Reviews of Gatherings Restaurant. (Restaurant) in Christchurch (Canterbury).
Gatherings Restaurant
5/2 Papanui Road, Merivale, Christchurch 8014, New Zealand
Description
Information of Gatherings Restaurant, Restaurant in Christchurch (Canterbury)
Here you can see the location, open hours, popular times, contact, photos and real reviews done by the users.
This place has good reviews, this means that they treat their customers well and you’ll feel great with their services, recommended 100%!
Map
Open hours of Gatherings Restaurant
Sunday
Closed
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
6–10pm
Thursday
6–10pm
Friday
6pm–12:30am
Saturday
6pm–12:30am
Popular times
Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Reviews of Gatherings Restaurant
T.Hands down one of the best meals I have had in a very very long time. Fish was divine, especially the tuna and the green bean and cheese tart was wonderful. Service was understated but attentive and friendly. We were tempted by the Austrian sparkling wine and were not disappointed. Added bonus was the awesome music - along with the relaxed atmosphere. Couldn’t recommend more highly.
J.The best seafood in town and healthy.
Had the 75 per person for bringing up a bit of everything.
11 dishes in total.
The oysters are super fresh and tender.
Steam fish was so tender and delicious sitting with the unique soup.
Vegetables were enlightened by the flavourful sauces.
Small batch wine from hawksbay were perfect for the dinner.
Service might need a bit of improvement but understandable for a new staff member.
Definitely will go back.
C.Went for the 'Feed Me' option which is $68 per person. It was a delightful experience and very reasonably priced - every dish was delicious and innovative! I could really tell that the chef was passionate about each dish served. The crispy eggplants with the butter curry sauce was my favourite and blew my mind with the taste. Staff were also welcoming and knowledgeable. Very pleasant experience that I highly recommend
I.We were happy that we managed to book a place in this tiny and saught-after place. The fish and titi were special and delicious. The only issue is that the bookings are limited to 1.5 and we got our food after 45 minutes. We felt the time pressure, which is not something that you necessary want with an experience of this sort.
T.Gatherings restaurant fits very well with our philosophy of fresh, local food for sharing. The restaurant is small and intimate. The food is high-end but affordable and the vibe is super relaxed. The staff are really friendly and welcoming and they tell you everything about each dish. The wine selection is amazing and they go out of their way to source natural and local wines and spirits. We love going to the restaurant but they also do take-away fish suppers, which makes entertaining at home super easy. Margo and Rosa Flanaga - Food & Drink Experts
P.Chef Alex Davies is a real talent producing delicious and innovative food. We have eaten in many fine dining restaurants around the world but last nights dining experience was up there with the best. Each dish was a delight, with brilliantly matching wines. Thank you Alex
K.Outstanding, innovative food! We can't wait to come back!
S.My friend and I came here on Wednesday night. There is nothing wrong with us-great food, excellent service and a wide variety (but not too much) wine list.
S.One of my favourite spots in Christchurch, fantastic food with so much thought put into the menu. A must do for any lover of local produce.
M.Great waiter who was knowledgeable and helpful. Local, organic food. Had the degustation menu and wine match. Wish I had the seafood. Food was good but the seats were terrible. Hard wood no backs. Would have rated higher with better seating.
J.Hands down my favourite restaurant in Christchurch! From an ethical standpoint, it feels like a restaurant from the future! I love the way they support locally sourced, organically grown, ethically/sustainability caught - it feels so in alignment with the whole.
On par with their ethics is the creativity that constantly pours through this place - everytime I dine here I'm wowed by the different combinations of flavours and textures let alone how unique each experience has been, depicted by what's been caught, what's in season or what means they're choosing to cook with (my most recent experience - the whole menu is either raw or cooked on the fire!)
A.Small place on Papanui rd easily to just passed by. But don’t get fooled by its simple appearance. The food is great on presentation and even greater on taste. The knowledge of owners but mainly their passion is second to none.
K.Sensational gastronomic experience. Local produce made in the most creative, flavorsome way while being paired with an excellent wine. Discover it before Michelin does, can't recommend highly enough.
k.6star experience - small, cosy, attentive service, very knowledgeable. Enjoyed the obvious passion from the team and the explanations of both the food and extensive wine list. Best way to eat is to choose the option where you get a little of everything - highlights were the whole sole, surprising eggplant dish, wine matches, and the basil and fennel drink - but everything was excellent. Long live the smaller, owner operator restaurant!
