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Interior - Restaurant 1889, Townsville, AU-QLD

Restaurant 1889

4 (112)
$A40 and under
Modern Australian
252 Flinders St, Townsville, AU-QLD 4810

Make a booking

A photo of Restaurant 1889 restaurant

Restaurant 1889

4
$A40 and under
Modern Australian
Townsville CBD

Make a booking

2 people
23:30

About this restaurant

  • Great for fine wines
  • Good for special occasions
  • Good for business meals
Located in the former Townsville Post Office (circa 1897), this heritage landmark complete with the town's only surviving clock tower, now is the home of the Townsville Brewing Co. Modestly called The Brewery. Restaurant 1889 is located inside this building. Experience our uniquely historic Restaurant 1889. Restaurant 1889 blurs the line between traditional bistro and fine dining establishment. A bit flash, but not hoity-toity.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Location
    252 Flinders St, Townsville, AU-QLD 4810
  • Area
    Townsville CBD
  • Cross Street
    Flinders Street, Denham Street, Ogden Street
  • Parking Details
    Street Parking
  • Public transport
    Bus
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Vegan

Concierge
AI Beta

Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Menu

This menu from Restaurant 1889 was last updated on 26/8/2026.

August 2026 - June 2027. Opening Hours: Friday - Saturday 5.30pm - 9.00pm

Starters

  • Braised and Grilled Octopus (A) (GF)A$22.00

    w/ Romesco and Pico De Gallo

    • Oysters (A)A$6.50

      Freshly Shucked Barilla Bay, TAS Oysters

      • Kilpatrick (DF) (GF)A$0.00
      • Natural (DF) (GF)A$0.00
      • Mignonette (DF) (GF)A$0.00
      • MornayA$0.00

    • Pan-Seared Scallops (M) (GF)A$8.50

      Pan-Seared OLD Scallops in the shell w/ Prosciutto, Pea Puree, Charred Corn

      • Pineapple Braised Pork Belly (GF) (DF)A$25.00

        w/ Peach Gastrique, Corn Puree, Sesame Seeds, Micro Herbs

        • Wagyu Beef Tartare (DF)A$28.00

          w/ Chives, Shallots, Mayonnaise, Cured Egg Yolk, Crostini

          • Smoked Carrot Tarte TatinA$19.00

            w/ Toasted Goats Cheese, Honey Glazed Carrots, Chives

            • Smoked Bone MarrowA$22.00

              w/ Romesco, Crostini, Micro Herbs

              • Vegetable Stacker (VG) (GF) (DF)A$18.00

                Eggplant, Zucchini, Pumpkin, Shallot, Peach Gastrique

                Grill

                • 500g Bone in Rib (GF) (DF)A$84.00

                  Grass-Fed 100 days Rib w/ Fondant Potato, Broccolini and choice of sauce

                  • Score 2A$0.00

                • 300g Porterhouse (GF) (DF)A$54.00

                  Grass-Fed 100 days Porterhouse w/ Fondant Potato, Broccolini and choice of sauce

                  • Score 2A$0.00

                Mains

                • Peri-Peri Marinated Chicken Half Roast (GF) (DF)A$32.00

                  Brined for 12 hours w/ Jus

                  • Herb-Crusted Lamb RackA$58.00

                    w/ Tzatziki and Blistered Cherry Tomatoes

                    • Miso-Glazed Barramundi (M) (GF)A$46.00

                      w/ Grilled Zucchini and Beurre Blanc

                      • Mushroom Risotto (GF) (DF) (V)A$32.00

                        King Brown and Shiitake Mushroom Risotto w/ Pomegranate

                        • Duck Duo (GF)A$43.00

                          Pan Seared Duck Breast and Confit Duck Leg w/ Pumpkin Puree and Roasted Red Cabbage

                          • Beetroot and Feta SaladA$24.00

                            w/ Pepitas, Mesclun, Beetroot, Feta

                            • Caesar SaladA$24.00

                              w/ Cos Lettuce, Crispy Bacon, Croutons, Caesar Dressing, Parmesan, Poached Egg

                              Sides

                              • Confit Garlic Mash Potato (GF)A$14.00

                                • Garlic Butter Beans (GF) (V)A$10.00

                                  • Bowl of Chips (VG) (DF) (GF)A$12.00

                                    • Garlic Brussel Sprouts (GF) (DF)A$16.00

                                      w/ Crispy Bacon and Maple Glaze

                                      • Char-Grilled Broccolini (V) (DF)A$14.00

                                        w/ Soy Maple Glaze and Toasted Sesame Seeds

                                        • Honey-Glazed Smoked Baby Heirloom Carrots (VG)A$14.00

                                          • Charred Corn Ribs (V) (GF)A$10.00

                                            w/ Cooked Texas Butter

                                            Little Human Menu

                                            • Fish

                                              Chips, Tomato Sauce

                                              • Linguine Bolognese

                                                Napoli Sauce, Parmesan Cheese

                                                • Chicken Nuggets

                                                  Chips, Tomato Sauce

                                                  • Ice-Cream

                                                    Vanilla Bean w/ Chocolate Sauce

                                                    Last updated: 26 August 2026

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                                                    Reviews

                                                    OpenTable reviews from verified diners

                                                    Reviews from people who have dined at Restaurant 1889.

