURANT Producing

mouth-watering creations to entice the global palate, this fine eatery overlooks the beautiful Avon River. Cnr Oxford Tce and Hereford St, Central City, 03 595 5330, originalsin.co.nz ŌTOROMIRO HOTEL RESTAURANT/COSY PUB The former

Governors Bay Hotel boasts panoramic views of Lyttelton Harbour, creating the perfect setting to indulge in the gastropub fare served up. 52 Main Rd, Governors Bay, 03 329 9433, governorsbayhotel.co.nz PINK LADY ROOFTOP ROOFTOP BAR Named for the Muse Hotel’s pink sunset glow, this is an intimate space that’s all about the views, backed up

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SOUL QUARTER GASTROPUB The keystone of the Stranges Lane lineup, this bar serves fantastic steaks, ribs, seafood and sharing plates.

Stranges Ln, Central City, 03 261 6171, soulquarter.co.nz SOUTHPAW BREWING COMPANY BREWERY Southpaw brings some buzzy flavours to the world of beer. The Riding Pine Red IPA is an award-winning brew and packs a punch. 5 Edmonton Rd, Hornby South, 027 329 0774, southpawbeer.com TERRACE TAVERN GASTROPUB This tasteful member of the Dux family is the perfect spot to gather with friends for a casual drink or a meal.

134 Oxford Tce, Central City, 03 595 1278, terracetavern.co.nz THREE BOYS BREWERY BREWERY Grab a cold beer and a hot pie at the cellar door, and take a private tour of the brewery with a brewing expert. Genuinely local, genuinely craft.

592 Ferry Rd, Woolston, 03 940 5621, threeboysbrewery.co.nz VALLEY INN TAVERN GASTROPUB Take in the beautiful Port Hills from the comfort of Heathcote’s Valley Inn Tavern. 2 Flavell St, Heathcote Valley, 03 384 1124, valleyinntavern.co.nz WELLES STREET GASTROPUB Your friendly, inner-city local pub. Huge selection of beers on tap and a weekly rotation of seasonal craft brews.

44 Welles St, Central City, 03 366 0172, wellesstreet.co.nz

Restaurants

BLOODY MARY’S

STEAKHOUSE/SWISHY BAR | CENTRAL CITY

A popular New York-style steakhouse known for premium, local produce, seasonal menus and delicious cuisine. Check out Hugh’s Whisky Library for a nightcap or perhaps The Terrace for one of the famous cocktails and delicious platters. For the full Bloody Mary’s experience you can’t go past the flagship Prime Rib, carved at your table every Friday and Saturday.

30 Latimer Square, 03 943 5937 bloodymarys.co.nz

THE DISH

ASIAN FUSION | CENTRAL CITY

Attentive service and an inviting atmosphere is what you’ll find at The Dish. This sophisticated space is open for lunch and dinner, the perfect place to grab a meal before going to see a show at the Christchurch Town Hall. You’ll feel at home as you indulge in delicious, fresh food, full of flavour and beautifully presented.

Fully licensed with vegan and gluten free options available, it’s the perfect spot to create memories with friends and family.

376 Montreal Street, 03 925 9787 thedish.co.nz

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Top right image: @thesocialprojectagency

EXPLORE THE CULINARY ARTS OF THE WORLD WITHOUT LEAVING HOME. CHRISTCHURCH HAS A WEALTH OF EATERIES REPRESENTING EVERY CUISINE HUMANITY HAS TO OFFER. IF YOU WANT IT TRADITIONAL, NO PROBLEM. IF YOU ARE AFTER A MODERN FUSION OF EAST AND WEST, YOU CAN FIND THAT TOO. SO CHOOSE A FOOD STYLE AND START YOUR SEARCH.

RESTAURANTS

EATS ON OXFORD

DINING ALLEY | CENTRAL CITY

Check out a world of variety at the city’s freshest dining lane, Eats on Oxford. You can’t go wrong with four delicious eateries serving up a variety of flavourful cuisines. Grab a chimichanga, taco, salad or other favourite Mexican base and fill it with the meat or veggies and condiments of your choice at Habanero’s Urban Mexican Grill. Delightfully, Burgers & Beers is exactly what it says on the box: excellent gourmet burgers and craft beers to wash them down. At Sesame Noodle & Dumpling you’ll find specialist ramen and udon as well as wok-fried noodles and a selection of dumplings. And The Best Grill is here to satisfy all your Middle Eastern cravings including souvlaki, kebabs, salads and a huge range of mouth watering appetizers. The ‘laxed dining atmosphere makes for some good vibes and offers a nice place to eat in, or you can take away and go for a short stroll to the serene Ōtākaro Avon River. With all your dining needs under one roof, Eats on Oxford has you covered for brunch, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.

32 Oxford Terrace eatsonoxford.co.nz

FIDDLESTICKS RESTAURANT & BAR

NEW ZEALAND | CENTRAL CITY

Sophisticated, sociable and relaxed, Fiddlesticks is one of the city’s best retreats. This distinctive restaurant and bar provides an inviting atmosphere for whiling away some time. Dine al fresco and watch the street-side activity from the sheltered courtyard, or join friends in one of the intimate dining spaces.

The talented kitchen crew provide sensational in-season and local fare.

48 Worcester Boulevard, 03 365 0533 fiddlesticksbar.co.nz

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RESTAURANTS

FRANCESCA’S ITALIAN KITCHEN ITALIAN | CENTRAL CITY

Home to authentic Italian cuisine, whether it’s woodfired pizza, fresh hand-made gnocchi and tortelloni or the genuine, traditional version of your favourite Italian classic. The Francesca’s team pride themselves on providing a warm and friendly atmosphere for lunch and dinner.

Enjoy pre-theatre meals and special celebrations with a selection of Italian and New Zealand wines.

149 Gloucester Street, 03 374 9790 fransitalian.co.nz

KUMO JAPANESE CUISINE JAPANESE | ADDINGTON

Renowned for authentic and delicious Japanese cuisine and for being the first Japanese restaurant to boast a sushi train in the city, Kumo is at the forefront of Japanese dining in Christchurch. With an assortment of dishes on the menu, you can dine on traditional sushi or take your pick from the selection of main dishes as well as highly tempting desserts.

351 Lincoln Road, 03 339 0886 kumo-cuisine.co.nz

MONA VALE HOMESTEAD & GARDENS RESTAURANT | FENDALTON

The historic surrounds of Mona Vale make the charming homestead a cosy and comfortable day time restaurant. Currently open Friday, Saturday and Sunday with a special Sunday lunch roast available in June through to September.

Head Chef Keshan Sedara creates North Canterbury-focused lunch dishes, delicate high teas and moreish brunch offerings. A perfect restaurant to feel relaxed in with family and friends.

40 Mona Vale Avenue, 03 341 7450, gather@monavale.nz monavale.nz

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RESTAURANTS

NO.4 BAR & RESTAURANT

NEW ZEALAND/COSY PUB | MERIVALE

No.4 Bar & Restaurant has a lively atmosphere every day of the week.

Take a seat in a candlelit corner, pull up the couch in the library, or celebrate with friends in one of the covered outdoor courtyards. When you’re comfortable, check out your dining options. Brimming with fresh, seasonal and locally sourced delights, the menu has earned No.4 a legendary reputation. Drop in for exceptionally good beer, food and stories.

4 Mansfield Avenue, 03 355 3720 no4bar.co.nz

NOM NOM KITCHEN SOUTHEAST ASIAN CUISINE | MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

Experience tasty Southeast Asian cuisine at any of Nom Nom Kitchen’s three cosy and fully licensed locations, with a fourth branch coming soon to Lincoln. Nom Nom’s sensational menu caters to gluten free, vegan and vegetarian diners.

With a great range of cocktails and wine, as well as beer on tap, it’s the perfect spot for your next family catch-up or special occasion. The Strowan location is open 7 days.

7 Normans Road, Strowan, 03 355 3909, 257 High Street, Rangiora, 03 313 4276 and 47 London Street, Lyttelton, 03 925 9335 nomnomkitchen.co.nz

NORI TABLE

SUSHI BAR | WOOLSTON/KAIAPOI

Fabulous sushi that is as appealing to the eye as it is to your taste buds is what you’ll find at Nori Table. With two beautifully modern locations in The Tannery and Kaiapoi, Nori Table is the ideal place to take time, whether it’s choosing from the incredible range of pick-your-own sushi or enjoying a laid-back lunch in the stylish surrounds. The huge array of options includes vegetarian alternatives, and Nori Table’s takeaway containers are eco friendly.

The Tannery, 3 Garlands Road, 03 925 9027 and 178D Williams Street, Kaiapoi, 03 925 8511 noritable.co.nz

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RESTAURANTS

PIZZA REPUBLIC PIZZA | FERRYMEAD

Pizza Republic’s mission is to be Christchurch’s favourite restaurant and dining experience for families, groups and functions. The welcoming team has a long history of serving the greatest pizza in town with the biggest smiles. With an awesome selection of gourmet pizzas, pastas, salads, sharing plates, and desserts, they have all your bases rolled and covered including lots of options for kids, vegetarians and vegans, and gluten and dairy-free diets.

Unit 3, 2 Waterman Place, 03 376 4900 pizzarepublic.co.nz

SAFFRON CAFÉ & RESTAURANT

MIDDLE EASTERN | CENTRAL CITY

Recently opened in Colombo Street, this cosy café serves up authentic Afghan and Middle Eastern food, from traditional Arabic coffee and Saffron’s signature tea to desserts, mains and snacks. This is your place for casual dining, family outings or group functions, with the friendly team always on hand to assist you.

But be careful – once you’ve settled in to one of the gorgeous velvet armchairs, you might find yourself reluctant to leave.

574 Colombo Street, 03 261 6041 FB/saffroncafenz

STORY

RESTAURANT | CENTRAL CITY

Located in Christchurch’s famous Spanish Mission architecture-styled New Regent Street, Story is a small social hub offering exquisite culinary fare by way of chef Shafeeq Ismail.

Inspired by global cuisine and culture, the innovative set menu changes with the seasons, using local produce for an end result that is fresh and full of flavour. With a wine menu boasting only local Canterbury wines, this light and classic space is perfect for a long, relaxed evening with friends.

