Offers vegan food with dishes like iskender and balls, Beytikebab, seitan döner wrap, mantı, ravioli style dumplings with spinach and seitan, lahmacun, Bosnian cevapi kofte, seitan stuffed grape leaves pockets with lemon sauce, burger, lasagna and baklava, seasonal menu with Turkish rice, stuffed peppers and eggplant, olive oil cold plates, and cookies. Sunday is brunch and wild mushroom day. Relocated from Beyoğlu. Sat by reservation only. Vegan turkish food cooking class on Tuesdays by reservation. WhatsApp 00905385032736. Relocated from Balat Lavanta Sk 14, Fatih. Open Mon 12:30pm-11:00pm, Wed-Sat 12:30pm-11:00pm, Sun 10:00am-11:00pm.
Vegan
International
Middle Eastern
Turkish
197 Reviews
First Review by Sacha
jofiskare
Points +544
Cute vegan place - Edit
Delicious Turkish vegan food. We had kebab, mantı and even ayran :)
Read moreGuest
EddyMaya
Points +639
Great little vegan café - Edit
We called in here for lunch today & thoroughly enjoyed it! It's a cosy little café, located a short walk downhill from Galata Tower or a short walk uphill from the impressive Istanbul Modern Art gallery. Everything is 100% vegan and prepared with love by the friendly owner. The food was really good. The seitan kebab was a revelation - so yummy! I'd also recommend the stuffed lentil kofta. Prices are fair at 320₺ per dish. Worth a short detour if you're hereabouts.
Read morePros: 100% vegan, Friendly owner, Good value
Cons: I'm not a big fan of cats in restaurants
Guest
NandoDonadel
Points +123
Simple place but good food - Edit
Not only the food is tasty. The owner also gave us tips of other vegan eateries.
Read moreGuest
Ajolote
Points +1327
Tasty little place - Edit
Tiny spot on a hill in a cool neighborhood. Everything was tasty, but the options are very limited.
Read moreThere was only one person working there, but she was very efficient and because we were very few people, that was not a problem.
Simple food, no frills #Veganuary
Pros: Fast service, Tasty, Simple food
Cons: Very limited menu, No dessert
Guest
evolvika
Points +169
Amazing food, home feeling - Edit
İt seems to be a small family business. The place looks very welcoming and home-like: part of the kitchen is right in the restaurant room. The food tastes like home-made,too. Healthy and yummy 😋 İ couldn't choose what to take: manty or köfte, so the owner was so friendly that she offered me one köfte to try - it was amazing! Manty were amazing too:)
Read morePros: Healthy, Tasty, Real
Guest
josephsuar
Points +1739
Amazing Homemade Food - Edit
Delicious made to order food with a daily menu change. Owner is super sweet and love to chat about veganism, food and she even teaches cooking classes! Uses plant/pea proteins and seitan to make ‘meats’ and also a ton of fresh veggies! Highly recommend!
Read morePros: Everything
Cons: Nothing
Guest
Alex17
Points +89
Amazing Kebab - Edit
This friendly owner makes amazing vegan Kebab!
Read moreThe interior is kept very simple.
Guest
SquirrelDi
Points +4112
Welcoming staff - Edit
Good hummus and soup. Super friendly staff.
Read moreGuest
pukiiland
Points +439
Tasty - Edit
Had kebab and sallad wrap and was very tasty, a bit pricey for what you get but good nonetheless. 😇
Read moreGuest
tmadera
Points +11
Delicious Homemade Food - Edit
I had a wonderful time eating the delicious food from here. Whole ingredients and outstanding recipes made with love. I highly recommend!
Read moreGuest
AngVas
Points +42
Lovely home cooked food - Edit
Small and welcoming place, feels like you are really eating in a friend’s kitchen. Tasty food, cooked fresh in front of you. Very tasty! Owner very friendly, also helped us with some recommendations. My favourite were the stuffed balls, but the kebab is also great.
Read morePros: Home feel, Traditional food, Friendly
Guest
leelooisvegan
Points +24
Tasty homemade traditional food - Edit
The owner is so lovely, if you are looking for that homemade small business vibe, this is it !!! The owner is up for a chat and will tell you about the local life and veganism and animal rights (which she is very passionate about) I thoroughly enjoyed the immense kebab plate ! Would go back !
Read morePros: The owner’s approachability , The Ayran , Brownie !
Guest
monogo
Points +16
Tasty - Edit
Community Kitchen is one of the best vegan kitchen in city which have tasty wraps, seitans and several desserts!
Read moreGuest
BarbaraG.Baz
Points +1715
Amazing off the beaten path spot - Edit
Best food I had in Turkey! It was great to find veganised turkish food. The gentleman was very sweet and cooked a lovely meal for us. He was helping his friend that was ill and apologised because he could not say much in english. The food was excellent and the shop is really cosy! Please support this place. ❤️
Read moreGuest
Nuriya12
Points +23
Amazing place! Very delicious and friendly! - Edit
Oya is the real Master of Vegan world and making it really delicious and tasty! She is an amazing encyclopaedia of all possible vegan recipes and her place is cosy and very welcoming and feels like home thanks Oya‘s big heart and love to each of customers! The meals are very hearty and tasty, and beautifully decorated, so it becomes a very amazing and satisfying experience beyond all possible expectations- visiting this place. Would love to come back there again during my next visit to Istanbul!! Food is love- that’s what I would call this place:)))
Read morePros: Delicious , Beautiful , Tasty
Guest
Mariatomàs-rodó
Points +124
Food with heart - Edit
This is a place full of love and heart. The food changes daily but you can find traditional Turkish dishes veganised. But the true star of the place is the owner. Her passion and heart is felt everywhere and you will definitely leave with a smile on.
