Amazonita

About Amazonita

Amazonita is a contemporary eatery on Level One at 126 Oxford Terrace in Christchurch, serving shared plates of varying sizes in a plush yet relaxed setting. The kitchen takes its inspiration from wood-fired and charcoal cooking, with a stated commitment to quality, seasonality and sustainability — sourcing Canterbury grass-fed Angus aged 28 days, Lumina lamb, Ōra King salmon, Ruakaka kingfish, Cloudy Bay clams and local Whitestone and Barrys Bay cheeses.

The bar draws on the spirit and charm of the Amazon with a dash of influence from Mediterranean culinary traditions: a signature cocktail list, an extensive rum collection, New Zealand and international wines, tap beer and cider, plus Mojo coffee and Harney & Sons tea.

Service runs from 11am until late on weekdays and from 10am on weekends, spanning lunch, an afternoon snack window, dinner, a weekend brunch menu from 10am to 1pm, and a late-night share menu available from the end of dinner until close. Reservations can be made online or by phone, and gift cards are available.

Amazonita Christchurch: Wood-Fired Shared Plates and Serious Cocktails on Oxford Terrace

On the first floor at 126 Oxford Terrace, Amazonita sets a plush yet relaxed table in central Christchurch. It's a contemporary eatery built around a simple idea: cook with fire, source with care, and put everything in the middle of the table. Plates arrive in varying sizes designed to be shared, the menu follows the seasons, and the bar takes its cue from the spirit and charm of the Amazon with a dash of influence from Mediterranean culinary traditions.

That commitment shows in the sourcing. The kitchen works with Canterbury grass-fed Angus aged for 28 days, Lumina lamb, Ōra King salmon and Ruakaka kingfish, Cloudy Bay clams, Lake Ōhau wagyu, and Whitestone and Barrys Bay cheeses. Quality, seasonality and sustainability are treated as the starting point rather than the selling point.

From the coals

The kitchen's anchor is wood-fired and charcoal cooking. Start small: house-baked milk bread with sour cream butter and ember salt, lamb empanadas with salsa criolla, buttermilk fried chicken nibbles with hot honey, or wood-fired octopus with nduja emulsion and green olives. The raw and cured list runs from Ruakaka kingfish tiradito — ají amarillo, picante honey and kumara — to Ōra King salmon tacos and a burrata and beetroot panzanella.

The charcoal grill handles the steaks: an eye fillet, a 300g ribeye, or the 500g bone-in ribeye, which needs at least half an hour on the coals and arrives carved with a choice of two sauces and a side. Every steak comes with potato boulangère and confit garlic, with sauces ranging from green peppercorn to jalapeño chimichurri.

Larger plates are built for the long haul: wagyu beef cheek pappardelle, prawn linguine with smoked chilli butter, a moqueca-style seafood stew of clams, market fish, mussels and tiger prawns, and the 12-hour Lumina lamb shoulder, slow-cooked in merlot and thyme and served with salsa verde and padrón peppers for two to three people. Dessert leans classic — dark chocolate torte, tiramisu, dulce de leche caramel tart, Earl Grey crème brûlée — or goes liquid with the Drunken Peacock and Sweet Depart dessert cocktails.

A bar with a rum habit

Drinks are half the story here. The signature list stretches from the Pornstar Mojito to the Rum Diary, Purple Reign and the carbonated Crimson Monsoon, with a rotating monthly frozen margarita flavour and lighter Summer Coolers alongside zero-proof options. Behind the bar sits an ambitious rum collection running from Caribbean mainstays like Appleton, Angostura and Gosling's to Venezuelan Diplomatico and Guyanese El Dorado, plus tequila, mezcal, gin and an international wine list with a strong New Zealand thread from Marlborough to Central Otago. Mojo coffee and Harney & Sons tea cover the daylight hours.