8 New Regent Street, 03 261 9441 storynz.com

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RESTAURANTS

TOMI JAPANESE RESTAURANT JAPANESE | ST ALBANS

Immerse yourself in some culture from the Tomi family as you dine on traditional Japanese cuisine.

Tomi has a wide range of Japanese sake and a comprehensive wine list, and offers a delicious selection of authentic specialty Japanese dishes.

The menu boasts a range of flavour delights, from stunning sashimi to house-made ice cream, and the warm ambience and gracious hosts will keep you coming back for more.

76 Edgeware Road, 03 377 8028 tomi.co.nz

TOWN TONIC

RESTAURANT | ADDINGTON

Town Tonic is an innovative and contemporary eatery that prides itself on serving creative food using only the freshest locally sourced produce.

Whether it’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner, the bistro-style open kitchen lets diners experience the action as the culinary team work their magic.

The food is complemented by an extensive list of fine wines, craft beer, delicious cocktails and a dedicated gin menu with over 20 different drops to choose from.

335 Lincoln Road, 03 338 1150 towntonic.com, IG/towntonic_

TWENTY SEVEN STEPS EUROPEAN | CENTRAL CITY

Owned and operated by Paul and Emma, Twenty Seven Steps’ doors have been open for the last five years on picturesque New Regent Street. Committed to serving the best locally-sourced food and wine in a safe space, the team look forward to welcoming you upstairs.

Open Tuesday to Saturday evenings from 5pm, with lunches and private functions by request.

16 New Regent Street, 03 366 2727 twentysevensteps.co.nz

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RESTAURANTS

50 BISTRO MENU WITHOUT BORDERS The George’s

relaxed dining option is home to a very impressive menu with a mighty fine selection of tender Canterbury beef, a plant-based menu for vegans and vegetarians, plus everything in between.

50 Park Tce, Central City, 03 371 0250, thegeorge.com/dine/50-bistro

INDIAN

BOLINA SWEETS This is the place to indulge your taste buds in delicious vegetarian Indian food. The sweets menu here is extensive and unbeatable, so if you’ve never experienced the pleasures of traditional Indian sweets before, Bolina Sweets will happily induct you. Try the besan laddu, or the chef’s favourite, gulab jamun. bolinasweets.com

MALAYSIAN

MALAYSIA DELIGHTS Now celebrating a year in Riverside Market, Malaysia Delights is a go-to for authentic, flavourful dishes.

Soon you’ll be able to enjoy Malaysia Delights delivered with an after-hours Uber Eats service from the new TUCK Kitchen. That means popular dishes such as the Penang Fried Noodles and Spicy Laksa Noodles, straight to your door.

FB/malaysiadelights

5TH STREET EURO FUSION Dine out in 5th Street’s bespoke restaurant and explore the pleasure of shared dining with added emphasis on a quality range of drinks.

5 Elgin St, Sydenham, 03 365 9667, 5thstreet.co.nz AMATERRACE TEPPANYAKI JAPANESE Amaterrace Teppanyaki slices, dices and serves up drool-worthy menu items such as crispy calamari, prawn tempura and omakase nigiri.

Level 1/134 Oxford Terrace, Central City, 03 365 2626, amaterrace.co.nz AMAZONITA MENU WITHOUT BORDERS This

gastronomic paradise is inspired by the spirit of the Amazon with a menu rooted in vibrant Mediterranean fare. 126 Oxford Tce, Central City, 03 377 4144, amazonita.co.nz

BLACK BURGER BURGERS This funky burger joint makes melt-in-your-mouth LA-style cheeseburgers with premium Wagyu beef. 172 St Asaph Street, Central City, blackburger.co.nz BLACK ESTATE WINERY/RESTAURANT This family-owned

and run winery offers sophisticated five-star dining inside the sleek on-site restaurant. 614 Omihi Rd, Waipara, 03 314 6085, blackestate.co.nz BLOODY MARY’S FINER DINING One of the best steakhouses in the region. Load up on a well-crafted main before moving onto the luxurious puddings. 30 Latimer Square, Central City, 03 943 5937, bloodymarys.co.nz BOLINA SWEETS INDIAN At Bolina you’ll discover a world of mouth-watering authentic and vegetarian Indian dishes, sweets and snacks. 811 Colombo St, Central City, 03 930 1034, bolinasweets.com BOTANIC MENU WITHOUT BORDERS If you think

Botanic’s dinner menu is impressive, wait until you get a hold of the lavish lunch menu. Level 1, 126 Oxford Tce, Central City, 03 374 5200, botanic.nz

ARBOUR WOODFIRED PIZZA PIZZA Unique, seasonal woodfired pizza made with predominantly local and housemade ingredients, served in a beautiful new building near Lyttelton port. 17 Oxford St, Lyttelton, 027 388 9048, arbourbar.co.nz

BOTTLE + STONE PIZZA/WINE BAR A wee hole in the wall selling al taglio-style pizza with a mixture of cooked and fresh ingredients. The Welder, 20-26 Welles St, Central City, 03 365 1021, bottleandstone.co.nz

ARJEE BHAJEE INDIAN Serving up Indian food with a twist, you’ll find this menu takes inspiration from Europe and Nepal. 13 Riccarton Rd, Riccarton, 03 365 6633, arjeebhajee.co.nz

BURGER STATION BURGERS Burger Station has a mission to craft burgers that taste amazing from 100% locally sourced produce. 3/249 Stanmore Rd, Richmond, 03 666 0546; 96 Riccarton Rd, Riccarton, 03 666 0134, burgerstation.co.nz

BARBERRA NEW ZEALAND You will experience a

modern, fresh restaurant with affordable, approachable, Pacific Rim-influenced dining options. 151 Cambridge Tce, Central City, 03 365 2888, barberra.co.nz BESSIE STEAKHOUSE The chefs at Bessie know

their way around a cut of steak like few others. They specialise in dry-aged meat, prepared on site and finished in a 450 °C charcoal oven. 178 St Asaph St, Central City, 03 595 2799, bessie.co.nz

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CAFÉ VALENTINO ITALIAN Café Valentino has an outstanding range of woodfired pizza and pasta dishes, and a long string of culinary awards. The bustling restaurant is warm, inviting and a great place for relaxed dining with friends.

168 St Asaph St, Central City, 03 377 1886, cafevalentino.co.nz CASTRO’S TAPAS & BAR SPANISH Accompany your lively and flavourful meal with a jug of thirst-

RESTAURANTS

quenching sangria. Specialising in tapas, there’s a menu full of variety and tasty nibbles for you to enjoy. Riverside Market, Central City, 03 260 1200, castro.co.nz CELLAR DOOR WINE BAR/BISTRO This wine bar and

wine-tasting room is set in the stunning historic School of Art Building in the Arts Centre. The food is to die for too. 1 Hereford St, Central City, 03 925 8497, cellardoor.nz CHIWAHWAH MEXICAN CANTINA BAR MEXICAN ‘Christchurch’s craziest Mexican joint’, Chiwahwah Mexican Cantina Bar rocks some seriously fierce fare. 136 Oxford Tce, Central City, 03 925 9716, chiwahwah.co.nz CHRISTCHURCH TRAMWAY RESTAURANT FINER DINING Eat your way around the central city on board the Tramway Restaurant. This unique dining experience is a must-do for visitors from out of town. Cathedral Junction, 109 Worcester St, Central City, 03 366 7830, christchurchattractions.nz CLINK RESTAURANT & BAR NEW ZEALAND Escape the bustle of the central city and revel in the seaside village of Sumner. Clink caters for breakfast, lunch and dinner and has options to satisfy everyone. 29 Wakefield Ave, Sumner, 03 326 5353, clink.co.nz COOK ‘N’ WITH GAS NEW ZEALAND Old-skool bistro with amazing flavour profiles and cutting-edge cuisine. 23 Worcester Blvd, Central City, 03 377 9166, cooknwithgas.co.nz COOKAI JAPANESE RESTAURANT JAPANESE Fine Japanese cuisine in the heart of the city. The sushi train is a hit with the kids and loaded with more than 60 delicious dishes including vegetarian and vegan options. Level 1, The Crossing, 166 Cashel St, Central City, 03 343 2860, cookai.co.nz CORIANDER’S ETHNIC INDIAN RESTAURANT INDIAN Authentic Indian cuisine designed by internationally experienced chefs. 222 St Asaph St, Central City; 11A Wakefield Ave, Sumner; Bush Inn Centre, cnr Waimairi and Riccarton Rd, Upper Riccarton; 70-76 Rolleston Dr, Rolleston; 03 365 5557, corianders.co.nz

CROCKETT AMERICAN/SWISHY BAR A modern take

on a saloon, this rugged yet refined cocktail bar and restaurant explores American cuisine through a contemporary lens.

122 Oxford Tce, Central City, 03 366 6644, crockettbar.co.nz CURATOR’S HOUSE SPANISH Enjoy some tasty tapas or piquant paella in the scenic Botanic Gardens – the ideal spot to while away the afternoon. Botanic Gardens, 7 Rolleston Ave, Central City, 03 379 2252, curatorshouse.co.nz THE DISH ASIAN FUSION Fantastic modern Asian

fusion. With fresh tastes and moody décor, it’s the perfect spot to enjoy quality time with friends and family. 376 Montreal St, Central City, 03 925 9787, thedish.co.nz DUX DINE SEAFOOD/VEGETARIAN Situated inside

a beautiful character home in Riccarton, Dux Dine is a multi-award winning seafood and vegetarian restaurant. 28 Riccarton Rd, Riccarton, 03 348 1436, duxdine.co.nz

THAI

RED POPPY THAI Serving authentic Thai cuisine, the chefs at Red Poppy Thai have over 20 years’ experience and bring you delicious flavours in a range of beautiful dishes. The restaurant has pick up, delivery and BYO options, an outdoor seating area for dining in and can also host functions for up to 100 people. redpoppythai.co.nz

EARL MENU WITHOUT BORDERS The desirable

intersection between fine dining and a relaxed neighbourhood bistro, with a Euro-style menu and considered wine list.

