This Albion Turkish Restaurant Begins A New Chapter Helmed By Charcoal Cooking

If you recently did a double-take on Sandgate Road where Olive Thyme once stood and noticed a different name in its place, no, you're not loosing your marbles. Quietly, the beloved Turkish restaurant handed over the keys to new owners, and after spending time inside the heritage-listed digs, they've made it anew. Welcome to the all-new neighbourhood restaurant with Turkish roots, Lokanta. The Albion spot may adorn a new name, new menu and new owners, but the same warmth and hospitality you got at Olive Thyme is promised to carry on strong at Lokanta.

Image credit: Lokanta | Supplied

Owners Burak and Inal descripe Lokanta as a deeply personal project, the amalgamation of their hospo careers across Istanbul, Sydney and Brisbane, and their similar apporaches to food have been brought together under the one roof.

"Opening Lokanta together feels like bringing all those years of experience into one place and finally creating something that genuinely represents us," says the duo. "We’re not trying to reinvent Mediterranean cuisine. We want to cook the food we believe in, using great ingredients, proper techniques and plenty of heart."

"And more than anything, we want to build a restaurant that starts with the neighbourhood and grows into a place loved across Brisbane. Somewhere guests feel welcomed, staff enjoy working and people leave already thinking about when they’ll come back."

Image credit: Lokanta | Supplied

Ready to tuck in? Everything here is about charcoal cooking and the whole point is to get among it with your mates. Think slow-cooked lamb shoulder with zhoug and pickles, charred cabbage with Moroccan harissa, and a generous plate of hand-folded Turkish dumplings with garlic yoghurt and burnt butter.

On the drinks front, you'll spot just as many Australian lables as you will Mediterranean and internaitonal varieties. Keeping true to the Turkish influence, you'll even be able to grab a glass of raki—the widely-popular Turkish spirit. If you haven't yet had the pleasure to acquaint yourself, raki to Turkey is what ouzo is to Greece.

For now, you might not see much of a difference in the fit out. The duo are looking to make their mark after the craze of Christmas is over. For now, you can try Lokanta as it stands, six days a week.

Image credit: Lokanta | Supplied

You can book here.

Leading image credit: Lokanta | Supplied