Are you looking for the best vegan restaurants in Istanbul? In this guide, we’ll show you the best places to find vegan food in Istanbul. From delicious vegan cafes to vegan baklava and vegan ice cream to fully Istanbul vegan restaurants. There’s also many vegan friendly restaurants in Istanbul around every corner!
Istanbul becomes more vegan friendly each year with new vegan restaurants popping up in various neighbourhoods. The best part is, some of these places create amazing vegan Turkish food so you don’t miss out on the food culture.
There are actually more vegan restaurants in Istanbul serving delicious Turkish cuisine than Western food! They’re also using traditional Turkish ingredients to create flavour in their dishes. We really fell in love with Turkish ravioli on our trip!
If you’re a vegan in Istanbul, then this is the guide for you! When it comes to finding vegan food in Istanbul, you just need to know where to look! Whether you’re travelling on a small or large budget, it won’t be hard to enjoy the best restaurants and vegan cafes in Istanbul.
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Also, check out our 4 day Istanbul itinerary to find the best things to do in the city!
12+ Vegan Restaurants in Istanbul
We’ve included 12+ vegan restaurants in Istanbul, plus a few more that may be a little outside of the city centre. We’ve also included vegan friendly restaurants in Istanbul and a few vegan breakfast recommendations!
If you’re staying in Istanbul for a few days, here are the most popular tours in the city. The iconic Bosphorus Dinner Cruise & Show is a great way to spend the evening and take a visit to Topkapi Palace & Harem Tour in the day!
Now, let’s explore the best vegan restaurants in Istanbul!
1. Mahatma Cafe
Vegan Restaurant in Istanbul $
We’re starting this guide off strong! Mahatma Cafe is one of our favourite vegan restaurants in Istanbul! It’s located in Kadıköy and serves amazing Turkish food and cakes. Check out their Instagram for updates on what they’re serving each week – it’s always good!
The owner is also so lovely which made our visit a great experience! There are seats inside and outside and the neighbourhood is peaceful, with some roaming cats.
- Recommendations: Lentil Soup, vegan köfte wrap & cookies!
- Neighbourhood – Kadıköy
- Location – Mahatma Cafe Location
- Closed: Sunday & Monday
Where to stay in Istanbul? The Soul Istanbul Hotel – Find them on Booking.com here!
2. Kem Küm Egyptian Vegan Restaurant
Vegan Restaurant in Istanbul $
Another great vegan restaurant in the Kadıköy neighbourhood is Kem Küm Egyptian Vegan Restaurant – serving the best vegan Egyptian Street Food in the city!
They serve traditional Egyptian cuisine focusing on street food but served in a restaurant. The owner and staff are so lovely and it’s a great spot if you want to try Middle Eastern food!
- Recommendations – Egyptian Eggplant Moussaka, Koshary & Falafel
- Neighbourhood – Kadıköy
- Location – Kem Küm Location
- Closed – Mondays
3. Veganarsist
Vegan Restaurant in Istanbul $-$$
Veganarsist has an amazing menu for vegan Turkish food! They have two locations in Kadıköy & Balat and both are great places to visit if you’re a vegan in Istanbul. We tried some baklava, a Turkish Pizza and Turkish Ravioli and they were all amazing! The menu is huge, so there are lots of choices!
- Recommendations: Lahmacun (Turkish Pizza) & Manti (Turkish Ravioli)
- Neighbourhood – Kadıköy & Balat
- Location – Veganarsist Kadıköy Location & Veganasist Balat Location
Need data in Istanbul – An E-Sim is the perfect way to visit Istanbul for a few days, it’s only $4.50 – Find out more here!
4. Vegan Food Cartel
Vegan Restaurants in Istanbul $
If you’re looking for a vegan restaurant in Istanbul serving western and Turkish food then Vegan Food Cartel is the best choice! It’s a great place to find American breakfast, burgers and seitan kebabs!
- Recommendations: Ceaser salad, steak burger & Doner plate
- Neighbourhood – Çukurcuma
- Location – Vegan Food Cartel Location
5. Vegan Dükkan Lokanta
Vegan Restaurant in Istanbul $-$$
One of the more recent Istanbul vegan restaurants is Vegan Dükkan Lokanta which translates to ‘Vegan Shop Restaurant‘. They also have a small grocery store next door where. you can fill up on vegan goods for your stay in Istanbul.
