Flora Cafe is a cafe at 276 Antigua Street in the heart of Christchurch's central city. Cafes in New Zealand live or die by the espresso, and the flat white remains the local yardstick: a good one balances a double shot against silky milk without a hint of bitterness. The cabinet tells you the rest, since food that turns over quickly through the morning means the kitchen is keeping pace with regulars rather than moving old stock. Locals tend to judge a cafe by how busy it is mid-morning on a weekday, and by whether the barista remembers their order after a visit or two. If you are choosing between nearby options, a queue of people who are clearly daily regulars is a better sign than any menu. On Antigua Street, in the middle of Christchurch's CBD, Flora Cafe is there for exactly that kind of visit.