Timing your visit

The day has its own rhythm. Lunch runs from 11am to 3pm on weekdays, a dedicated snack window follows from 3pm to 5pm, and dinner service starts at 5pm and goes until late. On weekends the doors open at 10am with a brunch and weekend lunch menu from 10am to 1pm, and once dinner winds down a late-night share menu keeps the kitchen going until close.

Book ahead when you can — reservations are taken online or by calling 03 377 4144 — and gift cards are available if you're planning to treat someone else. Menus flag vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options, though the kitchen notes that allergens are present in its prep areas and no dish can be guaranteed completely free of them.

Whether you settle in for a slow brunch, graze through the small plates at lunch, or let dinner run long, the format stays the same: generous, fire-kissed food made to be shared, and a bar that gives you every reason to stay until late.

Signature items

• House-Baked Milk Bread
• 12-Hour Lumina Lamb Shoulder
• Bone-In Ribeye
• Ruakaka Kingfish Tiradito
• Pornstar Mojito
• Moqueca Seafood Stew

Menu

Sides

• Grilled Broccolini — Miso hollandaise, almond and chilli crumb, garlic chips.
• Cauliflower Cheese Steak — Cauliflower steak with smoked cheddar.
• Creamed Spinach — Mornay sauce and parmesan.

Desserts

• Dark Chocolate Torte — Tonka bean cream, orange, citrus crème fraîche.
• Tiramisu — Espresso, mascarpone cream, pistachio ice cream.
• Dulce De Leche Caramel Tart — Chamomile ice cream and hazelnut.
• Earl Grey Crème Brûlée — Served with vanilla ice cream.

Rum Cellar

• Plantation 3 Star — Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad blend.
• Appleton Estate 8YO Reserve — Jamaican aged rum.
• El Dorado 12YO — Guyanese aged rum; 15YO and 21YO also listed.
• Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva — Venezuelan aged rum.
• Angostura 1919 — Trinidadian aged rum.
• Gosling's Black Seal — Bermudan black rum.
• Black Tears Dry Spiced — Cuban dry spiced rum.
• El Gobernador Pisco — Chilean pisco.

Beer On Tap

• Speight's Summit Ultra — 4.2% on tap.
• Emerson's Pilsner — 4.9% pilsner on tap.
• Panhead Supercharger APA — 5.7% pale ale on tap.
• Kirin Hyoketsu Lemon — 6.0% on tap.
• Stella Artois — 5.0% lager, 500ml pour.
• Guinness — 4.2% stout, 568ml pour.

Coffee & Tea

• Mojo 'Bold' Coffee — Short black, long black or americano.
• Flat White, Latte or Cappuccino — Mojo 'Bold' coffee, milk-based.
• Hot Chocolate or Mocha — Classic chocolate coffee picks.
• Liqueur Coffee — Choice of pours including Bushmills, Baileys, Cointreau, Disaronno and Kahlua.
• Harney & Sons Tea — English breakfast, earl grey, citron green, chamomile, peppermint, raspberry, ginger and lemon.

Larger Plates

• Wagyu Beef Cheek Pappardelle — Parmigiano Reggiano, white wine cream sauce, truffle oil.
• Prawn Linguine — King tiger prawns, smoked chilli butter, confit garlic, pangrattato.
• Battered Market Fish & Chips — Tartare, green salad, lemon.
• Lake Ōhau Wagyu Beef Burger — Bourbon and bacon jam, smoked cheese, tomato, onion ring, pickles, chipotle mayo, fries.
• Moqueca Seafood Stew — Cloudy Bay clams, market fish, mussels, king tiger prawns, sourdough.
• 12-Hour Lumina Lamb Shoulder — Merlot and thyme braise, olives, salsa verde, feta, padrón pepper; serves 2-3, includes a side.

