Jaba Grill and Bar, on Level 2 at 150 Lichfield Street in central Christchurch, is a steakhouse that cooks its steaks and ribs over a Kopa charcoal grill. The website says it serves Canterbury beef, and the menu includes bone marrow, pork ribs, duck fat potatoes, beef carpaccio and bruschetta. Customers mention the bone marrow most often, and say the steaks are tender and well cooked. One praised a charcoal ribeye for its tenderness and aroma and said the squid was excellent. Halloumi salad, outdoor seating and a great vibe also come up. One diner found the rub on the ribeye not to their taste and would have liked plain salt and pepper.
The restaurant opened in 2018, and the website describes it as Christchurch's number one steakhouse on Google and TripAdvisor. The cocktail bar Tiger Baby is next door. The restaurant is 50 metres from the One NZ stadium, and the website suggests it for pre-game and concert dinners. Parking is in the Innovation Carpark next door, and on-street parking in Tuam Street and High Street is free after 6pm, the website says. The only other steak house listed within a kilometre is Texas Grill, 0.6 km away, with no rating shown. Our pick in central Christchurch for a steak before a concert.