I have been a frequent visitor to the lovely city of Christchurch since January of this year and was handed a leaflet one morning that drew my attention to the opening of a new vegetarian cafe/restaurant – The Lotus-Heart which is in the old Post Office building on Cathedral Square. I lunched there and was delighted with the food, the service and the atmosphere of the place. The people that work there are adherents of the meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy and are extremely nice people. It is a remarkably tranquil and happy place and the cuisine is broad in variety and taste as are the beverages. Juices, teas, great coffee and smoothies – it has become my favourite place to dine during the daytime when it is cafe mode and in the evening when it is in full restaurant mode with full Maître de and waited table service.

I am very fond of the Indian food that is served at the Lotus-Heart, but the acid test for me came when I invited to dinner a small group of young business associates who were visiting New Zealand from Mumbai. I had been bragging about the quality of the Indian food but they were a little sceptical – until their orders arrived! Their comments afterwards were that the Indian cuisine at The Lotus-Heart beat anything that you could get at a restaurant in India and comparable to the home-cooked food! High praise indeed and needless to say, we had a very happy evening.

My thanks to all at The Lotus-Heart – my favourite place to dine and relax during my trips to the Garden city.

As I am a vegetarian tourist, I was very pleased to find such an excellent restaurant right in the heart of the city. The food is absolutely delicious – I especially enjoyed the a la carte dinner menu – ranging from indian delicacies to grilled Haloumi cheese on seasonal vegetables – yum.
Great drinks and desserts, wonderful service.
I will always remember my meals at The Lotus-Heart as a culinary highlight of my New Zealand trip.
Thank you!

Delicious vegetarian food, great atmosphere. Lots of organic, vegan and gluten-free options. Large selection of teas, smoothies, juices. Great coffee. Great service and friendly staff. Always go away feeling peaceful and energised. Highly recommended – best vegetarian restaurant in Christchurch if not in New Zealand.