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Kiwi food to try in Christchurch
New to New Zealand? These are the Kiwi foods to try while you are in Christchurch, and where to find them near our motel. The places below are well rated on Google, and we checked each one on its own website in November 2026.
On this page
- A pie
- Fish and chips
- Hokey pokey ice cream
- Pavlova
- New Zealand lamb
- A flat white
- Kiwi treats from the dairy or supermarket
- Questions
A pie
Kiwis eat pies at any time of day, from bakeries, dairies and petrol stations. Start with a classic mince and cheese or steak and cheese.
- The Butcher's Pie Shop, 86 Cashel Street, a 16-minute walk. Its pies use meat braised for 6 to 8 hours, from steak and cheese to lamb and onion. Get directions
Fish and chips
A Kiwi favourite for a cheap dinner. Ask for hoki or blue cod, and try kūmara chips, made from New Zealand's sweet potato.
- Fishy Friends Seafoods, at The Terrace, 134 Shands Lane, a 13-minute walk. Hoki and blue cod, kūmara chips and burgers. Get directions
Hokey pokey ice cream
Vanilla ice cream with small, crunchy lumps of honeycomb toffee. Buy a cone at a dairy, or a tub at the supermarket.
- Rollickin Gelato, 35 New Regent Street, a 10-minute walk, open every day. Whipped gelato and nana-style desserts, with weekly flavours that often play on Kiwi treats, like lolly cake and chocolate fish. Get directions
Pavlova
A meringue dessert, crisp outside and soft inside, topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit. New Zealand and Australia both say they invented it. Look for it on café dessert menus and in supermarkets, most of all around Christmas.
New Zealand lamb
- Pedro's House of Lamb, 17 Papanui Road, Merivale, a 14-minute walk. A whole lamb shoulder slow-baked with rosemary and garlic, with scalloped potatoes, to take away. They also do lamb on chips. Get directions
A flat white
The Kiwi café coffee: espresso with steamed milk and a thin layer of smooth foam.
- Affogato Cafe, 919 Colombo Street, a 5-minute walk. It opens early for breakfast.
- Laneway Espresso, 329 Durham Street North, a 7-minute walk.
Kiwi treats from the dairy or supermarket
A dairy is what Kiwis call a corner shop. Supermarkets sell all of these, and most dairies have the drinks, chocolate and lollies. They make good gifts to take home.
- L&P: a lemon soft drink, short for Lemon & Paeroa, "World Famous in New Zealand".
- Whittaker's chocolate: made by a family company near Wellington. Try a Peanut Slab or a block of Creamy Milk.
- Pineapple Lumps: chewy pineapple lollies coated in chocolate.
- Chocolate fish: marshmallow coated in chocolate.
- Afghan biscuits: chocolate biscuits with cornflakes, topped with chocolate icing and a walnut.
- Lolly cake: a slice of crushed biscuits, condensed milk and fruit puff lollies, rolled in coconut.
Near the motel, One Shop Convenience at 822 Colombo Street is a 4-minute walk, and FreshChoice City Market at 71 Lichfield Street is a 19-minute walk. For more cafés and restaurants, see our places to eat.
Questions
What food is New Zealand known for?
Pies, fish and chips, hokey pokey ice cream, pavlova, lamb and the flat white, plus treats like L&P, Whittaker's chocolate and Pineapple Lumps.
Where can I get a good pie in Christchurch?
The Butcher's Pie Shop on Cashel Street is well rated, a 16-minute walk from our motel. Its pies use meat braised for 6 to 8 hours.
What is hokey pokey?
Vanilla ice cream with small, crunchy lumps of honeycomb toffee. Dairies and supermarkets all over New Zealand sell it.
Is pavlova from New Zealand?
New Zealand and Australia both say they invented it. In New Zealand it is a Christmas favourite.
What is L&P?
A lemon soft drink. The name is short for Lemon & Paeroa, after the town of Paeroa, and its slogan is "World Famous in New Zealand".