Vegan
Western
Mediterranean
Middle Eastern
Turkish
Colorful vegan cafe opened in mid-2014 in the Yeldegirmeni quarter of Kadikoy, reopened in this location Jan 2020. Opens out to the street with indoor/outdoor dining. Serves Turkish, Mediterranean/Middle Eastern foods such as pilaf, baked beans, falafel, bulghur, mashed potatoes, dolma, lentil soup, eggplant stews. Uses extra virgin olive oil and local and seasonal veg. Reported closed February 2024.
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Last update on 20 Feb 2024 by avocado666
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115 Reviews
First Review by kmanchester306
K1rlia4
Points +40
friendly atmosphere and owner, good food - Edit
Very nice atmosphere and a friendly owner. :)
Read moreI had the mixed plate and I liked everything. The Falafel are also really good, my boyfriend took a falafel plate.
Pros: delicious, cute and colourful, friendly owner
Guest
enso
Points +40
Lovely neighbourhood cafe - Edit
This is located in a laid-back and friendly neighbourhood on the Asian side of Istanbul, easy to access even as a clueless tourist. Its little corner position is really delightful and has a Parisian romantic charm about it. It's however uniquely Istanbul with languid street cats, street art and the cafe's hip playlist to accompany your meal. The food is not what I would call spectacular but it's lovingly made, some things feel overpriced and some are just right. Support this place and Istanbul's growing embrace of veganism.
Read moreGuest
herc
Points +96
Good Turkish Food - Edit
The staff helped me to create a great turkish vegan meze dish, which was tasty. Nothing on the menu was expensive. It's a cool, small cafe, and perfect if you're looking for some Anatolian food.
Read moreA critic: A few times I ate there turkish dolmas, and they always were too salty and tasted boring.
They also serve yummy cakes.
The location is perfect, you can also sit outside of the cafe during winter.
Updated from previous review on 2017-09-03
Pros: Good value, Friendly and Helpul Staff, Nice vibe
Cons: Some dishes are too salty
Guest
halima
Points +32
simply wonderful - Edit
Lovely people, great ambiance, really tasty nourishing food. In our short trip to the Asia side we just kept going back. I wish I lived round the corner, those who do are privileged.
Read morePros: choice of dishes, ginger tea perfect, the authenticity of the people
Guest
NievesR
Points +301
everything is said - Edit
I cannot add anything else to the other reviews.
Read moreWe went there after reading them and we are glad we did it.
The food is very nice and tasty. The prices are good and the owner is really helpful and kind. The atmosfere is really calm. No rush in here.
It's a pity we went there just for one day. We would repeat for sure!!!
Pros: Food, Price, the owner
Cons: nothing
Guest
izzierice
Points +16
Fantastic - Edit
This place was brilliant, really cute cafe , good atmosphere, arty area and great food. Very good value.
Read morePros: Great food, Good value , Good choice
Cons: Nothing
Guest
ZeynepSemercioglu
Points +8
Delicious Vegan Food - Edit
Friendly staff, welcoming people and tasty recipes, fair price. I suggest you to try Falafel Plate, it's the best!
Read morePros: All of the products are organic, They always give you free vegan cookies, You can meet very nice people
Cons: You can't order from home
Guest
diclemre
Points +320
Eat and rest - Edit
Various types of food, full vegan choices, acceptable prices, good service, nice and cute owner
Read moreGuest
Ps1978
Points +138
Friendly atmosphere, good food - Edit
Colorful tables, good music, and friendly staff made this a worthwhile visit. I was staying on the European side and took the ferry to Karakoy to enjoy this place. It was time well spent. I had the mixed plate (highlight was a neat lentil ball) and orange tiramisu. Wish I had room for a borek....
Read morePros: outdoor seating, reasonably priced
Guest
Haggai
Points +103
Cool place, good food - Edit
We visited for breakfast, had two different kinds of vegan börek (well, everything is vegan), and both were splendid. So were the tea, coffee, atmosphere, service, and the friendly street cats around (when they wanted to join our breakfast the owner got them chairs with cushions to sit on next to us).
Read moreI'm only sorry we didn't get the chance to come back to taste more.
