Gatherings

About

Gatherings is a restaurant and living wine bar focusing on sustainable, local and seasonal cuisine that highlights the connection of what we eat and the planet that we live on

Story

Gatherings is a restaurant and living wine bar focusing on sustainable, local and seasonal cuisine that highlights the connection of what we eat and the planet that we live on.

In 2014/15 Chef Alex Davies caught the attention of the food world in New Zealand for what was described as a boldly innovative and progressive style of cooking in his tiny restaurant Shop Eight in New Regent Street. He left the establishment in 2015 to pursue a desire to learn more about sustainable food systems by working on an organic vegetable farm in Swannanoa, North Canterbury. During this period he also launched the concept of the pop-up ‘Gatherings’ where people were invited to dine collectively in an unusual space or environment. The food that he cooked represented a taste of the region, a taste of time and place.

Gatherings Living Wine bar and Restaurant, now gives this concept a firm home base, and in August 2017 Gatherings won Best New Metropolitan Restaurant at the Good Food Awards. It also received a prestigious hat marking it as one of New Zealands best dining destinations.

The celebration of using what we have and sustainability goes in to everything, with the furniture hand made by carpenter Tim Mc Gurk who has taken the concept of Gatherings and using recycled timbers has created furniture which can only be described as art. All our plates and crockery come from artisans throughout New Zealand.The restaurant is art from local artists, and sets the scene for the minimalism of Gatherings philosophy.

The menu is modern bistro style with a set daily menu offering five courses for $65 or $110 with wine pairings. This very reasonable cost ensures that anyone can come and have a taste of Canterbury. Gatherings also offers snacks, which can be enjoyed in the natural wine bar. A simpler lunch menu is also available between 12pm and 2pm with no dish being more then $20.

In the spirit of the pop-up series, Gatherings will place an emphasis on bringing people together and providing a social platform for people to engage with their environment through food or wine. It is also a space to have fun and we will combine music and pop up culture by hosting events in the space throughout the year. These events will be orchestrated by Alex's partner, singer-songwriter Bryony Matthews.

Gatherings is a unique space in Christchurch, designed for people to engage with the wonderful natural environment that we inhabit and celebrating all we have in this amazing wee corner of the world.