Garden of Eating
About
Overview & Vibe
Garden of Eating is a BYO restaurant on Allen Street in South Townsville that Wayne and Adele have run for 32 years. It is a genuine micro-wedding venue — twelve to twenty for the ceremony, thirty at the absolute maximum — and it is refreshingly upfront about being exactly that rather than pretending to scale.
Setting & Style
You come up a garden path under twinkling lights into a hidden courtyard: bamboo and palms, a stone bench, candle tealights, unconventional décor. A red carpet aisle runs through the garden, and there is a second one indoors under a chandelier for wet weather — the air-conditioned room is a real alternative, not a corner of the restaurant.
Ideal For
Elopements, vow renewals and weddings of thirty or fewer, in a city where most options start at a hundred. Also for couples with dietary requirements: this is a kitchen built around them.
The Need-to-Knows
Thirty guests is a hard ceiling — the enquiry form says so twice. Nothing is priced; the Secret Garden Packages are quoted on enquiry. It is BYO alcohol, which is unusual enough to be worth planning around: you bring the champagne and beer, the venue provides coupe glasses. And the restaurant only trades Thursday to Saturday evenings and Sunday lunch — Monday to Wednesday is function bookings only, which is when a wedding gets the place to itself.
Standout Feature
The dietary range, and that it is the house style rather than an accommodation. The menu carries “a predominance of gluten and dairy-free dishes, as well as vegan-friendly options”, and the chef’s signature is his own dairy-free ice creams, made to match each dessert. A celebrant, Kim Martin, is available in-house too.
Contact
Amenities
- Hidden Garden Courtyard
- Red Carpet Aisle
- Indoor Air-Conditioned Space
- Large Shade Umbrellas
- Twinkling Lights And Festoons
- Candle Tealights
- In-House Celebrant
- BYO Alcohol With Coupe Glasses
- Exquisite Set Menus
- Canapes And Cake
- Signature Dairy-Free Ice Creams
- Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free And Vegan Menu
- Secret Garden Packages
- Flexible Event Timelines
- Vow Renewals
- Exclusive Use Monday To Wednesday
- Sole Chef And Owner-Run
- 32 Years Trading
Ceremony Setting
- garden
- indoor
Dietary Options Supported
- Gluten Free
- Dairy Free
- Vegan
Nearby Landmarks
- South Townsville – The venue's own address and how it describes itself: "Boutique Micro Wedding Venue in Townsville" at 11 Allen Street, South Townsville
- Townsville city – "For over 32 years, Garden of Eating has been Townsville's hidden secret"
On Site Accommodation
- No
Price Notes
- Nothing is priced. The Secret Garden Packages are quoted on enquiry — call (07) 4772 2984 or email info@gardenofeating.com.au
- BYO ALCOHOL — "because we are a BYO restaurant, you can toast to your future with your preferred champagne and beer", and the venue provides "elegant coupe glasses for your toasting pleasure"
- A celebrant is available in-house: "Our celebrant, Kim Martin, will officiate your ceremony in our beautiful garden or cosy indoor space"
- 30 guests is a hard ceiling, stated three times across the site including on the enquiry form itself
- Trading hours constrain your date: Thursday to Saturday 6pm–10pm and Sunday noon–3pm for lunch. Monday to Wednesday is available for function bookings only — which is when a wedding would have exclusive use.
- What the packages cover, as listed: a romantic ceremony with the in-house celebrant; the tailorable Secret Garden Packages; a red carpet; delectable canapes and cake; exquisite set menus; BYO beverages with glassware; and "Flexible Timelines: Opt for a succinct event or an extended celebration"
- VOW RENEWALS are offered on the same terms as weddings
- The venue is a restaurant first — Wayne is the sole chef and Adele runs front of house; they have operated it for over 32 years, since 1993
- Address 11 Allen Street, South Townsville QLD 4810. ABN 63 781 521 194
Price Per Head
Venue Capacity
- 12–30
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