Istanbul probably doesn’t immediately come to mind when thinking up vegetarian- and vegan-friendly cities—and that’s fair. The city isn’t the most vegetarian friendly in Europe or Asia but certain neighborhoods are going to be a lot more progressive in the plant-based department than others. Kadıköy on the Asian city of the city is one of those residential parts of town with a relatively young population. Here you’ll find a lot of great bars, pubs, trendy cafes, and, you guessed it, vegetarian restaurants.
If you’re planning a trip to Istanbul and want to sample some of the best vegetarian and vegan restaurants, it’ll be worth taking the ferry to the Asian side to check some of these out. Here are five of the best plant-based options in Kadıköy:
You wouldn’t necessarily walk into Salpa Bar thinking it was a vegan restaurant. There’s no air of hippy, sprouts are decidedly not on the menu, let’s just say you’re not walking into Salpa in search of a wheatgrass shot. The bar serves an indulgent menu of plant-based pub fare like burgers and even vegan kebabs. The bar also has regular trivia nights, specializing in American sitcom themes like How I Met Your Mother and Friends.
Veganarist is going to be your best bet if you’re hoping to sample traditional Turkish home cooking and street food—with a vegan twist. The cozy restaurant has a built-in year-round patio and a very humble (and delicious) menu that consists of Turkish classics like manti and even vegan-friendly Islak (wet) burgers, a popular post-pub street food that’s essential a plain hamburger dipped into a garlicky tomato sauce.
Looking for a cozy outdoor space to fuel up before your next adventure? Kumin Vegan Lezzetler is an oasis in the middle of Kadıköy; the restaurant is tucked into an unassuming space that looks and feels like you’re walking into a friend’s apartment. Make your way to the back patio where you can enjoy some plant-based Turkish meze away from the bustle of the city (but don’t be surprised if some of the neighborhood cats join you for your meal!).
You could absolutely spend a lifetime eating your way through savory Turkish cuisine while visiting Istanbul—but there’s a lot of excellent international restaurants that are worth checking out while you’re in town. Kem Küm is a plant-based Egyptian street food restaurant with an affordable street side patio. It also doubles as a cafe and dessert restaurant for those with a sweet tooth.
Yumma is both charming and delicious—and while it might not be strictly vegan, there are plenty of vegan items to choose from on the menu. The light-flooded cafe makes for a great spot to curl up with a good read and two- or three- cups of Turkish tea. It also has a decadent Turkish breakfast
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