Frances Nation Café

Frances Nation Café is a go-to in Christchurch for superb coffee and delicious food. Located directly opposite their homewares store Frances Nation Home, within The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora, the café carries the same values as its sibling: showcasing quality and local at its best. 

Step inside, and be greeted with a smile and an abundance of eye-pleasing goodness to fill your pantry and gob with. The daytime offerings include freshly made sandwiches and toasties created with Bellbird Bakery bread. These are classics done well, such as an egg sammie using Lamond free-range eggs and homegrown chives or a ham sammie using Peter Timbs ham, Maasdam cheese and Canterbury pickles. It’s simple, honest food that is oh-so-tasty.

The coffee here is again about quality ingredients, using Prima Roastery’s beans – a roaster dedicated to fair trade, organic beans, and A2 organic Canterburys Choice milk which makes a gorgeously creamy coffee. The cafe is also known for its real-fruit ice-cream, which is created with award winning New Zealand vanilla ice cream and fresh berries. Dr Feelgood ice blocks are a hit too, especially during the warmer months. 

Every Friday evening in the summer, the cafe turns into a relaxed wine bar showcasing a selection of natural New Zealand wines that are also available for purchase by the bottle from the home store. If you fancy something even fancier, you’ll be glad to hear that apéritifs, such as Hasting Gin Distillery L’opera soda or Rifters Gin & Tonic are available. Add to that some bar snacks, the likes of locally grown olives, crisps, salami & cheese board, and it’s an occasion to relish.