Gatherings is a fully sustainable vegetarian restaurant with a menu that is flexible enough to adapt to vegan tastes. Since its humble pop-up beginnings, Gatherings has found itself a permanent home in the dynamic central suburb of Merivale. A fresh five-course tasting menu, served Wednesday-Saturdays, and a uniquely curated wine list are the main features that make this restaurant stand out from the rest.

And there was no way I was going to miss this one – a collaboration dinner at Gatherings featuring Masterchef Australia winner Nat Thaipun. Nat will have already returned to her glamorous global career by the time you get to Gatherings but the collab event was a good example of the energy that restaurant, owned by chef Alex Davies, puts into everything it does. The dining room is intimate and the menu exciting – Alex coaxes maximum flavour from the barrow of market-fresh ingredients he delivers to the kitchen every day.

Chef Alex Davies describes his innovative, immaculately executed, plant-based dishes as ‘an expression of myself, my values and who I am – I think it’s important to respect the environment we live in and honour the people who are doing things properly and looking after the earth’. The care is all there on the plate, and his intimate restaurant serves wines from Bell Hill, Greystone, Mountford and Rippon Valley, with more from Alfred, the wine bar next door.

After working on an organic vegetable farm in North Canterbury, chef Alex Davies launched the Gatherings pop-up concept where the food he cooked represented a taste of the region, the time and place. The concept has since evolved into a permanent restaurant and living wine bar focusing on sustainable, local and seasonal cuisine. The overarching theme is to highlight the connection of what we eat and the planet that we live on.

Gatherings Christchurch focus is the future of the planet that we call home. We endeavour to produce dishes using locally gathered and seasonal fare, in which we hope to stimulate thought about the role of food in reducing carbon emissions. It is also as our name suggests, a meeting place where stories can be shared and communities created over nourishing cuisine that does not cost the earth.

Award-winning vegetarian restaurant and ‘living wine’ bar taking the concept of ‘pop-up’ dining and putting it in a more permanent setting. A daily tasting menu is designed around regional and seasonal produce, with vegan options, and the restaurant is committed to sustainability including the use of ‘living wine’, made without chemicals and with minimal technological intervention.

If you’re ready for your tastebuds to explode, book in an evening at the Gatherings. Originally they offered vegetarian and pescatarian degustation menus, but changed things up post-lockdown to make their food more budget and takeaway friendly. Now, the main option is a whole fish of the day for two and a whole smattering of sides sure to make your heart swoon.

Gatherings lives up to its name, offering a space where food and people come together in perfect harmony. This tiny restaurant offers an intimate experience where all the focus is on the simple joy of dining out. The weekly changing menu celebrates local farmers and artisans and the wine list is extensive yet considered.

This bijou little place supports farmers, fishers and artisans with a creative, ever-changing menu that has organic ideals and sustainable philosophies at its core. No surprise then that the drinks list is dedicated to natural wines. The team is also paid a living wage (or higher) – something to raise a glass to.

A small and cosy restaurant that packs maximum punch, Gatherings is the ultimate in thoughtfully produced food and a beautifully curated and ever-changing menu. Focusing on organic and seasonal vegetables, sustainable caught fish and natural wine, this intimate spot leaves no detail out.

Gatherings is a tiny restaurant with a rustic feel and luxurious seafood dishes. All of their fishes aresustainably caught, so their rotating menu depends on the catch available during the season. The staff here displays warm hospitality from the moment you walk through the door.

The best chefs in the city have been recognised with Samson Stewart of 5th Street, Finbar McArthy of Gatherings, Simon Levy of INATI & Hali Bar & Bistro and Paul Howells of Twenty Seven Steps all up for the Outstanding Chef category.

In the same vein, Gatherings (5/2 Papanui Road, Merivale) showcases Canterbury produce with a focus on mindful eating with ethically and locally sourced ingredients and even the furniture made from recycled wood.

Gatherings was awarded the Cuisine Good Food award, Best New Metropolitan Restaurant in 2017, and made Cuisine’s list of top 100 New Zealand restaurants. The focus here is on sustainable, seasonal cuisine.

Gatherings restaurant fits very well with our philosophy of fresh, local food for sharing. The restaurant is small and intimate. The food is high-end but affordable and the vibe is super relaxed.

Gatherings in Merivale has a strong emphasis on artisan, seasonal and sustainable food, with an entirely pescatarian menu designed for whole-table sharing.