Cassels The Brewery Bar & Restaurant — Restaurant in Christchurch

What a thoroughly disappointing experience, to say the least. A promising start intriguied us as a staff, having ordered a work barbecue, with a captatingly friendly atmosphere and gorgeous restaurant layout. On the bright side, this gives the review its first star. On the other hand, that is also its last. I happened to notice some salad being prepared in the kitchen. A salad should be green and crunchy, while light and delicate. This is a stark contrast to the pain which your chefs hath wrought upon mine innocent eyes. A thick, dull, blob of salad, drenched in mayonnaise, making its way to a plate with a sickening slap. Another salad caught my eye: shredded lettuce. Oh for joy! A normal salad! I wonder what next they may add to preserve their reputation! But what next occurred was the final bucket of water to my flickering candle of hope in the raging winds of dismay and disgust: nothing. The shredded lettuce sat on the plate, crying for at least a dressing or an accompaniment; but alas, no such luck. Baked potatoes were next on the menu, my favourite..! Until that fateful day. Terribly old dried herbs were not the saviour that I so desperately craved. Up next, a sausage. While not bad enough to be noteworthy, they were not spectacular; the same can be said for the kebabs. Unfortunately for them, they ran out before everyone had a chance to try them. Unfortunately for the next set of meat, there wasn’t the same decency. The not-so-secret secret to a decent mince patty is other ingredients, such as eggs, spices, seasonings. Not overcooking the patties shouldn’t need to be said. However, your staff managed to ignore quality in place of... nothing, it seems. Almost dry enough to be a biscuit, these barely-edible disgraces fell out of the mouth and left nothing but a metaphorical sour taste and literal lack of taste. At this point, I was not looking forward to dessert, but it showed its ugly face anyway. Macaroons are a treat to me, but unfortunately, they managed to escape me; I couldn’t have but one before they ran out. While i can’t criticise the taste of the slice, the idea of that is the problem itself: it looked as if it was bought from a bakery. Now had this meal cost me $10, I would not complain, for that’s how much a meal of this size and caliber should be worth. But $47 is nothing less than daylight robbery. I shall not be...

Cassels Brewery at The Tannery — A Love Letter in Pints and Pizza

There are places you go once and think, “Yeah, that was alright.” And then there are places like Cassels Brewery, where you accidentally end up once a week for four years and start pretending it’s a conscious decision.

Nestled in the stylish, slightly-too-hip-for-its-own-good Tannery complex, Cassels has been serving up the kind of atmosphere that says “Yeah, we’re cool — but you don’t have to try too hard,” since basically forever. Or at least since your crew adopted it as their semi-official headquarters.

The vibe: • Always bustling, never bursting — that sweet spot where the hum of conversation doesn’t drown out your yarns, but you’re not surrounded by empty chairs and existential dread. • In summer? Prime. You might have to pull a bit of tactical table-hunting, especially on a Saturday when the sun’s out and everyone in Christchurch remembers that beer exists. But if you’re fewer than four, you’re laughing.

The menu: • The craft beers? Elite. Cold. Tasty. Probably too good, if we’re being honest. • Snacks? Dangerous. You go in for one thing, and suddenly you’re five garlic breads deep and considering a pizza “just to soak it up.” • The pizzas? Actually pretty decent. Not an afterthought. A legitimate dinner plan, especially when nobody wants to commit to real cooking.

Minor gripes (we’re Kiwi, we have to whinge a bit): • Parking is technically a thing. But unless your legs are purely decorative, a 3–5 minute stroll is hardly a hardship. In fact, it helps you feel smug about all that beer you’re...

April 2019 - I was having lunch at this place located next to The Tannery. I've been here many times for drinks but this is the first time that I eaten here. Anyway, it has a modern feel with a bit of retro style. You can choose either to sit inside or outside (sheltered with outdoor heaters).

I ordered a Devilled Prawn Cocktail and it was marvellous. The prawns were succulent and flavoursome, and balanced with the salad. Very refreshing compared to other dishes. I would consider it as healthy dish.

This is a licensed eatery and you can order the drinks 🍻🍸🍷🍾🍹🍺. There is an outdoor area and smoking 🚬 is [definitely] not permitted inside the building or the covered outdoor area. There is a smoking area next to the covered area.

Onsite and street parking 🅿.

They accept cash, EFTPOS and credit card payments (yes, Paywave is available), for those who want to know.

Friendly staff.

Would I go back? Yes 😏 Would I recommend? Yes 😊

Food: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5. Can't go wrong with devilled prawns cocktail. Tasty and delicious 😋. Ambience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5. Nice interior deco. Great atmosphere. Price: ⭐⭐⭐ out of 5. The pricing is slightly expensive = Small portion size. I wish the portion is bigger as I can't get...