Armadillos Belfast

About Armadillos Belfast

Armadillo's Restaurants NZ is a casual dining chain with venues across the South Island, bringing hearty Kiwi pub meals and a fun, family-friendly atmosphere to communities in Christchurch (Beckenham, Halswell, Belfast, Lyttelton, and Islington), Springlands in Blenheim, Richmond in Nelson, Timaru, and Te Anau. The group also operates The Moose Tavern overlooking Lake Te Anau, and the Islington Tavern in Christchurch — venues described as locals' favourites for meals, drinks, and social nights.

The menu centres on classic Kiwi pub fare with a full grill section, fresh seafood options, signature burgers, and starters. Steak dishes are a highlight, with prime ribeye and sirloin options cooked to order and served with a choice of house-made sauces including peppercorn, mushroom, gravy, or garlic butter, alongside duck fat potatoes or fries. The Armadillo's Signature Ribs — slowly braised pork ribs in the house's own BBQ sauce — are a recurring feature across venues.

Beyond the main menu, the group offers a lunch menu, pensioner menu, kids menu, and function menus. Each venue includes private dining or function spaces suitable for group celebrations, and the chain actively hosts quiz nights and fundraiser events. Online bookings are available for each venue individually through the website. Gift vouchers are also available to purchase online.

Armadillo's describes its mission as providing a fun, friendly, and safe environment with the best possible service — and the breadth of its network across the South Island reflects a well-established presence in the New Zealand community hospitality sector.

Armadillo's Restaurants NZ: South Island Pub Dining Done Right

Armadillo's Restaurants NZ has built a well-loved network of casual dining venues across the South Island, with locations in Christchurch, Blenheim, Nelson, Timaru, Lyttelton, and Te Anau. The group describes its mission simply: to provide a fun, friendly, and safe environment where every customer leaves with an experience worth remembering. It's a formula that has earned the brand a loyal following across the communities it serves.

The chain's venues vary in character — from the lively Beckenham spot with its private dining space, to the Halswell venue known for Friday Jag the Joker nights and meat raffles, to The Moose Tavern overlooking Lake Te Anau with live entertainment. What ties them together is a consistent approach to Kiwi pub hospitality: hearty food, a welcoming atmosphere, and spaces set up for groups as much as for solo diners.

The Food

The menu is built around the classics of the New Zealand pub dining tradition, executed with care. The grill section is a standout, featuring a 250GM Prime Ribeye ($45.90) and a 300GM Sirloin Surf 'n' Turf ($49.90) — the latter topped with four garlic prawns in a creamy sauce. The Armadillo's Signature Ribs ($34.90) are slowly braised pork ribs smothered in the house's own BBQ sauce, a dish that appears to be a calling card across the group.

Seafood fans are well served too. Fresh gurnard features in both the Fish 'n' Chips ($36.90) and the Seafood Workshop ($39.90) — pan-fried gurnard topped with garlic prawns and fresh salsa. The Seafood Chowder, available as both an entrée and a main, features a medley of fresh seafood in a creamy white wine reduction, finished with toasted ciabatta and crispy kumara.

The burger lineup keeps things accessible at $29.90 across all options, including the NZ Prime Angus Beef Burger with beetroot relish and swiss cheese, a beer-battered Gurnard Fish Burger, and a Mushroom & Halloumi Burger for vegetarians. Starters range from $14.90 for garlic bread up to $21.90 for the Sizzling King Prawns — six prawns arriving hot in a cast-iron ramekin with garlic, lemon, and chilli.

More Than Just a Meal

Beyond the main menu, Armadillo's offers a separate lunch menu, a pensioner menu, a kids menu, and dedicated function menus — making it a go-to for groups of all kinds. Private dining spaces are available at most venues, and the group actively hosts fundraiser quiz nights. Gift vouchers are available online, and each venue has its own online booking page. Armadillo's also offers franchise opportunities for those looking to join the network.

