C1 Espresso Ltd

Awesome cafe in the Christchurch CBD. The burgers come out in a chute, and they have free sparkling water on tap! The decor is awesome, with a huge sliding bookshelf to the toilets, and it's always popular. It can feel a bit cramped, with a lot of tables squeezed in, but the good food and coffee make up for it. #cafetab

Food and ambience

Not only did the burgers come in a chute (so cool!) but they were delicious! I loved that they were small sliders, meaning we were able to choose 3 different flavours, as they were all delicious. Make sure to go to the toilet too! #shoutme

Christchurch’s most famous cafe. You can eat here for breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between including brunch. Try the homemade beans on toast.

There are many great things to say about the iconic C1 Espresso. One of them is their excellent array of cafe food. Choose from a selection of tasty delights from the cabinet or the menu. The mushroom risotto is amazing.

Now that they have moved to Alice in Videolands’s old spot, even easier to find and still some of the best coffee in Canterbury

Next to the Physics Room and Alice in Wonderland is C1 Espresso. Renicarnated here late last year, the place was buzzing when we first rocked up. We were lucky to be introduced to the omnipresent owner, Sam, whose enthusiasm and drive is seeing him being interviewed left, right and centre. We quizzed him about his Samoan coffee production and he informed us about the history of the beans, the current crises with the last two tsunamis and the future-proofing his company is doing right now, to ensure the plantations in Samoa are able to withstand future natural disasters. The ceilings are high, the food is displayed lovingly in the cabinet and always seems to be disappearing with hard-working staff, whose warm welcomes ensured we stayed beyond our coffees. Also, check out the funky water dispenser which was in another life, a sewing machine!