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.

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