128 Lichfield St, Central City, 03 365 1147, earl.co.nz EATS ON OXFORD DINING LANE A world of variety in a ‘laxed atmosphere. Just a short walk from Christchurch Hospital, the lane offers a new dining addition to the growing health precinct. 32 Oxford Tce, Central City, eatsonoxford.co.nz EL QUINCHO STEAKHOUSE/ARGENTINE BBQ The

art of Asado is cooking in its purest and most minimalistic form – just a grill, fire and meat. Excellent precision and control results in a rich and flavourful serving.

Riverside Market, Central City, 027 289 1487, elquincho.co.nz FIDDLESTICKS RESTAURANT & BAR NEW ZEALAND/SWISHY BAR A sophisticated, sociable and relaxed centrally located restaurant and bar with an inviting atmosphere. Cnr Worcester Blvd and Montreal St, Central City, 03 365 0533, fiddlesticksbar.co.nz

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CANTONESE

TAICHI RESTAURANT Located in the vibrant Spitfire Square near Christchurch Airport, TaiChi Restaurant presents an authentic Cantonese dining experience. The dim sum are handmade from a traditional recipe, and seasonal Chinese vegetables are grown locally on the owners’ own farm, providing fresh ingredients in their dishes. taichirestaurant.co.nz

RESTAURANTS

FIRE & SLICE PIZZA Perfect woodfired pizza made with the freshest locally sourced ingredients and the chef’s own amazing dough recipe.

7 Wakefield Ave, Sumner, 03 260 0176, fireandslice.co.nz FRANCESCA’S ITALIAN KITCHEN ITALIAN Sophisticated Italian dining done right. Next door to the Isaac Theatre Royal, serving rich pastas and heavenly pizzas perfect for pre-show dining – or any time really. 149 Gloucester St, Central City, 03 374 9790, fransitalian.co.nz GRATER GOODS VEGAN DELI/BISTRO Set your taste

buds tingling with menu items such as the famous KFT or Fricken Burger. Grater Goods’ kaupapa is to bring you all the pleasures of fine foods and gourmet plantbased deli items. 105 Orbell St, Sydenham, 027 289 9295, gratergoods.co.nz HALI BAR & BISTRO BISTRO The new ocean-inspired offering created by Inati’s Chef Simon Levy. From ceviche to squid, a kai moana culinary journey. The Crossing, 166 Cashel St, Central City, 03 261 6129, hali.nz HANOI ALLEY VIETNAMESE Authentic, delicious Vietnamese street food made using fresh ingredients each day. Riverside Market, Central City, FB/HanoiAlleyNZ

fusion in the heart of town. Known for tantalising bings – savoury Chinese pancakes packed with delicious fillings and a crunchy twist. 33 Lichfield St, Central City, 03 930 1591, jbings.co.nz JABA GRILL & BAR AMERICAN Sure to send meat lovers’ hearts aflutter – steaks are cooked on the restaurant’s impressive Kopa charcoal grill.

2/150 Lichfield St, Central City, 03 925 9856; The Palms Shopping Centre, 03 925 8273, jabagrillandbar.co.nz KHMER ANGKOR CAMBODIAN A family-owned establishment that fuses authentic Cambodian recipes with fresh New Zealand ingredients and home-grown herbs for a tantalisingly exotic dining experience.

617 Colombo St, Central City, 03 261 6104, khmerangkor.co.nz

MAPU

JAPANESE Chef Kinji creates quality

Japanese dishes using the freshest seafood, Canterbury beef and locally grown organic produce. 279b Greers Rd, Bryndwr, 03 359 4697, kinjirestaurant.com

KUM PUN THAI RESTAURANT THAI Intimate dining and the traditional tastes of Thailand in a relaxed environment.

73 Victoria St, Central City, 03 365 5494, kumpunthai.com

J-BINGS ASIAN FUSION Fast and casual Asian

MAHARAJA INDIAN Restaurant and cocktail bar Maharaja has an extensive menu. Indulge as you take in the contemporary setting.

452 Papanui Rd, Papanui, 03 352 0150, maharaja.net.nz

KINJI

INATI

INDO TEMPEH HOUSE INDONESIAN Handmade tempeh (a nutrient-rich soy product) dishes are Indo Tempeh’s specialty. Expect combos inspired by Indonesia. Riverside Market, Central City, 022 506 4509, FB/indotempehhouse

MADAM KWONG’S CHINESE Lunch is all about yum cha, and the restaurant cranks out traditional Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine at night.

155 Blenheim Rd, Riccarton, 03 348 3638, madamkwong.nz

MALAYSIA DELIGHTS MALAYSIAN This unassuming corner restaurant packs punchy meals and sharing plates including the famous Beef Rendang. Riverside Market, Central City, FB/malaysiadelights

KOREA HOUSE KOREAN A top spot for traditional Korean barbeque – cooked hot and fresh on the table in front of you – and other Korean specialities. 6 Nelson St, Riccarton, 03 348 8818, koreahouse.co.nz

the chef’s table and share the dining experience with those around them. Feast on unique small plates and large ‘middle of the table’ selections. 48 Hereford St, Central City, 03 390 1580, inati.nz

LITTLE TAIPEI RESTAURANT TAIWANESE Traditional Taiwanese menu that rocks a tantalising mix of the classic mild, sweet and savoury flavours of the island. 507 Papanui Rd, Papanui, 03 354 1288, FB/littletaipeinz

KING OF SNAKE ASIAN FUSION King of Snake takes Asian food seriously, and has a well-earned reputation as one of the city’s best restaurants. 145 Victoria St, Central City, 03 365 7363, kingofsnake.co.nz

HELLO VIETNAM RESTAURANT VIETNAMESE Traditional Vietnamese cuisine done properly – fresh, feisty and wildly authentic. 8/235 Riccarton Rd, Riccarton, 03 341 2258, FB/HelloVietnamCHCH INTERNATIONAL Diners sit around

these four walls. 255 St Asaph St, Central City, 021 0208 4444, littlehigh.co.nz

KUMO JAPANESE CUISINE JAPANESE Park up alongside the sushi train or order from the traditional sushi, yakitori dishes and fusion mash-ups on the menu. 351 Lincoln Rd, Addington, 03 339 0886, kumo-cuisine.co.nz LITTLE HIGH DINING LANE The flavours of the world come together at bustling dining hall Little High. Mexican, Japanese, Chinese, Italian and Western food are all available between

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EXPERIMENTAL An experimental kitchen,

not a restaurant. Chef Giulio Sturla tries out new things, and invites you to join him.

8a London St, Lyttelton, mapu.co.nz MEXICANO’S MEXICAN Mexicano’s serves up fine Mexican street food in stylish surrounds.

131 Victoria St, Central City, 03 365 5330, mexicanos.co.nz MIDNIGHT SHANGHAI CHINESE Thoughtfully designed dim sum, Shanghai and Sichuan flavours, beautifully presented sharing plates and karaoke to boot. Riverside Market, Central City, 020 4017 3488, midnightshanghai.co.nz NANDO’S PORTUGUESE Nando’s serves free range,

marinated, grilled PERi-PERi chicken that’s loved the world over. Hoyts EntX, Colombo St, Central City, 03 365 0046; Northlands Shopping Centre, Papanui, 03 352 0035; 35 Riccarton Rd, Riccarton, 03 348 4660, nandos.co.nz NO.4 BAR & RESTAURANT MENU WITHOUT BORDERS Find a romantic candlelit table in the restaurant, settle into a couch in the library or get

RESTAURANTS

the gang together in the heated outdoor courtyard. 4 Mansfield Ave, Merivale, 03 355 3720, no4bar.co.nz NOM NOM KITCHEN SOUTH EAST ASIAN Experience tasty South East Asian cuisine with sensational dishes that are gluten free, vegan and vegetarian friendly. 7 Normans Rd, Strowan, 03 355 3909; 257 High St, Rangiora, 03 313 4276; 47 London St, Lyttelton, 03 925 9335, nomnomkitchen.co.nz NORI TABLE JAPANESE Tucked away at The Tannery, you’ll find one of the city’s top pick-yourown sushi bars. Also available in Kaiapoi.

Shop 20, The Tannery, Woolston, 03 925 9027; D/178 Williams St, Kaiapoi, 03 925 8511, noritable.co.nz THE OLD VICARAGE NEW ZEALAND Offering some of the city’s best al fresco dining. Be sure to pull up a pew at the ‘laxed sun-soaked deck or dogfriendly gardens. 335 Halswell Rd, Halswell, 03 322 1224, theoldvicarage.co.nz PIZZA REPUBLIC PIZZA An awesome selection of gourmet pizzas, pastas, salads, sharing plates, and desserts – all your bases rolled and covered. 3/2 Waterman Pl, Ferrymead, 03 376 4900, pizzarepublic.co.nz POMEROY’S OLD BREWERY INN MENU WITHOUT BORDERS The seasonal menu is lovingly crafted and cooked on site before being served up in the homely restaurant. 292 Kilmore St, Central City, 03 365 1523, pomspub.co.nz RAMEN MIYAKO JAPANESE The ramen chef, Kei, handmakes fresh stock and noodles every day from scratch. 394 Riccarton Rd, Church Cnr, 03 341 1342, FB/rmiyako394 RED POPPY THAI RESTAURANT THAI A family-owned business with over 20 years’ experience making authentic Thai cuisine that looks as good as it tastes.

325 Stanmore Rd, Richmond, 03 381 1611, redpoppythai.co.nz

RIVERSIDE MARKET DINING LANE This seven-day indoor farmers’ market overlooks the beautiful Avon River. Packed full of restaurants, cafés and bars, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Cnr Lichfield St and Oxford Tce,Central City, riverside.nz

TAICHI RESTAURANT CANTONESE An extensive range of traditional Cantonese dishes, Cantonese yum cha, Chinese tea and a wide variety of dim sum. Spitfire Square, 544 Memorial Ave, Harewood, 03 423 9195, taichirestaurant.co.nz

SAFFRON CAFÉ AND RESTAURANT MIDDLE EASTERN Serving up delicious and authentic Afghan and Middle Eastern food. 574 Colombo Street, Central City, 03 261 6041, FB/ saffroncafenz

THAI BOX THAI The exquisite fare on offer will have your taste buds doing a wee happy dance.

