Olive Thyme, a slight play on words is designed around the true Turkish Culture of bringing people together to enjoy amazing flavours matched with hand selected locally sourced and boutique wines.
About Us

Discover
Our Philosophy
Just like its proud owners Olive Thyme is where Turkish tradition meets modern inspiration and thinking to bring you the best of both worlds served with our warm Turkish Hospitality.

Meet us
About
Sibel is the true inspiration behind Olive Thyme, with a keen eye for antique collectable pieces and an enthusiast interior designer you can certainly see the subtle touches and her stamp throughout the venue.
Migrating from Ankara with her family (a rather large one), Sibel’s food journey started around turkish cuisine thanks to her father’s restaurant in Wellington New Zealand and her mothers passion to feed people.
Her experience in several boutique restaurants in Wellington enhanced her food and wine knowledge. Sibel has furthered her studies with a Bachelor Degree in Tourism Management with a focus on front of house service.
Cold windy Wellington nights are believed to be the driving force behind Sibel’s mature palate, she loves a glass of red wine. Sibel is never one to cut corners she has dedicated time travelling and enjoying many wine region experiences across New Zealand, Australia and Europe.
Sibel has melded her traditional family and community values to bring her guests an authentic heartfelt dining experience at Olive Thyme.
Sibel
About
Yalcin’s passion for food started early in life back in Ankara working for authentic restaurants serving the traditional foods of Anatolia to the biggest food critics known to mankind (the Turks!)
He later moved to New Zealand to reunite with his high school sweetheart who had migrated few years earlier (there is an amazing love story here maybe Yalcin can share with you over a Turkish Coffee).
Yalcin was one of the first pioneers bringing the Turkish cuisine to the land of the long white cloud, specifically Wellington.
In his time in Wellington he worked front and back of house for two of the most successful Turkish restaurants, while continuing to invest in his own development with successful completion a Bachelors of Tourism & Management.
With a young family it was time to enjoy the sunshine and Brisbane is now home, moving across the ditch in 2003 he has owned and operated a food establishment concentrated on Turkish Cuisine.
Passion to learn and grow is what drives Yalcin, he spent months touring every corner of Turkey ( Gaziantep for baklava, Bursa for iskenderoglu, Kayseri for manti, Hatay for muammara and humus) to taste and learn the unique traditional methods from its origin that he brings to your table today coupled with his strong interest in sustainable food and studies in permaculture and organic growth.
Yalcin
Client Testimonials

Sheb Yanik

Zeno Chimalli

Ben Michalke

Caitlyn Pollard

Chrissy Russell

Sandra Greenwood

Danielle Barry

Oz Udz
