A Home Away From Home
The first time Chef Tolga Baykala walked through Port Dalhousie in St. Catharines, Ontario, he stopped on the pier and looked out at the lake. Suddenly, he felt something he hadn't expected: recognition.
The lighthouse, the small harbour, the way the light moved on the water — it reminded him of home. Not just of Türkiye, where he and his wife Ada had built their lives with their young son, but of something older and deeper. The kind of home you carry in your bones even when the place itself no longer exists.
A local, family-run café
That feeling is at the heart of Lokanta Mediterranean. The local, family-run café officially opened its doors and its patio in old Port Dalhousie on Saturday, May 16, 2026, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Mayor Mat Siscoe and Councillors Marty Mako and Bruce Williamson.
‘We Are Still Here’
Tolga is Circassian, one of the world's least-known Indigenous Peoples, whose homeland in the Northwest Caucasus was invaded by the Russian Empire in the 19th Century.
The genocide that followed was catastrophic. Up to 97 percent of the Circassian population was killed or displaced. Those who survived fled across the Black Sea and settled throughout the Ottoman Empire. Tolga's ancestors were among them.
“Most people have never heard of us," Tolga explains. "That's part of why I cook. Every dish I make is a way of saying, we are still here. This culture survived. It deserves to be tasted and known."
A Place Where Everyone Belongs
Lokanta’s menu is a living archive — Ottoman lamb stew slow-cooked from a recipe passed down through generations, börek stuffed with spiced beef, ćevapi sausages served with ajvar, a red pepper sauce, and warm flatbread. These are memories made edible, carried across centuries and oceans to Port Dalhousie.
Lokanta, a Turkish word meaning “friendly, casual eatery serving homestyle food and a welcoming experience," aims to be just that. A home away from home.
“Our son is why we came to Canada," Tolga’s wife, Ada, says. "We wanted him to grow up somewhere he could breathe and be free." Their nine-year-old son was born in Türkiye, shortly after the country took a turn toward authoritarianism.
They chose Port Dalhousie because it felt immediately like a place they belonged. "It feels like a small Mediterranean village," Ada says. "We felt welcomed here from the very first day. That's not something you take for granted when you're far from home."
Lokanta is not just a place to eat healthy, homestyle Mediterranean food — it is a symbol of a centuries-long struggle for belonging. It embodies the belief that food can do what little else can: reach across time, across oceans, across languages and cultures, and turn strangers into friends. Its doors are open seven days a week. Come hungry. Come curious. A table is waiting for you.
For reservations or takeout, please call (905) 938-9772 or book online.
