Review Cafe 165 - Christchurch

This is among the most amazing dining experiences my family have ever had, in terms of taste, value and service. It’s uncommon to come across such a winning combination. The cafe is tastefully furnished with a pleasing ambience. The waitresses were friendly and attentive, and so we felt very welcomed. We had a bowl of chips as a starter. They were beautifully cooked to perfection, and came with 2 different dips that were delicious. Unlike a nearby restaurant’s thin and meagre portion of chips, our hand-cut chips ($6.50) from Cafe & Bar 165 were generously portioned. ( We had already consumed quite a number of chips before we remembered to take the photo.) When the mains arrived, I was delighted. The fish and chips featured two sizeable fillets that were super fresh. They were crispy on the outside, and moist on the inside. The dish had freshly cooked chips, yummy salad, dressing, and a special tasty sauce. The lamb shank was large, tender and very meaty, with a good amount of mouth-watering gravy. It came with a generous amount of mashed potato and roasted vegetables, with minted sauce in a separate container. It was also topped with healthy alfalfa sprouts. If you’re looking for great taste and good value, I have yet to find a restaurant that can better this. By way of example, we noticed that the price of beverages is so affordable - a range of hot beverages costs $3.50 each. We would have ordered drinks too, but were just too full. To sum up, this rare gem of an eatery is highly recommended :)

I would not say that the decor in the cafe/bar is anything to write an excellent review on but I will definitely give this place 5 stars for the food is without a doubt 5 star quality 😀

Great breakfast buffet for a reasonable price. Scramble egg & baked tomato were yummy. Love the cinnamon swirl too.

We had a nice meal here, staffing was limited so a bit slow, unfortunately my server didnt warn me my plate was hot and burned me, more training needed l think....

Breakfast food from room service menu was not available to order the restaurant floor .. aside from that, dinner was wonderful here. Lamb shanks meal well cooked , grilled chicken was dry though but I guess a good fries and salad made up for that. Nice ambience space and plenty of places to sit.

Staying at the hotel above the restaurant meant we were inclined to try the food at our own front door. Was not disappointed, good sized meals, fast service and very delicious food.

We chose this place for lunch because they are in the Entertainment Book. It was very quiet in the restaurant so not too much atmosphere. But we had a delicious Open Steak Sandwich and it was just perfect, delicious! Very reasonable even if you don't have a voucher!

Great food, extensive range available, even for a breakfast buffet: different kinds of cereals, fresh fruits, juices, filtered coffee and different teas, pastries, yoghurts, different kinds of toast with all kinds of spreads, cold cuts and cheese, fresh grapes, and of course hot food: scrambled eggs, button mushrooms, baked beans, fresh tomatoes, bacon and cocktail sausages. Has something for everyone - vegetarian friendly options available. Very impressed with the staff and how attentive they were to checking the food levels and bringing out more food in a timely manner. Will definitely be returning, thanks!

Had a lovely first table experience here! We had been once before and already found this wee gem to be wonderful, but this time was even better suprisingly! Our host Keith and bar/waitress lady Natasha were bubbly, enjoyably cheeky and offered all around brilliant service. The food and drinks were well priced, served efficiently and with quality...the banter alongside was second to none and the ambience was fantastic. We even offhand mentioned my partners b day and that a week prior was his mother's with no expectation, and ended up being presented with 3 slices of mudcake and cream free of charge which was a lovely extra touch. Also between 6 and 7pm are awesome drink specials...just perfect. 110% recommended and will definitely be back!

Review for Buffet breakfast. We stayed at Breakfree a year ago and had the buffet breakfast included. We were very happy with it last time so when we came back down again we went to try it again. We weren't disappointed. The price is very reasonable $19.50NZD for the full buffet. It isn't gourmet food but they get the basics right. The hot buffet has scrambled egg, baked beans, fried tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, hash browns, streaky bacon and breakfast sausages. The continental section has a variety of breads for toasting, spreads, butter and margarine. There are cheeses and ham, mini croissants, a selection of danish pastries, museli, cornflakes, weetbix, and tinned peaches, pears, apricots to top it off with. Fresh fruit and various pottles of youghurt are also included. Beverages are the standard choice of teas, filter coffee, orange juice and apple juice. The buffet closes at 11am on Saturday and Sunday, and you don't have to be staying at Breakfree to enjoy it. The staff were really helpful and friendly too. We found on street metered parking quite easily near by. Tariff was $3.10 per hour on weekends. We will definitely be back next time we are in Christchurch.

Lovely staff and very lovely meal. Great central city location.

This is a deli and cafe so not your usual cafe. The food tastes fabulous even without the usual plate dressing that many other cafes have. Nice relaxed atmosphere and the tables have plenty of space so you don't feel crammed in. Great place for a weekend brunch.

Really tasty food and the happy hour rates are fantastic, would be 5 star if the staff were friendlier.

Great place to dine, relaxing atmosphere, friendly staff and yum food. Will definitely dine there again.

Superb meals of Steak, crusted Chicken and Pork Belly for our group of 4!!Highly reccomend!!

The Buffet breakfast is reasonably priced. Quality is acceptable.

Good food for good prices, staff are also very nice.

Was a good meal with quick service and good value 5/7