Vegan Istanbul: Best Restaurants and Street Food to Try

Edited in 2026.

Teşekkür Ederim, he says to me.

… Techek ….huh? I reply with a foggy mind, having not slept for the greater part of the last two days as I commuted between Bangkok and Istanbul via Oslo.

Just remember this: tea, sugar and a dream. Teşekkür Ederim. That’s “thank you” in Turkish.

And indeed that’s pretty much what I remember of vegan Istanbul. Cup after cup of çay, Turkish tea and Turkish delight by the bucketful, and a genuinely great vegan food scene tucked into a city most people assume is meat and dairy through and through. Istanbul has quietly become one of my favourite cities for vegan travel, and after a couple of weeks poking around both sides of the Bosphorus, I’ve got a proper list of favourite things to share. Istanbul isn’t the most vegan-friendly city in the world, but it’s far from the least, and it keeps getting better every time I take a closer look. Here’s where to eat vegan food in Istanbul, whether you’ve got a full day free or just a little bit of time between sights.

Best Vegan and Vegan-Friendly Restaurants in Istanbul

Spread across both the European side and the Asian side of Istanbul, these are the dedicated vegan places and vegan-friendly spots actually worth building a meal around, from a proper sit-down vegetarian restaurant to a little hidden gem you’d walk straight past if you didn’t know to look.

Kahve 6 (Cihangir)

Kahve 6 was my favourite breakfast hangout on my own trip, and it’s still going strong. Tucked into a quiet street in Cihangir with a hidden garden out back, it’s the kind of small place that feels like someone’s home rather than a restaurant, good music, good coffee, and a proper vegan breakfast spread with fresh vegetables and local ingredients on the table. Ask for plant-based milk in your coffee or tea, they’re used to the request. A great option if you want a slow morning before tackling the rest of the city.

Bi Nevi Deli (Karaköy & Etiler)

Bi Nevi started as a vegan deli in Karaköy back in 2014 and has since expanded, with a second, more polished location up in Etiler. Either branch is a great vegan restaurant if you want something a little more elevated: think seitan sucuk, vegan cheese made from cashews, and a Sunday brunch board that’s worth planning your day around. This is the spot for the vegan traveler who wants proper sit-down dining rather than a quick bite.

Kumin Vegan Lezzetler (Kadıköy)

A cosy, plant-led restaurant on the Kadıköy side with a small back garden and, this being Istanbul, at least one of the neighbourhood’s many stray cats keeping you company. The small menu leans into traditional Turkish cuisine reimagined as vegan dishes, stuffed eggplant with a tahini drizzle and a good drizzle of olive oil is the one to order, with tomato sauce doing a lot of the flavour work. Save room for the housemade cheesecake.

Vegan Dükkan Lokanta (Cihangir)

The restaurant sibling of Vegan Dükkan, Turkey’s first dedicated vegan store, this small Cihangir spot serves veganised Turkish classics with real conviction, from kebab to meatballs with eggplant, made without any animal products at all. It’s tiny, so go with modest expectations on space and big ones on flavour.

Veganarsist (Kadıköy)

A family-run kitchen on the Asian side with an extensive menu, almost overwhelmingly so in the best way, plenty of options if you want to try different things across a few visits. The special meatballs in a creamy cashew yogurt sauce are the dish people come back a second time for, and there’s usually a traditional dish or two on the specials board that didn’t make the printed menu.

Dükkan Galata (Beyoğlu)

A short walk behind Galata Tower, this vegan café does a strong breakfast and lunch trade with fresh juices, a loaded vegan platter, and a matcha or acai bowl if you’d rather keep things light. Good spot to know about if you’re staying anywhere near Istiklal Street or Taksim Square, and good for outdoor seating if the weather’s playing along.

Galeyan Restaurant (Sultanahmet)

Tucked down an alley near some of Istanbul’s most touristy sights, this one’s an easy skip if you don’t know to look for it. The mezze spread is where it earns its place: grape leaves, a pomegranate salad, hummus, and other vegan mezze options, all clearly marked on the menu, which is rarer than it should be this close to Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar.

