This hidden gem is definitely worth the stop! Quaint and eclectic decor surround you as you dine on delicious, fresh, local cuisine. I had a yummy trout sandwich and hubby had the bacon cheeseburger, which was juicy and tender. Be sure to try one of their house made botanical sodas!

Lovely place to stop and eat. The garden salad was beautifully presented with thin sliced radish around the bottom of the dish with edible flowers. Has options for vegan/vegetarian. Thank you for a wonderful dining experience.

Family run restaurant with a lot of character and fantastic food. I had the chicken piccata which while it had subtle flavours, the sweetness, the cheese and the greens really worked well with the chicken. The outdoor area is also quite beautiful so I would recommend eating outside to enjoy the place even more.

Extremely fresh and farm to table operation. Can't go wrong with the steak. The deserts are amazing so defintely save space for it.

The food was absolutely delicious and great to know that all food is freshly made in house and produce is sourced locally. The staff was great and very friendly and told us their wonderful story of their move to Manitoulin and passion for food. I will definitely come back.

All I can say is WOW!! What a great find on our road trip! The atmosphere, location, staff, chef and the food was over the top!! We will defintely make another trip just to eat here again!

Location: Garden’s Gate isn’t located in one of the island’s towns. It’s a 20 minute drive south-east from the town of Mindemoya on Hwy 542. From the ferry at South Baymouth you can take Hwy 6 and be at Garden’s Gate in just over 10 minutes. From Little Current, you can be at Garden’s Gate in just over 35 minutes via Hwy 6 south. Food: This is a first rate restaurant that focuses on fresh, local ingredients and genuinely caring preparation. Our first foray was a quick drop-in after checking out the Dark Sky Preserve. We were greeted warmly by Sheina, and after a brief chat we decided that looking at the menu in anticipation of the next day’s meal wasn’t enough. We ordered the appetizer charcuterie plate as a “tester” and sat in the garden to enjoy our food. It was a fabulous afternoon snack. Too often we’ve ordered charcuterie plates that offer great ingredients, but in quantities that barely feed a small child. Kevin’s plate combines the best of both worlds: high quality ingredients (the blue cheese in particular was superb) and enough food for two people to dig in for some very contented noshing. The next day we were very excited to return for dinner. We ordered two appetizers: Grilled Chicken Satay; and, Local Asparagus & Prosciutto Rolls. Both were outstanding, though if we had to choose between them we’d give the win to the chicken satay. The house made satay sauce was something special, and the chicken was cooked to juicy perfection. We each ordered the Pan Seared Rainbow Trout for our main course, and it was mouth wateringly delicious. The fish was lightly spiced, allowing the clean, fresh taste of the trout to take centre stage. As important, it was cooked perfectly. We savoured each and every bite - so, so good. We would definitely order this dish again. For dessert we chose a Lemon Cheesecake with Seasonal Berry Coulis, and the House-made Ice Cream Sandwich. The Lemon Cheesecake was the runaway winner of this contest. The cheesecake itself was light and airy with superb, rich flavour while the strawberry coulis was a perfect, not-too-sweet contrast to the gentle, citric tartness of the cake. The Ice Cream Sandwich was the only aspect of the dinner that was less than satisfying. While the ice cream itself was delicious, the cookie was just too hard to allow one to eat the dessert as a “sandwich”. This was made even more difficult by the fact that the chocolate in the cookie - while generous and of good quality - was added in large chunks (as opposed to smaller chips), making the already hard cookie that much harder to bite through. When the sandwich concept defeated us, we switched to an open face approach, but still found the cookie and chocolate chunks too solid to fully enjoy. Ambiance: The Garden’s Gate is blessed with a beautiful location. The building is nestled amidst beautiful flower gardens, and tables are currently arrayed adjacent to the small parking lot (we understand that the plan is to move the tables inside the garden post-Covid). Inside the building you’ll find Sheina, your amiable and genuinely welcoming hostess, as well as a selection of local artisanal food products and crafts produced by local artists (we picked up a beautiful set of earrings while deciding what to order for dinner). This is a lovely space to enjoy good conversation and fabulous food. Price: The food is somewhat more expensive than other options we tried on the island, which is to be expected since it was far and away the best restaurant dining experience we enjoyed during our five day visit. We enjoyed two appetizers, two mains and two desserts for $125 (HST and generous tip included), a very reasonable price considering the quality. And compared to what one might expect to pay for a meal of this quality in Toronto or other Canadian cities, the fare at Garden’s Gate is a bargain. We highly recommend dining at Garden’s Gate, and will definitely return the next time we’re on Manitoulin Island.

