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The 10 Largest Local Street Food in Christchurch, New Zealand

3 min read January 31, 2024

Christchurch, a vibrant city with a diverse culinary landscape, boasts a remarkable array of local street food that tantalizes taste buds and offers a glimpse into the city’s rich cultural heritage. From savory delights to sweet indulgences, the street food scene in Christchurch is a journey through global flavors, where each bite tells a story of passion, creativity, and gastronomic excellence.

Indulge in the delectable delights of Arepa’s, a Venezuelan street food haven serving up authentic cornmeal pockets filled with a variety of savory fillings, or explore the diverse menu at Rolleston Food Trucks, where a rotation of food trucks brings a world of flavors to the streets of Christchurch.

Top Local Street Food in Christchurch, New Zealand

Christchurch (; Māori: Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River (Ōtākaro) flows through the centre of the city, with an urban park along its banks. The city's territorial authority population is 396,200 people, and includes a number of smaller urban areas as well as rural areas. The population of the urban area is 384,800 people. Christchurch is the second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand, after Auckland. It is the major urban area of an emerging sub-region known as Greater Christchurch. Notable smaller urban areas within this sub-region include Rangiora and Kaiapoi in Waimakariri District, north of the Waimakariri River, and Rolleston and Lincoln in Selwyn District to the south. The first inhabitants migrated to the area sometime between 1000 and 1250 AD. They hunted moa, which led to the birds' extinction by 1450, and destroyed much of the mataī and tōtara forest. The first iwi to settle the area that would later become known as Christchurch were the Waitaha, who migrated to the area in the 16th century. They were followed later by the Kāti Māmoe, who conquered the Waitaha. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Ngāi Tahu migrated to the area and subjugated the Kāti Māmoe. Over time the Ngāi Tahu tribe would develop a large pā based around Kaiapoi, which was a major centre for the trade of pounamu.Christchurch became a city by Royal Charter on 31 July 1856, making it officially the oldest established city in New Zealand. The Canterbury Association, which settled the Canterbury Plains, named the city after Christ Church, Oxford. The new settlement was laid out in a grid pattern centred on Cathedral Square; during the 19th century there were few barriers to the rapid growth of the urban area, except for the Pacific to the east and the Port Hills to the south. Agriculture is the historic mainstay of Christchurch's economy. The early presence of the University of Canterbury and the heritage of the city's academic institutions in association with local businesses has fostered a number of technology-based industries. Christchurch is one of five Antarctic gateway cities, hosting Antarctic support bases for several nations.The city suffered a series of earthquakes between September 2010 and January 2012, with the most destructive occurring at 12.51 p.m. on 22 February 2011, in which 185 people were killed and thousands of buildings across the city suffered severe damage, with a few central city buildings collapsing. By late 2013, 1,500 buildings in the city had been demolished, leading to ongoing recovery and rebuilding projects. The city later became the site of a terrorist attack targeting two mosques on 15 March 2019, in which 51 people were killed, and which was described by the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, as "one of New Zealand's darkest days".

Top Local Street Food in Christchurch, New Zealand

Little High Eatery

  • Address: 255 Saint Asaph Street, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.6 (4289)
  • Phone: +64 210 208 4444
  • Website:
  • Price Info: Moderate
  • Opening hours:
    Monday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
    Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
    Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
    Thursday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
    Friday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
    Saturday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
    Sunday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Matipo Street food market in Christchurch, New Zealand
Matipo Street food market in Christchurch, New Zealand

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Embark on a thrilling journey through the diverse array of Local Street Food in cities like Wellington, Auckland and Wodonga across the Oceania continents, revealing hidden gems waiting to be discovered. Whether you’re a local business or a multinational company, these cities proudly display a rich tapestry of profesional services designed to cater to a wide array of preferences.

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The 10 Best Local Street Food near Christchurch, New Zealand

Matipo Street food market in Christchurch, New Zealand
Matipo Street food market in Christchurch, New Zealand