O.Such a gorgeous little restaurant!
The waiter (not sure of his name but he's french) was so lovely. We didn't know much about fish but he was so patient and kind in explaining the different kinds of fish and all about the menu.
And what an amazing menu! The fish was cooked perfectly, the vegetables were so fresh and full of flavour.
There was also a great atmosphere, it felt cosy and chic without being cramped at all.
Overall I would not hesitate to recommend this place to everyone.
p.We had thought about going to gathering for quite awhile(like a couple of years) , but just hadn't gotten round to it. Well the joke was on us! We went on the weekend and what an experience! We got the fish supper set menu with a bottle of wine... seriously, you deserve this taste sensation. The food was glorious... the whole sole was like butter and effortlessly came off the bone and melted in your mouth. The doughnut potatoes were scrumptious and the salad and dressing were devine. They have an epic natural wine list! The staff were super awesome, friendly and accommodating. Highly recommend! We will definitely be back!
D.Perfect. This was our first venture out since lock down and we were very nervous. We read an article on Stuff outlining measures this restaurant was taking and they stuck to what they said. There were only 3 tables on a Saturday night. We were ready for a different experience and this was it.
The menu was really, really nice but if you don't like fish you might have a problem. The food was fresh and well presented. We chose the fish dinner for 2. I was worried it wouldn't be enough but we had a groper starter and it was fine. We splashed out on dessert which we thought was expensive ($20) but going out as a special occasion.
I would thoroughly recommend this restaurant for firstly sticking to the rules so that we all felt comfortable, and for the ambiance and beautifully fresh food. Also to mention was that the music was soft and we could have a conversation. Great night out, thank you.
M.It's been a week since enjoying an exquisite meal at Gatherings and in that week, I have spent a good amount of time talking about my experience, thinking of it, or recommending the restaurant.
My husband thought a seafood restaurant would be nice. Nothing came to our minds so, we set about on some research. Someone recommended this restaurant to us and I booked right away. I glanced the online menu and had mostly seafood.
When we walked in their small dining room, a sense that you are about to experience a very good meal settles you into your cozy nook. We decided on a glass or prosseco and a Ghost Dog beer for the hubby, but after 1 he switched to Prosseco as well. It was tasty.
Our soft spoken wait staff explained that you order a "centerpiece" and recommended 2-3 sides for the 2 of us. Family style. Brilliant. I find eating this way intimate, social and fun.
The centerpiece was a whole lemon sole with a smokey sauce. We then decided on eggplant, King fish tartare, hand cut chips and a green salad. After we placed the order my husband commented that he thought the eggplant must be good as he recognised approval on the waitstaff's face. We ordered an extra side and thought it was the perfect amount, as we finished it all and we're not overfill or wanting more.
When the food arrived, it looked fantastic and the flutter around our table to drop the different dishes was well executed. The green salad was crunchy and lightly dressed. The hand cut chips were huge cuts and a small portion which we appreciated as it didn't take away from the main events and was a true side dish.
The Kingfish Tartare with pickled gooseberries was so much fun. It looked festive. Who has ever had a pickled gooseberry before? It was such a pop of sensational flavour. I'm hoping next year to win the war from the birds and try making some. The eggplant, is one of our 2 dishes I cannot get off of my mind. It is skinned and battered. You eat the whole thing. It looks charred, but it is certainly not the case. The flavours had a light Indian spice. The inside was so soft and yummy. The whole dish was balanced perfectly. If you like or love or are suspicious of eggplant, you must try this dish.
This brings us to the centerpiece of lemon sole in a smokey butter sauce. Out of our top 3 dishes of Kingfish, eggplant and sole, this was the one I thought would be ok, but I certainly wouldn't have picked it, if it wasn't recommended. Fortunately for me, it was and I had the biggest food orgasm over it. Back story... I'm not a smokey flavour girl. I do not eat bbq chips or crackers. Anything with smoke flavour added, is off my personal menu. I do love a good homemade bbq sauce or bbq rubs, obvi w/out the smoke flavour. In case you do not know, "smoke flavour" is something you can add into/onto food. OK MOVING ON😂.... This lemon sole with smokey butter and goodness changed my life. It was so delicious, so memorable, so enviable, so artful, so loving. My husband was talking, but I legit couldn't hear him when I had this sole and sauce in my mouth bc it was THAT GOOD. We did not lick plates, but we were thankful for those chips and sourdough bread to mop up all the sauce so we didn't have to.