Bringing fresh and funky food that caters to all dietary requirements to your table in the moody dining room. 270 St Asaph St, Central City, 021 842 429, FB/thaiboxnz

SALT ON THE PIER NEW ZEALAND/CAFÉ The unique New Brighton Pier location provides the perfect atmosphere for a romantic dinner for two, a corporate brunch, luncheon, dinner or function. 195-213 Marine Pde, New Brighton, 03 388 4493, saltonthepier.co.nz SAMURAI BOWL JAPANESE Ramen, kara-age, and donburi, with a huge range of delicious vegetarian options and a casual dining atmosphere.

501 Wairakei Rd, Burnside, 03 595 2378, samuraibowl-wairakei.co.nz; 5/574 Colombo St, Central City, 03 379 6752, samuraibowl.co.nz SPAGALIMIS PIZZERIA PIZZA/SWISHY BAR The original Montreal Street Spagalimis Pizzeria & Bar is the oldest restaurant in Christchurch. Visit for a meal or just a drink in the historic Ironside House. Multiple locations, spagalimis.co.nz STORY

TOMI JAPANESE RESTAURANT JAPANESE A menu that boasts fresh sushi, sashimi, tempura and fried foods. Immerse yourself in some culture from the Tomi family. 76 Edgeware Rd, St Albans, 03 377 8028, tomi.co.nz TOWN TONIC RESTAURANT/CAFÉ An ever-evolving

menu of exceptional plant-based dishes and meals for all dietary requirements, made using only the freshest produce from local growers. 335 Lincoln Rd, Addington, 03 338 1150, towntonic.com TWENTY SEVEN STEPS FINER DINING Climb the steps from New Regent Street and you’ll find yourself in one of the city’s hottest dining establishments. Fresh and inviting with a whole lot of pizzazz. 16 New Regent St, Central City, 03 366 2727, twentysevensteps.co.nz

EUROPEAN Story is a small social hub

VICES & VIRTUES

offering exquisite culinary fare by way of Chef Shafeeq Ismail. The open-plan kitchen and homely setting makes for a laid-back atmosphere to dine in the classic space.

8 New Regent St, Central City, 03 261 9441, storynz.com

NEW ZEALAND/HEALTHY EATS A modern

STRAWBERRY FARE EUROPEAN/DESSERT Near the city and with stunning views of Hagley Park.

Seriously good food and famous desserts.

19 Bealey Ave, Merivale, 03 365 4897, strawberryfare.com

YOU HANOI ME VIETNAMESE Authentic Viet cuisine with modern presentation in a fun setting among Victoria Street’s bar scene. 123 Victoria St, Central City, 03 365 0862, youhanoime.co.nz

and welcoming restaurant and bar offering the best quality food and drink. Indulging in your vices once in a while is a healthy virtue.

49 Salisbury St, Central City, 03 930 7001, vicesandvirtues.co.nz

WE’RE INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT WE GET FROM ADVERTISERS - ALL THE WONDERFUL CHRISTCHURCH BUSINESSES THAT WE GET TO RAVE ABOUT IN THE PAGES OF CITYSCAPE. IF YOU’VE BEEN WOWED BY WHAT YOU’VE SEEN HERE, GO CHECK THEM OUT. TAKE YOUR FRIENDS. TELL YOUR LOCAL BUSINESS YOU SAW THEM IN CITYSCAPE. 91

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Travel

Treasure islands Cityscape joins Heritage Expeditions on an unforgettable islandhopping expedition cruise through the South Pacific paradise of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

T

he tiny hawksbill turtle hatchlings clamber over each other in a flurry of sandy flippers towards the ocean, serenaded by Arnavon Community Marine Park project coordinator Henry Kaniki who is strumming his trusty ukulele and beaming like a proud father.

I’m grinning inanely, dumbfounded by the baby turtle effect. The turtles’ almost mechanical, stop-start movement makes them look like superconvincing wind-up toys.

It takes just minutes for the last of the 119 turtles to reach the water off Kerehikapa Island, one of the world’s most important rookeries in the Western Pacific for the critically endangered turtles, in the Arnavon

Islands, Solomon Islands.

Henry’s strumming and smile hide a horrifying statistic: “Only one in 1000 is expected to reach adulthood,” he says. “Those that make it will return in around 30 years to breed in the waters off these islands and lay their own eggs on this same stretch of beach.”

The marine park, an initiative of surrounding villages, monitors and protects the nesting of around 2000 hawksbill turtles on the Arnavon Islands each year, with 12 rangers assisting some 200,000 hatchlings in making it safely to the water. The low survival rate emphasises the importance of the work and it is magical and humbling to see conservation in

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IMAGE: EWEN BELL

TRAVEL

‘... the colourful spectacle of the region’s dragon dance’ action, knowing that our visit is directly supporting the surrounding villages in securing safe nesting sites for the turtles.

It’s been 12 days since we boarded Heritage Expeditions’ 50-guest expedition ship Spirit of Enderby in the port town of Madang, Papua New Guinea. It’s one of the biggest collective adventures of our lives on the Christchurch-based pioneering expedition cruise company’s Melanesia Discoverer voyage.

It’s a total no-brainer why Papua New Guinea is tipped to be the next big thing in the travel world.

Where else can you enjoy thrilling cultural exchanges with friendly villagers on tropical islands fringed with turquoise waters, coral gardens, white sand beaches, nodding palms and jungles filled with World War II history and incredible wildlife?

Our expedition has a birding option, which has attracted twitchers from around the globe keen to tick off endemic species like the superb pitta. Meanwhile, below the surface of crystalline waters, colourful corals are home to aquarium-level marine life and some of the world’s best snorkelling.

IMAGE: EWEN BELL

Our first destination, the Sepik River, is like being on the set of a thrilling nature documentary as our Zodiacs buzz single-file along one of the world’s greatest river systems, where whistling kites call from perches atop barren trees towering above the lush, tangled jungle, and great egrets pass overhead, their elegant long necks stowed like dining trays for takeoff.

At Kopar Village we pick up Gibson, our guide, who flashes a cheeky betel nut-stained smile as he leads us through one of the river’s many tributaries. As we wind our way up the serpentine passage under a latticed cathedral of spiked green fronds he regales us with tales about how big the river’s famed crocodiles can grow as we nervously scan the banks.

Returning to the village, we’re welcomed with elaborately costumed sing-sings and the colourful spectacle of the region’s dragon dance set to the jingle of cowrie shell leg adornments and the rhythmic beat of drums. This is followed by a hilarious theatre performance which elicits screams of laughter from the villagers and visitors, and the opportunity to experience a traditional way of life.

Dancing is also on the cards at Derimbat Village, where the

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welcoming committee comes out to greet us on anchor off Manus Island.

The enthusiastic singing, dancing and drumming is all the more impressive because it is performed standing on a moving boat.

After being welcomed ashore by the village chief and island dignitaries, we follow flower-lined paths to the village centre and dance arena, elaborately decorated with flowers and curtains of palm fronds. The enthusiastic welcome continues at a frenetic pace set by drummers as parrots in the trees above join the booming chorus and whoops ring out through the jungle.

Having thrown down the gauntlet, it’s time to reciprocate in a fast and furious dance off. We rise to the challenge and join in the festivities, providing much entertainment as we attempt the elaborate and traditional dance moves. Manus Island is located just two degrees south of the equator, and I’m quickly drenched with sweat and become slightly delirious from the festivities. Afterwards, the chief rewards me for my efforts with the title of ‘Dancing Man’, which I gratefully accept along with the rehydrating qualities of coconut water sipped from the source.

At nearby Little Mussau Island we discover paradise as our Zodiac

‘...our Zodiac glides over impossibly blue water...’

glides over impossibly blue water towards the pristine white sand beach complete with palm trees lining the shore. It’s the perfect spot to enjoy a sensational buffet lunch prepared by our talented chefs while hammocks strung between ancient trees provide the ultimate tropical island indulgence.

For snorkelers, an expansive, colourful coral reef – teeming with neon-lit fish, Christmas tree worms, dugong, turtles, lionfish, flamboyant nudibranchs and giant clams – awaits just metres off shore, while harmless blacktip reef sharks lazily patrol in the cobalt-blue distance.

History awaits as we sail into the flooded caldera of Simpson Harbour at Rabaul. Surrounded by the jagged peaks of six volcanoes, we explore the rusting ruins inside the Japanese barge tunnels; the Rabaul Volcanological Observatory; the bunker and hideout of Pearl Harbour commander Yamamoto and its neighbouring museum; and the site of the former Rabaul Airport, still covered in volcanic ash and rock following the 1994 eruptions of Tavurvur and Vulcan volcanoes.

On Bougainville Island, the land and its people still bear the scars from the Bougainville Civil War brought on by disputes over indigenous control of land and inequality of profit distribution from Rio Tinto’s Panguna copper and gold mine, established in the 1960s and abandoned 1989.

Today, rivers still run muddy or stained blue by the copper leaching from the site. The plant

IMAGE: EWEN BELL

IMAGE: EWEN BELL

has been destroyed, the metals sold for scrap or left to decay as the jungle reclaims the landscape.

Reaching an elevation of 1000 metres, we perch on the edge of the old mine site, at its peak the largest open-cut copper mine in the world. The former mountain peak is now a gaping cavity almost as deep as it once was high.

The abandoned ruins of the former workers’ accommodation are now used as schools and housing for those displaced during the uprising. We visit and chat with the locals before leaving for Arawa Market, its aisles humming with the chatter of hundreds of people shopping under the thatched roof as stall owners lazily wave long sticks with plastic bags attached to the ends to keep the flies at bay.

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The Solomon Islands equally impress, as axe- and spearwielding Supizae warriors greet our Zodiacs as we approach Choiseul Island. Their spirited mock attack takes many by surprise, but it isn’t long before the fearsome faces are replaced by wide smiles and we’re invited ashore to experience a morning of hospitality and culture.

The island’s children steal the show as they re-enact traditional songs and dance, and the adults’ passionate performances invoke a deluge, with rain flying from flailing limbs and shaken from hair during the Beyoncé-worthy performances.

These are followed by a taste of village life with delicious baked sweet potato and fish with fresh fruit, ngali nut slice, and cassava and coconut rolls enjoyed with new friends in the schoolhouse.

