Best on Bread: 8 Carby Delights to Eat Your Way Across Christchurch

If your idea of a great sandwich is one that is overflowing with fillings and keeps you satiated until dinner time then Central Deli on New Regent Street is a must visit. The sandwiches here are generous in size and generous in flavour and if you work in the CBD it will be hard to fight the urge to not come here on every single lunch break. There’s no wrong choice when it comes to making a selection from their menu but our pick - and one you don’t see around the city often - is the Philly cheese steak. You’ll certainly achieve your protein intake for the day!

Working near the Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora or simply find yourself closeby when hunger strikes? Then you are in luck, as Frances Nation Café is mere metres away and their sandwich game is admired and celebrated by many. This petite cafe is tucked into a ground floor corner of the Arts Centre and alongside a cabinet case laden with sandwiches and baked goods, they also sell a variety of pantry items, make an excellent cup of coffee and their real fruit ice cream is *chef’s kiss*. But back to their sandwiches… they use Bellbird Bakery bread and the very best fresh, local ingredients for their fillings. Call our tastes simple but we highly rate their classic cheese sandwich, it hits the spot every time.

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 it’s 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 a 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 Baked Goods is known around the city (and beyond!) for their breads and baked goods. So of course it is no surprise that they make a pretty epic sando as well. They have an excellent starting point using their in housed baked sourdoughs, ciabattas and focaccias. The fillings change out regularly, honouring seasonal ingredients and creative combinations you won’t find elsewhere. Their take on a caprese is mouth-watering with slices of beefsteak tomatoes,fresh mozzarella, Grizzly made pesto and balsamic aioli sandwiched between their ciabatta With three locations dotted around the city at Buchan Street, The Welder and Cashel Street, you’re never too far away from being able to improve your lunch game.

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 conspicuously cobalt-blue, neighbourhood-feel café tucked just inside the southern edge of the central city has made a name for itself thanks to its sunny, cute space, excellent coffee, and, you guessed it, memorable sandwiches.

Made fresh each morning from the daily delivery of Grizzly Baked Goods loaves and buns, some of the sandwiches’ filling combos will appear familiar, but in reality, nothing between bread created within these walls is in the realm of the ordinary. The paper-wrapped goods are a little different from day to day, and the eponymous Tom’s genius touch is that all of these bundles carry simple but punchy flavours, an interesting, often housemade, ingredient or two within the stack.

Tom’s personal favourite sando is one of their vegan stalwarts: (South Island) Bay Rd peanut butter, pickled celery, sprouts, Kaitaia Fire chili pepper sauce and vegan mayo. Intrigued? Leave sad supermarket sandwiches on their shelves and go to Tom’s to discover new flavour territories!

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 in Christchurch’s central city on High Street. Busy and bustling during lunchtime satisfying hungry office workers, we highly advise you plan ahead and pre-order so you can enjoy your sandwich with the maximum amount of breaktime remaining. 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; ham, brie, aioli, mustard and greens - it’s giving ham sammie with the volume dialed up.