Istanbul is, first and foremost, absolutely massive. You could spend 3 months there (like I did) and still feel like you barely even scratched the surface. The good news is that it's very easy to navigate Istanbul as a vegan. The complicated news is that there are two parts to this - so much so that, like Istanbul itself, I've been tempted to split this into two parts.
But instead of it being split by Europe and Asia, I would split it by "do you have access to the vegan restaurants" (both physically and financially) and if not "can you cook food at home". What am I talking about? There are 17 vegan restaurants in Istanbul, but just as not everyone can afford to eat in restaurants for every meal, or even every day, not every vegan can access them. Further, as I said before, Istanbul is massive and if you find yourself (like I did) not living in one of the central parts of Istanbul, you might find that the nearest vegan restaurant is over 90 minutes away - aka not super convenient.
Luckily, Istanbul is blessed with an abundance of beautiful fruit and veg. Further, the supermarkets, especially outside of the tourist spots, stand out in my memory as some of the most well stocked for vegans (I'm talking massive bags of lentils, chickpeas ready to blend for hummus, family tubs of olives, tahini and more). So if the restaurants aren't for you, then I'm hoping you're staying in a place where you have access to a kitchen, cause you're gonna eat so well.
Luckily, Istanbul is blessed with an abundance of beautiful fruit and veg. Further, the supermarkets, especially outside of the tourist spots, stand out in my memory as some of the most well stocked for vegans (I'm talking massive bags of lentils, chickpeas ready to blend for hummus, family tubs of olives, tahini and more). So if the restaurants aren't for you, then I'm hoping you're staying in a place where you have access to a kitchen, cause you're gonna eat so well.
In this blog post we will explore the accidentally vegan Turkish dishes that you should be able to find in a pinch anywhere in Istanbul. We'll look at some of the vegan restaurants in Istanbul. We'll explore a special hack for when you're outside the touristy areas and there are zero vegan restaurants. I will touch on the supermarkets and markets. Haydi gidelim!
When I travel, I want to try the traditional dishes of the country, but I also don't want to try things that have flesh and solidified breast milk in them, can't we have the best of both worlds? Yes. A big part of this blog is finding and revealing foods that are authentic in their own right but also free of meat, dairy, eggs, honey and fish.
Turkey, like most countries, has its own traditional dishes, and it also serves dishes from other countries. Hence this list will be a mixture of the two, giving a list of dishes that you will find in Turkey that are also vegan:
When my husband and I moved into our apartment in Istanbul, one of the first (and only) things our landlord said to us was "we use apps for everything here" he went on to list water (we found it was cheaper and made us fitter to just buy this at the corner shop and just carry it though.) But he was right, apps are king in Istanbul and super useful. Before we even set foot in a vegan restaurant (see below) we were able to order vegan food from the app Getir.
I didn't even have to worry about translation (which getir didn't seem to have) - I just ordered all the things that said vegan.
Accidentally Vegan Traditional Turkish Dishes
When I travel, I want to try the traditional dishes of the country, but I also don't want to try things that have flesh and solidified breast milk in them, can't we have the best of both worlds? Yes. A big part of this blog is finding and revealing foods that are authentic in their own right but also free of meat, dairy, eggs, honey and fish.
Turkey, like most countries, has its own traditional dishes, and it also serves dishes from other countries. Hence this list will be a mixture of the two, giving a list of dishes that you will find in Turkey that are also vegan:
- Dolma: stuffed grape leaves, these are predominant both in restaurants, sold in tins in supermarkets and sold fresh at markets
- Patlıcan dolması: stuffed aubergine
- Biber dolması: stuffed peppers
- Simit: like a sesame bagel but better - you can find this on the street, in the bakery, every 2 minutes
- çiğ köfte: although this literally translates to 'raw meatballs' it isn't usually made with raw meat, it's often made with bulgur and pomegranate juice (you will find this in every kebab shop)
- Zeytin salatası: olive with pomegranate molasses
- Kısır: spicy bulgur wheat salad
- Falafel: not strictly Turkish, but definitely vegan
- Şakşuka: also not strictly Turkish, but generally vegan
A hot tip for vegans in Istanbul
When my husband and I moved into our apartment in Istanbul, one of the first (and only) things our landlord said to us was "we use apps for everything here" he went on to list water (we found it was cheaper and made us fitter to just buy this at the corner shop and just carry it though.) But he was right, apps are king in Istanbul and super useful. Before we even set foot in a vegan restaurant (see below) we were able to order vegan food from the app Getir.