In the afternoon, a Zodiac safari on the Sui River sees a narrowing of the mangrove-lined banks of the salt water passage, making way for clear, fresh water and a rainforest of ginger, rosewood, palm and coconut trees where an otherworldly waterfall straight out of Jurassic Park awaits, and leaves spiral down from the canopy.

On a nearby private island in Kolombangara we’re chased by warrior women, before joining them in dancing to a PVC pipe band. We try our hand at paddling a war canoe, and snorkel around the wreck of a US Navy Grumman F4F Wildcat World War II plane.

The ghostly remains rest on the sandy sea floor, its cockpit home to numerous fish species and its wings crusted in coral.

Back on Kerehikapa Island, as the last of our turtles fade into the big blue, we wish them well on their upcoming adventures as we prepare for our own next journeys. heritage-expeditions.com

TRAVEL

ROME In the suburbs of this historydrenched city we find the setting of Favolacce / Bad Tales – exploring characters in a stylish and naughty drama that tackles human unpleasantness.

PINOCCHIO

SULLA STRADA

Cityscape and the Cinema Italiano Festival take you on a journey through Italy in film.

We begin our trip on the far northwest, at the village of Castel Vittorio near the French border. Io Sono L’Amore / I Am Love was shot in this mountainous town, as well as just down the road in coastal Sanremo and in the northern city of Milan. The film centres on a wealthy Milanese family and the heir’s Russian wife, Emma Recchi (Tilda Swinton) who appears to be a static part of the family’s ‘collection’, but awakens herself through a developing relationship with a talented chef. The film contains magnificent demonstrations of Milanese architecture, including the Villa Necchi Campiglio, designed by celebrated architect Piero Portaluppi.

Heading south, we hit the tourist hotspot of Tuscany – heart of the Renaissance and home to unending beauty in its cities, landscapes dotted with vineyards and olive groves, and Mediterranean coastline. This is the magical setting for Pinocchio – Italy’s favourite fairy tale. This version of the classic tale is told by director Matteo Garrone (of Gomorra fame) with humour, spectacular in-camera special effects, and a touch of his signature darkness.

Cinema Italiano Festival – Lumière Cinemas, Wed 18 – Tue 31 August, cinemaitalianonz.com

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NAPLES A city of contrasts: stunning beauty, hospitality, world-famous cuisine, crime, and the mafia. The perfect setting for Matrimonio All’Italiana / Marriage Italian Style.

SARDINIA A place where many of the locals don’t consider themselves to be Italian at all.

L’uomo che Comprò la Luna / The Man Who Bought the Moon shows off the island’s unique wit.

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RYDGES LATIMER

STAYCATION

Your next big weekend away needn’t be a big drive away.

Cityscape heads inwards for a central city escape.

For a deluxe getaway in the heart of Ōtautahi, booking yourself some sweet ‘me time’ at Rydges Latimer is a pretty damn great option. It’s four-and-a-half stars of goodness overlooking Latimer Square – all you need as the base for a central Christchurch adventure. The rooms are stylish, spacious and comfy with the essential touch of 24/7 room service so you can get that champers on hand while you’re still in your bath robe, or a late night nibble once the fun’s all done.

There are 175 rooms, ranging from chic to extraordinary. The pièce de résistance is the penthouse suite, with city views, plush décor and plenty of space for entertaining.

For those on an exploration staycation, it’s a short stroll through Latimer Square and Worcester Street to the CBD’s hospitality, heritage, arts and business precincts. And those looking for a more retreat-and-relax staycation experience needn’t leave the hotel grounds. Bloody Mary’s serves three meals a day in style. The bar and grill rates among the city’s top dining experiences, specialising in choice steaks and classy cocktails.

Either way, Rydges Latimer is an excellent place to park up, put your feet up and forget the world for a couple of days. rydges.com

Culture GETTING COSY

Stand-up comedy doesn’t have to be all heckling and being mean. Ray Shipley tells Cityscape about putting on an accessible and welcoming show with plenty of laughs.

Tell us about the Cosy Comedy show you’re putting on at Little Andromeda? Cosy Comedy is a gentle comedy show for nice people. We’ve got two rules: comedians can’t pick on the audience and the audience can’t pick on the comedians. Emma and Brendon came up with the idea a few years ago to offer an alternative to the ‘absolutely anything goes’ flavour of stand-up shows – that can be a lot of fun, but there’s a bunch of folks that could feel a bit put off by that. What are the highlights of collaborating with Emma Cusdin and Brendon Bennetts on this project? For each Cosy Comedy, we run a small workshop ahead of the show to go over everyone’s material and offer encouragement and ideas and kōrero about comedy. This is a real highlight for me – it’s so wonderful to bounce ideas off each other and spot all the ways we three complement and clash – those moments are where the jokes get real weird and good. Comedian, writer, poet – are there any other hats you wear? I’m a librarian, which kind of relates to the rest, I guess! It’s a pretty great job, and it means that I can and will give an enthusiastic book recommendation to anyone that’ll listen. Any shows coming up that you’re particularly looking forward to? I’m so looking forward to WORD Christchurch festival in late August. littleandromeda.co.nz

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ISAAC THEATRE ROYAL

ON STAGE

It’s an all-singing, all-dancing, all-laughing, all-drama extravaganza here in Christchurch over the next few months, and we’re parking ourselves in front row seats for it all.

C

hristchurch has literally unlimited performance offerings. Every time we think we’ve seen it all, we discover a new venue, a new crew, a new show or even a whole new genre. From underground theatre to professional productions to national touring performances and international acts, from original writing to Shakespeare to improv, you can find everything in our fair city. Ōtautahi has undoubtedly become one of New Zealand’s hottest hubs of on-stage skill, so get out there and explore what’s coming up this season.

COMEDY In July, A Big Figging Comedy Show will tickle you raw at Good Times Comedy Club with some of the South Island’s biggest comedy

acts banging out Kiwi humour.

Nestled in the riverside district with a great view over The Terrace, Little Andromeda is the perfect theatre for a post-dinner show, and the cosy bar will keep you comfy well after the curtain falls. It’s one of the city’s hot spots for professional theatre, featuring locally produced shows as well as welcoming out-of-towners like award-winning Aussie Jim Fishwick for The Museum of This Morning (pictured) in July. It’s easy to make an entire evening of it at The Court Theatre, where the all-encompassing theatre experience includes BASE Woodfired Pizza and a fully-stocked bar. In September and October, the theatre is putting on Potted Potter, a parody for Potter lovers complete with an on-stage Quidditch game.

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IMAGE: KIRSTY MCGUIRE

CLASSICAL If you’re hankering for an evening out that gives you an excuse to don your glad rags, point your toes, and rest your opera glasses ever so delicately upon your nose, because Christchurch has some international-

PARTIES & SHOPS

MUSICAL

DON’T MISS OPERA

THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO Lust, revenge, deception and a wedding. It’s amazing how much you can do in one day. Composed three years before the French Revolution, Mozart and Da Ponte’s The Marriage of Figaro is one of the most popular and enduring operas of all time. The story tells of two servants, Susanna and Figaro, finding a way to marry despite the efforts of their employer to delay the wedding and seduce Susanna. Women drive the narrative in this tale, which emphasises Enlightenment ideas about men and women’s roles in society and in politics that are still relevant today.

Isaac Theatre Royal, Thu 8, Sat 10, Tue 13 Jul, nzopera.com quality performances coming up for that ever-so-cultured feeling.

NZ Opera’s The Marriage of Figaro, on in July, promises to be an emotional and passionate performance of Mozart’s famous opera that will have get you in a rather revolutionary mood, led by an extraordinary creative team of women. In the closing days of August, Royal New Zealand Ballet’s

The Firebird with Paquita will bring a sensory spectacular to the city. Stravinsky’s spine-tingling score sets the scene for an exotic fairy tale in The Firebird – brought into a modern world threatened with mass extinction. The dancers’ technical skills, dizzying spins and dazzling costumes will be the focus of Paquita.

Kick up your heels and twirl your canes, because there is no shortage of musicals hitting the Christchurch stages over the next few months. In June and July, get a good tug on the ol’ heart strings with Once, the Tony Award-winning story about two people falling in love over music and broken vacuum cleaners.

Rush headlong into the jumpin’, jivin’ rock ‘n’ roll hall of fame with Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story in September, which will take the audience on a hand-clapping journey through 1950s rock. No one told you life was gonna be this way, but whether you need to pivot or just use some unagi, Friends! A Musical Parody will get you laughing more than Chandler’s jokes with this hilarious homage to the 1990s television phenomenon.

DRAMA Good theatre doesn’t have to be experienced as a stationary audience watching a stage. It can unfold all around you, as is the case with The Last Martini, a murder mystery set at Riccarton House and created by Play Space Productions, which will have you to-ing and fro-ing in your mind between a colourful cast of suspects. Talk about drama! And if seeing interesting characters navigate complicated situations is more your speed, check out The Bicycle and the Butcher’s Daughter at

TOP 5 SHOWS FOR… AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

Open mic @ Good Times Comedy Club A great chance to catch some fresh comedic talent so you can say you saw them before they were famous. Or, give it a go yourself so people can say they saw YOU before you were famous.

Scared Scriptless @ The Court Theatre This improv institution has been a Friday night staple on Christchurch’s chuckle scene for many moons. Go along, toss out your craziest suggestions to the Jesters on stage and watch as heaps of totally unrehearsed hilarity ensues.

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The Last Martini @ Riccarton House You’re attending a fancy 1930s dinner party in July when one of the family members is murdered. This isn’t a case of watching the mystery unfold – you get to help unravel it, picking up clues to identify the killer.

Karaoke @ Good Times Comedy Club The audience isn’t so much participating here as running the whole show, but, everyone loves karaoke, so it counts. Practise your Grammy award-winning face just in case there’s a talent scout lurking in the back row.

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The Museum of This Morning @ Little Andromeda In this one-man show, improv champion and museum curator Jim Fishwick takes contributions from the audience about what they did that day and turns them into an exclusive, one-day-only, can’t-possibly-berepeated exhibit.