As of June 2018 there is major construction all around this wonderful restaurant, so if you make a reservation take the necessary detour time into account. The garden in front is beautiful, the restaurant is welcoming, and the staff is courteous. We had a very enjoyable meal, enjoyed the wide variety of craft beer, and absolutely had to try dessert. Garden's Gate is a well run, fantastic restaurant that is a bit out of the way, but worth adding to your list of must visit eats around Manitoulin. I will absolutely be returning and can only recommend that you check it out. Oh, also, they have a great selection of loose leaf tea.

This place is very special. It has a beautiful setting in a house with a garden full of flowers, cosy interior with cute local art and engaged staff with a good sense of humor. And there is the FOOD. Always simply scrumptious but also unusual and surprising menu options which are usually based on local products. For example, last time we tried a salad with edible flowers from their garden which I thought was just too pretty to eat (see the picture) but after we tried it, its flavor was as good as its presentation. Chicken with blueberry sauce was fantastic, too (I never thought that they would go together so well). And they always amazing dessert options. It was our second time, and even if this place is not the cheapest, the whole experience is totally worth your money.

Sweetest little spot. Tasty food. Friendly owners. Lots of vegan and vegetarian options. Plus a cute market/shop with local and artisan items. But a name like Garden's Gate means I must make mention of the incredible garden. You can sit in it while you eat or wait for your food. Bees and butterflies love this place and so do I.

This meal cost 19 CAD + tax. Worth it? Definitely not. Dry rice and white (!!) tofu, which means without any flavour. It was not in maple sauce as it should have. We also had vegan burritto, which was also blend, I hadn't know that rice and beans don't have any flavour before eating this. We were very dissapointed, because we felt like chewing something blend, we really didn't enjoy the food. Please, if you cannot cook tasty vegan food, don't offer it. Especially for high price. Restaurant was so beautiful (when we were waiting 25 minutes for take away), but it was all.

We had such a delightfully-unexpected time at Maja’s Garden Bistro. I love finding wholesome vegan meals and I didn’t think I’d be able to find something quite so perfect on Manitoulin Island (where I’ve been going all my life). We had a lentil burger with beets, avocado and sprouts, my sister had a specialty grilled cheese filled with great toppings, and we shared a chocolate torte. Their ingredients come right from their beautiful garden. I’m so happy to have found this spot right in Mindemoya on the way to my grandparents house. I will come back again and again. We did it just after hiking a little over three hours on cup and saucer trail, and I’d highly recommend doing the same. It’s just 15 minutes away from the trail. Thank you again 🙏

Our experience at Maja's was phenomenal! Excellent food, spectacular service and the ambiance of the gardens was wonderful. Buttons the cat was also a real sweetheart! If you stop to eat in Mindomoya, choose this place.

Great atmosphere, beautiful garden Bistro. Lots of vegetarian options, freshly home grown vegetables are used from their garden.

We are on our way from Manitoulin island to cup and Saucer Trail and we are a group of 7 and we are hungry. Luckily we found this amazing place. It was a very different and special experience. The menu, seating, garden and organic farm area. It was beautiful. And food is also good. I felt food is little pricey but no complaints it's worth it.

Loved this cute fun colourful cafe.. you feel like your visiting family or something! Very homey feeling, super fresh food made to order, healthy option on the island.. we loved the potato sconces and had to order another one! The veggie pizza was good too ..recommend a visit when ur on the island

We've visited Maja's Garden twice during our trips to Manitoulin Island and each time we had a wonderful experience. The garden is such a beautiful, serene place where you can endlessly sit, enjoy yourself and yummy dishes based on its harvested plants. Last weekend, we had some whole-wheat veggie pizza, zucchini "boat" (boat-shaped small tart), zucchini soup, wine jelly with raspberries and home-made cinnamon buns. Everything was great, and I also bought some jam and honey for home (the owner's husband is a beekeeper). The owner is very nice, too. I just have one regret: I discovered that Maja's raspberry and red & black currant jam is simply amazing but I purchased only one...

Lovely people, a gorgeous garden, herbal teas grown on site, plus a selection of jams, syrups, and locally made items. The spanakopita was the best I’ve had, and our time in the garden (with an adorable cat!) an instant memory.

