If you blink, you might miss Mini Lokanta, but trust me, Adelaide hasn’t. I can’t get a booking until October! In fact no one can.
Hidden inside a restored heritage home, that was once a shop front, on a quiet North Adelaide street, this tiny Turkish restaurant has quietly become the hottest ticket in town. And when I say tiny, I mean tiny. Just two tables, ten seats, and one night a week.
Naturally, it’s booked out until October, and by the time you read this probably til December!
I’ve heard from people lucky enough to jump on this special restaurant offering in Adelaide before the book now button on their website literally went “nuts”, the food is amazing.
Co-owners Gökçe and her husband Enver Tuğrul, can’t believe how popular their little restaurant concept has become.
“We have a huge waiting list and everyday more people contact us to book it,” said Gökçe.
“I am so very grateful that word has spread and people love our food.”
Gökçe and Enver have created a warm and welcoming space where food brings people together. With a deep respect for heritage and a passion for hospitality, they’ve built something that feels less like a restaurant and more like a heartfelt invitation into their world.
“It all started with inviting our neighbours over for some traditional Turkish food and treats,” said Enver.
Walking into Mini Lokanta feels like you’ve somehow snuck into a dinner party at a friend’s house, if that friend happened to be a phenomenal Turkish cook with a talent for hospitality. The space is warm and full of character, but not in an over-styled, too-perfect way. It’s genuine. Homely and friendly.
Gökçe, who runs the kitchen has created something that goes beyond food. Every dish feels like it belongs to a story, originally shared in a family kitchen somewhere between Istanbul and the Aegean coast.
With only two tables to worry about, every plate hits the table looking like it’s been made just for you — because it has. Think slow-made, home-style dishes like manti, delicate Turkish dumplings swimming in garlic yoghurt, burnt butter and tomato sauce, or crispy pacanga böreği, golden pastry rolls stuffed with Turkish pastrami and melting cheese.
And then there’s the muhallebili kadayif, which is creamy custard meets crisp roasted shredded filo and walnuts, again… so I’ve been told.
And here’s where it gets even better. While you’ll find Turkish raki, wines, and beers on offer, you’re also invited to BYO with no corkage, no fuss, and no side-eyes from the kitchen.
The best part? From everything I’ve heard, this isn’t just a meal, it’s a glimpse into something personal.
Gökçe leans heavily on generations of family recipes, the kind passed down over kitchen tables rather than scribbled in cookbooks.
Guests mention how she’ll pop out from the kitchen mid-service, sharing the stories behind the dishes, like you’re a regular at a family gathering. It’s the sort of detail that keeps people talking long after the plates are cleared.
Even the little touches, the gentle pace of the evening, the perfectly unpretentious playlist, seem designed to make you forget you’re in a restaurant at all. And what a playlist.
“We have traditional Turkish instruments and a vinyl record player with a collection of Turkish vinyl I collected from Turkish flea markets. At the end of the evening our guests usually end up playing music or singing along,” said Enver.
For now, Mini Lokanta opens just once a week, only on Saturdays, and scoring a table is starting to feel like trying to get into an underground gig you heard about from a friend of a friend. The kind of place you want to tell everyone about, but also secretly want to keep to yourself.
And yes, I’m absolutely trying to get in too, but if you beat me to it, save me a seat, would you?
Mini Lokanta
Where: 214 Gover Street, North Adelaide
When: Saturday nights only
Sign up on the waiting list >> here
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