Do you have nightmares about going to Istanbul but staying hungry because you do not eat meat? Do you see clowns armed with shish kebabs running after you if you drink a tad too much during a night out? Are you simply a vegetarian or perhaps a vegan who wants to know if they will find the right type of food to survive in Istanbul? Well, look no further! I am happy to report that the city does have a wide variety of options for those that do not eat meat for any reason, and these options are increasing every day. What follows is a short list of places that sell vegetarian (and some even vegan) food to locals and tourists alike who are sick of the meatier dishes Turkish cuisine is often associated with. Read on to see which one catches your eye the most!
Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly Eateries
Vegan eateries or at least some vegetarian ones are not as much of a foreign idea as they once were in Turkey these days. You can find them with relative ease, even in some smaller cities. Though their menus will be limited, there will be something to eat for sure. Below you can find a small selection of some decent spots to eat at as a vegetarian in Istanbul, though a quick Google search should give you a few more options to explore, especially in the Kadıköy district.
Rulo Lezzetler – https://goo.gl/maps/MAKDLvNFs39rS6SU8
Hands down the best place in town for an all-out vegetarian feast! They work like a factory, and are always full to the brim, and there is a reason for all that. They are rightfully popular, serving extremely tasty appetizers of your choice alongside a few “protein balls” like falafel. Everything, and I mean everything I tasted here was amazing, some coming close to the real homemade stuff. Even my mother was surprised beyond words saying that they really did an excellent job. You have to try their falafel, chickpeas, potatoes, and carrot salad, though frankly you cannot go wrong with anything here. They also have vegan ayran, and technically you can avoid vegetarian appetizers to make a fully vegan feast for yourself as well, so keep that in mind. Just avoid the busiest lunch and dinner times and you will have a wonderful meal at Rulo Lezzetler!
KEM KÜM Egyptian – https://goo.gl/maps/cGc6B8ABvgg4KcvK7
It is not my cup of tea, but Kem Küm may be the most popular place with foreign vegans in town. They are very hospitable, prices are reasonable, and their mango juice is to die for, but at least in my case the kabsa was microwaved, and it simply did not taste like much as a result of that… Even if it was served fresh, it was clear that it was not spiced properly, or at least as much as it could be. I believe this establishment caters to a more Western palette, as it is their main clientele, because the food I had in other Arabic joints had a more liberal use of spices and sauces. Still, it is a fully vegan restaurant with tons of extremely happy patrons, you can give it a go.
Miso Ramen – https://goo.gl/maps/tj4Ynrtmn1qj7Kp28
Alright, “beast mode” on. I am not the kindest gentleman when it comes to poorly cooked/spiced food. So, I will not limit myself here. This is not a good ramen. Not at all. There is barely any umami, and it is not even salty regardless of how many “salty” extras you pick which makes me think that some of those extra ingredients may be fake… Even the spiciest version is not spicy, and extra tofu means literally three tiny cubes that are smaller than a matchbox when combined. That being said, this is a very fast casual ramen spot in the middle of the city, that sells the cheapest bowl of ramen in town. It has a vegetarian stock too, which is why it is on this list. As was the case with Kem Küm, tons of people love Miso Ramen. When I was there, all their clientele seemed to be highschoolers but on Google you can see that it is popular with some expats too. Each to their own. I adore ramen, I love it dearly, and I am pretty sure I know what I am talking about when I talk about it. This is not ramen; it really is not. It is something cheap, flavourless, and easy to gulp down for everyone especially in winter, so I suppose it can be a place to keep in mind for “hard times.”
Çiğköfte (Raw “Meatballs”)
I never really liked how certain dishes seem to be untranslatable in some languages, and Turkish is certainly one of them. The magical vegetarian (and at times vegan) goodness that is çiğköfte is a perfect example. It is likely one of the most famous Turkish dishes that do not contain any meat, and rightfully so. I mean, originally, it does have meat in it, but it is pretty much impossible to find vendors that use raw meat in their recipe these days due to health concerns. Ultimately, it is an amazing dish for vegans and non-vegans alike, and some of the finest spots that sell it are listed below just for you! Obviously, given how cheap and accessible it is, you will find it all around in Istanbul or any other city for that matter. But these are some of the best places to have it in my book, though you cannot go wrong with some franchises like Oses and Çiğköftem as well.
Orijinal Adıyaman Çiğköftecisi – https://goo.gl/maps/TDq3zrTv7WFSpJNGA
I will not hold any punches here; this is the best place in town and likely in the whole world to truly enjoy çiğköfte. Everything is vegan here, there are no additives, no ketchup, no tomato paste, nothing to colour the meal, nothing… It is all pure ingredients as real as they can get, kneaded with hand, and served fresh thanks to the high circulation they have going on here. It is a flavour bomb, service is fast, prices are on the higher end but not so much, it is all just so amazing that words can hardly do any justice to it. Sadly, it is pretty far away from anything else so getting there is not going to be all that much fun. However, it will be worth it.
