Inati — the name means 'to share' — is Christchurch fine dining built around the theatre of an open kitchen. At the heart of the restaurant on Hereford Street sits a chef's table for nineteen, where guests watch the brigade at work while moving through seasonally-inspired tasting plates made from the best local Canterbury and New Zealand produce. Chef Levy, formerly head chef at Gordon Ramsay's The Warrington in London, opened Inati with Lisa to capture everything they love about hospitality: exceptional food, great company and a sense of joy. The menu is organised into Earth, Land and Sea small plates, generous 'middle of the table' large plates for sharing, and Nectar desserts, with a 'Trust Us' kitchen's-choice menu at lunch and dinner for those happy to let the chefs decide. A serious cellar leans on Waipara and Central Otago, backed by inventive cocktails and a proper mocktail list. The team also caters private functions, weddings and corporate events, and the restaurant's site carries a One MICHELIN Star 2026 badge. Dinner is served Tuesday to Saturday from 5pm.
On Hereford Street in the centre of Christchurch, Inati flips the usual fine-dining script: rather than hiding the kitchen away, it seats you right beside it. The heart of the restaurant is a chef's table that accommodates nineteen diners at once, wrapped around the action of the pass, where dinner plays out as theatre — flames, plating, the quiet choreography of the brigade. The name itself means 'to share', and that single idea shapes the whole experience: small plates to excite the palate, large 'middle of the table' plates to pass around, and a team that treats everyone who walks in as a guest rather than a cover.
Inati is the creation of chef Levy and his wife Lisa. Levy spent years cooking in London, finishing as head chef at Gordon Ramsay's The Warrington, until a 2013 move back to Lisa's home country set the couple planning a restaurant of their own. They wanted it to reflect everything they love about hospitality — and what they love about New Zealand. The result is a room focused on coming together with loved ones over local produce and share plates, showcasing the best of Canterbury and New Zealand in an elegant, approachable and, most importantly, respectful way.
There are smaller, more conventional tables available, but regulars know the chef's table is where Inati makes sense: a front-row seat to the kitchen, with the chefs as part of the evening's conversation.
The menu changes regularly, built on the freshest local ingredients, and it reads like a map of the kitchen's thinking. Small plates are grouped into **Earth**, **Land** and **Sea** — think barbecued cabbage with buttermilk, furikake and caramelised whey; aged wagyu beef tartare with horseradish and wasabi; or paua with wakame, pickled fennel and crispy duck skin. From there, the **Large Plates** take over the centre of the table: dry aged duck with chervil, dukkah and malt vinegar, wagyu beef with black garlic and smoked cashew, or groper with lardo minestrone and smoked pickled clams. Desserts arrive under **Nectar**, from a chocolate and elderberry truffle to tamarillo with lime and burnt meringue.
If choosing feels like too much work, hand the reins over with the **Trust Us** menu — a four-plate lunch served between 12 and 2pm, or six or eight plates at dinner, with matched wines if you want them. It is the purest expression of what Inati is about: letting the kitchen cook for you while you share the room with friends.
The drinks list is as considered as the food. Cocktails split into INATI Creations — the kawakawa-and-soda Waikawakawa, or the carrot, cream cheese and pecan oddity known as Page 71 — and well-made Classics like the Penicillin and the Espresso Martini Flip. There is a proper mocktail list too, so non-drinkers get far more than a soft drink. The cellar leans hard into New Zealand, with Waipara neighbours such as Pegasus Bay, Greystone, Black Estate and Muddy Water well represented alongside Central Otago pinot noir, aged collections, a run of magnums and a Perrier-Jouët-led champagne page.
Inati also takes the show on the road: Simon and the team create tailored dining experiences for private functions, weddings, corporate events and special occasions, at your home or a chosen venue. An INATI Club membership gives a first look at events and offers, and gift cards cover the easy-gift scenario.
Practically: dinner runs Tuesday to Saturday from 5pm until late, and the restaurant closes Sunday and Monday. Parties of up to 10 guests can be accommodated, though chef's table seats cannot be guaranteed, and multiple bookings stitched together to make a large party may be cancelled. Credit card details are required for Friday and Saturday bookings and for parties of five or more at all times, with a $50 per person charge for no-shows or cancellations within 72 hours. Flag any dietary requirements when you book — and note the restaurant's site carries a One MICHELIN Star 2026 badge and a World's 50 Best Discovery mark, one more reason to reserve ahead.