Delicious vegetarian food. Tried the garlic tart, spanakopita, quinoa salad. All very good. Friendly service and they are doing physical distancing very well. It's also a beautiful and relaxing garden space!

Edit: Dropping the star rating because of the disappointment before leaving. I asked for a few napkins, and the woman who took the order at the front commented to me "Are you leaving soon? You've been here for 4 hours. We got busy and you were sitting here." LOL WOW. First of all, it was just under 3 hours. We ordered an appetizer, 2 mains, a dessert, and two rounds of drinks. Yes, it got busy, but we were mindful of that, and there was always one table available, and if it wasn't, there was only a few min wait. We intended to order food for take out for later in the evening, and wanted to come back another couple of times (for shorter visits lol), but we've decided to spend our money elsewhere. Limited number of restaurants and a small town, so they can get away with it. But it's not the ONLY restaurant so we're good. Also, if we had to tip, we tip really well, so maybe they wouldn't have cared. I left a small cash tip on the table and the attitude seemed to change when she saw that. Interesting... Original review: Amazing little Marina side spot. Food was delicious and service was friendly. Catch of the day was whitefish, and the Cajun seasoning is so yum. Chicken club was tasty. And the cold artichoke dip to start was really nice. Oh, and the cheesecake was good also. Pricing is fair; they do not prompt for tipping. The patio is dog friendly fyi :)

Our hosts at the Twin Peaks B&B recommended Buoy’s Eatery and TakeOut in Gore Bay and since all their recommendations were spot-on so far we made a dinner reservation on Buoy’s patio. As we checked out the many glowing reviews it became apparent that our choice for dinner was already made. Almost without exception reviewers recommended the pizza. All that was left for us to do was decide which of the pizzas we were going to order. See below for our choices. Service: Another thing most reviewers commented on consistently was the service at Buoy’s, with an emphasis on friendly and helpful. And we can offer the same rave reviews on that front. Our server was excellent: relaxed but efficient; effortlessly funny; and, knowledgeable and honest about the menu. You couldn’t really ask for more. Ambience: The patio overlooks the Gore Bay marina, and also provides a beautiful view of a portion of Gore Bay itself. Combined with the relaxed service, and the stunning weather we enjoyed for our visit, this made for a fabulous outdoor dining experience. And, an after dinner stroll out onto the marina’s breakwater is highly recommended. You get a stunning view of the Bay’s outlet to the North Channel, and a beautiful panoramic view of the town and the marina. Food: When we arrived the patio was busy and almost without exception people had ordered pizza. So, with the reviews’ recommendations confirmed we sat down to agonize over which pizzas to choose. In the end we settled on two 12” pizzas (we’d been hiking all day and were famished). The Bonnyville (double pepperoni, extra cheese, tomatoes, green olives and bacon) and The Max (shaved roast beef, garlic butter, fried mushrooms, red onion, marble cheese and steak spice). We also ordered two side salads: a Caesar and a Greek. The salads were good, with in-house made, delicious dressings and fresh ingredients (with the exception of the canned black olives on the Greek). But each one was missing just a little something. In the case of the Caesar we missed having more, and larger, croutons. And in the case of the Greek there could have been more Feta cheese - and real olives would have gone a long way. The pizzas are really good. To be clear, if you’re looking for Neopolitan or artisanal style pizza you’ll be disappointed. But if you’re looking for straight ahead Canadian-style pizza with quality toppings cooked to perfection (and quickly - we were amazed at how quickly our pizzas came out) then Buoy’s is going to make you happy - and full. With our side salads we were stuffed (we could have easily settled for two 8” pizzas but sometimes we just have to overindulge now and again). Price: Two 12” pizzas, two side salads, two tall cans of Okanagan Cider, HST and a healthy tip totalled just shy of $100. Money well spent; we’ll definitely be back the next time we visit Manitoulin Island.

Absolutely delicious but $18 for a pulled pork sandwich I would expect it to come with fries or some kind of side. Even a pickle or coleslaw would have been nice.

Summers just wouldn’t be the same without Buoy’s Eatery at the Gore Bay Marina. We have been enjoying Buoy’s since it opened in 2009 and today we were excited for our first visit back for the 2023 season. The view never disappoints and the food was as fresh and delicious as always. We love the friendly staff and relaxed atmosphere. We had the Cajun fish with roasted potatoes, salad and the chicken quesadilla and everything was delicious! We also enjoyed Split Rail beer on the patio. We had a great time! We highly recommend Buoy’s Restaurant for lunch or dinner and we’ll be back every chance we get!

