Coffee in Christchurch

Today, I’m going to be talking about something very important in my life.

Coffee.

What has become somewhat of a joke to my friends and family–my coffee runs–is more meaningful than everyone thinks. It has been a hard adjustment settling into the University of Canterbury. I have a lot of imposter syndrome (feeling like I don’t belong here) even towards the end of the semester. The campus doesn’t feel like mine, so it’s hard to find those nooks and crannies for great study spots. Cafes, to me, are the perfect space to feel comfortable while I’m working, and coffee is the motivation that keeps me going when I’m in a slog. While my wallet may not be thanking me for spending so much on coffee, the time I’ve spent in cafes around Christchurch has gotten me through more work than anywhere else.

So today I’m going to give you the rundown. Before I start, I need to preface that Christchurch has an abundance of coffee shops. Anywhere you turn, you’re going to find one, and it’s hard to sort through the noise sometimes. So take it from me, a study abroad student, and I’ll help guide you to my favorite spots.

Let’s get “Coffee Culture” out of the way. I’m not its biggest fan, but I have to give it some praise. This is the only coffee shop you’ll see open from 7am to 9pm, and they’re everywhere. It’s basically the Starbucks of Christchurch. Unfortunately, when you’re a franchise, your quality is a little lower, so in the few times I’ve been there, I haven’t enjoyed the food or coffee that much. But I wanted to mention it in this blog because of its flexible hours and quantity across the city. “Coffee Culture” also has wifi, but the downside is that they’ll kick you off after 30 minutes, so it’s kind of pointless for a long study session.

The biggest hits on-campus are “The Foundry” and “Cafe 1894”. Don’t mix up the latter with George Orwell’s 1984–I can’t tell you how many times I have to remind my friends of its actual name. “The Foundry” is in the student center building (USCA) and they’re pretty much open all day. They serve food there, and it’s pretty good, and then at night it turns into a student bar. It doesn’t get too busy, but the noise levels can vary, so it’s not the best spot to study, but with the student discount, you can get some cheap, good-quality coffee and food for a study session. “Cafe 1894” feeds more into cafe culture, providing great-quality coffee into the early afternoon; however, it gets quite busy between classes, and the space is pretty small, so you’ll have to get lucky to find a seat. I like to come here to get a sweet treat before a class usually.

Unfortunately, most places on campus are closed during the weekends, so we’ll have to turn our attention elsewhere for the weekend. 

Down the road from Ilam Apartments on Waimairi Rd you’ll find “Black & White Coffee Cartel,” which is a small coffee shop, but it feels more like a brunch place to me, so I wouldn’t recommend studying there. If you’re looking somewhere close, take the Orbiter a bit further to the Riccarton Mall, and it’ll drop you off right outside “Park Ranger”. This coffee shop is incredibly cute, serves spectacular coffee and food, and they’re in a convenient location. I have frequented “Park Ranger” a lot over this past semester. I highly recommend their muffins, avocado toast, and the iced chai latte. The atmosphere inside the cafe is a great place to study, but it doesn’t have wifi, which is the biggest downside. Sometimes I’ve gone there to read a book or do homework that doesn’t require wifi.

Moving closer into the city, I wanted to mention "Atawhai Cafe" before going to my favorite spot. I’ve only been there once, and you have to travel a bit to get there, but they had good coffee and it wasn’t that busy. It has a lot of natural lighting and available wifi.

Arguably, even with all these options in consideration, the best cafe in Christchurch is “Addington Coffee Co”. While it may take you a little under 30 minutes to get there from campus, the wait is worthwhile. Someone recommended this place to me on my backpacking trip earlier this semester, and I’ve gone there too many times to count. As soon as you walk in, a small gift shop and bookshop flanks you on either side, and often there’s an adorable old man interacting with all the cafe customers. I’ve had some lovely chats with him, and I always see people coming up to say hi to him. Before you even get to the register, you can tell this cafe builds community. When you order, you get a flag instead of a number for your table (which I personally love, even if I don’t know the country half the time) and you have your choice of where to sit: high-tops, couches, tables, picnic tables, etc. They have a wide array of seating that allows them to host a ton of customers on any given day. Once you’re in your spot, you can connect to the all-day free wifi, wait for your order, and settle in for a long study session. 

Now, of course, you may ask me–with all of these recommendations, what is your favorite thing to order? Well, I’m quite generic, unfortunately. I either get an iced caramel latte or a flat white. It’s hard to go wrong with either of those options. But you’ll have to try them for yourself, whether it’s visiting the “Coffee Culture” franchise, staying on-campus for “Cafe 1894,” or taking the trip to “Addington Coffee Co.” Just let me know what you think and if you agree with me!