Summer Coolers

• Sangria Rosa — Rosé, strawberry jam, fresh pineapple.
• Golden Lagoon — Bacardi Carta Blanca, Hyoketsu Lemon, passionfruit, citrus, mint.
• Sparkling Peacock — 42 Below vodka, cucumber, apple, green tea syrup, prosecco.
• Sunset Peach — Fresh apple juice, lime, peach tea, soda.
• Pink Panther — Sparkling grape, strawberry purée, lemon, soda.
• Aztec Armadillo — Fresh pineapple juice, lemon, brown sugar, mint, Lemon & Paeroa.

Wine Highlights

• Le Contesse Prosecco — Sparkling from Treviso, Italy.
• The Ned Sauvignon Blanc — Marlborough sauvignon blanc.
• Pegasus Bay Riesling — North Canterbury riesling.
• Amisfield Pinot Gris — Central Otago pinot gris.
• Château Gassier Rosé — Provence rosé.
• Greystone 'Nor'Wester' Pinot Noir — North Canterbury pinot noir.
• Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir — Marlborough pinot noir.
• Fat Bastard Malbec — Mendoza malbec.

Dessert Cocktails

• Drunken Peacock — Cookies and cream whiskey, Baileys, vanilla ice cream, cream, cookies.
• Sweet Depart — Caramel ripple ice cream, Disaronno, hot white chocolate, caramel.

Zero-Proof Spirits

• Warner's Juniper Double Dry 0% — Alcohol-free juniper spirit.
• Warner's Pink Berry 0% — Alcohol-free pink berry spirit.
• Four Pillars Bandwagon Bloody Shiraz 0% — Alcohol-free shiraz-inspired spirit.

Dessert Wine & Port

• The Ned Noble Sauvignon Blanc — Noble sauvignon blanc from Marlborough.
• Ramos Pinto Tawny Port — Tawny port from Porto.

Raw, Cured & Salads

• Ruakaka Kingfish Tiradito — Ají amarillo vinaigrette, picante honey, kumara, orange and red onion salsa, coriander oil.
• Ōra King Salmon Tacos — Ají rocoto mayo, guacamole, pico de gallo, lime; minimum order of two.
• Peruvian Chicken Salad — Lettuce, avocado, tomato, pickled onion, feta, olives, piquillo pepper, mustard vinaigrette.
• Burrata & Beetroot Panzanella — Tomato, red onion, cucumber, garlic croutons, basil, olives, white balsamic vinaigrette.
• Lemon Caesar Salad — Grana Padano, anchovy dressing, sourdough crumb, bacon, cured egg yolk, feta, padrón pepper.

Signature Cocktails

• Pornstar Mojito — Bacardi Carta Blanca, passionfruit liqueur, lemon, vanilla, prosecco.
• Chica Blanca Downfall — 42 Below vodka, peach liqueur, lemon, fresh pineapple, mint.
• Piña Ocho — Amazonita rum blend, Drambuie, lemon, fresh pineapple.
• Coral Crush — Gordon's Pink Gin, crème de mure, tutti frutti tea, citrus, carbonation.
• Rum Diary — Amazonita rum blend, fresh pineapple, lime, grenadine, passionfruit.
• Purple Reign — Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz, red wine syrup, grapefruit, prosecco.
• Bamboo Breeze — Jose Cuervo Tradicional, Cointreau, raspberry and strawberry jam, lemon, soda.
• Tropic Tempest — Four Pillars Rare, Angostura Amaro, apricot nectar, lemon, vanilla.
• Black Pearl — 42 Below vodka, lemon, blueberry, cranberry juice, elderflower.
• Crimson Monsoon — Johnnie Walker Black, St Germain, yuzu and rhubarb soda, carbonation.
• North Pacific Sour — Jose Cuervo Tradicional, Cointreau, strawberry purée, egg white, lemon, sugar.
• Frozen Margarita — Rotating monthly flavour selection — ask the staff.

