The Platform Bar, Restaurant and Cafe

About The Platform Bar, Restaurant and Cafe

The Platform Bar, Restaurant and Cafe is a restaurant, bar and cafe in one, located in The Mandeville Village at 468 Mandeville Road, Ohoka, on Christchurch's rural fringe. Open every day from 8am, it runs a full lunch service from 11am to 3pm and dinner from 5pm to 8pm daily, staying open late, so it works as a morning coffee stop, a long lunch destination or a proper dinner out.

The kitchen covers generous territory: honey soy pork belly bites, crumbed camembert and pumpkin arancini to start; schnitzels, steaks, slow-braised beef cheeks, roast pork belly, seafood chowder and fettuccine for mains; plus a broad pizza list and a serious burger lineup led by the Platform Stacker. Gluten-free options run throughout the menu, with gluten-free pizza bases, buns and swaps available on request, and dairy-free cheese offered on pizzas. A dedicated kids menu and a takeaway menu round things out.

There's a weekly rhythm to the place: a steak special on Mondays, schnitzel on Tuesdays and burgers on Wednesdays, a pub quiz every second Tuesday, and a Friday night raffle with tickets from 5pm and the draw at 6.30pm. A music and events calendar and a function room make it a regular spot for gatherings, and the site carries a Restaurant Guru Recommended 2022 badge.

The Platform Bar, Restaurant & Cafe: Ohoka's Village Spot for Steaks, Pizza and Pub Favourites

On the rural edge of Christchurch, where Mandeville Road runs into Ohoka countryside, The Platform Bar, Restaurant & Cafe opens its doors every day from 8am and keeps going until late. Part restaurant, part bar, part neighbourhood cafe, it anchors The Mandeville Village just off Tram Road, and the format is deliberately flexible: morning visits straight after opening, a full lunch service from 11am to 3pm, and dinner from 5pm to 8pm daily.

The kitchen leans into generous pub-cafe classics done with care. Entree plates set the tone — tender pork belly bites glazed in honey soy, crumbed camembert with spicy plum sauce, pumpkin and parmesan arancini with basil pesto, and a soup of the day with toasted garlic bread. Mains stretch from crispy buttermilk fried chicken stacked on potato rosti to slow-braised beef cheeks with red wine gravy, slow-roasted pork belly with apple sauce, and eye fillet or rump cooked to your liking with mushroom sauce, red wine jus or garlic butter. Schnitzels, seafood chowder, creamy fettuccine and big grilled chicken and halloumi salads fill out a list built for both quick weeknights and long dinners.

Pizza night, sorted

The pizza list is one of the broadest you'll find in a village restaurant: ten toppings spanning a Margherita with basil pesto, a loaded Meat Feast, Thai beef with spiced strips and dressing, salmon and cream cheese with capers, and a Vegetarian piled with roast vegetables, feta and pumpkin seeds. Every pizza can be made gluten free on request, and dairy-free cheese is available — flexibility that runs through the whole menu, where gluten-free buns and swaps are offered on burgers and many mains.

Burgers are treated as headline acts. The Platform Stacker stacks two beef patties with bacon, cheese, pickles and house burger sauce, while crispy chicken, beer-battered fish and vegetarian versions all arrive with a pile of crispy chips. Desserts keep the momentum with vanilla bean creme brulee, sticky date pudding in butterscotch, and a loaded ice cream sundae.

The week has its own rhythm

Locals have plenty of reasons to keep the habit. Mondays are steak nights, Tuesdays belong to crumbed schnitzel and Wednesdays to burgers, each served across both lunch and dinner services. Every second Tuesday the bar runs a pub quiz — grab a team — and Friday nights bring a community raffle with meat and vege packs and other prizes, tickets on sale from 5pm and the draw at 6.30pm. A music and events calendar adds more reasons to visit, and a function room is available for private gatherings.

Families are well looked after with a dedicated kids menu, and a separate takeaway menu covers nights in. The site carries a Restaurant Guru Recommended 2022 badge, but the simpler proof is the format itself: a cafe you can walk into at 8am that is still serving a full dinner menu that evening, set in a village that feels deliberately local.

