12 Best Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants in Istanbul

Istanbul advertises itself as the home of the kebab, yet it feeds vegetarians well. Turkey sits among the top 10 countries for vegetable consumption per person globally, and most traditional Turkish dishes have a zeytinyağlı (olive oil) version that is meat-free and usually vegan friendly. If the rows of döner kebab shops still make your heart sink, the 12 restaurants below serve vegetarians and vegans on purpose. Some offer vegetarian options as a courtesy. Others are staunchly against animal exploitation.

All 12 restaurants at a glance

1. Vegan Community Kitchen

Vegan Community Kitchen has moved house. After years in Ayvansaray, it now sits on Serdar-ı Ekrem Caddesi in Galata, one of the most atmospheric streets on the Beyoğlu side. Opening days and hours shift around, so check before you make the trip.

The ever-changing menu is created from scratch by an amiable host. This snug eatery has a family vibe to it, and reviewers consistently mention the warmth of owner Oya, who opened the kitchen back in 2012 and will happily recommend dishes and combinations.

The vision seems to be all about bringing typical Turkish street food flavors to the mouths of vegans. If her vegan lahmacuns don’t impress, try her super gooey chocolate lava cake.

Address: Hacımimi, Serdar-ı Ekrem Cd. No:38/A, Beyoğlu/İstanbul

2. Lokanta Kru

This is one to visit with companions. Dark green covers most of the room. An upright piano holds a candleholder with unlit candles, the menu lives on a green chalkboard above it, and the decoration leans rustic, like a harvest table set indoors. The whole place feels closer to a candlelit tavern than a modern bistro.

The cooking tastes like it took centuries of kitchen experience to perfect. It didn’t. A young, ambitious chef runs the place and serves meat dishes with vegetarian options, which makes it a fair pick for mixed groups.

Address: Teşvikiye, Avukat, Av. Süreyya Ağaoğlu Sk. No:13, 34360 Şişli/İstanbul

3. Basta! Neo Bistro

A real chef’s restaurant without the arrogance. The dishes are bold yet restrained, and the wine list is expansive. The noise from the main street can be irritating, but the food does a decent job of drowning it out.

Derin and Kaan founded the Basta brand after working in Michelin-starred restaurants abroad, and they blend that training with the Anatolian hearth. Basta! Neo Bistro costs more than the average vegetarian restaurant. Given the chefs’ experience, though, this is fine dining made accessible to people without trust funds.

Address: Caddebostan, Operatör Cemil Topuzlu Cd. No:39, 34728 Kadıköy/İstanbul

4. Veganarsist

If going vegan once meant waving goodbye to kebab, lahmacun, döner, kokoreç, and tantuni in one painful sweep, this Kadıköy spot rebuilds them all from plants. Veganarsist is 100% vegan and unapologetically Turkish, right down to the Turkish breakfast platter, and the ayran here is made in-house from cashews.

Reviewers consistently praise the sheer size of the portions. The Jumbo Narsist mix platter is a shareable board that regulars describe as easily enough for two, and the vegan baklava lets you finish the meal properly. The staff collect warm mentions in review after review, there are gluten-free options, and you can sit indoors or out in the garden. One note for planners: the kitchen rests on Wednesdays.

Address: Osmanağa, Canan Sk. No:20/A, Kadıköy/İstanbul

5. Vegan Masa

Fully vegan and quietly excellent, Vegan Masa sits on Vahap Bey Sokak in Kadıköy’s Osmanağa quarter. The dish that dominates its reviews is the vegan lahmacun. More than one reviewer has crowned it the best lahmacun in Istanbul, no qualifier needed, and the mushroom and cheese pide inspires similar loyalty. There’s a vegan ayran to drink alongside, exactly as tradition insists.

Save room for the vegan künefe, a plant-based take on the syrup-soaked dessert that reviewers consistently single out. Prices are reasonable, the outdoor seating is pleasant, and the place holds a perfect five-star rating on HappyCow. Closed on Tuesdays, open from late morning to evening the rest of the week.

Address: Osmanağa, Vahap Bey Sk. No:18/A, Kadıköy/İstanbul

6. Vegan Istanbul

The fast foods Turkey loves tend to leave vegans out. Here you can find kebabs, lahmacuns, mantı, and other meat-based classics in their best vegan form, served in a room with the look of a traditional döner kebab restaurant. Bring your carnivore friends. Most of them can’t tell the difference.

If you’re tempted to try vegan food or the lifestyle, this family-owned restaurant is a welcoming place for anyone intimidated by the strict “you’re killing animals” attitudes some vegan chefs employ. They proudly state that there is no judgment.

Vegan Istanbul works as a mix between a market, restaurant, and café. If you enjoy the fresh olive-oil-based traditional dishes, you can buy a bottle of virgin olive oil from the shop, and after the gluten-free cake you may want to grab a vegan cream or a jar of homemade jam to take home. The place sits a few minutes from Taksim Square and is kept spotless.

