Pegasus Bay

Just a nice, reasonably quiet beach. The winds can get up a bit, but when it's calm it is just beautiful.

Nice beach, good fun location

Nice place to visit. Play at the park. Don't swim in the lake.

Ashworths Beach is excellent. Great place to run dogs 😊

Finally found an amazing local beach!!!

Lovely beach, some thing for everyone

Great beach to walk the dog

Nice beach.

Hands down, New Zealand has some of the most beautiful wineries in the world. And this one, along with their on-site restaurant is in my top 5 places and spaces I've enjoyed. The fact that this place is non-pretentious, has good quality food and wine, and a relaxed atmosphere is amazing. The staff was great and my tour guide was very knowledgeable. I'd go back.

Stunning Winery/Tasting-Room/Restaurant with an amazing garden compete with bubbling brooks and quaint little red foot bridges. Typical NZ charm taken to level 10 as kiwis like to do The staff were all incredibly engaging and friendly as. This is a great stop on your wine tour, wine-noobs and -snobs alike will find cause for celebration, photos and I quite sure come away with a few bottles.

This is where you will find me on any given weekend; luckily it's the closest winery to Christchurch. Pegasus Bay Winery is just off Route 1 down a small sheep-strewn farm road. The entrance greets you with large wrought iron fences affixed to pale salmon colored concrete pillars. The lawn leading up to the parking lot is beautifully manicured and adorned with risque statues. Once parked, the path leads to the gardens of Pegasus Bay or you can turn left at the fountain and wander into the castle-esque building that is Pegasus Bay. The winery was founded by a doctor whose wife introduced him to wine via the book "Wine" one Christmas. His life was clearly forever changed as he makes some of the best wines in the region. I recommend picking up a copy of Ivan Donaldson's autobiography "The Truant from Medicine" as it is an interesting read (especially if you are married to medicine and love wine, too). Pegasus Bay offers free wine tastings in their beautiful rustic tasting room that overlooks the many barrels of wine. My favorite is the Sauvignon-Semillion 2012. It's crisp with a lime/rock-melon taste and is absolutely refreshing for any time of the day; we buy a bottle of this anytime we stop by. Among others you'll taste are their Chardonnay, Reisling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Noir. I would tell you about my tastes, but I don't want to spoil the experience and the vintages I tried may have changed. Honestly, all of their wines are delicious and there will be something for everyone's palate. We often purchase the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as well. Over the years as Pegasus Bay has become world-reknown for their wine, they developed a fantastic restaurant to pair with their wines. Their worldclass chef pumps out amazing dishes daily which brings such a crowd that you absolutely must make a booking ahead of time. They do offer a cookbook if you want to try to recreate their masterpieces, "The Vintner's Table". Once you've had a taste of their wines, order a glass of your favorite and stroll around the grounds. They have planted beautiful native plants and trees that creates a small walking path down to their gorgeous pond. Be sure to ask the bar for some "eel food" if you want to feed their underwater pets. "Swanston" is the beautiful white swan in the pond, so be sure to snap a few photos of him as well. Pegasus Bay is a serene oasis and a fantastic place to dine. You will never grow tired of the beautiful views (both of nature and architecture) nor the delicious wines. You MUST MUST MUST stop here.

After hearing rave things about this place, we decided to stop here on our drive down to Christchurch. Was a mediocre at best. Staff were rude and unhelpful (made us wait 30 minutes for a table saying they didn't have any available despite 3 empty tables that remained empty. Yes they could have been 'no shows' but three tables?? ) The food itself was all appearance with no flavor. Really quite over-priced given the quality of the food. No-one really uses Yelp in New Zealand, (except for the odd tourist); so heed my warning, you can find much better food else where.

We had a group of 8 visit the winery and we visited the tasting room while waiting for the table to be ready. They were very knowledgeable and helpful with wine selections. We ordered a cheese plate and the charcuterie plate for the table and all enjoyed plenty. We shared the beef ribeye and side and it was wonderful. The staff are so friendly and accommodating. The grounds are beautiful. Reservations for lunch or dinner are required. Children are allowed as long as they are supervised, but I would save this location for when you are child free.