I didn't even have to worry about translation (which getir didn't seem to have) - I just ordered all the things that said vegan.
On a similar note, we found it hard to find tofu anywhere in Istanbul - none of the supermarkets, none of the markets, in the end Getir changed the game again - you can order groceries on there, including tofu!
I recommend getting an eSim for your stay in Turkey, if your phone supports it (and please do check whether or not your phone supports it). Not just for getir but for taxis, navigating the insane public transport system, for translation, reading this blog post when you're out and about (jokes). Horizon’s Turkey eSIM, for example, is a great option. Their current 5GB plan costs just €2.06 for 30 days, which is super cheap. (Price checked October 2026; check the live page before booking.)
Okay, so we know what to order at random restaurants and what to eat on the street. We know where to order vegan take away and how to find tofu. Now let's get into the vegan restaurants! You're in for a treat!
Although the non-tourist sections of Istanbul were lacking, I was impressed that when it came to the centre that Istanbul not only has a lot of vegan restaurants, it also has a wide variety of types of vegan restaurants (sometimes you go to a city and they have multiple vegan restaurants but they all just serve burgers).
Istanbul is better. In this section we will focus on the vegan restaurants in three areas of Istanbul: Taksim (where the jinn-loving vintage shops are), Kadıköy (where the communists are) and Fatih (where the Grand Bazaar and the big mosques are). After this section I will tell you about vegan options outside, in non-tourist sections:
This was the first vegan restaurant that my husband and I visited in Istanbul. I was pleased to see that they offer traditional Turkish dishes - like doner wraps - so we ordered one of those. They also offer fast food type dishes like 'crispy vegan white meat' that looks like fried chicken, so we ordered one of those too.
I recommend getting an eSim for your stay in Turkey, if your phone supports it (and please do check whether or not your phone supports it). Not just for getir but for taxis, navigating the insane public transport system, for translation, reading this blog post when you're out and about (jokes). Horizon’s Turkey eSIM, for example, is a great option. Their current 5GB plan costs just €2.06 for 30 days, which is super cheap. (Price checked October 2026; check the live page before booking.)
Okay, so we know what to order at random restaurants and what to eat on the street. We know where to order vegan take away and how to find tofu. Now let's get into the vegan restaurants! You're in for a treat!
Vegan Restaurants Istanbul
Although the non-tourist sections of Istanbul were lacking, I was impressed that when it came to the centre that Istanbul not only has a lot of vegan restaurants, it also has a wide variety of types of vegan restaurants (sometimes you go to a city and they have multiple vegan restaurants but they all just serve burgers).
Istanbul is better. In this section we will focus on the vegan restaurants in three areas of Istanbul: Taksim (where the jinn-loving vintage shops are), Kadıköy (where the communists are) and Fatih (where the Grand Bazaar and the big mosques are). After this section I will tell you about vegan options outside, in non-tourist sections:
Vegan restaurants in Taksim
Vegan Food Cartel
This was the first vegan restaurant that my husband and I visited in Istanbul. I was pleased to see that they offer traditional Turkish dishes - like doner wraps - so we ordered one of those. They also offer fast food type dishes like 'crispy vegan white meat' that looks like fried chicken, so we ordered one of those too.
We also tried their vegan yoghurt and some of their drinks. The selection was amazing, and I was really happy to finally try Turkish food. The waitress was very kind and I loved the atmosphere (there was, of course, a cat in there).
As for the food, it wasn't my favourite of all the food I had in Istanbul, but it wasn't bad at all. I would give it a 7/10
Our original plan was to visit Vegan Food Cartel (see above), have a bite to eat and then walk the ten minutes to Vegan Duekkan Lokanta and have more to eat there. The plan had a hitch: the food at Vegan Food Cartel was so enticing that we ordered too much, completely filled up there and couldn't manage anything more than a coffee at Vegan Duekkan Lokanta. But the waiter was so friendly, a cat sat on my lap, and I spotted a cheese platter on their menu. No worries, we would return. And we did.
Vegan Duekkan Lokanta
Our original plan was to visit Vegan Food Cartel (see above), have a bite to eat and then walk the ten minutes to Vegan Duekkan Lokanta and have more to eat there. The plan had a hitch: the food at Vegan Food Cartel was so enticing that we ordered too much, completely filled up there and couldn't manage anything more than a coffee at Vegan Duekkan Lokanta. But the waiter was so friendly, a cat sat on my lap, and I spotted a cheese platter on their menu. No worries, we would return. And we did.