                                                    4

                                                    4.0
                                                    (112)
                                                    • 4.0Food
                                                    • 4.5Service
                                                    • 4.2Ambience
                                                    • 4.0Value

                                                    Noise • Energetic

                                                    112 Reviews

                                                    1. Wendy

                                                      Tropical North Queensland1 review

                                                      5.0

                                                      Dined on 4 September 2026

                                                      1. Overall 5
                                                      2. Food 5
                                                      3. Service 5
                                                      4. Ambience 5
                                                      What a beautifully restored heritage style restaurant. The food & how it was presented was fabulous & the staff there were so lovely, very accommodating & friendly. We loved the ambient music too. Highly recommend for a classy night out!

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                                                    2. Andrew

                                                      Adelaide1 review

                                                      1.0

                                                      Dined on 15 August 2026

                                                      1. Overall 1
                                                      2. Food 1
                                                      3. Service 2
                                                      4. Ambience 2
                                                      We were looking forward to a great evening, the menu looked good and the wine list was fantastic. Ordered drinks and the wine glasses initially were tiny, thankfully our host found some decent ones for the good wine we had ordered. After we ordered our food we were initially told no broccolini, then they came back and said no carrots and then the third time no lamb backstrap and four of us had ordered it. It’s a Saturday night in Townsville and the restaurant is half full yet they have no veggies and no lamb. We paid for our drinks and left in search of carrots and dinner. Ironically there was a full jar of carrots on display as we left the building.

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                                                    3. Jenny

                                                      Melbourne2 reviews

                                                      1.0

                                                      Dined on 17 July 2026

                                                      1. Overall 1
                                                      2. Food 1
                                                      3. Service 2
                                                      4. Ambience 1
                                                      We were the only people in the whole place on a Friday night. The vegetarian food was terrible. Staff did take it off the bill. Steak and scallops were both good. Inexperienced staff who didn’t know how to respond to feedback about the food.

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                                                    4. Conor

                                                      Tropical North Queensland2 reviews

                                                      3.0

                                                      Dined on 27 June 2026

                                                      1. Overall 3
                                                      2. Food 3
                                                      3. Service 5
                                                      4. Ambience 3
                                                      The service on the night was stunning, absolutely lovely staff that were very welcoming but the atmosphere when you sit down feels very empty and unfortunately for the price; the food was just not worth it. Pair that with many options being unavailable upon ordering. Overall a nice experience but unfortunately not worth the price tag.

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                                                    5. William

                                                      Tropical North Queensland7 reviews

                                                      1.0

                                                      Dined on 26 June 2026

                                                      1. Overall 1
                                                      2. Food 1
                                                      3. Service 1
                                                      4. Ambience 2
                                                      We were really as a party of 6 - two visitors from interstate - looking forward to having a great night with good food as the menu looked good. How wrong were we It was the worst meal we had in Townsville the last year at least. Service was initially once they finally paid attention to us being there - we actually had to look for them while two staff in a fairly empty restaurant were chatting away - friendly, even though they were displaying signs of incompetence then already. Took a while for us to order drinks, then it was unacceptable wait time too get them The entrees were ok, but nothing to get excited about, but then the mains were - other than the special duck my partner ordered which she said was really good - absolutely poorly executed. Two of us had the gnocchi which were flavourless with mine barely having any mushrooms - I returned mine after a few bites as even putting some salt and pepper on it did not fix it - with no acknowledgement from the waiter, The risotto had a weird texture, certainly not what a risotto should be, the fish on top was overcooked. The duck in pastry was overcooked, the pastry soggy. Once I provided feedback on my dish and returned it, the waiters avoided our table for the rest of the night, at one stage one of our party needed to stand up and get a drink from the pub on the same level as no one attended to our table. When paying the bill no acknowledgement of our poor experience either. As said before, the restaurant was almost empty for the entire evening, now I understand why

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                                                    6. Jason