I loved this restaurant. We went on the recommendation of a Kiwi friend and she was spot on. We had a killer duck starter followed by a pork dish to share that rocked my world. The duck was served with fresh herbs, faro, and a sour marinated plumb. The pork was three cuts (stomach, hock, tail) prepared thee ways (grilled, stewed, deep fried) with creamy polenta, kraut style slaw (no mayo) and a gorgeous side salad with edible flowers. Everything paired well: right up to the chef thoughtfully ensuring that the dressing on the salad didn't conflict with the tartness of the slaw. Best of all, nothing was too salty, which can be a challenge with pork. Each dish we ate was balanced not just in taste but also texture, color, and presentation. They change the menu seasonally so it's unlikely they will have the same thing again but the staff knows the dishes very well, so tell them your preferences and ask for a recommendation. Not to be missed IMHO. Save your money up and spend it on a luxurious meal here, it's so worth it. There are also beautiful gardens to stroll through. There are tasting flights of wine on offer. However, I really loved their dry Riesling (although it was more halbtrocken to my limited experience). NZ wines do tend to lean a little sweet. All that said, please realize that this is a vineyard with a tasting room. Even if the gardens are nice, leave your beloved progeny with a sitter and come here on a proper date. Although the staff treated all (5!) children present at the tables around us with respect, this restaurant really isn't the right environment for kids. The Winery is little off the nearest highway, but well marked from the main road, with plenty of parking. Lastly, if you like the style of food here Ortolana in downtown Auckland has a similar style and balance to their dishes.

I've decided to get residency in New Zealand, so that I can eat at Pegasus Bay more often... It's just easier this way... In the 3 years I've been coming to Christchurch, and the 4 years I've been yelping, HOW, have I never reviewed Pegasus Bay, yet? I am sorry, community, I have failed you - This is the best restaurant I've been to in New Zealand, on both islands. Fresh, home made and farm grown ingredients (I've had peas and mint picked from their garden - It's along a walkway into the building) and house churned butter (just yesterday!) The service is always pleasant, happy and helpful. And the ambiance is winery chic (well... It's a winery... So, that's kind of expected...) and I suppose the food would be New Zealand style? So, being American, it's not much different from our new/modern cuisine... Kiwis probably have a bit more English influence than we do, and we likely have a heavier French influence? But those 2 countries have stolen, raped and pillaged from each other (including recipes) for a millennia, so, whatever. The estate is gorgeous, and, if I'm not mistaken (though, I probably am), supposed to be a state funded botanical garden. It's beautiful scenery to absorb while enjoying some fantastic food outside. Reminds me of the rural farmhouses in France, with the incredible foods they serve. But, without the snooty frency attitudes. I must admit though, that I do miss the indoor restrooms they used to have, with all the drunk quotes scrawled on the walls.

Listed as one of the 1001 places you must eat at before you die, Pegasus Bay delivers on the hype in unexplainably beautiful surroundings. The winery, founded by a physician in the 1970s, is considered the jewel of the Waipara Valley of the South Island of New Zealand. From a strategic standpoint, if you are touring the Waipara vineyards, I would not come here first as it would spoil the rest of the trip. Instead, opt for high-quality smaller producers like Greystone or Terrace Edge first, and then go visit the big daddy afterward and enjoy a relaxing afternoon. Pegasus Bay is a place to get pampered. Need a place to take your wife for her birthday? Or anniversary? How about an idyllic wedding venue or a place for a classy bachelorette (hen) party? Yes yes yes yes. But bookings (way ahead of time) are essential. The wine is stellar. Particularly the 2012 vintage Sauvignon/Semillon blend and the 2009 Pinot Noir. There is typically a crowd pleaser for all palates. Fun fact: The swan in the pond is named "Swanston." He randomly showed up after a storm one day and chose to make the vineyard his home. Smart swan. Do: Ask to feed the eels. Trust me. Do: Ask to play petanque. It's like bocce but French. Don't: Forget to call ahead (during the week) to reserve a table outdoors. You'll be kicking yourself if you don't.

Top quality fresh food, relaxing ambiance and impeccable service. Only complaint is the cheesy bathroom decor.