ON STAGE

THE SHOW MUST GO ON A decade in Christchurch theatre

Little Andromeda in June, following Olivia, who owns a meat exporting company, her daughter, a vegan, and her father, who thinks everything should stay as it’s always been. If you’ve ever felt like your decision making and plan execution is poor, Frankenstein will make you feel a lot better about yourself as you watch the scientist struggle with the creature he’s brought to life by sewing body parts together. And Top Dog Theatre is moving indoors this August after many a successful run at Mona Vale, with Shakespeare’s classic tale of mistaken identity, cross dressing and romance, Twelfth Night.

LOCAL To experience an interactive improvisation sensation in June and July, hit up Perfuct Storm at Little Andromeda, in which the performers ask the audience one question and use it to build an entire show of comedy gold. Over in the port in June, LAF (Lyttelton Arts Factory) is putting on a Dickensian-style tale of love, liquor and the pox with Olive Copperbottom, featuring orphaned hero Olive alongside 15 other gin-soaked characters in this romantic musical journey.

KIDS Kick back and watch your kids be enthralled with some of the excellent family-friendly shows set to grace our stages. They’re guaranteed to be all about Disney’s Moana Jr. in July, even if they somehow haven’t seen the film – The Court Theatre’s production is brought to life by young, local performers with a pile of talent.

Another beloved animation is coming to the stage with Madagascar the Musical in August, where you’ll experience the tale of a motley band of zoo animals as they find themselves smack bang in the madcap, tail-shakin’ world of King Julien’s Madagascar. And the Wonderland Glow Show will have both you and the kids mesmerised as giant-scale (we’re talking an 8-metre caterpillar here!) glow-in-the-dark puppets tell a Kiwi version of Alice in Wonderland.

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2010/11 The Christchurch earthquakes forced The Court Theatre out of its 30-year home in The Arts Centre. In December 2011, it found a new home in Addington, affectionately known as The Shed. The Repertory Theatre on Kilmore Street was damaged beyond repair, but The Canterbury Repertory Theatre company is still going strong, putting on shows in venues around the city. Riccarton Players were also ousted from The Mill Theatre, and are now based in Sydenham.

Isaac Theatre Royal also sustained significant damage, with the auditorium and foyer considered unrepairable in their original states.

2014 Isaac Theatre Royal was rebuilt thanks to a three-year restoration project with help from fundraising by the likes of Sir Ian McKellen. The iconic theatre reopened on November 17.

2016 The Loons in Lyttelton was a popular venue for local and national theatre as well as circus performances. The venue, lost in the quakes, was eventually succeeded by LAF – Lyttelton Arts Factory, which opened in 2016.

LAF puts on several top-quality shows a year.

2018 Andromeda set up as a tent in October, and hosted close to 100 shows over seven weeks. The tent came down as planned in November, and the hunt for another space began.

2019 In October, the theatre now known as Little Andromeda found a spot on The Terrace and promptly started putting on absolutely excellent professional theatre productions.

2020 Good Times Comedy Club became Christchurch’s first (and so far only) dedicated comedy club in January, staging stand-up nights and featuring local and touring comedians.

2021 and beyond The Court Theatre is planning to begin construction next year on the theatre’s new central city space. It will be a threestorey, two-theatre complex, complete with education and rehearsal rooms in the Performing Arts Precinct.

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ON STAGE

GALACTIC ACTING

Little Andromeda has a rad spot on The Terrace, surrounded by some of the coolest of Christchurch’s cool establishments.

The professional theatre is a real asset to the area, adding another dimension of entertainment to the nightlife on offer nearby.

The theatre began when director Michael Bell wanted somewhere to put on his own shows, beginning with a production called Andromeda. He soon realised there was a lot of demand for theatre space. He named it Little Andromeda after that first show, and now the popular theatre is known around town as ‘Little A’.

The theatre’s focus is 50/50 national and local shows, Michael says. “It’s really important to stay connected to the rest of the country, to bring cool work that

people are making to Christchurch, but also to provide a space for local professional artists to try new ideas and get regular shows going.”

Michael started doing kids’ shows and Scared Scriptless at The Court Theatre in 2005. In 2009 he started his own touring theatre company called New Zealand Playhouse, and he’s also active in the music industry. Almost everybody that works at Little A has studied theatre either at NASDA, Toi Whakaari or somewhere similar. It’s a professional theatre, so while it has an intimate community feel,

audiences can expect a very high standard of performances.

Michael believes the attached bar is important for the social aspect of going to the theatre. “I don’t think I’d enjoy going to shows as much if I didn’t get to talk to my friends before and after the show.”

Check out Little Andromeda online to see what’s coming up.

Most shows are between $15 and $25 and last around an hour, so you’ve got nothing to lose. Expect world-class professional and established performers, as well as emerging professional performers.

“Sometimes I will laugh non-stop from the start to end,” Michael says.

“Sometimes I cry. Sometimes I’m not required to be at the theatre so I go home, then realise I want to be there watching the show anyway so I just come back.” littleandromeda.co.nz

Read our full Q&A with Michael at cityscape.co.nz

THE FOOD OF LOVE Will Alexander is playing Duke Orsino in the upcoming Top Dog Theatre production of Twelfth Night. He chats to Cityscape about the Bard and being home.

What’s the best thing about being back in Christchurch? Living with Mum and Dad. I’m excited to jam with my friend Rosie Muir and I’m working on a musical called Goat vs Tortoise with Mark Churnside. I grew up in Christchurch so I’m looking forward to visiting some special places, sitting on the Port Hills and doing yoga in Hagley Park. Why does Twelfth Night stand the test of time? It has themes that are very human. Like love, for example.

I’m in love right now, so to read the musings of a beautiful mind like Shakespeare’s on a subject which is very present in my life, even though he lived 500 years ago, is magical. This script is so relevant for me I need to be careful not to steal his words to woo my muse.

What’s going to be special about this performance? Emma Cusdin, I’ve known her since I was 15 and done a lot of theatre with her. I know she is going to positively smash Malvolia. I’m also a big fan of Jeff Clark’s comedy chops and very excited to bear witness to his Aguecheek. Hester Ullyart is a brilliant actress. You’re performing two discounted matinées just for schools. What can kids get out of a good Shakespeare play? There will be a lot of physical comedy, a lot of rowdy, loud, musical, colourful, theatrical goings on. This is not a stale museum piece.

Twelfth Night, Isaac Theatre Royal, Thu 12 – Sat 14 Aug, topdogtheatre.com

Read our full Q&A with Will at cityscape.co.nz

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KAT FORRESTER & GEORGIE SIVIER

SPACE TO PLAY

A nurse and a drag king walk into a bar… and they are shaking (and stirring!) up the local theatre industry.

G

eorgie Sivier has dreamt about creating her own theatre company since she was eight. She studied performing arts at Whitireia in Wellington and quickly dove headfirst into the worlds of acting, standup comedy, directing and drag.

Kat Forrester is a nurse who turned her hand professionally to performing arts in 2018 after a long flirtation with community theatre.

“I studied with Hagley Theatre Company, after taking a breather from nursing and focussing on something more creative for a couple of years.”

The two met when Georgie directed Kat in the 2018 Play Space show The Lifestyle. After The Lifestyle closed and Kat graduated from Hagley, Georgie proposed that Kat join Play Space as co-artistic director of her company.

They now run Play Space Productions together, and have been going from strength to strength. “For us we found that our two different viewpoints worked well together and unlocked the potential within both of us. We

have complementary strengths and weaknesses, with our combined skillset we activate this inspiration in ourselves that we can’t get to on our own,” Kat says.

She directed her first piece last year – Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood – and fell in love with directing. “It’s a whole different ball game. It’s like playing God”.

Under Milk Wood was set in The Pegasus Arms, creating an authentic village pub soundscape to accompany the absurd Welsh radio play. “That was our debut work as a duo... There were standing ovations and people were talking about it for months afterwards,” Georgie says.

Kat came up with the idea for a murder mystery show called The Last Martini – an interactive mystery experience where audience members are the key to solving the murder. Georgie fell in love with the idea immediately; they have been working on this show now for three years. The original production was put on hold when the country locked down last year, and Kat got a

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nursing contract on the West Coast. But the co-directors kept on with the necessary preparations from afar, and others involved in the show stuck with it to put it on a year later. “This show has evolved so much in this elongated production process – it’s had years of love and inspiration poured into it – this is going to be unforgettable,” Kat says. It is this kind of immersive theatre-making that the duo is keen on exploring more of. “We aim to create a world in which the work lives, where you feel like you have been transported.

When you create something, you want to have that je ne sais quoi, that sprinkling of fairy dust that makes an audience go ‘wow’, and feel and laugh in a way they’ve never experienced before.”

The Last Martini will be exactly that – an engaging murder mystery set at Riccarton House, with 1920s dress up encouraged, of-the-time canapés provided by Riccarton Local, live music, a boutique bar and a fantastic show. The production is a must-do this winter.

The Last Martini Thu 1 – Sat 10 July, Riccarton House FB/playspaceproductionsnz Tickets from Humanitix.

GRIT IN YOUR POINTES Cityscape talks dystopian future, dramatic backdrops and modern ballet with The Firebird choreographer Loughlan Prior.

IMAGE: GARTH BADGER

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“This production of The Firebird takes Stravinsky’s original music and tells a different story with it,” says Loughlan Prior. “A story that is steeped in an environmental message, and more connected with the issues of today.”

He calls it “ballet with grit”, and that’s definitely a double entendre.

The choreography and the story certainly have grit, and the kicker is that this production is set in the decidedly gritty desert landscape of a dystopian wasteland. Well, we say dystopian, but it may be more of a not-so-distant future.

“I’ve been working with set designer Tracy Grant Lord to create this world, and it really is a world that exists in the future, kind of a civilisation on the edge,” Loughlan says. “The choreography is raw and athletic, and there’s urgency to all the actions on stage. It’s a departure from tutus and tiaras.”

Loughlan is also a talented film director, and is bringing this passion into play by incorporating film elements into The Firebird, with the help of animations from

ON STAGE

FROM THE ASHES Like a mighty phoenix rising into the sky, RNZB’s next ballet will erupt in glory on stage this August.

POW Studios. “I have been obsessed with film and the way it tells stories. I wanted to be a filmmaker before I stared choreography, and that definitely influences my work,” he says.