Bottled Beer & Cider

• Corona Lager — 4.5% Mexican lager.
• Mac's Gold Lager — 4.0% New Zealand lager.
• Steinlager Pure — 5.0% lager; a 2.5% low-alcohol version also available.
• Zeffer Crisp Apple Cider — 5.0% apple cider, can.
• Zeffer Hazy Passionfruit Cider — 4.8% passionfruit cider, can.

From The Charcoal Grill

• Eye Fillet — 225g Canterbury grass-fed Angus, 28-day aged; with potato boulangère, confit garlic and a sauce.
• Ribeye — 300g Canterbury grass-fed Angus, 28-day aged; with potato boulangère, confit garlic and a sauce.
• Bone-In Ribeye — 500g aged Canterbury Angus; minimum 30 minutes cooking, served carved with two sauces and a side.
• Steak Sauces — Natural chardonnay vinegar, green peppercorn, truffle and confit garlic butter, port wine and mushroom, horseradish cream, jalapeño chimichurri.

To Share — Small Plates

• House-Baked Milk Bread — Sour cream butter and ember salt.
• Cacio E Pepe Flatbread — Aged pecorino and freshly ground black pepper.
• Ricotta & Basil Gnudi — Grana Padano, vodka sauce.
• Pork Belly Skewers — Malagueta sauce, pineapple salsa, spiced pork crackling.
• Lemon Pepper Squid — Ají amarillo chilli mayo and lemon.
• Lamb Empanadas — Salsa criolla; minimum order of two.
• Buttermilk Fried Chicken Nibbles — Chipotle and jalapeño aioli, hot honey, pickles.
• Beer-Battered Onion Rings — Served with truffle mayo.
• Fries — Rosemary salt and chilli mayo; add butter chicken sauce.
• Wood-Fired Octopus — Nduja emulsion, chardonnay vinaigrette, pearl onion, green olives, oregano, sourdough.
• Oysters — Natural with Forvm chardonnay vinegar, or beer-battered with aji amarillo chilli mayo; minimum of three.
• Charcuterie & Cheese Board — Cured meats, cheese, house-made dip, accompaniments, sourdough; serves 2-3.
• Cheese Board — Whitestone Windsor Blue, Whitestone Brie, Barrys Bay Gouda, chutney, crackers, fruit.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Amazonita located?

Level One, 126 Oxford Terrace, Christchurch.

What are the opening hours?

Monday to Friday from 11am until late; Saturday and Sunday from 10am until late.

Do I need a reservation?

Reservations are recommended and can be made online through the website or by calling 03 377 4144.

What kind of food does Amazonita serve?

Shared plates of varying sizes inspired by wood-fired and charcoal cooking, with a Mediterranean influence — think milk bread, charcoal-grilled steaks, seafood and slow-cooked lamb shoulder.

Is brunch available?

Yes, a weekend lunch and brunch menu is served from 10am to 1pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

Are there vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free options?

Yes — vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options are marked on the menu. Note that dishes are prepared in areas where allergenic ingredients are present and cannot be guaranteed 100% free of them.

Does Amazonita sell gift cards?

Yes, gift cards are available through the website.

Tips

• {"body":"Lunch runs 11am-3pm on weekdays, snacks are served 3-5pm, dinner from 5pm until late, and weekend brunch from 10am-1pm.","title":"Plan around the service windows"}
• {"body":"Reserve online or call 03 377 4144 to lock in a table, especially for weekend brunch or dinner.","title":"Book ahead"}
• {"body":"The 500g bone-in ribeye has a minimum 30-minute cooking time, so put your order in when you sit down.","title":"Order the big steak early"}
• {"body":"The menu is built for sharing — the charcuterie and cheese boards and the 12-hour lamb shoulder are sized for 2-3 people.","title":"Bring company"}
• {"body":"The back bar carries an extensive rum list from the Caribbean, Central and South America, plus rotating guest taps and a monthly frozen margarita flavour.","title":"Rum lovers, explore"}

Good to know

• {"dietary":"Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options marked on the menu; allergens present in the kitchen, so dishes can't be guaranteed 100% free."}