The Best Places to Eat and Drink in North Adelaide

A few years after Gökçe Özbecene (above) and her husband, Enver Tuğrul, landed in Australia in 2021 as skilled migrants from Türkiye (both are engineers), Gökçe felt inspired to open a restaurant, suspecting that people might be curious to experience Turkish cuisine in such a multicultural country. “I love cooking and hosting friends and family,” she says. “It’s how I stay connected to my culture. So we thought, ‘Why don’t we try this in our own dining room?’” In February, the couple opened the 10-seater Mini Lokanta in their North Adelaide home where, each Saturday, they serve dishes from across Türkiye, including manti dumplings. These are some of Özbecene’s favourite local spots.

Krung Thep for drunken beef noodles

“I’d never had Thai food until I visited this restaurant and we’ve been going back ever since. This is the perfect place for me! The pad Thai is great and if I’m craving noodles or it’s a cold winter night, the drunken beef noodles with Chinese broccoli and crispy eggplant are my go-to dishes. The staff are very kind and friendly.”

Tony Tomatoes for salame pizza

“We always start with an Aperol spritz here, which has become our Friday night ritual. We’re regulars as much for the great service as the food. I love the entrees, especially the pork and veal polpette and the calamari fritti. For a main, we share a salame pizza. The espresso martinis are great, too.”

The Wellington Hotel for the chicken parmi

“I love Australian pub culture so I like to have a chicken schnitzel or parmi with a tap beer at The Wellington Hotel. It has an authentic local pub vibe – the atmosphere is always easy and social. In winter we try to get a table beside the fireplace and on summer nights we sit outside overlooking Wellington Square so we can watch the sun go down. It’s just beautiful.”

Veneziano for a pour-over coffee

“I was so happy to discover Veneziano, which brews coffee using the Hario V60 pour-over method. It’s a thoughtful place where the staff are knowledgeable and take their coffee and beans very seriously. I’ll either pop in for a quick cup or buy single-origin beans to brew at home.”

Bakery on O’Connell for a meat pie

“I often stop by this North Adelaide icon for a steak pie or a cheese kransky. Everything is tasty and freshly baked. It’s open 24 hours so it’s always there when you need it and a good place for a quick pick-up.”