At the Lotus-Heart we feel called to serve the Christchurch community. We welcome every person who comes through our doors with a smile, and we serve only the best ethically-sourced, locally grown, organic vegetarian and vegan meals. We respect and honour the choices and requirements of all of our customers, so you’ll find allergy-friendly, raw, and onion-and-garlic-free options available on request. But we’re about more than just food. We consider our restaurant a haven of peace and we never compromise our values of love and integrity.
The Lotus-Heart is dedicated to conscious living and healthy eating, striving to create a global cuisine naturally. We use the freshest ingredients, locally grown and organic where possible. In addition to our pure vegetarian fare, we offer options for vegan, gluten-free and raw food diets and are more than happy to cater for specific allergy needs. We also offer a separate onion and garlic free menu which is available by request. Children are most welcome and we have a children’s menu, high chairs and games available.
Gourmet teas and tisanes, house-roasted organic fair-trade coffee, authentic Indian Chai, quality herbal coffee alternatives, superfood smoothies, house-made traditional ginger beer, fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha, cold-pressed juices and classic iced chocolate – all these and more can be discovered within The Lotus-Heart’s extensive drinks menu. Our passion for original and high quality beverages offers something for everyone. In support of our vegan friends we offer fresh house-made cashew milk at no extra charge, along with almond, pea and oat milk.
The Lotus-Heart vegetarian restaurant, health store, gift shop and the Gandharva Loka world music store now co-exist behind the temple-like facade.
Gandharva Loka offers a diverse range of musical instruments from all over the world. These include melodic, wind, stringed, percussive, children’s and sound therapy instruments plus a wide variety of singing bowls, wind chimes, bells and gongs. We invite you to explore our variety of world instruments.
The inspiration and wellbeing store offers the music, art, meditation aids – candles, a huge selection of finest quality incense (Japanese, Indian, Tibetan); conscious gifts for children – organic toys, thoughtful books, fairly traded gifts; and other gifts to foster inspiration, wellbeing and happiness.
The Lotus-Heart Health Food store features consciously selected natural health and beauty products; superfoods; a broad selection of local and imported teas and coffee substitutes; natural skin and hair care; books on health, cooking and inspiration; health supplements and health foods.
The Lotus-Heart was first established on 13th February 1997 as a small café at 595 Colombo Street, Christchurch.
Over the years we gradually began to outgrow our premises at 595 Colombo Street, and opened a second location in Cathedral Square on 7 January 2008 in the historical original Chief Post Office building (built in 1879). We were fortunate to expand into a beautiful space upstairs overlooking the Cathedral.
On February 22nd 2011 both of our locations were busy and we are extremely grateful that no-one at either place was harmed during the earthquake. Sadly our café on Colombo Street was in a block of buildings that have now been demolished. We have many sweet and fond memories of the time we spent there and all the special friends we made over the years. Although the restaurant building in Cathedral Square is largely undamaged, many years later the building has still not re-opened.
Our current location opened its doors five months after the big quake, with deep gratitude, on 27th July 2011 as The Lotus-Heart Restaurant at 363 St Asaph Street. We feel very optimistic about the future. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to make your time with us more enjoyable.