Pros: Good food, beautiful place, friendly street cats
Cons: None!
Guest
magic_magali
Points +30
Super tranquil - Edit
Good reggae, you know, it's magic. Especially in Istanbul since you are mainly plunged in different Turkish or western tunes.
Read moreYou are swayed by it's flow, sipping Turkish tea from a sand glass shaped cup.
Plants are real, colors are vivid, it's an atmospheric cafe, quiet at this time of the year, gives you plenty of time for reflection.
Hummus and pepper bread are super tasty.
Highly recommended ,)
Updated from previous review on 2017-01-12
Pros: Prices are adorable, Tasty, Nice view from the window
Guest
LeeRajan
Points +21
relaxed and blissful vegan happiness - Edit
Try to keep your cool. Easy veganism. Mahatma is parked on a peaceful Kadıköy corner, perfect for al fresco conversations about how good and real the food is. It's all vegan, but there's not one drop of pretentiousness in it. The host conveys surprise at your surprise that it's all vegan. Look again and realize it's all quite normal food. Turkish cuisine, with gentle adjustments, exploits no sentient being. Mahatma is proof that veganism doesn't have to be a spectacle. It can just be delicious banality.
Read morePros: Satyagraha
Guest
Chiara Cassandra
Points +191
good choice - Edit
I have been here many times... the food is good, you can have some traditional turkish food , in a vegan twist! Worth trying... not my favorite in Istanbul though :)
Read morePros: vegan 100%, turkish food
Cons: very oily
Guest
NicolasBoussardon
Points +13
Great place, great owners, great food.... perfect - Edit
I went to Mahatma cafe last September with my girlfriend.
Read moreWe were very enjoyed by the tasty meal (all it's home made), the good vibration of the place and you can have good discussion with the owners.
It was a definitely great experience, we hope we'll can come back one day.
Pros: Tasty food, Good ambiance, Nice owners
Guest
TugbaCakmak
Points +92
Nice place - Edit
I found this place a year a go and it seemed really cute and colourful. And than saw the ' go vegan' writing on the wall. The owners were really cute and helpful couple. Everything was fresh and tasty. Especially humus was delicious.
Read moreGuest
taters108
Points +35
Great food - Edit
We took the ferry over specifically to try this place out and we were not disappointed. Very friendly owner. Delicious food and great ambiance. We had trouble deciding what to try because it all looked so good and so we eventually decided on two different platters. Everything we tried was great.
Read moreGuest
IlsedeGroot
Points +17
Really tasty - Edit
Read morePros: Food tastes amazing , Good service , Nice place
Cons: Bit expensive, but worth it
Guest
Marilynka
Points +140
You must visit! - Edit
If you are vegan and you want to eat some authentic Turkish food, this is the best place in Istanbul for you! You can enjoy every single meal guilt free :) All the meals are made by a kind old Turkish woman and they are just soooo delicious! I can't recommend this place enough. The prices are a bit high but for the quality and service you get it is totally worth it.
Read moreGuest
saguara
Points +52
My favorite in Istanbul - Edit
Whenever I want to eat vegan cake/pie/cookies/pastry accompanied by good Turkish tea and a smiling face, I visit this place. My favorites have been lemon pie and tiramisu with orange so far. All staff is helpful, and I like them. Their specialty soup is nice too. Especially in summer, it gets better, because they have good outdoor seating in a quiet neighborhood. Remember that it is hard to find such a place which is "all vegan" in Turkey.
Read moreGuest
VictoriaMay
Points +25
Lovely little cafe - Edit
We had a great lunch at mahatma the other day, its definitely worth going out of your way for the delicious veggie food here. There are so many differently options, we shared a few things - a soup, a little pastry, and a mixed plate and everything was delicious and came to around 40 lira with some teas. It's a small but light space with a couple of tables outside and is in an interesting suburb to walk around - heaps of antique, vintage shops record shops. Go here
Read morePros: delicous, so many options , lovely space
Guest
feministtraveller
Points +114
Lovely place - Edit
Mahatma Cafe is such a nice palce. I go there to read, draw, talk, stroke their cats, bring my friends - and eat delicious original food.
