Pacifica Kava Lounge - Christchurch — Restaurant in Christchurch

This place is a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered. It feels like an extension of the owner’s (Suriya) home with a welcoming energy from her and the chef. Suriya and her team were so friendly and accomodating. We went on a Monday evening and the place was hopping at 7pm. We started with lamb and the Not To Be Missed Tandoori Scampi 🍤-this is a must! We had a couple of Corona’s, which went so nice with the spice. They offered non-alcoholics, beer, wine and spirits. We then moved on to our mains. Kava Chicken w garlic naan- which my dining companion highly recommends and this is on their menu as an authentic taste of Fiji. As I am garlic-free the chef recommended a palak paneer that he was able to make to accomodate. I had this with a plain naan and a salad with chicken. Very fresh and beautiful. All recommended. To top our meal off, we had a bowl of kava. We had a $10 bowl, which was plenty for 2 people. I’ve never had kava before so, it was an interesting experience. My mouth went slightly numb and my body very relaxed. Kava doesn’t have alcohol in it and we found the effects wore off quickly. I do not know much about it, but it was interesting. All in all, it’s nice to get to a restaurant that has put such care into the food and the staff creating a great experience. We...

A Truly Lovely Dining Experience, some things were not perfect unfortunately. The meal was great—it was really, really nice from start to finish. Everything came out perfectly, following a wonderful progression of courses. We first enjoyed the classic and crisp poppadoms, which were a great way to start. For the entrée, I had the prawns, and they were excellent. The main course featured a rich curry each, paired with shared rice, which was the perfect combination to round out the meal. The entire experience was delightful, with great food and a clear focus on quality. A wonderful choice for an enjoyable dinner!

My downside is The place got really hot inside. The place had no real atmosphere and was a little rough around the edges. The menu was unreadable in the description of the items. The food menu.. Bourbon $13. This does not include coke that was an extra $6. The drink was one nip and only half full, so maybe 250 ml in total. The food must come from a downstairs kitchen because I used the ablution and it was downstairs, on my way back up the waiter was bringing my friends entree up the stairs. The food was not covered...

We dined at Kava Lounge for dinner and the service was absolutely wonderful – the staff were so welcoming and made us feel right at home!

For starters, we had the spicy honey cauliflower, and wow… it was absolutely delicious. Hands down the best cauliflower dish we’ve ever had – so different and so memorable! We also tried the lamb sheesh kebab, which was tasty, though the cauliflower still stole the show.

For mains, the goat curry was a standout – rich, flavourful, and the goat was cooked to perfection, so tender and succulent. The butter chicken was exactly what a Kiwi butter chicken should be – a little sweet, not too tomatoey, and just wonderful. And the garlic naan? Incredible. I’m a huge garlic naan fan and often get it on its own for lunch, but I’ve never had one as yummy as this!

The portions were so generous that we left super full and couldn’t even finish our meal – and that doesn’t happen often. We left happy and already planning our next visit....