Estelle

A sophisticated sibling to Tom’s sandwich bar on Christchurch's Southwark Street, Estelle sits neatly just a few strides and a diagonal road crossing away in a space in QB Studios. The white and bright industrial interior is a paired back canvas for a few carefully chosen artworks and fresh flowers by Bunch Floral that adorn the tables daily. 

Similarly to its interior aesthetics, the menu at Estelle is composed of simplistic yet elegant items. Serving ‘mostly things on toast’, as owner-operator Tom Worthington humbly puts it, there is nothing humble about what is created here. Think smoked fish, pickled currants and rhubarb, or white beans, salsa verde and za’atar on thickly sliced Grizzly bread. Though, yes, there is also the humble mince on toast, but we promise that even that trumps any of your previous experiences of this classic. 

It goes without saying that everything served at Estelle is self-made, either by Tom or chef extraordinaire Will Lyons-Bowman and that, of course, includes all the preserves. On top of things on toast, there are daily changing salads that can be enjoyed on-site or taken along for later consumption; the same goes for Estelle’s already famous Tiramisu, pottles of which await in the cabinet for those lucky enough to snap them up before they’re gone for the day.

When it comes to other sweet treats, these are just as understatedly delicious. Dig your teeth into a Maritozzi, a Roman cream bun, or a polenta cookie, accompanied by expertly crafted coffee, and revel in the joy of simple, complimentary flavours. Less is more when it comes to the way things are done at Estelle, yet it’s incredibly hard not to want more of everything that comes out of the tiny kitchen here.

Keep an eye on pop-ups and weekly specials via Estelle’s social media.