As we were leaving, my heart broke a bit as I knew there was more of that smokey butter sauce somewhere in back and we would be apart for who knows how long. When the lovely soft spoken waitstaff bid us adou, I learned he was actually Chef Alex Davies... the talk of ChCh foodie circles. He had prepped all of the food during the day and was out front connecting with all of us. We will be back.
J.I've eaten at Gatherings 3 times now and have thoroughly enjoyed every experience. The food is always beautifully presented, flavourful and exciting. I love the changing menu and am in awe of the amount of thought that goes into every dish. On top of this, the staff are always genuinely kind, knowledgeable and passionate about the dishes and the wine. This restaurant is one of a kind and I will be back!
J.We had a fantastic meal last night. Exquisite and delicate flavours. Interesting wine pairings. It wasn't cheap but worth it. Attentive and informative staff. Courses were a bit slow at coming out, but the restaurant was very busy. A bit noisy. But will definitely go back and it's great that it is within walking distance.
H.The. Best. Restaurant. In. New. Zealand.
Every dish was sublime 🙏🙏🙏
A.Best food in NZ you heard it here first
F.Probably the best food I've ever eaten. Tasting menu is 5/6 courses of the most amazing local, seasonal ingredients. The chef/wait staff explain what you are eating and where it comes from. If you get the wine tasting (which is superb), your meal will he even more enhanced. They are perfectly paired. Would highly recommend, even meat lovers leave this place perfectly satisfied
B.Had a 6 pm yesterday. Restaurant was doing two seatings and we were reminded of our 7:45 pm “curfew” for the table. The atmosphere is rugged yet refined and distinct from other restaurants.
We decided on the Fish Supper. The flounder was average size for 1 and nicely done, but too small for two and should have been plated by the server for a nicer touch. The Supper meal came with a very fresh salad and some potato dough balls with nice salty anchovies. The final small side of Dahl was way too salty and an odd third choice as the combo of very salty Dahl, fried potato balls and skin on fish needed something acidic to cut through. I don’t think the chef had tasted the Dahl or he wouldn’t have let it out. I also ordered the oysters which were very fresh. The idea of the supper is it is for two, but the fish portion was not substantial enough.
Service was good at the start and we were served quickly but once the tables were filled the wait staff were the. totally consumed and then were checked on for drinks after our meal was done. In short, not a service focused restaurant and more concerned with the food which was fine. If you want to be a wine restaurant more time needs to be spent with the guests selling the wine and inviting more drinks.
Overall, I think the chef is on the right track but in its current state it’s a “go once” restaurant vs. Earl, for instance, which is a twice a month visit because of its inventiveness and thoughtful menu composition at the same price point.
H.The place is small and cozy, and the owners are very friendly and hospitable. The food is good: creative and sustainable. The reasons for my three star rating are two: first, the service was exceedingly slow; there was long gap between courses, making the whole experience a VERY long and slow one, which is not great when you are a bit tired and quite hungry. Second, the portions were small and prices fairly high, and given the slow service and good but not amazing food, it's hard to justify the value. (Note: I had not previously mentioned the date of my visit, which was Saturday March 2, 2019, a regular quiet Saturday evening and the restaurant was about 2/3 full. Setting aside the propriety of owner's eagerness to deflect critique by blaming it on a horrific tragedy, that deflection could not work here unless he had premonition of the tragedy to come two weeks later. )
C.We had a wonderful dining experience. The food was beyond excellent, a truely unique series of dishes that were perfectly crafted and balanced. The wine pairing was perfect and accentuated each dish. I cannot speak highly enough of our experience, we will certainly be back and can't wait to see how the menu changes.
E.Exquisite food. I went tonight during a visit from Sydney and was blown away by the quality, creativity, freshness and flavor combinations of the food. The creamed corn and brown butter tacos are phenomenal, as is their dark chocolate terrine with plum gelato. Better than most Sydney restaurants I’ve tried. And to top it off the service was warm and professional, from people who clearly very much cared about their food.
Highly recommended!
J.This little gem was truly AMAZING! The five dishes were all so different, flavoursome and made with real thought and love! The presentation was next level and the passionate chefs who speak to you about what is on your plate was just fantastic! Gorgeous wine and the atmosphere was awesome. Seriously, one of the best experiences I have had in Christchurch in such a long time. Thank you so much! x
S.Disappointing evening after much anticipation Very limited wine by glass options eg no chardonnay or sauv blanc or pinot gris.Service needs to be improved as people who arrived after us served their food earlier and after 45 mins had to ask where our food was and these were all cold options. No follow up to see if we wanted more wine or dessert.
