Saturdays

This beachfront cafe is named for everyone’s favourite day. But there’s more to it than that. One thing you might not know about Christchurch is that in the 1960s businesses were required to shut on Saturdays. Save for a select block of shops in New Brighton where Cantabrians frequented ice cream stalls, tea rooms, arcades, carnivals and other pier side spots.

Saturdays is a celebration of not just the weekend, but every day. It’s an ode to what saturdays stand for: slowing down, enjoying one another and pairing it all with excellent food and drink. This cafe opened in mid 2020 alongside He Puna Tai Moana hot pools and has become one of the most lovable brunch spots in Canterbury.

Open seven days a week, Saturdays is all about quality service and a quality menu. Saturdays makes it a priority to provide for those with dietary needs, these can be found throughout the cabinet whether it’s sweet or savoury snack or a meal found on the menu. Saturday's gluten free customer favourite is the housemade seed loaf which goes perfectly with their all day breakfast options. The team will make you feel welcome from the moment you arrive and the cafe’s pastel colour palette gives it an instantly laid back feel. Take a look in the cabinet and you’ll find colourful, handcrafted cakes, slices, salads and  sandwiches.

Saturday’s all day menu covers off all the classics but in a way that’s special and truly local. All of the bread comes from Grizzly on Buchan Street, produce comes from local farmers, and meats come from Peter Timbs in Bishopdale. Saturdays does table service so all you have to do is choose a spot inside or out and relax. 

The menu changes with the seasons but the Saturdays bene is a firm favourite. This classic comes served with potato rosti, poached eggs, sourdough, truffle hollandaise, salsa verde and your choice of bacon, Akaroa smoked salmon, or field mushrooms. One favourite in the cooler months, the winter oats features a whole turmeric poached pear, pistachios, roasted rhubarb, and brown sugar crumb. It’s a warming bowl that’s bursting with colour and flavour even when the norwesters are blowing.

At Saturdays, even a quick coffee is a treat. All of theirs are handcrafted using Grey Roasting Co. beans and a pastel green KB90 La Marazoco - the only one of its kind on the South Island. While single origin brews are always available, specialty blends feature throughout the year. Zealong teas, organic and NZ grown, are also on offer as are freshly made smoothies. And because they’re  on the beach, Saturdays also does real fruit ice cream.