Lemon Tree Cafe & Ethiopian Cuisine has two complementary identities at its Saint Asaph Street home. During the day it is a characterful cafe with vintage teapots, patterned plates and a dedicated tea-room feel; later in the week, the kitchen shifts into Ethiopian dinner service. The business has been part of central Christchurch since 2014, and that combination gives diners more than one reason to visit, whether they want a familiar brunch, an unhurried pot of tea or a shared evening meal built around Ethiopian stews and injera.
Breakfast and brunch mix recognisable cafe staples with a few individual flourishes. A big breakfast and eggs Benedict cover the hearty end of the menu, while lemon and elderflower pancakes offer a fragrant sweet option. Ethiopian espresso mascarpone French toast brings the venue's evening influence into the daytime selection, and granola provides a lighter start. The range is broad enough for a group to order in very different directions without losing the relaxed cafe character that holds the meal together.
The daytime menu continues with dishes suited to lunch. Smashed avocado and chicken Caesar salad sit beside a vegan brown-rice bowl, giving diners several lighter or plant-based routes. A southern fried chicken burger and steak sandwich move toward a more substantial meal, while the children's section helps families order without scaling down an adult dish themselves. These choices make the cafe useful well beyond coffee and cake, with composed plates, salads and sandwiches carrying service through the middle of the day.
Ethiopian evenings centre on dishes that are particularly well suited to sharing. Mahiberawi platters gather several preparations on one plate, while kik alicha, misir key wot, atkilt alicha, shiro and gomen bring split peas, lentils, vegetables and greens into the meal through different spice profiles and textures. The number of plant-based stews gives mixed groups genuine choice rather than a token side. Ethiopian coffee served with popcorn provides a distinctive finish, and the fortnightly buffet offers another way to explore a wider cross-section of the cooking.
Address: Unit 1, 234 Saint Asaph Street, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand
Moved or closed? Tell us: Moved·Temporarily closed·Permanently closed
Lemon Tree Cafe Menu
Lemon Tree Big Breakfast
Lemon Tree Big Breakfast
Bacon, chorizo, grilled tomato, mushrooms, wilted spinach, potato hash, eggs your way, buttered toasted sourdough bread & house made relish.
Vegetarian Lemon Tree breakfast
Wilted spinach, grilled tomato, potato hash, halloumi, mushroom, tofu, relish, sourdough bread.
Eggs Your Way
2 eggs any style, toasted sourdough bread, house made relish.
Eggs Benedict
2 Potato hash (or sourdough bread), 2 poached eggs, spinach, lemon hollandaise sauce. (GF)
Bacon Salmon Benedict
Fresh spinach, streaky bacon, hot smoked salmon, potato hash, poached eggs on lemon hollandaise sauce. (GF)
Lemon Elderflower Pancake
Lemon elderflower pancake, house made honey-comb butter, grilled banana, seasonal fruit, berry compote, maple syrup, ice cream.
Teriyaki Glazed Tofu Salad
Cos lettuce, edamame beans, cucumber, red onion, carrots, sliced avocado and cherry tomato. (Vegan)
Smashed Avocado
Cherry tomato, mesclun salad, crumbled feta cheese, house made relish, spinach feta cheese pesto, poached egg, multigrain bread.
Ethiopian Savoury Mince On Toast
Minced beef, fried eggs, ethiopian spices, chilli flakes, toasted sourdough bread.
Chicken ‘N’ Waffles
Southern fried chicken, belgian waffles, pickled onion, chipotle maple syrup.
Ethiopian Espresso Mascarpone French Toast
Ethiopian espresso infused mascarpone, coconut flakes, seasonal fruit, berry compote, maple syrup.
Chicken Caesar
Cos lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onion, anchovies, croutons, fried chicken, parmesan cheese, poached egg on house caesar dressing.
Southern Fried Chicken Burger
Crispy fried chicken, cheddar cheese, lettuce, plum chutney, chipotle aioli, brioche bun, fries.
Open Steak Sandwich
Rump steak, grilled onion, lettuce, cheddar cheese, sliced tomato, fried egg, BBQ sauce, fries.
Oat and Chia Porridge
Sliced almonds, toasted coconut, berry compote, grilled banana drizzled in maple syrup.
Eggs Benedict (GF)
2 Potato hash (or sourdough bread), 2 poached eggs, spinach, lemon hollandaise sauce.
Bacon Salmon Benedict (GF)
Fresh spinach, streaky bacon, hot smoked salmon, potato hash, poached eggs on lemon hollandaise sauce
Teriyaki Glazed Tofu Salad (Vegan)
Cos lettuce, edamame beans, cucumber, red onion, carrots, sliced avocado and cherry tomato.
Extra Sides
Fries
Bacon
Smoked Salmon
Mushroom
Tomato
Chorizo
Kids Menu
Beef Burger
Cheese, patties, fries.
Pancakes
Banana, maple syrup and ice cream.
Chicken and waffle with maple syrup
Eggs your way
Chicken and fries
Ethiopian Cuisine – Vegan/Vegetarian
Vegan/Vegeterian/GF Friendly
Kik alicha
Split peas cooked with oil, onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger and turmeric.
Misir key wot
Split lentils simmered in spicy berbere, tomatoes, garlic,ginger
Atkilt Alicha
String beans, Potatoes, Carrots,Garlic, Ginger, Green Chilli cooked with vegetable oil.
