Kilim Petone is a casual Turkish restaurant on Jackson Street built around quick counter service, dine-in meals and takeaway. It operates from Tuesday through Sunday and does not take table reservations, so the experience is deliberately uncomplicated: arrive, choose at the counter and find a place to settle in. Pickup can also be ordered online or by text. That format suits a fast lunch as naturally as an informal dinner, with the kitchen offering considerably more range than the familiar doner alone and a menu that works for both meat eaters and vegetarians.
Flatbread kebabs form one of the central choices. Lamb doner, Adana-style spiced beef, chicken and grilled chicken cover the meat options, while falafel and zucchini-carrot fritters give vegetarian diners distinct fillings rather than a token substitute. Salad and tabouleh bring freshness, and the wide sauce selection lets each order move from cooling and creamy to sharper or spicier flavours. Wrapped together, these elements make the kebabs portable and satisfying, but their variety also shows how much thought Kilim gives to different textures within its most straightforward meal format.
For a plate rather than a wrap, the Iskender meals layer a chosen meat or vegetarian fritter over rice and combine it with hummus, garlic yoghurt, beetroot dip, flatbread, salad and a warm chilli-yoghurt sauce. Mixed grills and shish plates shift the focus to charcoal cooking, pairing lamb and chicken with the restaurant's supporting dips, grains and vegetables. These larger dishes reveal the menu's generous, composed side: the attraction is not only grilled protein, but the contrast between smoke, tangy yoghurt, earthy beetroot and the soft bread used to gather everything together.
Vegetarian choices continue through salads and Iskender plates, with halloumi joining falafel and vegetable fritters across the menu. To finish, baklava and Turkish delight provide the expected syrupy and fragrant notes, while tiramisu offers a different kind of sweet. Turkish coffee and apple tea make a natural final order. Allergens are identified on the menu, which is useful in a counter-service setting where decisions are often made quickly. The combination of speed, clear choices and substantial grilled meals makes Kilim equally useful for a takeaway stop or an unhurried casual meal.
Address: 87 Jackson Street, Petone, Lower Hutt 5012, New Zealand
Been to Kilim Petone? Be one of the first to rate it.
+ Log your visit