This time we filled up at Asian Vegan Kitchen first (see below), lol, so we 'had' to walk it off in antique book shops, clothes shops and even had our fortunes read (Taksim is a lot of fun). Then we finally came back and finally tried that blessed perfect cashew cheese platter. There were three different cheeses to try, there were grapes and crackers, there was fancy bread and a smooth cheese too. It was similar to the cheese platters I've tried in Budapest and Sofia - in that the cheese was delicious but there wasn't lots and lots of it. Would I have it again? Abso-f-in-lutely.
I also ordered a Turkish börek with fermented cashew yoghurt. I was excited about the börek as this was going to be officially the first time trying a purposefully vegan börek. I've had so many böreks in the Balkans - all of them accidentally vegan, but none of them purposefully vegan. Unfortunately this one was lightly burnt on the bottom. The fermented cashew yoghurt tasted really nice, in my taste buds' opinions, clean and delicious (the best of all words).
I also ordered a Turkish börek with fermented cashew yoghurt. I was excited about the börek as this was going to be officially the first time trying a purposefully vegan börek. I've had so many böreks in the Balkans - all of them accidentally vegan, but none of them purposefully vegan. Unfortunately this one was lightly burnt on the bottom. The fermented cashew yoghurt tasted really nice, in my taste buds' opinions, clean and delicious (the best of all words).
Next to Vegan Duekkan Lokanta is a vegan shop where you can buy all of your essentials - the cheese they sell at Vegan Duekkan Lokanta, vegan lip balm, moon cups, vegan macaroni and cheese, etc. I bought two lip balms there and assumed he overcharged me (£17 lol), but I went into another vegan shop in Kadikoy and saw the same lip balms for the same price. I bought one of their cheeses too and *that* was a reasonable price.
I wasn't eager to go to Asian Vegan Kitchen because I'd been in Istanbul for a while, and hadn't had that much Turkish food, I wasn't interested in Asian food, I was interested in Turkish food! Still, I love Asian food, lol, and my husband convinced me to go in there, and I'm really glad he did. We shared a plate of dumplings and a tofu pad-thai.
Asian Vegan Kitchen
I wasn't eager to go to Asian Vegan Kitchen because I'd been in Istanbul for a while, and hadn't had that much Turkish food, I wasn't interested in Asian food, I was interested in Turkish food! Still, I love Asian food, lol, and my husband convinced me to go in there, and I'm really glad he did. We shared a plate of dumplings and a tofu pad-thai.
They were both very tasty. The ambience was cosy and cute, ruined only by the English couple that sat on the next table and spoke in those annoying English accents. (I'm English too lol.)
All in all, I loved Taksim, I found such treasures there and the abundance of varied vegan restaurants all within walking distance of each other was great. My favourite was Vegan Duekkan Lokanta but I would go back to Vegan Food Cartel and Asian Vegan Kitchen any day of the week.
I went to Taksim before I went to Kadıköy and assumed Taksim would be the area of Istanbul for me. I loved Taksim, but I loved Kadıköy so, so, so much more. I felt politically more aligned with the people, shops, posters and graffiti that I saw and I wished I could have spent more time there. First we went to Vatka Coffee & Vegan which was unfortunately closed for the day, so we walked one block and had breakfast at:
Here my notes say that I had "the best sandwich of my life and nice cake and nice plates" I think the plates had bőőbs on them, I know there was a cat in there, and sorry to say but most of my memory is using the (one) toilet there, it not flushing, and me panicking. Still, the sandwich and cake were nice. My only "complaint" was that it wasn't super Turkish-y (other than the cat) but I guess this place is more for locals / tourists who are bored of Turkey.
Vegan restaurants in Kadıköy
I went to Taksim before I went to Kadıköy and assumed Taksim would be the area of Istanbul for me. I loved Taksim, but I loved Kadıköy so, so, so much more. I felt politically more aligned with the people, shops, posters and graffiti that I saw and I wished I could have spent more time there. First we went to Vatka Coffee & Vegan which was unfortunately closed for the day, so we walked one block and had breakfast at:
Sisters & Harvest
Here my notes say that I had "the best sandwich of my life and nice cake and nice plates" I think the plates had bőőbs on them, I know there was a cat in there, and sorry to say but most of my memory is using the (one) toilet there, it not flushing, and me panicking. Still, the sandwich and cake were nice. My only "complaint" was that it wasn't super Turkish-y (other than the cat) but I guess this place is more for locals / tourists who are bored of Turkey.