“We’re creating digital backdrops and film content, so the show exists in this abstract dystopian world.”

The film backdrop will help tell a visual story with fire, water and desert storms. “It’s really adding another element of gritty raw realism to the production,” Loughlan says. “The dancers can see the setting right from the first rehearsals, and it will inspire them to be able to perform in a really expressive way in reaction to the imagery.”

This performance of The Firebird is paired with RNZB’s Paquita, and Loughlan says the latter – more traditional – ballet will juxtapose

his modern choreography. “The programme’s wonderful because you’re getting both ends of the spectrum. Paquita is a beautiful look back on the past, it’s a legacy piece. It’s traditional ballet and it’s honouring the history of ballet, and The Firebird is a contemporary take on the narrative ability of the ballet genre.

“I think the stereotype of ballet has come a long way, but it still has a long way to go in terms of breaking perceptions. Ballet dancers are really strong, athletic beings, and the art form is just a really powerful medium for expression and telling stories and for raising different issues. Good art should be reflecting what’s going on in the world around us and I think this production touches upon that in a really beautiful way.”

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Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) is bringing not one, but two glorious ballets to the stage at Isaac Theatre Royal.

The Firebird with Paquita is a pairing of classic Russian ballet Paquita with a reimagining of The Firebird that brings the issues du jour of 2021 into the world of ballet.

Loughlan Prior, RNZB’s choreographer in residence, has reimagined The Firebird for a new time and a new generation.

It’s hot, it’s topical, and it’s absolutely beautiful.

The ballet was first staged in Paris in 1910 and now, more than a century later, Loughlan’s adaptation places the magical world of The Firebird in a state of environmental crisis, where the natural world is threatened and humanity is staring into the abyss of extinction. The Firebird’s boon is an opportunity for redemption, if humanity is brave enough to follow her.

The second ballet in this grand double feature is Paquita.

This ballet was staged for the first time in Russia in 1847 and soon became part of the ballet world’s go-to repertoire for demonstrating dancers’ fine skills and classical technique.

Staged by RNZB artistic director Patricia Barker, this performance will be an extravaganza of fleet footwork, soaring leaps, tight twirling turns, and stunning, sparkling tutus inspired by Russian jewellery house Fabergé. rnzb.org.nz

LINDY HUME

NZ OPERA

FIGARO'S FEMINISTS The upcoming New Zealand Opera production of The Marriage of Figaro is a radical tale with strong feminist underpinnings, and it’s headed up by a team of some of opera’s finest women. Cityscape talks life, love and revolution with the creative team.

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Have you directed The Marriage of Figaro before? I have not. And so it’s nice to be doing it for the first time, at this advanced age! Can you tell us a little bit about the opera without giving too much away? The whole thing is set in one single day of madness. It’s an intertwining plot of love, scheming and deception. Figaro is to marry a Countess’s maid, Susanna, who the Count is planning to bed, as he believes it’s his right. The young couple set about exposing the older man’s lechery, and he in turn sets about revenge. Is it a love story or something more? It’s much more than a love story. I mean, it is a love story in that there is a lot of love in there, but there’s also a lot of pain. Because it’s the beginning of one marriage and the middle of another marriage. And so those two things collide. The Count and the Countess are starting to cope with their reality, and both of them are very attracted to other people, who happen to be people they aren’t married to. What’s revolutionary about the story?

It’s based on the play by Beaumarchais, who was indeed a revolutionary in the French Revolution. The play itself was undermining the idea of the Ancien Régime, where the aristocracy had all the power and everybody else had none. And so it was the beginning of the new regime for France, but also for the world.

We’re looking down the barrel of the Industrial Revolution, so in terms of the making of the play, it had a very strong political purpose.

Mozart’s approach to it is also about liberty, fraternity and equality, but it is also much more humane, I think, and looks at the political as personal as well. You get the idea of the world changing externally. But you also get the human condition, the impact on the humans and the changes that have to happen internally.

IMAGE: JORDAN HARRISON

CULTURE

ZOE ZENIODI

ELEANOR BISHOP

TRACY GRANT LORD

How did you get into opera?

When I was little, at home, unattended, as things used to be back then, I remember coming back from kindergarten and putting on a video tape that I had found on a shelf which showed a lady being in agony for a long time and dying on her couch. I loved ‘dying’ with her every day on my couch after school. It was a daily ritual for me. I had never realised what I was watching, until much later, in my 30s, I found that old tape again and decided to watch it.

It was La Traviata by Verdi. Have you spent much time in New Zealand before? No, this is my first time visiting this wonderful country – I hope to see as much of it as I can! And certainly, visit more than once. What’s special about the music for The Marriage of Figaro?

Words would never be enough to express the magic of this music. It is a piece full of energy, perfectly written, with an intelligent and witty plot where action is constant.

It is a very enjoyable work, beautiful characters and vocal lines, not a moment to be bored. I could go on for hours, but really, just come and enjoy the ride.

You’re known for directing political productions – can you tell us about the motivations for your work? Ever since I was young I have found inner strength and power in female-driven stories – as an artist and an audience member.

I make theatre because throughout history the stage has always been a revolutionary place. It’s a way to take apart the world as it stands and to imagine a new world. Who’s your favourite character?

Cherubino. It’s a ‘breeches role’ which means it is a female performer playing a male role. I was absolutely gobsmacked and overjoyed when I first encountered this convention. It’s so subversively queer. What statements is this opera making? The values of humanity, love and optimism are revolutionary and radical. How does directing opera differ from directing theatre? The music drives everything and the words are less important. Which do you prefer? Theatre so far but that’s only because I’m so new to opera.

I’m hungry to do more. What’s it like working with director Lindy Hume? Incredible. She’s a powerhouse and super fun.

What makes a good scenographer?

I think you need an understanding of scale so you can imagine people and objects in space and a broadranging vision for storytelling. Also, an awareness of harmony.

Scenography is about creating a complete world with all its intrinsic dimensions on stage, and harmony is about allowing provision for that world to then sing. What can you tell us about the aesthetic of this production of The Marriage of Figaro? Lindy Hume asked that papers, letters and contracts are the world of this opera and that the qualities of paper could become the unifying theme. She described the beauty and permanence of draughtsmanship and suggested that documentation, both architectural and legal, could literally become the parchment canvas of the storytelling.

How does opera design differ from ballet and theatre design?

The difference is in the very nature of the performers and how they interact with the elements of design. Dancers, singers and actors all have varying specialised needs for their costume, shoes, floor, scenery, furniture and properties.

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CULTURE

EXPO

CONCERT

Meet the winemakers and explore 45 of New Zealand's top wineries at Winetopia, presented by Singapore Airlines. Winetopia has previously appeared to sold-out audiences in Auckland and Wellington and will be packed with talks, masterclasses, tastings, food matches and live music to finish. Tickets include a Spiegelau glass and your first five wine tasting tokens from just $35.

Air Force Museum of New Zealand, Fri 9 & Sat 10 Jul, winetopia.co.nz

In a performance with the French capital at its heart, the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra will perform Mozart’s Symphony No. 31 (Paris), Philip Dadson’s Fax to Paris, Philip Glass’ Facades and Darius Milhaud’s La Creation du monde. Mozart composed his 31st symphony at the age of 22, eager to impress the Parisians (he succeeded). New Zealander Philip Dadson composed his Fax to Paris in protest at the French nuclear testing in the Pacific during the 1990s.

The Piano, Sat 31 Jul, cso.co.nz

BALLET

FESTIVAL

The Royal New Zealand Ballet will set your senses alight with a ballet double feature of the classic Paquita and Stravinsky’s masterpiece The Firebird. The enchanting fairytale universe of The Firebird has been reimagined into a dystopian future, in which the Firebird brings change, hope and rebirth as humanity faces extinction. Paquita will showcase the dancers’ incredible technical skills and classical technique, and promises to leave the audience exhilarated.

Isaac Theatre Royal, Thu 26 – Sat 28 Aug, rnzb.org.nz

A festival to bring the community together through love of the written word – from stories and ideas through to poetry and song – WORD Christchurch is the South Island’s largest literary event. The festival holds a huge number of events across four days and plays host to a slew of well-known writers, thinkers and performers from around New Zealand and beyond.

Various Christchurch locations, Wed 25 – Sun 29 Aug wordchristchurch.co.nz

WINETOPIA

MOZART GOES TO PARIS

WORD CHRISTCHURCH

THE FIREBIRD WITH PAQUITA

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CULTURE

COMEDY BAR

GOOD TIMES COMEDY CLUB It may be chilly out of doors, but inside Good Times, it’s warm, cosy, and stocked with all your favourite beer, wine and comedians. Roll on up and give your immune system a boost with some quality belly laughs, courtesy of local comics and out-of-town guests, as well as regular events such as trivia contests, open mic nights and karaoke. Check out the club on Facebook to see what’s going on and warm the cockles of your heart with some feel-good entertainment.

FB/GoodTimesComedyClub

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CULTURE

MUSIC

GIANT PUPPET SHOW

The unofficially-official party starters of any pub gig, music festival, or even backyard barbecue, Shapeshifter are treating Aotearoa to an all-new collection of dance anthems from their new LP, Rituals.

The five-piece band is amping to share the longdelayed new music, and the shows are set to be every bit the off-grid, heavy-soul, out-of-this-world performance that fans have come to love.

Christchurch Town Hall, Fri 30 Jul, shapeshifter.co.nz

Let your imagination soar with this dynamic and sensational giant-scale, glow-in-the-dark puppet show, sweeping New Zealand from July to October. Children and adults alike will be transported as over 45 masterfully crafted storybook characters are brought to life. This Kiwi-fied performance of the classic Alice in Wonderland tale promotes literacy and te reo Māori for an experience that will be uplifting and memorable for all ages. Get your tickets on the website.

