11 Cracking Cabinets in Christchurch

The seaside village of Sumner is one of the jewels in Christchurch’s crown and it’s where you’ll find some of the best cabinet food the city has to offer. Niche Coffee + Eatery personifies laidback, beachy vibes from the moment you walk in the front door. Supreme beans are the coffee of choice and they have an extensive food and drinks menu catering to all kinds of dietary needs. The icing on the cake at Niche is their cabinet, laden with an abundance of choices, their avocado bruschetta is a big hit with regulars and available most days. They like to change things up daily but there’ll always be sweet and savoury muffin options that are *chef’s kiss*.

Thanks to its location inside the CoCA art gallery building on Gloucester Street, Lux Espresso caters not only to art enthusiasts but also to many busy inner-city workers dashing in quickly on their lunch break in search of deliciousness. Lux is the right place to find it, from their favourite gluten-free scone to the vege loaf, glazed ham toastie and satisfying daily changing salads and sweet treats. If you have the time to sit down and enjoy something from this glorious cabinet, you really must; the Lux space is modern minimalist design at its finest. But never fear if you are in a rush, the cabinet goodies travel well!

Any time of the day, any day of the week you can be guaranteed that Unknown Chapter will be busy and bustling with customers. Their coffee is on point and the service is outstanding but in our minds, it’s their cabinet food that is one of the biggest drawcards. Firstly, you’ll be impressed by the sheer number of both sweet and savoury options on offer. There are sandwiches, salads, baked potatoes, slices, loaves, muffins, and the list goes on. Unknown Chapter is always humming, which luckily gives you a few minutes to make your decisions whilst in line... believe me you’ll need this time! And good news for those with any kind of dietary needs, you’ll be delighted by the many choices at Unknown Chapter.

If you like to have your lunch by the seaside in New Brighton but want to take the hard work out of the prep, we recommend making a pit stop at Dune Café. This South Brighton cafe embraces beachy boho vibes, with community and sustainability at the heart of everything they do. That includes making all their food in-house and filling the cabinet and counter to the brim. We’re talking beetroot roulades, breaky wraps, falafel wraps and a salmon filo you’ll be thinking about for days. Even if you don’t normally have a sweet tooth, just looking at their cakes will make your mouth water. If you need a moment or two to decide on what to get, take a seat in a prime cabinet viewing spot and order a coffee. You may get so comfortable in the cosy environment at Dune that you decide to eat in, and if you have kids in tow, take advantage of their great play area.

The square footage at Tom’s on Southwark Street may be small but the cabinet here packs a flavourful punch of elite sandwiches and sweet treats. The sammies here are so good, be warned that all future sandwiches you encounter may struggle to compare. Our order would be the classic prosciutto with pepperoncini or if you’re feeling adventurous, try the inventive peanut butter, pickled celery, sprouts, vegan mayo and Kaitaia Fire hot sauce. It’s not just about the sandwiches at Tom’s, they are famous for their pink buns, cheese and jalapeno scones, and there’s always a Cakes By Anna slice of cake waiting to be devoured. Our top piece of advice: go early to ensure you don’t miss out on your desired picks.

If you are visiting Christchurch’s central library Tūranga, it’s quite easy to lose a couple of hours browsing the shelves, taking in the views of the city and marvelling at the architecture of the building itself. Before you know it, your stomach’s rumbling and it’s lunchtime; lucky for you, you don’t even need to leave Tūranga to secure yourself an excellent Prima coffee and bite to eat. Found on the ground floor of the library, you’ll feel right at home at Foundation Café and most importantly, the cabinet delivers the goods. Generous in size and generous in flavour, you’re spoiled for choice whether it’s their homemade pies, vegetarian bagels, heavenly filled doughnuts and of course their cheese scone which has a fiercely loyal following. So pull up a pew, place your order and enjoy your new borrowed read whilst waiting for your food to arrive... What bliss!

Switch New Brighton, tucked away on Carnaby Lane, is another seaside spot delivering a killer cafe food cabinet. The contents of the cabinet change out regularly but they always cater to a variety of diets and tastes to make everyone feel looked after. The vegetarian bagels are hugely popular, as is their cheesy onion toasty and there’ll always be a couple of big nourishing salads - but be quick they sell out every day! If you’re after something to hit the sweet spot both the vegan date and chocolate cup and the GF chocolate caramel slice are perfection. Switch has also added a daily GF muffin or scone into their baked goods rotation and this has proven to be a very popular move. If it’s a beautiful day, try and nab a coveted outdoor table so you can bask in the sun rays whilst enjoying your chosen treats.

Located on a corner of the ever-bustling Riccarton Road, stepping inside Park Ranger is a peaceful reprieve from the busy commute and daily grind. The cafe embraces nature and the great outdoors not only with its name but also with its decor and the passion they have for using local and seasonal produce. Many of the suppliers Park Ranger works with can be found on a Saturday at the Christchurch Farmers Market, which is only 500 metres down the road. The quality ingredients they use result in a very tempting cabinet lineup, and while we try not to pick favourites, at Park Ranger their salads are outstanding. The best thing about choosing a salad for your lunch… you’ve totally earned virtue points and deserve one of their scrumptious baked goods for dessert.

Grizzly Baked Goods has become a household name in Ōtautahi since baker Sam Ellis first started his stall at the Christchurch Farmers Market in 2013. These days Grizzly operates three physical locations, still attends the market every Saturday and supplies a whole host of cafes and restaurants around the city with their baked goods and breads. To experience their full range of deliciousness, you have to go to the source at either their hole-in-the-wall shop on Buchan Street, slightly larger space at The Welder, or their newest spot on Cashel Street. From their vege-filled bagels and cheesymite scrolls to donuts, pastries and cookies, it is carb heaven at Grizzly. Not to mention their loaves of bread, baked daily and always a good takeaway purchase to elevate your toast game the next morning. They also do a monthly special, so keep your eyes peeled on their socials for what’s on offer; it’s always an inventive and mouth-watering creation. Can we count you tempted?

If you are at The Tannery and feel hunger creeping in but you’re short on time, stop in at Bellbird Bakery. The aroma of freshly baked pastries will envelop you as soon as you walk in the door, and truth be told, this intoxicating scent may encourage you to order some extra items. In their cabinet, they have classic pastries like pain au chocolat, pain aux raisins and almond croissant, alongside monthly specials that showcase the Bellbird team’s creativity. There are generously filled sandwiches made using the in-house baked bread and you can get loaves to take home. Not often near The Tannery? Well, you are in luck there’s also a permanent Bellbird location at Riverside Market and they have stands at some of the farmers markets happening each week around the city, so getting your hands on their goods is easily within reach!

With four locations dotted around Christchurch (including St Martins, Sumner, St Asaph Street and Riverside), the cabinet goodness of Bohemian Bakery is never far away. Your hardest challenge will be making your mind up on what to order! Pastry lovers will be right at home at Bohemian, as their range is impeccable, from croissants, fruit danishes and a cinnamon bun that you’ll eat so fast you may end up covered in the sugary evidence. The sweet times don’t end there, with cookies, tarts, eclairs and more lining the shelves. If you need a dose of savoury, there are always some seriously good-looking sandwiches waiting to tempt you, all made on the Bohemian range of sourdoughs, baguettes, ciabattas and focaccias. Or perhaps you want to go the pie route, totally worth it and you can taste that everything has been made in-house, from the pastry to the fillings. If you are vegetarian or vegan, you are well catered for at Bohemian, with so many of these options having a vegan version in the cabinet too!