A great cafe is more than just four walls and a coffee machine.

The best cafes buzz and hum as happy, caffeinated customers enjoy great food and excellent service.

It's tough judging best cafe because these days many places spread themselves further, playing cafe, restaurant and bar and changing their spots slightly as the day goes on.

JOSEPH JOHNSON/FAIRFAX NZ Dose Diner is Zest's best cafe of 2015.

Even those sticking to being cafes are very different, offering food from cabinets and menus and everything from coffee to complex smoothies. Some roast their own coffee beans others cold press juices or shop exclusively at local markets. The variety on offer in Christchurch is truly impressive for a city in recovery mode, and we are spoiled for choice.

So without further ado, here are our picks for the best in the cafe business this year.

WINNER

- Dose Diner - 295 Blenheim Rd

Dose is just so effortless. From the outside it doesn't look much, but stepping through the front door it's clear these guys know their stuff.

The walls are plastered in high-end graffiti art (by Jacob Yikes) and the mix and match furniture is considered and creative. A cold press juicer sits on the main counter and the coffee – Lyttelton Coffee Co – is excellent.

The cafe staff are cheerful, helpful and knowledgeable, greeting everyone like a daily regular.

Setting aside decor, coffee and service, all of which is excellent, Dose has a killer menu. Who wouldn't want to order the French toast? Think raspberry and mascarpone, vanilla custard and streaky bacon. Trust us, it works. If you're going savoury, the pulled pork bagel is a must.

Co-owner Andy Shiau says the focus at Dose is on relaxed comfort for customers while ensuring everything they offer is top of the line.

Even though it's in a business park on Blenheim Rd, you wouldn't know it sitting inside having breakfast. Shiau says they were initially nervous about the location but in the last two years the business has evolved with its locals and weekend visitors and is booming.

There's an Asian influence in the menu with a balance of classics to cater to everyone.

"It's a little bit of trend, a little bit of who we are," he says.

This one's not to be missed.

FINALISTS

- Laneway Espresso - 329 Durham St North

They're kind of a new kid on the block but bring urban chic to the city's cafe scene. The ply-on-white decor is soothing and mellow and the coffee top notch. Throwing open the bifold doors on a warm day, the whole space is bathed in sun. A simple breakfast/brunch menu covers all the bases and if you're wanting a treat with your morning caffeine hit, look no further than the lemon meringue pie.

- Switch Espresso - Carnaby Lane, New Brighton

Switch has taken huge leaps since its interior upgrade and expansion. A clear little sister to Black Betty in the city, Switch has a vintage vibe with plenty of retro and a killer cabinet selection. Brunch is where Switch excels, turning out crispy bacon, just-so eggs and excellent coffee every time. At the weekends, you'll find Switch flooded with families, couples and the beachside cool set. Gorgeous in summer with that unbeatable sea breeze.

- Caffeine Laboratory - New Regent St

Since it opened, the flagship Caffeine Laboratory has been upcycling itself every now and then as it morphs to its market and finds those sweet spots their customers crave. This latest iteration sees Caffeine Lab really reaching its potential with great staff, a contemporary and creative set of menus and some of the best coffee in town. Here you'll find the best porridge in Christchurch and baristas who really know their stuff. Order some chips – you won't regret it.

- Town Tonic - 335 Lincoln Rd

Health nut? Covered. After indulgence? Done. Town Tonic does both as a cafe during the day. Start your morning with banana bread and bacon icecream (amazing) and polish it off with a custom made fresh press juice. The menu changes constantly but this is what we love about TT – fresh produce and a market focus. It's chic, on trend and delivers on top cafe quality with a creative edge.

- Black and White Coffee Cartel - 83 Victoria St

Simplicity rules at Black and White where there's always lounge space on the lawn and the cabinet is stocked with wee Cakes By Anna. These guys have an intense coffee focus and it's clear in what they put in the cup. Coffee here is such a treat. With little to no kitchen space, they've gathered a careful selection of local start-up suppliers to put together a slick little menu and cabinet. Black and White prove you just need to do what you do well, and the people will come.

- Supreme Supreme - 10 Welles St

Cool, calm and collected. Did we mention cool? Supreme Supreme has cool in spades and delivers on the hype with a fantastic breakfast menu and a counter chocka block with baking. The smoothies here are well worth ordering and the various breakfast bowl options tick the luxury health nut boxes. They also do the best scrambled eggs in town. Order with a couple of flat whites and a newspaper.

- Hello Sunday, 6 Elgin St

Here we have heritage charm and vintage-inspired chic combined. A cute wee cafe in a cute wee wooden building with a deceptively large covered and uncovered courtyard combo snuggled into the back garden. Head here if you're after art on a plate for your breakfast as Hello Sunday takes brunch to the next level with plenty of creative flair and exciting flavour combos. Red velvet pancakes anyone?

- Black Betty, 165 Madras St

Black Betty is that well worn pair of slippers you just can't do without. This cafe has been a champion in Christchurch since it opened and the bigger brighter space post-reno makes it even better still. It's the place you go to when you can't face a coffee fail or you need that comforting plate of crumpets on a Sunday morning. Go on, get a second coffee.

- Mitchelli's Cafe Rinato, The Tannery

If there's one thing setting Mitchelli's apart it's the service. From the moment you walk in the door to when you scrape back your chair to leave, the staff are awesome. Often one of the Mitchell family is behind the counter, ensuring the whole place has that welcoming vibe. The food would be described as comfort. We're talking beans on toast, Mama Mitchelli's Muesli and pasta lunches. This is proper hospitality.