Isaac Theatre Royal, Fri 10 Sep, glowshow.co.nz

SHAPESHIFTER – RITUALS TOUR

WONDERLAND GLOW SHOW

WE’RE INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT WE GET FROM ADVERTISERS - ALL THE WONDERFUL CHRISTCHURCH BUSINESSES THAT WE GET TO RAVE ABOUT IN THE PAGES OF CITYSCAPE. IF YOU’VE BEEN WOWED BY WHAT YOU’VE SEEN HERE, GO CHECK THEM OUT. TAKE YOUR FRIENDS. TELL YOUR LOCAL BUSINESS YOU SAW THEM IN CITYSCAPE. RICCARTON MARKET MARKET | RICCARTON

From humble beginnings as a car boot market, The Riccarton Rotary Market is now Christchurch’s largest with over 200 stalls. Every Sunday from 9am-2pm you’ll find a huge range of New Zealand-made artisan goods, fresh produce and flowers, a great range of eclectic collectibles, and food from around the world.

With free parking and local entertainment on stage, Riccarton Market has something for everyone, and everything for someone.

165 Racecourse Road, 03 339 0011 riccartonmarket.co.nz

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Watching

ENTERTAIN ME

Cityscape reviews some of the best from the current crop of cinema releases.

BLACK WIDOW Finally, what Marvel fans have been waiting years for has finally arrived – a film all about everyone’s favourite ex-KGB-operative-turned-badass-superheroine, Natasha Romanoff AKA Black Widow. The film picks up after the events of Captain America: Civil War and sees Black Widow pursued by a force hell-bent on taking her down. As she’s faced with a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past, Natasha must confront her history as a spy, as well as the broken relationships she left behind.

MISS

THE UNITED STATES VS BILLIE HOLIDAY

In France, 2004, 9-year-old boy Alex dreams of one day entering the Miss France beauty pageant and winning the crown. 15 years later, after the loss of his parents and several blows to his self confidence, a chance encounter reawakens Alex’s determination to achieve his dream. A modern Cinderella story where both prince and princess are one, this is a lighthearted drama about accepting who you are and striving for what you want against all odds.

In 1940s New York, legendary jazz musician Billie Holiday (brought dazzlingly to life by Andra Day) becomes the target of a mission by the Federal Department of Narcotics to escalate and radicalise the war on drugs. This gritty and glamorous autobiographical drama follows Billie’s rise to fame, her struggles with addiction and her affair with the federal agent leading the undercover sting against her.

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ENTERTAIN ME

Pene Whitty from University Bookshop Canterbury shares the books currently sitting at the top of her must-read list.

Reading

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GRIEF ON THE RUN BY JULIE ZARIFEH Many Christchurchians

UNSHELTERED BY CLARE MOLETA Tough, expert forager Li

LEAN FALL STAND BY JON MCGREGOR When an Antarctic

will remember the story of Julie Zarifeh and the tragic loss of her son Sam in a white-water rafting accident, just sixteen days after her husband Paul died of pancreatic cancer in 2017. In this memoir, Julie shares her ‘active grieving’ process, from the 800-kilometre Camino de Santiago to running the New York City Marathon for the Mental Health Foundation. An inspirational love story to Julie’s family.

is more than capable of looking after herself, but with her eightyear-old daughter Matti missing, she will need all her instincts to survive. As she tracks her daughter across a disintegrating country, the journey will test the limits of her trust, hope and love. A continually surprising and profoundly moving debut novel that taps into some of our worst fears and most implacable motivations.

research expedition goes wrong, the consequences are far-reaching, for the men involved and for their families back home. After Doc suffers a stroke and is unable to speak, his wife Anna puts her own life on hold to care for him. Awardwinning novelist Jon McGregor presents a stunning novel that looks at the human impulse to tell our stories, even when communication is a huge hurdle.

BINGEWATCHING

What we’re hoovering up on the small screen.

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01 WORN STORIES — There’s no shortage of shows about living a minimal life and clearing out your closet, but what about the things you do keep? What makes them special? Often funny and always heartfelt, this docuseries explores the fascinating, quirky and moving stories behind real people’s most meaningful items of clothing. Watch on: Netflix.

02 THE DROWNING — A moody, four-part mystery thriller. Jodie – whose four-year-old son, Tom, drowned nine years ago – happens to pass a teenage boy in the street who looks just like her missing son.

She becomes convinced that the boy is Tom and steals her way into his life, determined to uncover the truth. Watch on: Netflix.

03 ZEROZEROZERO — In the mountains of southern Italy, a crime lord with a tenuous hold on his teetering empire plans a drug deal that – if successful – will restore his standing and his glory. Part mafia saga, part crime thriller and part family drama, action-packed and engagingly told. Watch on: Neon.

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Winter 21

ENTERTAIN ME PLAY LIST

The killer tracks on high rotation in the Cityscape office.

ALT-J ‘Breezeblocks’ An Awesome Wave

Listening DEMI LOVATO – DANCING WITH THE DEVIL… THE ART OF STARTING OVER

anticipated easy life debut album, life’s a beach, is finally here. It’s an escapist catalogue bursting with introspective, outside anthems. It’s a celebration of individualism at all costs.

A companion to the powerful 4-part documentary, Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil, chronicling the story of Demi’s path to healing after a near-fatal overdose in 2018. The record opens with a few soul-baring, moving ballads, before transitioning to the more hopeful material – the ‘starting over’ part. Some of the artist’s most vulnerable work yet.

JUNGLE ‘Happy Man’ For Ever

MICHELLE GUREVICH ‘Party Girl’ Party Girl

ADAM HATTAWAY AND THE HAUNTERS – WOOLSTON, TEXAS The third studio album from these Christchurch-based alt-rockers is a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll, with a bit of chaos and Christchurch-bred humour thrown in the mix. The flavour is mostly upbeat, touching on dark themes and heartfelt laments in a high-tempo, Beach-Boys-esque fashion, with lots of guitar solos. Soulful and layered with stories to tell, this is a hallmark of a band truly finding their groove.

EASY LIFE – LIFE’S A BEACH After winning Best New British Act at the NME Awards in 2020 and releasing three ‘mixtapes’ that have notched up the eagerness surrounding this unique indie hip hop group, the highly

SNARKY PUPPY ‘Lingus’ We Like It Here

EVA808 ‘Demantar’ Sultry Venom

PODCASTS THE SANDMAN Based on Neil Gaiman’s graphic novel and starring such notable names as James McAvoy, Michael Sheen and Andy Serkis, this audio drama adaptation follows the Lord of Dreams, one of a group of siblings tasked with watching over various aspects of reality.

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AFFORDABLE INTERIOR DESIGN Presented by decorating guru and author Betsy Helmuth, every episode of this weekly podcast shares affordable design advice, answers your design questions and discloses secrets the pros don’t want you to know to help you beautify your home.

W

hat have been some highlights of learning to wing it professionally?

A moment that I found truly wonderful was in rehearsal for a play, backstage with Judy Douglas in her final show at the Court Theatre. She leant over to me and said “I’m never worried in the scenes with you, because you are an improviser and if I make a mistake I know you’ll fix it.” I never had to fix anything, because even at 70-something she was a total professional, but that still sticks with me. I was terrified because I had to remember to say the same things every night. She was terrified she’d say something different. What’s behind the name Noosed Octopus? It’s what happens when you start a production company at age 19. You make up a name that sounds cool. I still think it sounds cool, but it’s also weird. The irony of course is that you cannot noose an octopus, they’re too agile. And I like that idea of a company being slippery, clever and agile and able to escape from everyday constraints. You’ve got writing, directing and acting credits under your belt, is there one you enjoy the most? It’s important to note I absolutely hate the process of writing and only continue to do it because I enjoy the process of having finished writing immensely. I have a great love of live performance – I’m not sure if what I do can really be called acting, it’s mostly talking loudly and with too much confidence for the quality of the content. I enjoy directing the most as all the skillsets come together and I can actually see the value I’m adding to a collaborative process. And I’m a control freak. So, that appeals.

Professional theatre must feel like a world away from street performing – best and worst parts of both? Street theatre is entirely honest. There is no leeway for not being compelling. The audience enjoys it, or leaves. Indoors allows for more subtlety and you can take

HAMMER & SCALPEL Comedian, actor, director and reluctant writer Dan Bain talks theatre, standup, and the concept of octopus strangling.

‘IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE I ABSOLUTELY HATE THE PROCESS OF WRITING AND ONLY CONTINUE TO DO IT BECAUSE I ENJOY THE PROCESS OF HAVING FINISHED WRITING IMMENSELY.’

a little longer in setting things up.

One requires a hammer, the other a scalpel. They’re both good tools to know how to use. How did your Summer Theatre production of Around the World in 80 Days go?

It was an enormous project and I was producing, directing and sound designing, which in retrospect was probably too many jobs, but I had a blast. As a self-employed solo creative it’s really important to do things with other people and the team on 80 Days were just extraordinarily skilled and pleasant. Also, the

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audiences seemed to like it. If you could invite any three people living or dead to a dinner party, who would they be? Neil Gaiman.

Trent Reznor. John Mulaney. Any shows coming up in Christchurch that you’re looking forward to?

Naomi Ferguson’s Songs for Fallen Women. She’s a treasure. I love Hello Pecia’s monthly comedy show at Wunderbar. Shay Horay’s Stars in Their Eyes Lyttelton hosted by his alter-ego Keith Preene looks ridiculous and fun. I’m often down at Good Times seeing what’s happening there, huge mix of comedy. Hillary Moulder’s Sexy Time with Pat is on my must-see list at Little Andromeda. What’s your favourite part of collaborating with Kathleen Burns and Emma Cusdin for Perfuct Storm? I’ve worked regularly with Kathleen and Emma for the majority of my professional career. They are both key collaborators in my various practices and part of a small group of artists I turn to first when I need advice, support, or people other than myself to do things. We each have our own strengths that offset weaknesses the others possess.

The common thread is that we’re all damn fine improvisers, and funny as heck. What do you like about performing at Little Andromeda? Michael and Holly are providing an essential service that has done more for the performing arts in this city in its short lifetime than I’ve seen in my entire career. A theatre community cannot grow meaningfully when the financial risk to artists is too high due to prohibitive and mercenary venue hire rates. Little Andromeda upsets this monopoly by bringing an essential piece of theatrical infrastructure that has long been recognised as a vital incubator of talent – see Wellington’s BATS and Auckland’s Basement Theatre – to the practitioners of Ōtautahi. So my appreciation is not as performer, it is as political being.

Also, the bar is good. iamdanbain.com