Find it at 468 Mandeville Road, Ohoka. Tables can be booked through the website's booking page or by phone on 03 312 1234.

Signature items

• The Platform Stacker Burger
• Beef Cheeks
• Seafood Chowder
• Honey Soy Pork Belly Bites
• Meat Feast Pizza
• Sticky Date Pudding

Menu

Mains

• Crispy Chicken Stack — Spiced buttermilk fried chicken with coleslaw, potato rosti and chipotle mayo.
• Grilled Chicken Salad — Chicken breast with croutons, mixed leaves, feta and house vinaigrette; bacon optional.
• Halloumi Salad — Grilled halloumi with croutons, mixed leaves, feta and house vinaigrette; bacon optional.
• Beer Battered Fish — Market fish with crispy chips, tartare sauce and garden salad; pan-fried or gluten-free on request.
• Open Steak Sandwich — Medium-rare steak with onion relish, cheese and aioli on turkish bread, topped with onion rings.
• Beef Schnitzel — Crumbed beef schnitzel with mushroom sauce, salad and fries.
• Chicken Schnitzel — Crumbed marinated chicken thigh with salad and fries; mushroom sauce or gravy.
• Creamy Seafood Chowder — Homemade chowder with toasted garlic and herb bread; gluten-free on request.
• BLT Stack — Bacon, lettuce, aioli and tomato on turkish bread with chips; chicken optional.
• Eggs Benedict — Two poached eggs with crispy bacon and hollandaise on a toasted bene bun.
• Bangers & Mash — Two sausages with creamy mash, gravy and onion relish.
• Beef Nachos — Ground beef with cheese, sour cream and guacamole; gluten-free on request.
• 200g Eye Fillet — Premium eye fillet with mash or chips, salad or vegetables and a choice of sauce.
• 300g Rump Steak — Grilled rump with mash or chips, salad or vegetables and a choice of sauce.
• Creamy Chicken & Bacon Fettuccine — Chicken and bacon tossed through fettuccine in a rich creamy sauce.
• Southern Creamy Chicken — Southern-style chicken breast with creamy house sauce, rostis and slaw.
• Roast Pork Belly — Slow-roasted stuffed pork belly with mash, seasonal vegetables, gravy and apple sauce.
• Beef Cheeks — Slow-braised beef cheeks with creamy mash, seasonal vegetables and red wine gravy.

Pizza

• Margherita — Napoli sauce, fresh tomato, mozzarella and basil pesto.
• Meat Feast — Pepperoni, bacon, chicken, Italian sausage and BBQ sauce.
• Chicken & Cranberry — Chicken, bacon, cranberry and brie; cashews optional.
• Pepperoni — Napoli sauce, pepperoni and mozzarella.
• Thai Beef Pizza — Napoli sauce, cheese, red onion, corn, capsicum, spiced beef and Thai dressing.
• Hawaiian — Napoli sauce, ham, pineapple and mozzarella.
• Salmon & Cream Cheese — Napoli sauce, smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, mozzarella and dill.
• Spanish Chicken — Napoli sauce, capsicum, red onion, chicken, chorizo, jalapenos, chermoula and chipotle mayo.
• Vegetarian — Napoli sauce, cheese, roast vegetables, mushrooms, tomato, feta and pumpkin seeds.
• Burger Pizza — Napoli sauce, cheese, bacon, chunky meat patty, pickles and housemade burger sauce.

Sides

• Crispy Chips — With tomato sauce, aioli or gravy; gluten-free on request.
• Seasoned Wedges — With cheese, sour cream and sweet chilli sauce; bacon optional.
• Onion Rings (x4) — Crispy battered onion rings.
• Grilled Mushrooms — Finished in garlic butter.
• Streaky Bacon — Side of streaky bacon.
• Fried Egg — A single fried egg.
• Roast Vegetables — Seasonal roast vegetables.
• Garden Salad — Fresh seasonal salad.
• Potato & Herb Rosti — Golden potato and herb rosti, two per serve.