Shiro
Finely grounded chickpeas, cooked with onion, garlic, ginger and tomatoes
Gomen
Fresh kale/cabbage sauteed with onions, ginger, garlic served with injera
Mushrrom tibs
Fried mushroom, pepper,onion,garlic, and mixed Ethiopian spiced served with injera
Teliba Wot/Flaxseed stew
Roasted and grounded Flaxseed cooked with berbere, Garlic, ginger, tomatoes served with injera
Ethiopian Cuisine – Lunch / Dinner
Tibs
Tender lamb cubes with berbere, capsicum, rosemary, Garlic, Ginger, tomatoes and onion served with injera
Yeshekila Tibs
Fried chopped prime beef with onion, chilli served with awaze/hot dipping sauce ) and injera
Key Wot/ Spiced beef Stew
Tender beef cubes cooked in our traditional berbere sauce, ginger, garlic, tomatoes served with injera
Gored Gored
Cubed toped side beef cooked with spiced/herbed butter and traditional awaze sauce served with injera.
Kitfo
Lean ground beef mixed with korerima,/coriander, Garlic, Mitmita,spiced butter, Kale and conttage cheese ( cooked well done, medium or carpaccio raw)
Gomen besiga
Collard greens cooked with lamb, onion, and garlic served with injera
Doro wat
Ethiopian famous chicken stew simmered in onion, garlic and nled of spices,hard boiled egg served with injera
Minchet abish wot
Lean ground beef sauce cooked with berbere, garlic, onions, side of ayib served with boiled egg and injera.
Awaze Tibs
Tender lamb cubes with berebere, Garlic, ginger, tomatoes. A waze served with injera.
Alicha wat/turmeric stew
Tender beef cubes cooked with garlic, ginger, tomatoes and tumeric sefrved with injera.
Beye’ayinetu/Combo Sharing Platter
For Vegan Platter Choose any 5- Key Misir, Shiro, Gomen,Key sir/beetroot,kik alicha, Atkilit alicha, Mushroomn tibs, Yesuf Fitfit. Meat Platter Choose any Five- Key wat, Key tibs,derek tibs, gomen besiga, Gored Gored, Kitfo, Kikil fitfit
Vegan platter per person
Mixed or just meat combo
Espresso
Short Black
Long Black
Americano
Macchiato
Vienna
Organic Tea
(Hot or Cold)
English Breakfast
Earl Grey
House Black
Chamomile
Green Tea Chai
Iced Coffee
Americano
Latte
Mochaccino
Chocolate
Chai Latte
Smoothies
Kiwi
Strawberry
Blueberry
Raspberry
Mixed Berry
Extra’s
Decaf
Extra Shot
Soy, Almond, Coconut, Oat
Vanilla, Caramel
Hazelnut
Ethiopian Drinks
Alcohol free beer
Ginger beer
Coca cola
Kombucha
Sprite
From Happy Menu members
Reviews from locals: every member has confirmed a New Zealand mobile.
Been to Lemon Tree Cafe & Ethiopian Cuisine? Be one of the first to rate it.
+ Log your visitHow prices compare
Against typical prices in Christchurch
- Chicken burger Typical in Christchurch: $27.00 $24.50
- Long black Typical in Christchurch: $5.00 $5.40
- Chai latte Typical in Christchurch: $6.00 $8.50
- Short black Typical in Christchurch: $5.00 $5.40
- Latte Typical in Christchurch: $6.00 $7.50
From our guide
Best Restaurants Near Me In Christchurch Central, Victoria Street and Inner City
Our closest guide to Lemon Tree Cafe & Ethiopian Cuisine
-
INATI
Christchurch · 790 m ·$$
-
ROCA
Christchurch · 660 m ·$
Latin American · Grill
-
King of Snake
Christchurch · 640 m ·$
Asian · Chinese
- Italian A A'mano Authentic Pasta & Cucina Christchurch · 290 m ·$ Italian · Pasta
- Wine Bar C Cellar Door Christchurch · 1.1 km ·$ Wine Bar
-
Earl
Christchurch · 260 m ·$$
European · Mediterranean
Around the corner
Within 1 km of Lemon Tree Cafe & Ethiopian Cuisine
- New Zealand T The Core Bar & Grill Christchurch · 20 m ·$ New Zealand · Grill
- International C Chic Restaurant and Bar Christchurch · 40 m ·$$ International
- New Zealand M Moment Café Christchurch · 60 m ·$ New Zealand · Breakfast & Brunch
-
Retropolitan Social
Christchurch · 70 m ·$
New Zealand · Bar
- Argentinian E El Fogón Grill Christchurch · 70 m ·$ Argentinian · Latin American
-
Boom Boom Chicken
Christchurch · 70 m ·$
Asian · Fusion
More Mediterranean nearby
Within 10 km
- Italian C Ciao Christchurch · 180 m ·$$ Italian · Mediterranean
-
Spartan Greek Cafe and Restaurant
Christchurch · 280 m ·$
Greek · Mediterranean
- Greek S Sabry's Souvlaki Christchurch · 310 m ·$ Greek · Mediterranean
- Greek M Mediterranean Taste Christchurch · 490 m ·$ Greek · Mediterranean
-
Mediterranean Foods Trattoria & Deli Christchurch
Christchurch · 580 m ·$
Italian · Mediterranean
- Italian B Buon Appetito Christchurch · 590 m ·$ Italian · Mediterranean