Signature items

• Armadillo's Signature Ribs
• Prime Ribeye Steak
• Sirloin Surf 'n' Turf
• Seafood Workshop
• NZ Prime Angus Beef Burger
• Classic Chicken Schnitzel

Menu

Starters

• Garlic Bread — Freshly baked ciabatta loaf smothered in home made garlic butter
• Chilli Cheese Bread — Ciabatta smothered in cheese, home made garlic butter and sweet chilli sauce
• Crumbed Camembert — Camembert crumbed and fried until crispy, served with plum sauce and garlic toast
• Sizzling King Prawns — Six prawns sizzling in a cast-iron ramekin, tossed in garlic, lemon and chilli sauce
• Entree Seafood Chowder — Fresh seafood in a creamy white wine reduction with toasted ciabatta and crispy kumara
• Chicken Tenders — Southern style chicken tenders served with BBQ sauce
• Soup of the Day — Today's special — ask your wait staff
• Buffalo Cauliflower Wings — Battered cauliflower wings cooked golden and served with aioli

Chicken Mains

• Warm Chicken Salad — Marinated chicken breast with bacon, grapes and greens in Armadillo's house dressing
• Classic Chicken Schnitzel — Crumbed chicken breast fried golden, topped with mushroom sauce with salad and fries
• Chicken and Bacon Stack — Marinated chicken on creamy mash with crispy bacon and cajun cream sauce

Seafood Mains

• Seafood Workshop — Pan-fried gurnard topped with garlic prawns, fresh salsa and choice of sides
• Fish 'n' Chips — Beer-battered gurnard with house salad and fries, tartare sauce and lemon
• Main Seafood Chowder — Fresh seafood in a creamy white wine reduction with ciabatta and crispy kumara
• Southern Style Crispy Chicken Burger — Crispy chicken, swiss cheese, smoked tomato relish, bacon, aioli and peri peri in a toasted bun

Red Meat Mains

• Prime Ribeye Steak — 250GM prime ribeye grilled to order with choice of sauce and sides
• 300GM Sirloin Surf 'n' Turf — New York sirloin topped with four creamy garlic prawns, with choice of sides
• Armadillo's Signature Ribs — Slowly braised pork ribs in house-made BBQ sauce, served with crispy fries
• 300GM Prime Rump Steak — Prime rump grilled to order with choice of sauce and sides
• NZ Lamb Hotpot — Lamb hotpot topped with puff pastry, served with mashed potatoes and gravy
• Chicken Bacon & Mushroom Pasta — Pan-fried bacon, chicken and mushrooms in a creamy white wine sauce with parmesan

Signature Burgers

• Grilled Chicken Burger — Marinated chicken, swiss cheese, smoked tomato relish, bacon, lettuce, tomato and aioli
• NZ Prime Angus Beef Burger — Beef pattie, beetroot relish, swiss cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato and aioli with fries
• Fish Burger — Beer-battered gurnard with lettuce, tomato, aioli and tartare sauce with fries
• Mushroom & Halloumi Burger — Portobello mushroom, grilled halloumi, caramelised onion, lettuce, tomato and aioli

Frequently asked questions

How many Armadillo's venues are there?

The group has multiple South Island locations including Beckenham, Halswell, Belfast, Lyttelton, and Islington in Christchurch; Springlands in Blenheim; Richmond in Nelson; Timaru; and Te Anau (The Moose Tavern). Each has its own booking page on the website.

Can I book a table online?

Yes — each venue has a dedicated online booking page accessible from the website's Book Online menu.

Do Armadillo's venues have private function spaces?

Yes. Most venues include a private dining or function space for group bookings and celebrations.

Is there a kids menu?

Yes, a kids menu is available as a PDF download from the menu page on the website.

Does Armadillo's cater for vegetarians?

The menu includes a Mushroom & Halloumi Burger and Buffalo Cauliflower Wings. Check with your venue for the current selection.

Can I buy a gift voucher?

Yes — gift vouchers can be purchased online through the NowBookIt gift card platform linked on the website.

Does Armadillo's host quiz nights?

Yes — the group runs fundraiser quiz nights. Details are listed on the website under Fundraiser Quiz Nights.

Tips

• {"body":"Most venues have private function spaces but they fill up — use the venue-specific booking page on the website rather than calling.","title":"Book ahead for groups"}
• {"body":"Armadillo's runs a '7 Days 7 Rituals' specials programme. Check the Specials page before you visit for daily deals.","title":"Check the specials page"}
• {"body":"If it's your first visit, the Signature Ribs ($34.90) are the most distinctively Armadillo's dish on the menu — slowly braised in the house BBQ sauce.","title":"The ribs are the house signature"}
• {"body":"If you're visiting at lunch or are a senior, ask about the separate lunch and pensioner menus — both are available as PDF downloads from the website.","title":"Pensioner and lunch menus exist"}
• {"body":"If you're after a livelier night out with raffles and games, Halswell is noted specifically for Friday Jag the Joker and meat raffles.","title":"Halswell is the one for pub events"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Kids menu available; family-friendly environment stated across all venues","dietary":"Vegetarian options include Mushroom & Halloumi Burger and Buffalo Cauliflower Wings"}