Ilex Café: A Good Place to Relax in the Middle of the Christchurch Botanic Gardens
I had been told about Ilex Café in the heart of the Christchurch Botanic Gardens and was interested in visiting. The Botanic Gardens themselves had a fascinating history. They were also filled with an exotic variety of plants and trees. I was sure that I would enjoy my visit very much and I couldn’t wait to pay a visit to the café inside the gardens.
Ilex Café had several outdoor and indoor seating areas and places where guests could entertain themselves. The first thing that met my eye was the big visitor center with huge glass doors and windows. The whole place was filled with sunlight. It was almost like Ilex Café wanted to bring a little bit of the outdoor world inside the café.
I headed to the patio area so that I could also check out the outdoor seating options. The patio was surrounded by well-kept green lawns and large trees. The café had placed garden furniture on the patio for guests who wanted to sit outdoors. A booth had also been placed outside to serve the guests. But when I visited, the booth was closed.
Each table had a large garden umbrella over it to protect guests from sun and rain. However, the weather was very pleasant that day and the umbrellas were still closed. The skies were blue with white clouds. I could see small groups of people sitting at the outdoor tables and enjoying the sunshine. Some tourists walked past the patio on their way to other sections of the Christchurch Botanic Gardens (I also highly recommend visiting Christchurch Arts Centre and Christchurch Cathedral Square when you’re in Christchurch).
I got my hands on the menu of Ilex Café and looked through all the options. The café menu had a long list of breakfast items, pastries and snacks and even some lunch options. The drinks menu was just as extensive as the food menu. There was even a kids section in the menu with items such as mac and cheese and buttermilk pancakes.
The breakfast options varied from healthy meals like overnight oats to Eggs Benedict with bacon or mushrooms. Quiche, bruschetta and avocado toast were some of the lunch items that guests could order. Ilex Café, in addition to tea and coffee, also offered wine, beer and cocktails. For people who wanted something lighter and healthier, a number of fresh and organic juices were available.
I noticed that one corner of the menu had a section on events at the café. People could rent out the whole place for a wedding or a corporate event. You can see the menu in the image above.
The bakery case was well lit and filled with fresh food that had been prepared that day. Behind the counter was a coffee machine where the staff could prepare cappuccinos and lattes. Different syrups used to make flavored coffee were placed above the coffee machine, along with juice cartons and bottled drinks.
When I looked up, I noticed that the bottles of wine and wine glasses were kept on the topmost shelf. The café staff had decorated the ceiling with some climbing plants and small palm trees.
I took a look inside the bakery case to see what items they were offering. Desserts and cakes like banana loaves, carrot cakes, Lamington slices and other kinds of layered cakes were on the upper shelf. Meanwhile, savory items like burgers, BLT sandwiches, breakfast rolls and vegan wraps sat on the lower shelf.
Many of the shelves were almost empty. I knew that the food must sell really fast. And it wasn’t surprising at all because everything looked very delicious! Ilex Café seemed like a wonderful place to spend a few free hours in Christchurch.