Vegan Dükkan Lokanta serves wonderful vegan Turkish food in Istanbul and they even make a vegan version of the popular Ayran drink (made with cashews) The menu is beautifully designed and it’s worth visiting if you’re a vegan in Istanbul!
- Recommendations: Turkish Ravioli, Adana kebab & Vegan Ayran
- Neighbourhood – Çukurcuma (Near Taksim Square)
- Location – Vegan Dükkan Lokanta Location
- Closed: Mondays
Have a look at 15+ Best Vegan Friendly Cities in Europe for more delicious vegan food!
6. Asian Vegan Kitchen
Vegan Restaurant in Istanbul $-$$
Another 100% vegan restaurant in Istanbul is Asian Vegan Kitchen – serving a variety of Asian fusion dishes in the city. If you’re after a change from Turkish food, try some dumplings at Asian Vegan Kitchen!
- Recommendations: Dumplings, Pineapple Fried Rice & Pad Thai
- Neighbourhood – Çukurcuma
- Location – Asian Vegan Kitchen Location
7. Vegan Community Kitchen
Vegan Restaurant in Istanbul $
Another amazing vegan restaurant in Istanbul is the Community Kitchen, located in Balat. Serving up delicious Turkish cuisine, Community Kitchen have the best vegan Doner made with seitan! It’s incredible.
The lady that runs the restaurant is so friendly and inviting, we wanted to order everything. It’s also in the perfect location, down the colourful streets of Balat.!
- Recommendations: Vegan Doner & Brownie!
- Neighbourhood – Balat
- Location – Community Kitchen Location
- Closed: Tuesdays
8. Bake Veg
Vegan Cafe in Istanbul $$
If you’re looking for a vegan cafe in Istanbul, Bake Veg is the place to go! It’s a beautiful patisserie with a variety of cakes! Their prices are reasonable but a little higher than other places in Istanbul.
- Recommendations – Pancakes, Cinnamon rolls and Lotus Biscuit Cake
- Neighbourhood – Kadıköy
- Location – Bake Veg Location
- Closed – Wednesday & Thursday
9. Vegan Istanbul
Vegan Restaurant in Istanbul $
Vegan Istanbul is one of the best vegan spots in the city! It’s the place to go to find homemade and healthy vegan Turkish food in Istanbul.
The food is cooked in advance and then you pick which dishes you’d like from the counter! Sadly they were closed during our visit to Istanbul, but we figured Vegan Istanbul definitely deserves mention on our vegan restaurants in Istanbul list!
- Recommendations: Turkish Pasta, Baklava & Kombucha
- Neighbourhood – Çukurcuma
- Location – Vegan Istanbul Location
- Closed: Sundays
10. Loved Gelato
Vegan Ice Cream in Istanbul $
If you’re looking for vegan ice cream in Istanbul, Loved Gelato is the best place to go! It’s a fully vegan ice cream shop with many amazing flavours from peanut butter, lemon and salted caramel.
We visited twice on our trip as the ice cream is incredible and you can have the ice cream in a cone or in a tub!
- Recommendations: Peanut Butter, Cookie Dough & Salted Caramel
- Neighbourhood – Çukurcuma
- Location – Loved Gelato Location
- Closed: Mondays
We’ve also created a 4 day Istanbul itinerary with the best things to do in the city!
11. Falafel Zone
Vegan Restaurant in Istanbul $
Falafel Zone is the perfect spot for vegan food in Istanbul! It’s located just off of Istiklal street and is open from 10 am until midnight.
- Recommendations: Falafel Wrap, Babaganoush & Hummus
- Neighbourhood – Taksim
- Location – Falafel Zone Location
12. Kumin Vegan Lezzetler
Vegan Restaurants in Istanbul $-$$
Kumin Vegan Lezzetler is another great vegan restaurant in Istanbul with a perfect cosy vibe. The menu focuses on Turkish and Western Asian cuisine featuring dishes like falafel, mousaka and mushroom kebabs.
- Recommendations: Oven Baked Mousaka & Snickers Bar
- Neighbourhood – Kadıköy
- Location – Kumin Vegan Lezzetler Location
More Vegan Restaurants in Istanbul
Here’s a few more vegan restaurants in Istanbul that we didn’t get a chance to visit! Some are outside of the main city centre and others in Kadikoy!
