Garden Court Brasserie, Chateau on the Park Christchurch: A Perfect Quiet Atmosphere for a Delicious Meal
There’s a good reason that Christchurch, New Zealand is often referred to as a “Garden City”. Just look at the wide selection of parks, well designed gardens, tree lined roads and overall green environment the city has. It made me feel very close to nature, and this was complemented by the various old buildings I saw that were influenced by European architecture.
Within Christchurch, I had the opportunity to dine at the Garden Court Brasserie, a restaurant located within Chateau on the Park, a DoubleTree hotel by Hilton (I also wrote articles about my review of this hotel and its gym, laundry and swimming pool.). The first things I saw were these lovely wooden paneled doors that were the hotel entrance.
I could see that the venue was hosting a few events. There was also a lounge and bar called the Little Red Fox on the premises, but I was there for a solid meal, rather than drinks, so on I went to the Brasserie.
When I entered the restaurant, I was shown my seat. I really loved how spacious the restaurant was. The decorations were very minimalist, with lots of white and neutral colours. There were also a lot of indoor plants that added to its calm atmosphere.
I came at late dinner time and the place was not crowded, so I was happy to be able to eat quietly without noise or hustle and bustle.
After scanning their menu, I settled on my first dish, which was the Seasonal Risotto ($35). This dish was creamy and refreshing. The crunchiness of the broccoli and heirloom carrots really balanced out the softness of the risotto rice.
Next I tried the Caesar Salad ($25.50), a healthy dish of greens with plenty of tasty protein options sprinkled on top. These included bacon bits, a poached egg, anchovies and parmesan cheese. It came with two slices of crispy parmesan crostini which added a texture contrast to the dish.
The main dish I went for was the Angus Beef Fillet Steak ($52.00) and I really enjoyed the fact that they put the steak on top on the side dishes, which included gratin potatoes, heirloom carrots and broccoli. This actually allowed all the juices from the steak to flow down onto the veggies and flavour it.
This dish also came with mushroom sauce which didn’t overpower anything, so I could still savour the full and natural umami taste of the steak.
I must be honest. When I came to New Zealand, I didn’t really have very high expectations of the food, but this place left me quite impressed. Not only did they get the tastes right, they made an effort in presentation too, ensuring that each dish was not just delicious, it also looked colourful and beautiful. The icing on the cake was that their food wasn’t too oily or greasy, so I didn’t feel that it was ‘heavy’. In fact, I felt that the meal was rather healthy and refreshing.
Menu
I had a chance to scan the rest of their lunch menu, and I must say I was impressed by the variety of their offerings. I would have loved to try one of their desserts if I had the chance, as they featured items like Raspberry Crème Brulee, Flourless Chocolate Mousse Brownies and Apple Pie. However, the three items I ordered left no room for more food. I loved my experience here and recommend you have lunch or dinner here if you’re visiting Christchurch for a calm, quite and delicious meal.