                                                      London5 reviews

                                                      3.0

                                                      Dined on 24 April 2026

                                                      1. Overall 3
                                                      2. Food 1
                                                      3. Service 5
                                                      4. Ambience 5
                                                      Food was very disappointing compared to 2 years ago. Lamb was half the size. Expected potato and got sweet potato that wasn’t cooked and hard qnd overcooked. Pork belly was overcooked or maybe just reheated. Steak had no flavour. Quite disappointing as was good and tasty 2 years ago. Was there on a Friday night and we were the only guests with a table of 5. One thing the staff where very friendly

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                                                    7. David

                                                      Melbourne2 reviews

                                                      5.0

                                                      Dined on 10 April 2026

                                                      1. Overall 5
                                                      2. Food 5
                                                      3. Service 5
                                                      4. Ambience 5
                                                      One of Townsville best kept secrets! Lovely refined but relaxed atmosphere, good food and excellent service. Good wine selection. It’s our go-to place for out of town visitors or date night. And nice to have a drink before or after in the brewery.

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                                                    8. Carly

                                                      Tropical North Queensland1 review

                                                      2.0

                                                      Dined on 28 February 2026

                                                      1. Overall 2
                                                      2. Food 2
                                                      3. Service 5
                                                      4. Ambience 3
                                                      Oysters mornay weren’t cooked enough an had no flavour at all. Fried potato gnocchi was inedible as it was served over salted. Waitress was extremely lovely. However no discount on the returned meal.

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                                                    9. Anthony

                                                      Tropical North Queensland1 review

                                                      5.0

                                                      Dined on 7 February 2026

                                                      1. Overall 5
                                                      2. Food 5
                                                      3. Service 5
                                                      4. Ambience 4
                                                      Seafood and steak were excellent. Great service and tasty cocktails

                                                      Is this helpful?

                                                    10. Teruko

                                                      Tropical North Queensland3 reviews

                                                      5.0

                                                      Dined on 13 December 2025

                                                      1. Overall 5
                                                      2. Food 5
                                                      3. Service 5
                                                      4. Ambience 5
                                                      This is the first time to visit the restaurant 1889. At a glance, It was a historic building with a stately interior and a very nice atmosphere. We ordered eye fillet and seafood saffron risotto. Steak sauce was amazing. I never have a such a flavor. I love risotto very much. I would like to come back again. Service was excellent.

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                                                    Dining areas

                                                    Additional information

                                                    • Location
                                                      252 Flinders St, Townsville, AU-QLD 4810
                                                    • Area
                                                      Townsville CBD
                                                    • Cross Street
                                                      Flinders Street, Denham Street, Ogden Street
                                                    • Parking Details
                                                      Street Parking
                                                    • Public transport
                                                      Bus
                                                    • Additional
                                                      Gluten-free Options, Vegan

                                                    FAQs

                                                    Yes, Restaurant 1889 is often chosen for date night, with guests describing it as very romantic and praising memorable anniversary and Valentine’s visits alongside attentive service.

                                                    Guests frequently describe portions at Restaurant 1889 as generous, several reviews note generous servings and leaving comfortably full.

                                                    Saturday evenings are a lovely time to visit Restaurant 1889, guests report excellent food and service on Saturday nights.

                                                    Yes, the menu lists clearly labelled vegetarian and gluten‑free dishes, for example Bruschetta (v), Seared Cyprus Halloumi (v/gf), oysters listed Natural (gf), and several grill steaks marked (gf).

                                                    Restaurant 1889 sits inside the Townsville Brewing Co., with a refined dining room and comfortable booths, guests also note the tavern/brewery area nearby for drinks.

                                                    Yes, guests praise a broad drinks offering, including locally produced beers (paddles), well-made cocktails and a wide wine selection.

                                                    Yes, Restaurant 1889 offers a dedicated Kids Menu (Spaghetti Napoli, Fish & Chips, Chicken Nuggets and Ice‑Cream), making it an easy choice for families with children.

                                                    Restaurant 1889 is a lovely choice for a relaxed evening, several guests note its quiet, intimate atmosphere and one guest even reported being the only diners on a Friday night; it's open Fri–Sat 5:30–9:00 pm.

                                                    Casual dress is the guide, comfortable, everyday clothes are entirely appropriate for dining at Restaurant 1889.

                                                    How FAQ content is generated

                                                    1. Home
                                                    2. Australia
                                                    3. Tropical North Queensland
                                                    4. Townsville
                                                    5. Townsville CBD

                                                    Make a booking

                                                    A photo of Restaurant 1889 restaurant

                                                    Restaurant 1889

                                                    4
                                                    $A40 and under
                                                    Modern Australian
                                                    Townsville CBD

                                                    Make a booking

                                                    2 people
                                                    23:30
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