Ethique Patisserie & Boulangerie – Vegan French Bakery & Cafe – This is an amazing spot for a vegan in Istanbul! It’s a little outside of the city, but you can order online.
Falfool Vegan House – Vegan Cafe – Serving up delicious falafel, hummus and more! It’s also located in Kadıköy.
Vegan Masa – Vegan Turkish food – A great place for vegan Turkish food such as lahmacun, pide and Ayran. It’s also a little out of the city centre, but still possible to get transport there!
Vatka Coffee & Vegan Goods – Vegan Cafe – Serving cakes, falafel, vegan burgers and more! It’s also in Kadıköy.
Sanki Atölye – Vegan Cafe – The perfect spot to find Western vegan food in Istanbul! Here’s the location.
KafeNAsanat – Vegan Cafe – This beautiful cafe is also a creative art space alongside an eatery serving up amazing vegan food in Istanbul. Here’s the location.
Istanbul Vegan Street Food Stalls:
We can’t forget about the vegan street food snacks in Istanbul and honestly, you can’t miss them! Note – You’ll need cash to pay! Use HSBC to get money out in Istanbul if you’re using a foreign card.
- Corn
- Simit (like a pretzel with sesame)
- Roasted Chestnuts
- Orange Juice
Vegan Friendly Restaurants in Istanbul
It’s an amazing feeling to visit and support the fully vegan restaurants in Istanbul, however, there are also some great options at other restaurants. We visited a few of them during our visit, our favourite being Helvetia!
Kosk Kebap
After a busy day exploring the famous mosques in Istanbul, head over to Kosk Kebap for some amazing Turkish food. This is one of the best vegan friendly restaurants in Istanbul to find Turkish food in a central location!
Helvetia
Helvetia is another one of the best vegan friendly restaurants in Istanbul and our favourite for fresh and healthy Turkish and Middle Eastern food! You can pick multiple dishes to fill up your plate and the prices are very affordable. They usually have 4 or 5 veggie options and we didn’t have any problem filling up a plate of vegan food in Istanbul.
Falafel Koy
Although Falafel Koy is listed as vegetarian, the food is all vegan! Falafel Koy is an Arabic-style falafel and hummus restaurant. Falafel Koy Location
- Sarsak Sigara Böreği Kadıköy
- Sisters & Harvest
- Nohut Dürüm at Rulo Lezzetler
Vegan Breakfast in Istanbul
A Turkish breakfast is worth enjoying at least once on your trip and luckily there are a few vegan options in Istanbul! They’re meant to be shared and enjoyed slowly.
As we were on a low budget, we actually had orange juices and simits for breakfast, however, here’s a few places we can recommend:
- Müjgan Yeldeğirmeni (in Kadikoy)
- Arada Cafe
- Van Kahvaltı Evi
Quick Vegan in Istanbul Tips
- Read our Vegan Travel Tips: How to Travel as a Vegan
- Download Happy Cow (and add your own reviews for other travellers!)
- Scan ingredients using Google Translate
- Mark all of these restaurants on your map before you go!
- Ask staff for vegan options if you don’t see anything on the menu
- Bring your own snacks (such as cereal bars) from your own country
- Join the Istanbul for Vegans page on Facebook
- Join the Vegan Travel page on Facebook and search ‘Istanbul’
We use a combination of all of these tips and feel so thankful that Happy Cow exists! A lot of places in Istanbul will have vegan labelled on their menu, so it’s pretty easy to wander around and find new options too!
- Data in Istanbul – An E-Sim is the perfect way to visit Istanbul for a few days, it’s only $4.50! Find out more here. (Türkiye is outside of the EU roaming)
- Renting a car in Istanbul? Use Discover Cars to compare different vehicles and prices!
- Where to get cash out in Istanbul – Use HSBC to get money out in Istanbul.
- Best Tours in Istanbul – The iconic Bosphorus Dinner Cruise & Show is one of the most popular things to do in Istanbul and take a visit to Topkapi Palace & Harem Tour.
- If you’re travelling the region, check out 12.Go and Flixbus to plan your route through Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece or more!