Address: Firuzağa, Türkgücü Cd. No:51, 34425 Beyoğlu/İstanbul

7. Mangerie Bebek

An Istanbul classic since 2004, Mangerie hides at the top of a stairway off Cevdet Paşa Caddesi, and the climb earns you a terrace looking out over Bebek Bay. Reviewers say booking ahead for the terrace is essential, so plan that part before you set off. The register is relaxed-upscale, the kind of place where a long breakfast drifts into lunch without anyone checking a watch.

The all-day menu runs from eight in the morning to midnight, and the breakfast is famously good, with plenty of vegetarian options throughout. On a stretch of the Bosphorus where dining out usually revolves around meat and fish, that makes Mangerie a dependable address for anyone keeping things green.

Address: Bebek, Cevdet Paşa Cd. No:69, Beşiktaş/İstanbul

8. No 19 Dining

Dinner-only these days, and closed on Mondays, No 19 Dining plates its food with a painter’s eye. The room is shaped like the workshop of a visionary scientist or an artist, artsy with a nostalgic streak.

The theme is ‘home-cooked foods from the traditional women of Turkey’, and this women-led business creates the same environment you might find at a pampering aunt’s house. If you’re interested in stories, ask the English-speaking staff to narrate the origins of each dish. For the adamant carnivore, there are meaty options. There’s no set menu, because the dishes change with the seasonal crops as well as the moods of the cooks.

Address: Kuloğlu, Faik Paşa Cd. No:6, 34433 Beyoğlu/İstanbul

9. Healin Foods

Vegan restaurants tend to suffer from uptight adult décor. This vibrant, green room feels like the middle of a rainforest instead, and the food keeps up: the plates are pretty, and the colors on them are incredibly lively.

The focus is healthy food. The kitchen does sell chicken raised without antibiotics, and it prefers organic vegetables, Himalayan salt, and gluten-free and sugar-free options. In other words, this is the home of superfoods, and the menu fits a protein-heavy, keto, vegan, or pescatarian diet equally well.

The range runs from Ayurvedic dishes and raw cacao porridges to caramelized bananas, vegan ice cream, falafel, noodles that won’t break your diet, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern vegetarian dishes, and a whole menu of desserts.

Address: Teşvikiye, Hüsrev Gerede Cd. No:110, 34365 Şişli/İstanbul

10. Helvetia

This unassuming restaurant is tucked into a narrow alleyway in Asmalı Mescit, surrounded by gorgeous architecture and meat restaurants. The traditional decoration glows warm, and each dish carries an orangey hue, like something cooked at home. They serve traditional Turkish vegetarian dishes, which raises a fair question: if the Turks have such good vegan and vegetarian cooking, why don’t they advertise it more often?

You can mix and match different flavors here for a price that leaves your wallet as heavy as it was when you walked in. If you ever wanted a Turkish mother, this would be her cooking, prepared with love. There’s no way you visit just once, and if you run out of cash, they accept cards.

Address: Asmalı Mescit, General Yazgan Sk. No:8, 34430 Beyoğlu/İstanbul

11. Govinda

This colorful Indian restaurant, which once hosted Canadian rock star Bryan Adams and his crew, sits inside the Goranga Yoga center in Mecidiyeköy. The dishes follow Ayurvedic and sattvic principles, so if an expert practicing Ayurveda has given you a diet to follow, this is your address. The center also hosts programs, sessions, and seminars for anyone curious about Ayurveda, yoga, or Hare Krishna.

Govinda was founded by the first disciple to bring Hare Krishna to Turkey, and you’ll be served by humble devotees who start their day with long meditation sessions and cook with love. Hinduism, Buddhism, Hare Krishna, and Jainism all encourage non-violence toward animals. If you agree with them, stop by.

Address: Büyükdere Caddesi Naci Kasım Sokak, No:6B Mecidiyeköy, 34387 Şişli/İstanbul

12. Bi Nevi Deli

Bi Nevi Deli is run by two women working to bring cruelty-free dishes into the consciousness of the Turks. Belkıs, the head chef, holds several certifications in nutrition; plant-based nutrition, raw cuisine, and holistic health are her domain. Özge runs the business side by principles of environmental sustainability. In her words: “Don’t act like you don’t see them, lend a helping hand and protect them.”

The Nordic-style room skips typical vegan junk food in favor of colorful, healthy plates, and the selection is wide enough that the most ardent carnivore will find themselves relenting, particularly at the vegan versions of their favorites. There are gluten-free, nut-free, and even oil-free options. The grain-free flourless chocolate cookie paired with a raspberry kombucha will have you wishing you lived next door.

Address: Etiler, Bahtiyar Sk. 10-1, 34337 Beşiktaş/İstanbul

Final words

Istanbul treats vegetarians and vegans far better than its kebab-heavy reputation suggests. These 12 favorites range from strict plant-based kitchens to restaurants that simply cook vegetables with care, and most traditional menus carry zeytinyağlı options on top of that. For the wider eating map, start with our full guide to the best food in Istanbul.

If you want more than one good meal in a day, the Taste of Two Continents tour covers both sides of the city, starting with breakfast near the Spice Market before the ferry crosses to Kadıköy.