Then we walked to Tahin because I thought it was vegan and it turned out it just had vegan options, so we opted for a fully vegan restaurant:
Kem Kuem was so good. They serve Egyptian food and it was really delicious.
Kem Kuem
Kem Kuem was so good. They serve Egyptian food and it was really delicious.
We tried lots of their dishes, peach juice, coffee - I can only recommend that you do the same!
Like most of Istanbul, there are street vendors selling corn on the cob or simit and roasted chestnuts all accidentally vegan. Unlike the rest of Istanbul, these vendors are everywhere, very convenient for a snack on the go.
Vegan options in Fatih
Like most of Istanbul, there are street vendors selling corn on the cob or simit and roasted chestnuts all accidentally vegan. Unlike the rest of Istanbul, these vendors are everywhere, very convenient for a snack on the go.
Inside the Grand Bazaar we had a soup, bread, Aegean courgette in tomato sauce, and complimentary tea, of course.
Vegan Restaurants outside the centre of Istanbul
As to vegan restaurants outside of these three areas, it's pretty much slim pickings. You can get cig kofte at most joints, but your best bet outside the centre of Istanbul is to order vegan food on the app Getir and/or cook for yourself at home.
(Before I tell you about the supermarkets, here's a photo of chicken and a cockerel seemingly walking around free in the non-touristy districts of Istanbul, a common occurrence in my experience).
There are five main supermarkets in Istanbul: A-101, Sok, BIM, Migros and Carrefour. If you live in one of the more touristy districts, you will find these few and far between. If you live in one of the more residential areas, there will be one on every corner. A-101, Sok and BIM are similarly priced in my experience and slightly cheaper than Migros and Carrefour, but all five are relatively inexpensive if you're coming from somewhere with a stronger currency than Turkey (aka many places).
Navigating supermarkets as a vegan in Istanbul
There are five main supermarkets in Istanbul: A-101, Sok, BIM, Migros and Carrefour. If you live in one of the more touristy districts, you will find these few and far between. If you live in one of the more residential areas, there will be one on every corner. A-101, Sok and BIM are similarly priced in my experience and slightly cheaper than Migros and Carrefour, but all five are relatively inexpensive if you're coming from somewhere with a stronger currency than Turkey (aka many places).
As a vegan, you will (hopefully), be happy to find that whilst these stores don't have the most massive selection under the sun, what they do have is lentils (giant bags), tahini (giant pots), rice (massive bags), pasta, bread (yummy bread), ready-cooked chickpeas in bags ready to be blended into hummus, stuffed grape leaves in tins, beans in tins, beans in bags.
They sell fruit and veg too, and the quality is not bad. The quality is better at the green grocers, but sometimes the convenience of it being in the supermarket can't be beat! Also, sometimes cats sleep in the veg!
Note, they will look at you like you're insane if you bring your own reusable bags instead of plastic bags. It was quite a shock to my system to be in Serbia after 3 months in Turkey, because in Serbia they charge for plastic bags, whereas in Turkey they're handing them out like there's no tomorrow (literally).
Last but not least don't skip the markets!
Really, it's easy to be a vegan in Istanbul - if you can access the centre and afford the vegan restaurants you're laughing. If you're not in the centre but have accommodation where you can cook, you're laughing - Turkey stands out in my memory as one of the places to shop for food for as a vegan, and not just because there are cats in the supermarkets.
The vegan restaurants in Istanbul also get a big fat tick from me for their variety of Turkish and non-Turkish foods - finally a place in Europe that's not just serving vegan burgers. All in all, I liked my vegan time in Istanbul, and I left weighing the most I've ever weighed and with zero regrets.
Wrapping Up: Vegan Guide to Istanbul
Really, it's easy to be a vegan in Istanbul - if you can access the centre and afford the vegan restaurants you're laughing. If you're not in the centre but have accommodation where you can cook, you're laughing - Turkey stands out in my memory as one of the places to shop for food for as a vegan, and not just because there are cats in the supermarkets.
The vegan restaurants in Istanbul also get a big fat tick from me for their variety of Turkish and non-Turkish foods - finally a place in Europe that's not just serving vegan burgers. All in all, I liked my vegan time in Istanbul, and I left weighing the most I've ever weighed and with zero regrets.
Over to you: have you been to Istanbul as a vegan? Anything you'd recommend to others that I've missed out? Let me know!