Is Istanbul good for vegans?
Yes, Istanbul is good for vegans! You can find vegan restaurants in almost every neighbourhood and vegan options everywhere. Using this guide, you won’t have any problem finding great vegan food in Istanbul.
Check out our Vegan in Athens Guide: Best Vegan Restaurants (2024)!
Where to find Vegan Baklava in Istanbul
Baklava is originally from the Middle East, Turkey and Greece. You’ll find it everywhere in Istanbul! Luckily there are a few spots that offer vegan baklava and they are a ‘must try’ if you’re a vegan in Istanbul.
Karaköy Güllüoğlu $ – This is a popular baklava shop with a huge variety of baklava, they have two vegan options – pistachio and walnut (location)!
Veganasist $ – This vegan restaurant in Istanbul also has baklava (location)!
How to be Sustainable in Istanbul
- Avoid single-use plastics
- Water is drinkable in Istanbul, bring a refillable water bottle!
- Take public transport instead of taxis
- Be respectful of the local culture
- Don’t litter (an obvious but serious one!)
There’s also many Eco-friendly travel products to switch to before your Istanbul trip.
Where to stay in Istanbul
If you’re a vegan in Istanbul, the best neighbourhoods to stay in are Balat or Kadikoy. However these are both easy to get to by public transport, so here’s a few more great places to stay.
Sultanahmet is the most popular place to stay, alongside Galata, Taksim and Karaköy.
Best Hotels and Hostels in Istanbul
The Soul Istanbul Hotel $$ – Next to the popular Istiklal Street, these rooms are beautifully decorated in the heart of Istanbul – Find them on Booking.com here!
Artefes Hotel Old City $-$$ – In a great location with a buffet Turkish breakfast – Find them on Booking.com here!
Cheers Hostel $-$$ – One of the best-reviewed hostels in the heart of Istanbul with lots of activities each week – Find them on Hostelworld here!
Wabi Sabi Hostel Istanbul $-$$ – a fun social hostel with rooftop views in the Taksim area – Find them on Hostelworld here!
Don’t forget Travel Insurance – SafetyWing Nomad Insurance!
Things to do in Istanbul
In between searching for Istanbul vegan restaurants, you should definitely check out the amazing sites of the city!
- Visit the famous Hagia Sophia
- The Blue Mosque Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia
- Galata Tower
- Explore the neighbourhoods: Karakoy, Kadikoy, Balat & Fener
- Bosphorus Dinner Cruise
- Visit two continents in one afternoon
- Grand Bazaar
We’ve created a full 4 Day Istanbul Itinerary: Best Things To Do in Istanbul (2024) with all he best things to do in Istanbul.
Visiting Cappadocia? Here’s a 2 Day All Inclusive Cappadocia Tour from Istanbul – Stay in a unique cave hotel and watch the sunrise with hot air balloons floating in the sky.
What to pack for Istanbul
- Stainless Steel Water Bottle – Tap water is drinkable in Istanbul!
- Joby GorillaPod 3K Pro Kit – An amazing lightweight tripod to capture photos if there’s no one around you. We use a Joby GorillaPod for our Sony a6000 & there’s also a Joby Phone Tripod which is great for videos!
- Rain Mac in a Bag – A lightweight raincoat is needed for travelling in Europe!
- Sarong – For visiting any mosques in Istanbul.
- Worldwide Travel Adaptor – The best travel plug when travelling to multiple countries!
- Anker Power Bank – Keep your phone charged on the road!
Looking for more Vegan Guides or Turkey Travel Guides?
- 15+ Best Vegan Friendly Cities in Europe
- 4 Day Istanbul Itinerary: Best Things To Do in Istanbul
- How to Travel as a Vegan Around the World
- Vegan in Athens Guide: Best Vegan Restaurants
- Top 20 Best Vegan Restaurants in Edinburgh, Scotland
- 5 Day Bulgaria Itinerary: Best Places to Visit
- Vegan in South Korea Guide – Best Restaurants & Snacks
- More destinations in Europe!
That’s the end of our 12+ Best Vegan Restaurants in Istanbul, Turkey (2024)! Enjoy the best vegan restaurants in Istanbul and if you need any more help – send us a message on Instagram (@thesunrisedreamers) or leave a comment below!
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