D.Utterly delicious. Went for the $65 ‘feed me’ option and experienced a taste extravaganza. Felt like a bargain at that price. Loved the atmosphere.
J.Small bistro specialising in fish. The vegetables are mostly or maybe all organic and there are interesting twists to the garnishes. Expect to pay 60 to 80 for a meal with wine.
M.Absolutely fantastic food and service.
C.Oh my goodness...I could not even begin to say what a taste sensation there is to be had at this lovely little restaurant:)
M.They had a really lovely vegan tasting menu, with a strong focus on local ingredients. The dishes take some risks, which mostly paid off, so this restaurant is definitely worth a visit.
m.Go, just go and let Alex do what he does in the kitchen and Nicolas do what he does out the front. Words won't do the food, service and experience any kind of justice. Exceptional that's all
m.Visited on Sunday brunch, menu is small limited but I had very nice waffle and perfect poached eggs and aioli , I look forward to their special vegetarian meal next time only in the evening !!
R.Superb food, superb wine and an intimate atmosphere. Perfect for their ethos - to gather and talk
C.Lovely relaxed atmosphere and more importantly the food was superb! Love that it is all NZ sourced and that vegan options are available. We'll definitely be going back!
O.A really nice and cosy place, great service and good food and wines.
A.This tiny restaurant is friendly and serves great food I had the chefs menu. really worth while. a short but interesting wine list
f.Super fresh seafood 🤘
A.4 and 5 star top end vegetarian, locally sourced. Fantastic intimate dining experience. Get the wine pairing for something really different.
A.Service, selection and atmosphere were fabulous. Staff were top shelf. We look forward to going back and introducing friends. Thank you
N.Best fish fresh packed with flavour accompanied by a great selection of wine
D.Great food, service was a touch behind but they made up for it with free wine
L.Undoubtedly the best meal I've had in my life - couldn't recommend it more. Atmosphere, service and food second to none!
J.Amazing meal. Great and helpful staff. Highly recommend. Also Alfred (bar) next door is also amazing
H.Delightful experience. Inventive and exciting use of the vege!
R.Great food, really good value, friendly waiters.
I.Amazing food, really nice atmosphere, knowledgeable staff. Would definitely recommend dining here, what a great experience!
S.Absolutely amazing, I've never had food and wine like it. Well worth it!!
Q.World class
M.Amazing food. Awesome knowledgeable staff. Would definately recommend for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.
J.Amazing.
G.Incredible seafood. Sustainably caught and great service, what more could you want?
P.Fantastic food and service. The waiter explains each dish when serving
N.Amazing seasonal food with an authentic wine match. Just Awesome.
J.Amazing food. If you enjoyed Roots in its heyday you'll love this.
P.The feed was mean az! Wine was pretty tasty too. Chur
B.Amazing dining experience! Great service and atmosphere, delicious vegan food and wine
M.Fromm wine tasting was a blast accompanied by great food
P.Stunning. Sets a new dining standard. Young, energetic creative tasty and healthy
T.Great food. Great wine. Great value. Great service. Blown away.
I.Easily one of the best restaurants in Christchurch
J.Wonderful service, amazing organic food, and creative menu!
K.Fresh, local, snout to tail food executed superbly.
B.Awesome locally sourced food and great wine selection
M.Probably the best restaurant in NZ
P.Ok. Front of house needs to be more about the customer and less about the "rules"
A.Best dining experience in Christchurch.
M.Great food. Great service.
J.Great food and service
V.One single word "Exquisite"
w.Fabulous food experience
S.Really worth a visit!
B.Simply incredible!
P.Exquisite.
Y.A very amazing night with my partner to celebrate our 7th anniversary here. I love the langostine tails very much, it’s the similar flavor with Chinese cuisine.
L.(Translated) Very nice French waiter! He explained to us the whole menu which we did not understand in English. The food was really good and surprising. The tasting menu which allows you to taste different dishes is great!
(Original)
Serveur français très gentil ! Il nous a expliqué tout le menu que nous ne comprenions pas en anglais. La cuisine était vraiment bonne et surprenante. Le menu tasting qui permet de goûter différents plats est super !
D.(Translated) Good wine. As a surprise 3 free oysters
(Original)
Guter Wein. Als Ueberraschung 3 Oysters gratis dazu
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