Vegan İstanbul (Beyoğlu)

I Beyoğlu, an easy stop off the T1 or T2 tram line if your knees would rather not do the hill on foot. This is a proper little hidden gem and one of the best vegan restaurants in the whole city for the price. The setup is simple: the food counter is upstairs, seating is down, and an older gentleman who doesn’t speak much English will fill your plate from twelve to fifteen freshly prepared vegan options as you point at what looks good, three or four items per plate, all reheated and served on a tray. Portions run generous, expect a genuine lot of food for the money, and prices are famously affordable. The vegan manti, Turkish dumplings done without any animal products, comes highly recommended, along with the potatoes, the eggplant, and the green bean dish. Finish with a homemade lemonade and a slice of vegan baklava or a vegan brownie for dessert. There’s outdoor seating on the street and a small balcony too if the counter downstairs feels tight.

Gringo Vegan Street Food (Kadıköy)

This is the closest thing on this list to actual vegan street food, and it might do the best falafel wrap and seitan wraps in the city. The supreme seitan wrap and the smoked seitan wrap both come recommended, along with a vegan cheddar and garlic mayo on the fries and potato wedges if you want to go all in. It’s a stylish, cozy little place with good coffee on the side, better than most dedicated coffee shops nearby, and portions are generous enough that you might struggle to finish. Seating is limited and tables run small, so it’s a better fit for two people than a big group. Worth going back to, more than once, if you’re in the neighbourhood for a couple of weeks.

A Note on Mahatma Cafe

If you’ve read older vegan Istanbul guides, including previous versions of this one, you may have seen Mahatma Cafe mentioned as a Kadıköy favourite. It closed down in 2025, so I’ve taken it off this list. A shame, it was a lovely little spot while it lasted.

Vegan Street Food to Look For

Beyond dedicated restaurants and vegan cafés, Istanbul hands out a lot of naturally vegan food at street level, plenty of options for vegetarian and vegan travelers who’d rather eat on the move than sit down for a full meal.

Simit

The ubiquitous bagel-like pastry sold in every bakery and cart in the city. Buy it fresh in the morning, since it turns tough by afternoon, and check it doesn’t contain cheese, since some do.

Çorba (Lentil Soup)

Turkish lentil soup became a daily staple for me, cheap, filling, and better with a squeeze of lemon on top.

Çiğ Köfte

The name translates to “raw meatballs,” and it used to be exactly that, but since raw meat was banned in Istanbul a few years back, cig kofte is now made with bulgur and ground walnuts. Served with lettuce, lemon juice, parsley, pomegranate molasses, and flatbread to wrap it all in, or as a proper chickpea wrap variation at some stalls.

Kumpir

A loaded baked potato, cheap and filling. Watch out, they usually mix the potato flesh with butter and cheese by default, so ask them to leave that part out, and ask for a vegan version if the stall offers one.

Sweets and Snacks

Look for Turkish delight without honey, vegan baklava made without honey or butter, walnut halva, dried fruits and nuts, a tahini and grape molasses mix that’s excellent with simit, and roasted chestnuts on nearly every corner. The Spice Bazaar is a good place to stock up on most of these to take home, just double check ingredients before you buy.

A Quick Note on the Hammam

Not food, but worth building into any Istanbul trip regardless of diet: a proper Turkish hammam. I’ve written up my full experience, including which one I’d recommend, in my hammam guide.

And if you’re mapping out how to fit all of this into a wider trip, I’ve got a full day-by-day breakdown, including where to stay and what else to see, in my Istanbul trip itinerary guide.

Did you like my vegan Istanbul travel guide? Let me know if I missed out anything, or if you make it to Vegan İstanbul or Gringo before I get back for round two.

Amélie

Amélie is a health and wellness junky. Certified yoga instructor with Yoga Alliance in the Vinyasa and Ashtanga styles, she has a Yoga Instructor Certification – Level I (300 hours) and Yoga Instructor Certification – Level II (200 hours) under her belt. She also has a certified Open Water Diver certification with PADI and SSI Scuba Schools International Freediving Level I certification with SSI Scuba Schools International. She’s been vegan for over 15 years and is obsessed with anything wellness-related.