Çiğköfteci Gakgoş Usta – https://goo.gl/maps/FoQbJwSSMUM5RNPA9
One of the better establishments out there, also one of the older ones. They also sell the “real” çiğköfte, one without additives and extras of any sort. It tastes amazing, though comparatively it lacks in “something” next to the previous spot. It is not bad per se, not at all, but it could have been more flavourful. Prices are also higher here, which is never good. It is also found in a rather off the beaten path, though it is more central, arguably. Both places are on the Anatolian side, which is interesting.
Çiğköftem Organik – https://goo.gl/maps/gMisZQvfHzbUtQiK9
Well, thankfully (for me) not all çiğköfte vendors are on the Anatolian side. Some are on the European one, and one of the better ones over there is Çiğköftem Organik. Though they are likely the most expensive çiğköfte place nowadays (barring a few try hard “high end” spots in Akaretler etc. that treat this age-old recipe as some sort of Turkish foie gras) it is somewhat worth it given the quality of their product. Their so called çiğköfte sushi with a yoghurt sauce on top should be a delight for most, though more conversative eaters may want to stick to their simpler portions or wraps. Also, though this is a bold claim, I believe they may be selling the best ayran in town!
Breakfast Spots
It should go without saying that though the Turkish breakfast spread with a ton of sausages and cured meat on the table is quite famous worldwide, there are plenty of vegetarian breakfast options to choose from in Turkey as well. Some of my favourite spots are below, though do not get your hopes up for anything truly vegan as dairy is a staple in most of our breakfast items.
Boris’in Yeri – https://goo.gl/maps/5vNYtwXZdSG7bXb27
I suppose it would not be right not to start this list with anything but Boris’in Yeri. It is a household name these days, and basically everyone seems to know what it is or where it is. Frequented by both locals and foreigners, they serve some of the finest milk-based products in town. Their kaymak (clotted cream) is legendary, and the honey they pair with it is quite good as well. Their cheese products are top notch, and the eggs are alright too. However, it is not the most ideal place for a breakfast, at least for me. Prices are on the higher side these days due to their popularity, but for that price, you do not get much. Portion sizes are small, and worse, there is always a couple or two that waits for one of the few tables to be emptied so they can sit down. If you want to sit down and enjoy your food, this is hardly the place for it. I would go here to try a dessert called “ekmek kadayıfı” which is basically a piece of bread soaked in syrup and served with their amazing kaymak, but that is where I draw the line personally.
Meşhur Menemenci Cemal Polat – https://goo.gl/maps/JVtVKxLATMMRbgkP8
My go to breakfast dish all around the world is menemen. If I can find it on a menu, I will order it. If I can get my hands on some decent tomatoes, I will cook it. It is just the best thing ever, and in fact, I have it for dinner quite often as well which sort of makes it my go to comfort food too, I guess. This simple dish made with eggs and tomatoes is ubiquitous in Turkey, though most places do not do it justice, and to be fair, none comes close to how I do it at home. But that is beside the point… There are two spots in Istanbul that make a decent menemen, and the first one is found in Kadıköy. Cemal Polat has a rather interesting menu with some unusual varieties of menemen and given how the “base” of the dish is vegetarian, I am quite certain that anyone can find something worthwhile to enjoy here.
Lades Menemen – https://goo.gl/maps/12Q7ifVnGQTz124K9
I for one cannot really decide between Cemal Polat or Lades when it comes to the quality of their menemen, and whenever I am asked this question, I simply say that you should eat at Lades Menemen if you are on the European side of Istanbul, and you can opt for Cemal Polat if you are on the Anatolian side. It is that simple really. Both places excel at what they do, and they have been doing it for quite some time now so that is to be expected. Service, prices, even the menus are quite similar. Sure, Lades seem to offer more desserts, and Cemal Polat has more options for their menemens, but beyond that point they are pretty much the same. Eat at both places and decide for yourself!
Well, this is not all! Obviously, there are many other options for those that do not eat meat in Istanbul. For example, the city now has a huge falafel scene. In fact, it is so huge that I had to write an entire article on just that issue. You can read it HERE. Furthermore, a vegetarian-friendly staple of Turkish cuisine is pide, a pizza-like doughy goodness. Its toppings can easily be meat-free, at the very least, you can find a cheese variety in almost all pide spots. To read about some of the finest such pide ovens in town, read THIS work of mine. I sure hope that this small guide and those extra articles will provide you with enough fuel to let you explore Istanbul in peace, without touching a kebab during your entire stay!