Cook 'n' with Gas

About this place

Cook 'n' with Gas is a long-running bistro at 23 Worcester Boulevard in the Christchurch central city, occupying a historic villa on the arts precinct strip that runs between the Arts Centre, Christchurch Art Gallery and the Botanic Gardens. It serves modern New Zealand cuisine in an informal setting and is a well-established fixture on the Christchurch dining scene. Its location is a significant practical advantage for conference organisers: it sits within easy walking distance of Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre and much of the central-city hotel stock.

### Function spaces and capacities

The restaurant publishes a clear three-tier structure for groups:

• Private room — caters for up to 12 people, aimed at intimate dinners, board-level meetings and small corporate functions
• Larger areas — can accommodate up to 24 people within the restaurant
• Whole-venue hire — the full restaurant seats up to 60

Alongside the main restaurant is The Astro Lounge, described by the venue as the casual counterpart to Cook 'n' with Gas. It is used for pre-dinner drinks before groups move through to the dining room, and can also be booked for functions in its own right. Free WiFi is available in the Astro Lounge. This two-space arrangement suits the standard conference-dinner pattern of arrival drinks in one room followed by a seated meal in another.

### Group menus

The venue operates a specific group offering rather than expecting large parties to order à la carte. For groups of more than 10, a Table d'hôte menu is available, already discounted for larger parties. Degustation menus can be arranged for companies by prior arrangement, and à la carte remains an option for smaller bookings. The drinks list is extensive — the restaurant is known for a wine and beer selection running to more than 200 lines.

### Practical notes

Published opening hours are Monday to Saturday from 5.00pm onwards, so the venue is a dinner proposition rather than a lunch or daytime meeting option. Reservations and function enquiries are handled through the restaurant's own online form and contact page. A click-and-collect ordering option and gift vouchers are also offered.

For MICE work, Cook 'n' with Gas fits the small-to-mid group dinner brief: incentive groups, executive dinners, awards-night pre-functions, board meetings with a meal attached, and end-of-conference social dinners for delegations of up to 60. It is not a conference or meeting venue in the AV-and-breakouts sense — there is no published audiovisual inventory or daytime meeting package.

A caution on the website: the restaurant's site is built on a commercial WordPress theme and several pages carry unedited demo placeholder content, including staff names and stock photographs on the home page. Those team details should not be relied on. Capacity figures above are drawn from the venue's own functions page, which is consistent across the site.

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