Friendly service and good food. I have been twice recently, once on the patio, and once inside, both were great experiences. Everyone is friendly, everything is clean, the washroom water is really extremely hot, and the food is good. There are lots of options available with great pizza and local beef burgers. The fish is also very good. They have a decent selection of beer including 2 from Thunder Bay! I would recommend stopping in and having a nice cold drink and hot meal.

Great service and delicious food. Vegetarian pizza and the cheese garlic bread were just perfect !

The only thing better than the amazing food was the service - I have a lot of food allergies that make eating out very difficult, but our server was emphatic that they are happy to accommodate. I had a truly wonderful meal that met all of my needs and satisfied a craving for fresh-caught Georgian Bay whitefish! The restaurant is spotlessly clean, the staff are very friendly and welcoming, and the music is quiet and classy. On a lovely day the patio can't be beat, but the few indoor tables are very nice and the artwork displayed is eclectic and fascinating - all seems to be from local artists. Well worth a visit while on the Island!

Food was excellent! Had the Cajun rainbow trout burger, husband had the key west seasoned one. So. Damn. Good. So fresh and cooked to order. Great location with awesome views too. Went back and got a piece of the pumpkin cheese cake, very delicious, not too sweet.

A must when you are visiting the island. We always come here for pizza and pulled pork. Absolutely delicious. Buoy's only uses fresh local ingredients. We had our small dog with us so we were able to order our food and go eat at the picnic table near the waterfront. Can't wait to come back again next year!

What a lovely little spot this restaurant is. The patio is great, with an excellent view of the marina in Gore Bay. Our server was incredible, very relaxed and a pleasure to talk to. My mother and I both got the rib special as suggested by our waiter and they were delicious. We also took up our waiters offer of their key lime pie, which was tart and in an almost shortbread type of crust. It didn't take too long to get our food, it felt just right. The other dishes that were coming out looked great as well, and the location itself had a very laid-back, family friendly feel to it. Everything was delicious and we would gladly go back again if we are ever in the area.

It was a very hot day when we sat for a portion of fish and chips. There was not one table with even a bit of shade, so we had to wait in full sun. After about 30 minutes, the fish and the chips were ready, and they were dripping hot oil. The taste was heavy, and even though we did not like it, we did eat it as we were very hungry. It did not sit well with neither one of the three of us. It was very busy so I guess a lot of people like the place. From our point of view, we'll never go there again.

We heard a lot about this restaurant so thought to try it once. We ordered 1 white fish with fries. The fish size was quite good also they served generous amount of fries. You can choose your sauce along with the dish. We tried tarter sauce. Overall we loved their food.

Delicious! Had two large pieces of white fish and a generous portion of fries to go with it. Couldn't eat it all. Fish was cooked perfectly, flaky and moist. Try their spicy tartar sauce. Great place to stop in Providence Bay.

Honestly, the BEST fish I've had in my 58 years!!! Definitely worth the stop. Matt, the owner was so pleasant to chat with as well. We also stopped by he and his wife's other business the Muchmor!!

Every year, when I come to Manitoulin this is my number one place I have eat before I leave! Small menu based around fish and chips. Will have different options of local fish, and a few other things for a good beach day. Short walk to water so makes for a good day or afternoon trip. Definitely recommend the white fish with spicy tartar sauce ( I always get poutine on side) . Good portions so you will be full and happy.

Felt the best ever after compared to all the other places I have had fish and chips. The light batter was exactly what was needed. Shared (2 people) the 2 piece whitefish and chips but substituted the chips for onion rings. They also have burgers for those in a group that don’t like fish. Good pricing.

We’ve been coming here for years and even ate here twice on our last visit to the island. Both times got so excited about “digging’ in” that I completely forgot to take photos of the actual food! That says a lot about just how yummy the food is. Tried the Haddock ‘N Chips the first time and White Fish the second time around. Wasn’t disappointed with either... quite easily one of my favourite Fish & Chip places anywhere! Super fresh, clean tasting, amazing! The homemade Tartar sauce was awesome too! Keep up the good work, thanks to an awesome staff. Anyone visiting MI must check this place out. F.Y.I. It’s a good idea to call ahead and order to reduce your wait time, it’s a very popular joint :)

Best fish n chips i have ever had in my life. There is something special about this place. The prices are very decent. I have tried both of their white and haddock fish. Believe me you won’t regret getting any of them. If you like poutine, I would suggest you to get that as well. Super delicious.

