Cellar Door — Restaurant in Christchurch

I don’t know what it is about this place - I have been twice; the previous time was quite a while ago, and yet the same issues are true. I thought I’d take my mum and husband for a drink and something to eat before our movie. I considered it would be busy, so I called first and the person on the phone said there were no spaces in the restaurant but just to come and find a seat outside. We arrived and there were several tables outside, a couple of which had reserved signs on them, and a leaner. On arrival my husband said we only needed about an hour as we were going to a movie, and it took a lot of effort to get a seat at the leaner (not reserved) because “I MIGHT need it in 45 mins”. It then took quite a long time to be served, but our order was then taken by a pleasant-enough young man - we asked if we could get three wines and a cheese platter or similar. He walked away after this so we assumed that was all okay, but when the waitress came with our drinks (which she was weirdly blunt about) she asked if we needed anything else, to which we said we think we’ve ordered a cheese platter but weren't sure, and to that she said “I only deal with the drinks”… okay, well why did you ask if you could help with anything else. Anyway, the young man came back over and we were able to order some starters, which were really delicious. Throughout the entire time we were there (just under an hour) several of other tables remained free, so I’m not sure what the problem was with seating us in the first place and making it into such a big deal. It’s a beautiful spot and the food and beverage is lovely, so it’s a real shame that you’re sort of made to feel unwelcome and even a bit judged, which was the case last time when it was made clear to me that their drinks were very expensive (I wasn’t asking) - you can be high-end and not treat your patrons that way. I think the owner or manager need to re-think how they handle walk-in’s, and also make the reception (and some of the wait staff) a bit warmer - we’re just trying to spend...

We visited Cellar Door on a Saturday afternoon following the Illuminate Festival at the Botanic Gardens. Our group consisted of four adults and two toddlers. Upon arrival, we noticed around six vacant outdoor tables in the sun and were about to be seated when a young staff member approached us.

Despite the visible availability, we were told that the venue was “at capacity” and would not be able to accommodate us. When I questioned this, given the number of empty tables, the staff member responded curtly that they were “at capacity with our current staff.” His tone was dismissive and lacked professionalism, as if we should have been aware of the business’s internal staffing constraints.

We promptly left and went across the road to Astro Lounge, where a single staff member was managing a busy venue with warmth and efficiency. He welcomed our group—including our children—graciously, and even provided toys to entertain them. His hospitality was excellent and made a strong impression.

While at Astro Lounge, we ran into friends who had also experienced unwelcoming service at Cellar Door, which reinforced our own experience. Families with young children typically stay for a short time—an hour or two—so it seemed like a missed opportunity to provide good service and turn over a table before the evening rush.

I would encourage the team at Cellar Door, particularly the younger staff, to reflect on how their customer service compares with other local establishments. The success of nearby venues demonstrates that friendly, flexible service goes a long way—not just in hospitality, but in sustaining a...

How does an aged wine differ from a younger one? How do wines of the same grape variety differ between regions? What about trying wines from very expensive regions, like high end Barolo or a Premier Cru from Gevrey-Chambertin?

You can read about wine, but ultimately, you have to experience it in the glass. The problem here is that normally, you have to purchase full bottles of interesting, palate expanding wines to experience them. You can do tastings of a single producer's wines at their wineries, but all of the tastings you need to do to really learn about wine requires full bottle purchases. Most wine bars simply cannot make interesting bottles available by the glass because once the wine is exposed to oxygen, its shelf life is quite limited.

Cellar Door is the wine bar I've desperately been looking for since starting my formal study of wine. Using some local ingenuity, they have managed to make an incredible array of interesting wines available by the glass, as well as in tasting flights. Do you want to understand how different grape varieties taste from the same region? They have a flight for that. How does Chenin Blanc vary from different regions? They have a flight for that. How does the terroir affect different Pinot Noirs on the South Island of New Zealand? They have a flight for that. I was even able to get a glass from Gaja, a legendary producer from Italy.

The person who served me (Beth, I think) know a startling amount about wine and could answer very detailed questions about the flights and how all the wines were made.

Oh, and the food...