Riverside Market sits at the corner of Lichfield Street and Oxford Terrace in central Christchurch, overlooking the Avon River. It is a seven-day-trading indoor market linked to a vibrant network of boutique retail, restaurants, cooking schools, cafes and bars — what the team calls a fresh take on inner city life, built for locals and visitors alike. Doors open at 7.30am every day, all traders are open by 10am, and eateries, bars and restaurants keep going until late. The market is also open on public holidays, including Easter.
Inside, the market brings together a rotating line-up of dine and drink merchants — featured names include Buon Appetito, The Sushi Platter, Silvermoon, Smokey T's, Roti Joes, Nikkei and Castros — alongside the market's own Pantry, an on-site Butchery, and a Farmers Market in the central city. Beyond food, Riverside extends into laneway shopping through Riverside Lanes and hosts its own Jazz Club, corporate functions and a rolling calendar of news and events.
Riverside operates as a collective of independent traders, so days and hours can vary from stall to stall — the market suggests contacting individual merchants for specifics. Gift vouchers are available in-store at the Riverside Collective, and pop-up and leasing enquiries are welcome for those who want to join the market themselves. If you enjoy a visit, the team invites reviews on Google and TripAdvisor.
At the corner of Lichfield Street and Oxford Terrace, right where the central city meets the Avon River, Riverside Market has become one of Christchurch's most distinctive destinations. It is a seven-day-trading indoor market — a single roof under which dozens of independent traders gather — linked to a wider network of boutique retail, restaurants, cooking schools, cafes and bars. The market's own phrase for it is apt: a fresh take on inner city life.
Riverside trades every day of the week. Doors open at 7.30am daily, with all traders open by 10am. From Sunday to Wednesday the market closes at 8pm; from Thursday to Saturday it stays open until 9pm. Crucially for evening planners, the eateries, bars and restaurants keep serving until late, so the market works just as well for a night out as for a morning shop.
The market also opens on public holidays, including Easter — a rarity worth knowing when planning a long weekend. One caveat: Riverside is a collective of independent stallholders, so days and hours can vary from stall to stall. The market advises contacting individual traders for their exact times.
The heart of Riverside is its dine and drink line-up, refreshed regularly with new merchants and pop-ups. Recent featured names give a sense of the range: Buon Appetito, The Sushi Platter, Silvermoon, Smokey T's, Roti Joes, Nikkei and Castros. From sushi to roti, the lineup leans international, and the rotating cast means repeat visitors regularly find something new.
Beyond the ready-to-eat offering, the market covers the weekly shop too. Riverside Pantry handles the grocery side of things, the Riverside Butchery provides an on-site butchery, and the Farmers Market brings grower and producer stalls into the central city — the kind of set-up that once prompted a local radio price-comparison challenge, which the market proudly shares on its site.
Riverside has deliberately grown into a precinct rather than a single hall. Laneway shopping runs through Riverside Lanes, connecting the market to boutique retail. The precinct also has a cultural heartbeat: the Riverside Jazz Club hosts the market's jazz programme, and a rolling events calendar covers everything from news and events to corporate functions and venue hire. Cooking schools sit within the network too, rounding out the food-focused offering.
For businesses, the market markets itself as a venue hire option for corporate functions, and for aspiring traders there are leasing and pop-up opportunities — the team actively invites new merchants to join or trial a pop-up stall.
A few practical notes make a first visit easier. Arrive before 10am and you'll find doors open but not every stall trading yet; the full market is up and running by mid-morning. If you're touring, the market sits in the central city and is easy to pair with a stroll along the Avon River. It has even featured in the NZ Herald's best family guide to Christchurch.
Shopping for gifts? Riverside Market vouchers can be purchased in-store at the Riverside Collective. And if you enjoy the visit, the team asks only one thing: share your thoughts with a review on Google or TripAdvisor.
Whether you come for breakfast at opening, a long lunch through the laneways, or drinks and dinner that stretch into the evening, Riverside Market's appeal is its variety — a Christchurch address where shopping, eating and entertainment share the same roof, seven days a week.