Best on Bread: 12 Top Sandwich Spots in Christchurch

The sandwiches at Central Deli on New Regent Street are generous in size and flavour – and if you work in the CBD, you’ll be fighting the urge to visit every day for lunch. The menu is concise and interesting (zero duds!) with 5-6 hot sandwich options that always include a couple of vegetarian numbers. From “The Tokyo” to “The Tikka Melt”, expect to be taken to places far beyond your usual local deli.

The cabinet at Frances Nation may be petite, but it’s full of fresh sandwiches admired and celebrated by many. Tucked into a ground floor corner of the Arts Centre, the iconic line-up of sandwiches are layered with classic combos using local produce and Bellbird Bakery bread. For something extra hearty, we recommend the Kimchi Cheese Toastie.

Jolly Deli on Christchurch’s Tuam Street is handily located right by the hospital making it perfect for a quick grab-and-go lunch or pre-shift snack. The key to the delicious sandwiches produced by Jolly Deli is their incredible freshly baked focaccia - that even on its own would be phenomenal. They then go and load their sambos up with the best fillings they can find. Their chicken sandwich has us under a spell – we’re talking elevated roast chicken complete with herby mayo, pickled jalapenos and chilli for a kick. If you have room for a post-sandwich treat, they have a selection of sweets that are hard to say no to and Embassy Coffee is their caffeine of choice.

Grizzly is known around the city (and beyond) for its sourdough and baked goods. It’s no surprise, then, that they know their way around a sandwich – think fresh sourdough, focaccia, baguettes, and bagels as the base. The fillings change regularly, celebrating seasonal ingredients and creative combinations you won’t find elsewhere. One classic that’s been around since the beginning (and god forbid it ever leaves) is the Eggy Breakfast: egg, tomato, fresh spinach, mayo, smoked cheese, and a hot sauce kick on an “Everything” bagel. With three locations dotted around the city – Buchan Street, The Welder, and Cashel Street – you’re never too far from this local legend.

Found at the bottom of the Muse Art Hotel on Manchester Street, Dainty’s minimalist aesthetic is just the beginning when it comes to the things they do well. While their food menu is very tempting, if you’re tight on time but still want a slice of Dainty magic, we definitely recommend considering one of their sandwiches. Displayed in the cabinet, the types of sandos change up all the time but no matter what filling is available you are guaranteed a delicious lunch. If you can squeeze in waiting for a coffee then please do, with Embassy Coffee and Dainty’s expert baristas it is well worth it.

This cobalt-blue, neighbourhood-like café on Southwark Street has a reputation for excellent coffee, memorable sandwiches, and sunny pockets. Made fresh each morning using Grizzly Baked Goods, some of the sandwich fillings will appear familiar, but there’s always an interesting, punchy, and sometimes unexpected housemade ingredient in the stack. Tom’s personal favourite is one of their vegan stalwarts: Bay Rd peanut butter, pickled celery, sprouts, Kaitaia Fire chili pepper sauce and vegan mayo – inspired by school lunches growing up and now the go-to for work lunches.

Well, it seems delicious sandwiches run in the family. A new addition to Linwood Village, Peaches was opened by Tessa Peach of Frances Nation in May 2025, and has already built a community around its fresh, delicious cabinet offerings. Like its Arts Centre sibling, Peaches sticks to beloved classics like egg and mayo, ham and cheese, herby chicken, and more – selecting Vic’s Bakehouse as their bread of choice.

Rescuing the industrial area of Middleton from below-average coffee, Odds also serves up a heroic cabinet to match the smooth brews. Alongside outstanding baked treats (Pebbles Pâtisserie’s Gina is the co-owner after all) the sandwiches are simple but perfectly executed. Take, for example, the Jambon Beurre: a classic ham & butter baguette with a touch of cracked pepper. Is this Birmingham Drive or the boulevards of Paris???

The darling of Tai Tapu, General Post is run by locals, for locals. Whether you’re after great coffee, seasonal blooms, lunch, or your weekly fruit and veg shop, this place delivers a bit of everything – all with a lot of charm. Step into a slower pace, find a cosy spot inside or along the sunny verandah, and enjoy a cheese toastie made with Grizzly sourdough (maybe a flaky pastry too). It’s well worth driving from the other side of town for.

If you love bánh mì, the famous street-food sandwich of Vietnam, you’ll adore Miss Saigon in the BNZ Centre. The perfect balance of crunchy and soft, satisfying and light, their bánh mì is filled with your choice of fried tofu, steamed pork, or grilled chicken or pork, alongside fresh salad, herbs, flavour-packed sauces, and fierce bird’s eye chillies (don’t worry – the super friendly team will check in on your spice tolerance first). Coming in at under $10, this is an affordable, healthy, and delicious lunch that’s rightly earned a loyal following.

With five locations around Christchurch, Bohemian Bakery’s empire is getting bigger and better every single day. Their breads and pastries are a work of art but we also want to direct your attention to their cabinet full of sandwiches. Specifically their Reuben, which is everything this classic sandwich should be: generous layers of meat, sauerkraut and dressing between the finest Bohemian bread. This sambo will certainly satisfy your hunger needs for many hours but while you’re at Bohemian it would be a shame not to pick up a sweet something for later.

The Hokitika Sandwich Company is serious about sandwiches and about all the ingredients that go into creating them. As the name suggests they have a shop on the West Coast in Hokitika, and luckily for Cantabarians they also have a home on Christchurch's High Street. Bustling with hungry office workers during lunchtime, we highly advise pre-ordering. Using fresh local ingredients and house made breads and condiments, there’s plenty of options to choose from and depending on your hunger levels you can go for a half or full sandwich. We love the classic simplicity of  'The French': cured free-range ham, Whitestone brie,  house-made aioli and mustard, and locally grown greens – it’s giving ham sammie with the volume dialed up.