Dux de Lux

Has to be the best place ever to sit and have a reasonably priced meal outside with lots of atmosphere and music happening around you. Great for all ages.

Recipe for an ideal summer afternoon:
One old friend
Two site-brewed beers
Three top-class salads piled generously into bowls
Add rhythm, sunshine, ambience and serve...

And so it was that I enjoyed another visit to Christchurcn institution, The Dux-de-Lux. As the mellow sounds of an afternoon band wafted over from the adjoining Arts Centre market, my friend and I nestled into a shady table, selected for its prime people-watching angle. The ample outdoor tables were peppered with the usual mish-mash of chilled out Dux patrons sunnily sipping on pitchers of legendary Dux-de-Lux beer, brewed on site.
Having opted for the old favourite 'salad bowl' ($8.50 for three salads of your choice and a slice of moreish rye bread. For $1 extra you can add another slice of bread, or for $2 you can add three more salads to your bowl!) we gorged on piles of noodles, carrots, chickpeas and tofu, washed down with a crisp Dux lager. 
Once home to the city's university, 'the Dux' is rich in history, ambience and musical nous, offering an inventive vegetarian restaurant, pool tables, two chilled-out bars and a famed live music scene. 
Its central location makes The Dux an ideal respite for travellers tired from treading the halls of the Arts Centre, perusing the Christchurch Art Gallery or wandering the Botanic Gardens. It's also  primed for those in the market for a lazy afternoon or a good night out with the locals. 

Tips: 
The salad bowl is easily the most affordable, tum-filling option. Pizzas are popular, but other main menu items can be pricey. 
Try the Dux Guest Beer - always surprising, always delicious.
The Dux closes at 12 midnight as it's in a residential area, so continue along Hereford Street to get to town, where the other bars and clubs are just starting to liven up.

I love the Dux de Lux, it's definitely a local favourite.  There is nothing better than sitting at one of their outside tables with a couple friends   The mexican pizza is inspired (think nachos on a pizza in the best possible way), and you must have a glass of their made-on-premises ginger beers (the Ginger Tom, or try the Non Tom for those who are driving).  Best of all when I go there with a large group everybody can find more than one thing to tempt them on the menu (which is freaking difficult sometimes).  And it's great for travellers because it's very close to popular attractions like Hagley Park, The Canterbury Museum, and The Art Gallery.  One thing to note is that it doesn't have table service so you have to go and stand in a queue to order your food and go up to the bar to get more drinks.