Eightgrains Dumplings & Bao

  • Address: 255 Saint Asaph Street, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.7 (979)
  • Phone: +64 27 614 4255
  • Website:
  • Opening hours:
    Monday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
    Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
    Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
    Thursday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
    Friday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
    Saturday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
    Sunday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
  • Reviews:
    Peter Murphy✭✭✭✭
    a year ago
    Great vegan options, some of the lightest and most crispy spring rolls I’ve had. Lovely dumplings, but the Dan Dan noodles had no szechuan flavour or heat and were a bit anodyne
    sherly ck✭
    a year ago
    The waiting time took about an hour, and also both the grilled salmon and fresh salmon is totally not worth it. They’re $20 each and only has about 6 slices of sashimi? I wouldn’t recommend the dumplings either… I think there are better things to try at the little High Street ?
    Kiona Jones✭✭✭✭✭
    7 months ago
    Ok so you know the food is great when you eat half and then remember to take a pic! The noodles had the perfect balance of pork, veggies and of course noodles. Love! Love! Love!
    Josh Lander✭✭✭✭✭
    a year ago
    I ordered a pan-fried sweet and sour chicken (picture attached)! — Fabulously presented and tasted divine; chicken almost melted in the mouth and was accompanied by delightful a sweet and sour sauce which wrapped the entire dish together. Major compliments to the entire team behind this restaurant ?!
    Alex C✭✭✭✭
    a year ago
    Great food in a lively shared venue.

    Really enjoyed the tonkotsu ramen, very flavourful and the toppings are great! Could do with an extra piece of chashu, maybe ask if it can be an add-on. Very friendly and helpful staff, food came out quite quickly.

    The venue has market-style shared seating, and gets quite busy. Keep an eye out for open seats, may end up sharing a bigger table with another group.

Pot Sticker Dumpling Bar

  • Address: 144 Lichfield Street, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.5 (624)
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Old Street Asian Hawker Food

  • Address: 174 Kendal Avenue, Burnside, Christchurch 8053, New Zealand
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.5 (555)

Subway

  • Address: 265 Cashel Street, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4 (512)

Grater Goods

  • Address: 105 Orbell Street, Sydenham, Christchurch 8023, New Zealand
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.9 (437)

Muy Muy

  • Address: 44 Welles Street, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.3 (359)

The Diversity Restaurant

  • Address: 617 Colombo Street, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.7 (243)
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Hang Seng Food Bar

  • Address: Corner Moorhouse Avenue, Madras Street, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.6 (185)

Lord of the Fries-The Terrace, Christchurch

  • Address: 90 Hereford Street, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 3.6 (175)

City Cafe Asian Cuisine

  • Address: 130 Madras Street, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.5 (174)

Thank you for reading! If you have any additional information on the best Local Street Food in Christchurch, New Zealand, please leave a comment above. We would love to hear from you!

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Syarif Muhamad

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5 Replies to The 10 Largest Local Street Food in Christchurch, New Zealand

  1. Such a great place to get some food! Loved the atmosphere. We tried El Fogon for some steak and although it quite a long time to get it ready (30min) it was delicious and perfectly cooked

    Reply

  2. I wanted to eat a hamburger at Bacon Bros and went there for dinner. Although I couldn’t speak English well, the female staff member kindly guided me around with a smile, so I felt at ease. The taste was very delicious. I would like to express my gratitude to the female staff member at that time.

    Reply

  3. The trendy food court is awesome!!! Definitely a buzzing hive of incredible food and drinks from multiple food vendors. The food choices cover a wide range of tastes/cuisines. As you walk into the Eatery just grab a seat and usually there are menus on each table, if not just ask at each vendor and they’re only to happy to give you their menu. Then make a choice, order up at the vendors counter and they give you an alert buzzer that let’s you know once you’re food is ready to pick up at the counter. It’s as simple as that. It’s a great concept! The food is amazing. We chose to have some Thai dishes from Noodle Monk which were yummy, good spice and good sized portion. Loved that they had Chang Beer which took us back to Thailand. Also someone in our party order a rib meal at another vendor and they seemed to enjoy their meal as well. The drinks selection are awesome, try the Lemon Frappe at the vendor down the very end (sorry can’t remember the name), but it was delicious and very refreshing. Service we received was friendly. We’d definitely recommend Little High Eatery, it’s a vibe!!

    Reply

  4. Great little eatery! This food hall was recommended by the tram driver as an alternative to Riverside Market. It was bustling when we went for dinner. Great spot and delicious food! I went for dumplings and bao and my partner grabbed an enormous pork belly burger he could barely fit in his mouth.

    Reply

  5. Little High Eatery is a hidden gem in every sense, providing a unique challenge for tourists to discover its small, diverse restaurants and bars. The assortment of culinary options inside is a pleasant surprise, each offering a distinct experience.

    However, if you’re seeking healthy options, it might be wise to explore other dining venues, as Little High Eatery leans more towards indulgent choices. Despite this, the eclectic atmosphere and the variety of flavors make it a worthwhile stop for those who appreciate culinary diversity and enjoy the thrill of discovering a tucked-away culinary treasure.

    Reply

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