The Quarters occupies Riccarton House, placing a relaxed daytime restaurant inside one of Christchurch's most distinctive heritage settings. Diners can choose the homestead's panelled rooms and open fires or move outside to the veranda and sunny garden tables. The result is unusually adaptable: coffee can be a short pause during a visit to the house and grounds, while lunch has the atmosphere of an occasion without requiring formal service.
The kitchen works seasonally and looks to the Saturday Christchurch Farmers' Market for both ideas and ingredients. House baking, cabinet food and organic coffee begin the day, then a focused lunch menu takes over. A changing winter soup comes with house-made kibbled rye bread, and a Cubano toastie layers roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, mustard, pickles and mojo aioli. Those details give the casual format a clear connection to the kitchen rather than relying on the setting alone.
Larger lunch dishes balance familiar bistro cooking with careful accompaniments. Chicken parmigiana is served with mozzarella, parmesan and a bistro salad; beer-battered market fish comes with fennel slaw, lemon aioli and tartare pickles. A twelve-hour braised beef cheek arrives with rustic pasta and parmesan pangrattato, while the ploughman's lunch combines ham, cheddar, pickles and mustard fruits with the same house-made rye bread used elsewhere on the menu.
Sunday introduces a separate breakfast service before lunch, with bacon and eggs, eggs Benedict on potato gratin and cinnamon-sugar waffles among the choices. Local wine and ale accompany lunch, and the heritage rooms can be arranged for private dinners, weddings and celebrations after the daytime cafe closes. That range lets The Quarters serve both an easy garden coffee and a planned gathering while keeping the homestead's history visible throughout the experience.
Address: Riccarton House, 16 Kahu Road, Riccarton, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
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