We visit Manitoulin every summer and always stop by for lunch at least two times during our vacation. We have been enjoying this place every summer since it opened. We were very sad when we heard it was closing this year, but we were so happy when we found out it was going to be open. We have tried every menu item over the years and never had a bad experience. The fish is always cooked to order, hot and crispy. The fries are always golden and delicious. The homemade tartar sauce is perfect. The portion sizes are very generous. The only thing I would suggest is to add a nice coleslaw to the menu. We had great meals this summer, and look forward to seeing you next year.

Solid place for fish and chips! Sold out of white fish when we got there but the haddock was still amazing! Cuz of covid we can't sit but take out was still good! Just gotta eat it asap!!

Love this place! Come to Manatoulin every year and always make a point to come here!! Food is so so good! Tarter Sauce (spicy) is the added touch! Highly recommend if you are on the island!!

Funky fish 'n chip shop with delicious fare! So good we went twice during our week on the island. Got the classic white fish and fries , then the haddock with onion rings. Even the burger was juicy and do flavourful. At peak times, there will likely be a wait... We waited 40 minutes the first time. Not a problem for us though as we weren't in a rush... just went down for a scenic stroll along providence beach while we waited! They have a great large patio with tons of seating, and play fun music. The staff are all passionate and clearly enjoy their gig. Awesome place!

Great place to grab some quick food. Burgers are really good so is their pizza. Great selection of ice cream to choose from. Been going here for years and never disappointed.

Literally the best Rum Raisin Icecream I ever had! So delicious! Very nice staff .. Sweet little place!

If you are visiting Manitoulin island for a few days, you must try the place, if not for the food then at least for the different ice cream flavors. We spent some time there and understood it’s a locals favorite. Along with ice cream we tried chicken burgers and chicken wings. The burger was very good but unfortunately can’t say the same about the wings as it was way too sour(may be too much vinegar). All of us enjoyed different flavors of ice cream and really enjoyed it.

The best ice cream on the island and it greets you right as you come in! Huge menu that has all kinds of warm food as well if you're looking for dinner and a treat. The best part is obviously the ice cream, they had 30 (!) different flavors when we went. Service was fast and friendly. Would highly recommend this spot to treat yourself on the way in, or on the way off the island!

Wasn't worth the stop for me. Weather was beautiful so decided to go for a drive to the island and thought I'd treat myself to an ice cream. Immediately regretted my decision. There weren't many flavors to choose from (for an ice cream place) and the young girl behind the counter hated her life or me or sunshine....who knows. It was brutal. She stood there arms crossed with a scowl on her face the entire time growing more impatient by the second. There was also a young man who thankfully was pleasant. The very second I chose my flavour...the girl who hated her life summoned me to the cash as she couldn't get me out of there fast enough! My baby (1 scoop) in a plain cone was almost $5. As I headed towards the door the girl walked over to the other young staff members, turned her back to me and crossed her arms looking irritated beyond belief, didn't say a word to anyone as I walked by and as soon as I opened the door they started laughing. Yep...gonna be passing on this place next time for sure. 3 stars was for the ice cream. It was good, but nothing extraordinary. Would have only given one star for service.

Classic roadside grill and chill with a homey touch. Kids are happy, fries are great food is good. Easily one of or the best stop in heading in or out of the island.

Ice cream was great, options aplenty Burgers were okay, poutine also okay. Great place to stop when coming back from Tobermory (to Sudbury) for a stretch and sugar kick. Butter pecan ice cream is next level 🎚️

Really great place - original foods, cute atmosphere. Ice cream was good! One issue I had was with the stepper in front of the ice cream display making it not possible for me to lean in enough to see the ice cream. Probably the same problem for the kids who the stepper is for - the ice cream containers are way too low in the display unit. It'd be easier for everyone if it was raised higher.

Walked here from the waterfront, kids had ice cream while we waited for our pizza. Kids seemed pleased with the generous size of the single cones and they were offered sprinkles which they were tickled with. Pizza was also excellent.

Great roadside stop. Burgers are big & fantastic. I would recommend the chin dripper. Huge selection of ice creams. It's very busy so be patient. An area they can improve on is cleaning up after guests. Our bench was pretty messy with used napkins. And seating is limited, they must rely on more takeouts than dine-ins

A must visit when visiting the island! Great food, excellent frozen treats serving the best ice cream you can buy!