Garden Restaurant Buffet

I recently visited Garden Hotel in Christchurch and decided to try out their in-house buffet. It’s not super fancy or high-end, but the variety was good and the overall experience felt relaxed and worth it. Plenty of Options They had a wide range of hot dishes: roast meats, stews, curry chicken, stir-fried noodles, fried rice, and even some classic sides like roast potatoes and chips. You can tell they’re aiming to cater to all kinds of tastes—nothing overly adventurous, but solid comfort food. Seafood Corner – Small but Fresh There were prawns, mussels, and smoked salmon. It’s not an extensive seafood bar, but what’s there is fresh and replenished regularly. No complaints here. Surprisingly Decent Desserts The dessert section had a few sweet treats worth mentioning—especially the chocolate cake and lemon tart. There’s also a fruit section if you want something lighter to finish off your meal. Relaxed Atmosphere The dining space is open and bright, with a casual, family-friendly vibe. It’s not too noisy or crowded, and you don’t feel rushed while eating. Great spot if you’re with friends, coworkers, or bringing the parents out for a meal.

The reason for our visit to the Garden Restaurant Buffet was for Christmas Lunch. This is the first time we have gone out for Christmas Lunch so was a bit dubious about it all and having read some of the reviews (mostly to be honest from just the normal buffet service) wasn't sure we had made the right decision. After getting more nervous by the day as Christmas Day came we arrived at 11.30am for our allocated 2 hour dining experience. It was busy as can be expected for Christmas Lunch. We were shown where our table was, given our drinks vouchers (one glass of bubbly or non alcoholic per person with the cost of the dining experience) Tickets for the Lunch were (I think) $180 per person and we dined with 4 adults and one child. The tables were nicely laid out with Christmas Crackers, candles and a chocolate for after per person. As it was busy (we thought booking at 11.30 would be a good time) we all decided to have a quick look through the buffet and decide what we wanted to try first. Initially we were disappointed as most of the more popular dishes were almost gone and had not been replenished but it only took a request to some of the staff for these to be quickly replenished or as quick as the chefs could get them prepared. To be honest the selection of food was more than anyone could expect for a Christmas Lunch, so many choices (food stations) and the food had their individual flavours and didn't taste like a buffet sometimes can. It was faultless and not to mention the salad station and the dessert station (if you could cram it in after the selection of mains) also available was tea and coffee and a selection of Christmas baking. I would like to thank the Garden Restaurant and Buffet for their efforts on Christmas Day, and for the staff taking time out from their families to work to feed all the people that turned up on the day. I was impressed and so were our other guests especially being first time Christmas Day buffet goers. Just thinking if we would go again, and yes we probably would. $180 per person is quite pricey but given that it's Christmas Day, the selection of food and the amount of staff that were on I considered it to be well worth. Only thing we would do next time is arrive a lot earlier or at least for the first time slot of the day. Thanks team.

Everything was great but did run out of certain dishes and was not replaced. Ribs, chips, fish and salmon. The staff were great and kept the tables cleared of dirty plates. The desert was nice and there was lots of variety. Over all there was a lot of choices of the main dishes.

My family and I dined at Garden Restaurant on Friday the 13th to celebrate my mother's birthday, and we were thoroughly impressed. The ambiance was elegant yet comfortable, and the service was exceptional. The staff were attentive and ensured that my mother felt truly celebrated. Every dish we ordered was beautifully presented and full of flavor. It was a memorable evening, and we’re grateful for the wonderful experience. Highly recommended for special occasions.

While we were celebrating my nephews birthday I had my 16 month old granddaughter with me. I had no issues finding suitable food for her. She had an amazing time and remained calm throughout the meal ( usually screams around strangers so this was a risk bringing her. )

Hello, The gentleman at the entry counter was very lovely, and very very helpful. Really knew his knowledge of the Restaurant. Food was great as aswells but the roast meats were dry as per previous visits. Understanding the cost of everything is going up, but looking at a discount for celebration or a big group over 10 would be nice, as we now limit our visit due to the amount we pay for each visit.

This is our second visit in two months. The first time we visited I wasn't happy with how cold the plates were or even some of the food. This time things were much better ! The plates were piping hot and the food was hotter than the previous occasion. A much better experience for me this time. Thank you for all your improvements ! We will definitely visit again now