The Church Pub

About this place

The Church Pub is a live music bar and restaurant at 124 Worcester Street, on the corner of Worcester and Manchester Streets in the Christchurch central city. The venue describes itself as offering wood-fired pizzas, a large open bar area, a mezzanine floor and a sun-soaked courtyard, and is open from 11am until late, seven days. It is a dog-friendly establishment.

### The building

The pub occupies the former Trinity Congregational Church, a Gothic Revival stone building designed by Benjamin Mountfort and listed by Heritage New Zealand as a Category I heritage building. Mountfort's design replaced an earlier church on the same corner that opened in 1864, and he was given the brief of an open preaching space, which produced the octagonal floor plan and double barrel-vaulted timber roof the building is known for. After the congregation left, the building passed to State Insurance in 1974 and was later used as a performing arts centre and, from 2006, a restaurant.

The tower collapsed in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. In June 2012 it was announced the building would be saved, repaired and earthquake strengthened; that work won the Heritage Retention Award and the Supreme Award at the 2012 Canterbury Heritage Awards. The building reopened as a pub in 2023.

### Functions and group bookings

The Church Pub markets itself as a function and event venue with a dedicated events team, catering and beverage menus, and four distinct spaces:

• The Upper Mezzanine - a semi-exclusive space overlooking the live music stage and bar, with a private bar and waitstaff. Standing 50, seated 30. Suited to client entertaining and smaller private gatherings.
• The Assembly Hall - the main area in front of the bar and stage, best suited to casual dining and networking for groups of 30 plus. Standing 200+, seated 100.
• The Chapel - a sit-down dining space between the main bar and the outdoor courtyard. Seated 35.
• The Sanctuary - an outdoor space wrapping around the building, suited to long lunches and after-work drinks. Standing 100, seated 40.

### Location and MICE fit

The corner site sits a short walk from Cathedral Square and the central city's main hotel cluster, which makes it a practical option for delegate social programmes, welcome functions, awards nights and end-of-conference drinks rather than formal plenary sessions. The combination of a heritage interior, live music and a large standing capacity suits cocktail-style events; groups wanting a quieter seated dinner are better placed in The Chapel or the Upper Mezzanine. See related Christchurch venues for comparison.