Read moreThe café is located ina super nice area in Kadiköy, about 5 min walking distance from the ferry harbour.
The staff is overwhelmingly friendly, and the food is just delicious.
As already mentioned by the other reviewers, you should definitely go for the hummus!
Also, I really like their vegan interpretation of the Turkish menemen. It takes some 20 minutes to cook, but it is definitely worth the waiting time.
Personally, I do not find the portions small. Actually, I find their prices quite cheap and the plates highly satisfying in comparison to other locations in Istanbul.
If you want to eat vegan in Istanbul - this is the place to be.
Pros: Delicious food, Super friendly service staff, Cosy atmosphere
Guest
sightsoul
Points +32
Favourite vegan cafe - Edit
Mahatma Cafe is my favourite place to eat vegan regularly in Istanbul. It has a local feel to it, while also being very welcoming to travellers. The cafe itself is very colourful and animal-friendly. It is definitely the first place I would recommend to visitors to have a delicious vegan meal, and to relax during an afternoon with some Turkish tea.
Read moreThe food is very fresh, mainly organic and locally sourced. Daily there is a mixed plate option, which is perfect to try a bit of everything and feel satisfied. Everything is delicious, however I must confess I am obsessed with their hummus...it is probably the best hummus I have every tried. I am not sure how they make it/what spices they use, but it is very good. I also recommend trying a börek (a savoury phyllo dough filled with various vegetables like potatoes, or lentils). Their lemon tart/pie is also very refreshing at the end of the meal with some tea, if they have it on the day you go (there are various dessert options depending on the day).
Always a lovely experience at Mahatmas, will miss when I leave the city.
Pros: Delicious Turkish 100% VEGAN food, Very affordable, Pleasant staff and atmosphere
Guest
Basak
Points +79
colourful place - Edit
colourful place and stuff. you can prepare mixed plate with traditional foods. It is not much expensive.
Read morethere are delicious desserts and breakfast options
place also animal friendly ^^ stuff feed the street animals (I am not sure animals belong to whom)
Guest
SG213
Points +820
One of the best places in Istanbul - Edit
This is a popular vegan cafe on the Asian side of Istanbul.
Read moreMost people seem to order the mixed plate, which is a good balance of food such as different veg., beans, lentil balls, potatoes and stuffed vine leaves. It's very tasty.
It's also especially good to see when a plate is made carefully like this with complementary tastes, and not overloaded with greens or depressive scraps of salad to take up space - it's clear that the owner created the menu from the point of view of someone who is vegan/veg. themselves and not just randomly guessing at what might work (or at least, it's a good guess!).
The only problem I had with it was that it finished a bit too quickly... just a little bit more on the plate would have been great.
Apart from the mixed plate, I had the falafel plate once and it was ok, but as usual in Istanbul the falafels are not that great, in this case they were quite hard on the outside, instead of just being crunchy. But it's a minor point.
The hummus on the other hand is especially interesting and tasty, made a little spicy.
Some of the desserts (cakes) here were excellent, although they change every now and then. The chocolate cake and also a hazelnut type of cake were very delicious - you should definitely try some if you have the chance!
Prices are average for the location.
Pros: Tasty mixed plate, Awesome desserts
Cons: Portion size could be slightly bigger
Guest
flexniert
Points +161
Don't miss this place - Edit
When you're going to the asian side of Istanbul, be sure to check this place. The food is amazing. You can get mixed plates of vegan awesomeness as well as delicious self-made cake. Outdoor sitting is nice, you'll get in contact with Kadiköys citylife.
Read moreGuest
plutoinfurs
Points +22
Worth visiting! - Edit
Amazing cafe! I had visited it two times and absolutely loved it! Their stuff is very friendly and pleasant, food is delicious (especially their hummus, I asked about the recipe but they said that their boss makes it by himself and keeps all the ingredients under the secret), prices are quite low but servings are big (you feel full after half of it!). Definitely worth visiting!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Sunday September 13, 2015
Guest
Anbar
Points +29
Super Yummy and cheap - Edit
Worth visiting - really good food - and super nice people. Prices by European standard was very cheap. I went there twice during my trip!
Read morePros: Food, Service, Price
Cons: Location
Guest
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