Burgers

• The Platform Stacker Burger — Two beef patties, bacon, cheese, pickles, aioli and burger sauce on a soft bun with chips.
• Chicken Burger — Crispy fried chicken, coleslaw, chipotle mayo and manuka bacon, served with crispy chips.
• Fish Burger — Beer-battered fish, lettuce, tomato, pickles and tartare sauce with crispy chips.
• Vegetarian Burger — Vegetarian patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles and aioli with crispy chips.

Entrees

• Garlic / Cheese Flatbread — With garlic herb butter and cheese; gluten-free on request.
• Sweet Chilli Flat Bread — Sweet chilli and mozzarella; gluten-free on request.
• Honey Soy Pork Belly Bites — Tender pork belly glazed in honey soy, topped with sesame seeds and spring onion.
• Cauliflower Bites — Crispy cauliflower florets served with aioli.
• Crumbed Camembert — Deep-fried camembert with spicy plum sauce.
• Arancini (2) — Pumpkin and parmesan risotto balls with basil pesto and fresh salad.
• Soup of the Day — Daily soup served with toasted garlic bread; gluten-free on request.
• Crispy Basket — A selection of crispy favourites served with dipping sauce.
• Seafood Basket — A basket of seafood delights, with fries as an add-on.

Desserts

• Creme Brulee — Vanilla bean creme brulee served with ice cream; gluten-free on request.
• Loaded Ice Cream Sundae — Ice cream with brownie crumble, marshmallows, wafer and chocolate, with a sauce of choice.
• Affogato — Two scoops of vanilla ice cream with a double espresso; Baileys or Frangelico optional.
• Banana Split — Fresh banana, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and a cherry with a sauce of choice.
• Sticky Date Pudding — Moist sticky date pudding in rich butterscotch sauce with ice cream.
• Cheesecake — Ask wait staff for today's flavour.

Weekly Specials

• Monday Steak Special — 200g rump steak with crispy fries, garden salad and a choice of mushroom sauce, red wine jus or garlic butter.
• Tuesday Schnitzel Special — Crumbed beef or chicken schnitzel served with crispy fries and salad.
• Wednesday Burger Special — Beef, crispy chicken, fish, chicken schnitzel or vegetarian burger with crispy fries.

Frequently asked questions

Where is The Platform Bar located?

In The Mandeville Village at 468 Mandeville Road, Ohoka, Christchurch — just off Tram Road.

What time do you open?

Open daily from 8am Monday to Friday and from 8.30am on weekends, staying open late.

When is lunch and dinner served?

Lunch runs 11am-3pm daily and dinner runs 5pm-8pm daily.

Do you cater for gluten-free or dairy-free diets?

Yes. Gluten-free options are available on request across the menu, including pizza bases and burger buns, and dairy-free cheese can be added to pizzas.

Is there a kids menu?

Yes, there is a dedicated kids menu, plus a takeaway menu for eating at home.

Can I book a table or a function?

Yes. Bookings can be made through the website's booking page or by calling 03 312 1234, and a function room is available for events.

What regular events and specials do you run?

Monday steak, Tuesday schnitzel and Wednesday burger specials, a pub quiz every second Tuesday, and a Friday night raffle with tickets from 5pm and the draw at 6.30pm.

Tips

• {"body":"Monday is rump steak night, Tuesday is schnitzel and Wednesday is burger night, available at both lunch (11am-3pm) and dinner (5pm-8pm) services.","title":"Plan around the specials"}
• {"body":"The pub quiz runs every second Tuesday — teams are welcome, so rally a few friends.","title":"Bring a quiz team"}
• {"body":"Raffle tickets go on sale from 5pm with the draw at 6.30pm, with meat and vege packs and other prizes on offer.","title":"Friday raffle timing"}
• {"body":"Most of the menu can be done gluten free on request, including pizza bases and burger buns, and dairy-free cheese is available on pizzas.","title":"Gluten-free is easy here"}
• {"body":"The kitchen serves dinner 5pm-8pm daily, so come early in the window even though the venue stays open late.","title":"Arrive before 8pm for dinner"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Dedicated kids menu; family-friendly village setting.","dietary":"Gluten-free on request across the menu; GF pizza bases and dairy-free cheese available."}