The Under the Red Verandah Café opened in the Linwood neighbourhood of Christchurch in 1997. The restaurant relocated elsewhere in the neighbourhood after the 2011 earthquake, although the red verandah from the original site was preserved and restored to the new site.
Under the Red Verandah was founded to be a place where people could enjoy outstanding organic dishes in a unique oasis away from the bustle of Christchurch. The place still feels quaint and relaxing today. You’ll find many things to enjoy here, whether you’re out for lunch or dinner.
Features
- Housed in a relaxed atmosphere
- Has various breakfast and lunch entrees for sale
- Features a kids menu
- Offers an exciting apple and date chutney
- Gluten-free options available
The General Atmosphere
Under the Red Verandah has a cozy atmosphere that feels like something you’d find in a more rural part of the country. You’ll notice wooden floors, painted brick walls, and various decorative pieces of glassware around the place. The restaurant is inside an older repurposed building that has been restored after the earthquake. Some of the original windows and doors from the old location are here as well. These features provide a nice site to relax, especially as it offers a detailed feeling all over the place.
One thing we liked about the inside is that it features plenty of quaint seating spots. The place offers a few two-person tables available for reservations. These tables are in some of the more removed parts of the restaurant and are ideal for romantic outings.
Start With a Drink
Under the Red Verandah has an extensive drink listing for everyone. You can order one of the many coffee or tea products here, plus you can get a glass or bowl of hot chocolate.
We found the drink menu to be very different from what you’d expect in most places. Under the Red Verandah offers cold-pressed fruit juices, Karma Cola, Lemmy Lemonade, Aroha elderflower drinks, and Banjo Brews kombucha. The place also has a few local wine and beer products for lunch, including many beer options from Three Boys.
Start Your Day Right
We came to the verandah for breakfast, and we found the breakfasts to be plentiful with enough food for everyone here. Each breakfast features organic and locally-sourced ingredients. We found some interesting things with many of the entrees here:
- The oat pancakes come with a berry compote and hazelnuts. The pancakes are mixed well and are fluffy all around.
- The eggs benedict tasted great with mushrooms and baby spinach on the side. Every part of the entrée complemented each other well.
- The posh beans look colourful, but the crumbled feta and added chorizo sausage added a good texture to the entire entrée.
- The toasted house bread goes well with just about everything here.
What About Lunch?
The lunch menu at Under the Red Verandah has plenty of choices for everyone to enjoy. You’ll find such lunch choices as seafood chowder, hot pot, and duck liver pate. The pumpkin freekeh salad is outstanding, as it features roasted pumpkin with red onion and feta. The toasted seeds and almonds around the salad also add a good touch.
The café also serves poached eggs as a side dish. Each egg they serve is properly cooked and seasoned to create a better flavour that mixes with anything they serve here. The spinach, mushroom, hollandaise sauce, and tomatoes are also worth trying with your meal.
What’s the Chutney Like?
We tried some of the café’s apple and date chutney while we were here. The chutney is the most popular condiment at the café, and it is so popular that the place also sells it in takeaway jars. We can see why so many people love it, as the chutney provides a mix of spicy and sweet. It adds a great kick to any entrée, but it doesn’t go overboard on the spiciness.
We found everything at Under the Red Verandah to be enjoyable and worthwhile. You’ll find many great things at this café in the Christchurch area, as it features a cozy atmosphere with plenty of appealing foods for all tastes. The odds are you’ll find something here that you will love to eat.
