A Kiwi Dinner With Plating At Its Best
Christchurch, New Zealand
Cuisine Style: Kiwi, Eclectic, European
Average Price: $$ (NZD)
Overall Rating: 4/5
Dined on August 2014
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine, Dine, and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Executive Chef:
Antony Page (2014)
Darrell Van Der Sluys (current)
Fiddlesticks is a small centrally located restaurant in the heart of Christchurch and was a great choice for being my final night in the city before heading 2000 miles south to Antarctica for work at McMurdo Station, on Ross Island. While touring the city seeing the destruction of the earthquakes, I had walked by Fiddlesticks a few times, giving myself a mental note to return and check it out. I’m glad I got the chance
Menu:
- To Start
- Taste
- Main
- Feature Feast
- Side
- Grazing
- Desserts
The architecture matched with the furniture and décor is on a darker side, but fits the bistro side concept well, with a combination of booths and tables, a very vibrant bar, and a patio that is enclosed, with televisions playing old black and white movies. I ordered a glass of Villa Maria Thornbury Merlot and according to the webpage tasting notes was a bright berry fruit, plum and spicy cedar notes that dominate the nose. The smooth and generous palate, featuring supple tannins and harmonious integration. The Wine Regulatory was under COWA, the Central Otago Winegrowers Association of New Zealand.
I skipped the “to start” section and enjoyed the F.F.C 'Fiddlesticks fried chicken,' with green tomato chutney, and hot sauce. The dish came with 4 small boneless fried chicken pieces, well presented on a wood cutting board with a rosemary sprig garnish. Other items on their “to taste” section included salmon wings, prosciutto, and a prawn hot dog to name a few.
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| Fiddlesticks fried chicken |
For my main course, I had the Wakanui Beef cheek, from sustainable pastured ranges, slow braised to perfection. It was topped with shaved parsnip and came with a side of peas mixed with pancetta and Swiss chard.
Dessert:
I was too full for dessert but the banana parfait and salted caramel delice with passionfruit sounded fantastic. They also had a selection of cheeses which from spending time at the Canterbury Cheesemongers, I can attest to the fact that New Zealand produces some fantastic cheeses
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| Dessert picture courtesy of Fiddlesticks |
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other Noteworthy Eclectic Restaurant Articles & Restaurants:
Alinea Highly creative new American molecular gastronomy tasting menus in Chicago, Illinois
At.mosphere Upscale fine dining global cuisine on the 122nd floor, Burj Khalifa Tower in Dubai, UAE
Attica Innovative and eclectic tasting menu restaurant in Ripponlea, Australia
Edison Food + Drink Lab Eclectic & innovative gastropub using molecular gastronomy in Tampa, Florida
Enigma Restaurant Turkish culinary journey with an eclectic European twist In Dubai, UAE
The Test Kitchen Modern eclectic and Nouvelle Latin cuisine in Cape Town, South Africa
Tetsuya’s Eclectic French-Asian Tasting Menu restaurant in Sydney, Australia
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other Christchurch restaurants and articles on Wine, Dine, and Play:
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High-end bistro with modern Kiwi cuisine
Christchurch, New Zealand
|
A Re: Start Co. at “Little High Eatery”
Christchurch, New Zealand
|
Artisan cheese & a pastry shop
Christchurch, New Zealand
|
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Funky Cargo container mall
Christchurch, New Zealand
|
Kiwi “fush n’ chups” takeaway restaurant
Sumner, New Zealand
|
Pizza with traditional Kiwi cuisine
Christchurch, New Zealand
|
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Overall from this experience, and the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ section, based on my individual experience and rating, I give Fiddlesticks a 4 out of 5 stars, meaning that they not only exceeded my expectations and were far above the average dining experience of most restaurants, but they were just outstanding.
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings
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Max Points Possible:
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Total Points Awarded:
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Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
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9.5
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9.5
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0
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Food quality
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10
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8.5
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1.5
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Plate presentation
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8
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7
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1
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Customer service
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7
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5
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2
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Alcohol and other beverages
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10
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8.5
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1.5
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Total regular points awarded
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44.5
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38.5
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6
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Total percentage Of Bonus
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0.865168539325843
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“Wow” factor BONUS
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5
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1
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0.0224719101123595
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Total percentage of a bonus for the final star rating
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0.887640449438202
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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4
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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4 of 5 Stars:
89% Rating with a 1 point “wow” bonus
An Outstanding Dining Experience
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Wine List:
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Wine rating:
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6 of 10
Old World selections:
France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Portugal
New World selections:
Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, California
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Corkage fee’s:
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This Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge
$25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant style:
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Conservative dining
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Cuisine style:
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European-Continental, New Zealand (Kiwi)
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Farm to Fork, Gluten Free, Grass Fed, Local, Low Carb, Non-GMO, Organic, Pescatarian, Sustainable, Vegan Options, Vegetarian
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Reservations:
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Not Required
Walk-Ins:
Accepted
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Dress code:
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Smart casual or Conservative attire
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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Experiences:
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Place for foodies, Contemporary, Modern, Trendy, Business parties, Hotspot, Great bar, Great outdoor dining, Good for special occasions, Great brunch, Classy, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Street meter parking
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Low to Medium
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant, and nonsmoking patio
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Patio or terrace:
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Yes
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricy)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
|
Price
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New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
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$$
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
|
$$
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
|
¥¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
|
€
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Fiddlesticks:
48 Worcester BLVD
Christchurch 8013
New Zealand
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+64 3-365 0533
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Email Contact:
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Serving hours:
New Zealand Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - BST Offset + 12:00)
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Daily: Mon-Sun
8:00 am - 12:00 am
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Social Media
&
Accolades:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
|
High Rise Fine Global Dining, Highest Restaurant In The World
Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE
|
Elegant Modern Australian with Molecular Gastronomic dining
Melbourne, Australia
|
Haute French Restaurant
Paris, France
|
Other Pictures:
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| Business sign |
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| Picture courtesy of Fiddlesticks |
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| Wakanui Beef Cheek |
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| Wine, wonderful wine |
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| Picture courtesy of Fiddlesticks |
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| Front Entrance |
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| Beef check dish |
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| Picture courtesy of Fiddlesticks |
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| Fiddlesticks Bar |
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