Read morePS.portions are generous, as she said "I will fill you up"!
Guest
Nereatxo
Points +536
Nice small restaurant with a lovely cook - Edit
We really enjoy our meal in here (the hummus made by beans, the kebab seitan and the lentil pastries were beyond good). It is very small and it hasn’t got a toilet but the warmth felt by the cook /owner made it wonderful. We talked about veganism and her animals with her💗
Read moreGuest
Vagabondoer
Points +291
So Much Heart! - Edit
You can tell when a restaurant is driven by love, and Vegan Community Kitchen is a great example. Besides the food being really tasty (I had the home made seitan doner on home made flatbread -- it was toothsome and savory in all the right ways), Vegan Community Kitchen exists so that the world can go in a different, more compassionate and inclusive direction. This tiny spot is doing it for love and it really shows!
Read morePros: So much love, For the aminals, really delicious!
Cons: tiny
Guest
sottovocce
Points +36
It is homey - Edit
Go at it with the idea that it is homey in mind. Not the best and it is sad that it overwhelms on google the other much better restaurant that is in the same neighbourhood. Excellent treatment though. I recommend the kabab but not the lahmacun or the ayran.
Read moreGuest
rbrimel
Points +171
¡Excelente y casero! - Edit
Cuando entras en la casa de Oya no necesitas la carta. Siempre recomienda el plato que te va a servir y siempre acierta porque su comida es riquísima pero sobre todo el trato con ella, es excelente.
Read moreNo te pierdas la inmersión en la comida turca tradicional pero vegana.
Pros: Oya, Kebab vegano casero, Buen ambiente y comida rica
Cons: -, -, -
Guest
villain
Points +6979
Best meal I've ever had - Edit
The doner was incredible, it's overall the most satisfying meal that I've ever had. I'm going to have to come back to İstanbul just to eat at this place! Dolma was amazing too. Everything was so fresh and flavorful, the owner said that she gets all of her ingredients just a couple blocks down. They were so kind and welcoming, this is my favorite restaurant in İstanbul by far. I do wish they offered a different dessert than brownie, but that's my only criticism.
Read moreBoth the food and service are levels above everywhere else and the neighborhood that this restaurant is located in is fantastic.
Updated from previous review on 2022-11-21
theNumberOfTheBeast
Right!?!?! Last time I was there we talked about opening a franchise in California, just need her recipe book aa couple investors and couple of cats. 🌈❤️🔥🌈❤️🔥🌈❤️🔥🌈❤️🔥🌈❤️🔥🌈❤️🔥
Read morevillain
It would be incredible being able to eat that doner in california.. I'm going to miss it! you're so right when you said that every vegan restaurant should be like this
Read moreSeatown_vegan
Visiting Istanbul in Oct. definitely going to try this restaurant out now.
Read morevillain
Super exciting! You're going to love it. İstanbul does vegan food so well, my mouth is watering just thinking about this meal 😋
Read moreGuest
Jaquelineloh
Points +252
Cute local place - Edit
Great option for lunch in the balat area. When we where here, the only options were either falafel or kebab plate (and one kind of cake for dessert).
Read moreWe shared an falafel plate and a piece of cake, between two people - the total was 220 TL. The food was great but the cake which was supposed to be a brownie, disappointed us a bit as it really was more of a ordinary chocolate cake, rather than brownie.
The place itself is tiny, cute and primitive, with only a few tables ( one outside and a couple inside), run by a sweet local woman.
Nice to support a small local business!
Guest
theNumberOfTheBeast
Points +4082
Seni Seviyorum - Edit
This family owned cafe in Balat makes the best donner/kapab/shawarma whatever you wanna call it. It's house made spiced setian served with fresh chopped tomatoes and one of the top meals I've eaten anywhere on Earth.
Read moreI use Turkish Airlines for miles just so I can course my route through IST to spend a night and get a meal here. Unbeatable quality and flavor. Her sister has a place in North Carolina of the same name, but this location has cats!
Mom was making the stuffed vine dolmas when I was there and these too, were best in class. Should every vegan resto in the world be as nice as Community Kitchen the animal abusers would be extinct tomorrow.
Pomegranate Juice.
Updated from previous review on 2022-10-24
Pros: vegan owned and operated, invincible seitan, fresh and delicious
villain
Thanks for this review!! I'll be in İstanbul for a couple weeks soon and was wondering where to try 😍
Read moretheNumberOfTheBeast
Take me with you!!!
Read moreGuest
Elemor
Points +47
Worth a visit - Edit
The lahmacun was delicious and the host was super nice :)
Read moreGuest
Karin&Cor
Points +649
Real vegan place you must visit. - Edit
In the middle of the centre of Istanbul you find Vegan Community Kitchen including some adorable cats.
Read morePros: Gentility , True vegan from the heart, Best kebab ever
Cons: Place can be a little bit neater, Small place cannot go with a large group
Guest
naddi.
Points +34
Delicious and homemade! - Edit
Nice little vegan restaurant with homemade Turkish food
Read morePros: Delicious homemade Seitan Kebap , Vegan Lahmacun (I’ll try it next time) :), Nice area
Guest
SiyaShastri
Points +34
Best vegan food in Istanbul - Edit
I had the best dining experience at Oya’s vegan community kitchen. She’s one of the best human beings I have ever met who makes AMAZING vegan food! You need to try her vegan doner kebabs, they are simply the best! My other favorite item from her kitchen is Vegan lahmacun. I highly recommend trying her food if you are in Istanbul.
Read moreGuest
For Members
Why was my review removed? Guidelines for writing a review View our privacy policyFor Business Owners
Claim this business
See inaccurate information? Submit an update here Link to this page from your site See an unfair review? View full terms & conditionsThis page has been viewed 44668 times.