Offers vegan food with dishes like iskender and balls, Beytikebab, seitan döner wrap, mantı, ravioli style dumplings with sweet potatoes, lahmacun, Bosnian cevapi kofte, seitan stuffed grape leaves pockets with lemon sauce, burger, ravioli, 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 as well as a Turkish tasting menu. Sat by reservation only. Special vegan tasting menü every Sunday. Vegan Turkish food cooking class on Tuesdays by reservation. WhatsApp 00905385032736. Relocated from Tomtom mh kumbaracı Yokuşu No 18. Open Mon 4:00pm-10:30pm, Wed-Sun 4:00pm-10:30pm.
226 Reviews
First Review by Sacha
cckathmandu
Points +98
Good homemade food in cosy space - Edit
I had the seitan kebab. It was delicious & a large portion, very filling. My picture doesn't do the food justice.
Read moreI liked the restaurant environment very much, unpretentious, as another reviewer said, & the lady who runs it was super friendly.
I did find it rather expensive, but proceeds go towards the brilliant work they do with street cats and dogs so I didn't mind paying. Nonetheless, definitely worth a visit and I'm glad I went.
Pros: Healthy, homecooked food , Pleasant eating environment , Friendly service
Cons: Price
Guest
thartl005
Points +26
Excellent Homecooked Food - Edit
Excellent vegan food in pleasant but unpretentious setting.
Read morePros: Nice selection of vegananized Turkish classics, excellent quality of food, Surrounded by other happy customers
Guest
sunsatori
Points +1105
Lovely home cooked vegan food - Edit
Definitely worth a visit.
Read moreI ordered the sweet potato ravioli and a vegan ayran.
The meal was lovely, homemade and filling.
Pros: All vegan menu, Wholesome food
Guest
saneas
Points +222
Delicious food - Edit
Relaxed and informal. The food we had was lovely. The seitan and yogurt was divine and all home made
Read morePros: Reasonable prices, Friendly, Great service
Cons: Menu on happy cow isnt always on offer., Bit of a climb - but worth it.
Guest
PaulaHirst
Points +154
Friendly staff and good food - Edit
This was a lovely, cute little cafe that raises money for rescue cats (and dogs). We didn’t see any cats in the restaurant but their names are listed on the menu board.
Read moreThe lady spoke very good English and was very friendly and informative.
It was cheap and very good portion sizes for the price with a good variety of dishes to choose from.
Definitely worth a visit.
Pros: Portion sizes, Price, Raises money for rescue animals
Cons: None
Guest
AayushShah
Points +117
Insane Vegan Doner and Shish - Edit
Nice vegan options, friendly staff.
Read moreThank
Pros: Lots of choice, Tasty Shish
Guest
LeilaRussell
Points +34
Wonderful food! - Edit
Had the most delicious vegan kebab!! Was amazing to try traditional Turkish dishes, made vegan. The vegan ayran was very tasty as well. Super kind and friendly service, all round lovely experience!!
Read morePros: incredibly tasty food, great portion size, lovely service
Guest
kamözüt
Points +661
Not what i hoped - Edit
It is hard to find vegan restaurants in turkey. So I was very pleased to find this one. But they have few options. Not very tasty, especially the browny wasnt to my likeing. And quite expensive.
Read morePros: Great cause, Fully vegan, Huge portions
Cons: Not tasty, Expensive
Guest
nutribolt
Points +66
Poor quality food - Edit
After careful consideration, I have decided to provide an honest review of the establishment, setting aside their commendable efforts in rescue work. This review focuses solely on the quality of food and ambience, irrespective of their philanthropic endeavors.
Read moreThe food, unfortunately, fell short of expectations. Despite the establishment's premium pricing, the quality did not justify the cost. The location, situated in a basement, may not appeal to those seeking a pleasant dining environment. For the price, there are superior culinary options and ambiences available.
Among the vegan establishments I have visited, this one proved to be the most disappointing. I am perplexed by the rave reviews their food has received. Out of the four limited choices, we sampled three, and none left a lasting impression. The ravioli had an unpleasant, slimy texture, while the salad consisted of crunchy leaves with minimal effort in presentation.
While their cause is undoubtedly noble, I recommend supporting them through donations rather than expecting a satisfying dining experience. There are numerous other establishments in the city that offer both delectable cuisine and enjoyable atmospheres.
Pros: The cause they stand for, Friendly staff
Cons: Limited Food choices with below average quality, Not great ambience
Destroybokchoy
Kudos for the honesty. It’s never easy to be critical of people who seem to be fighting the good fight. But yes, I would never recommend VCK to anyone visiting Istanbul and am often baffled by the positive reviews. Moreover, you were lucky: They have questionable hygiene and people sometimes get stomach issues after eating there. Finally the owner is known to physically and verbally attack people she doesn’t like.
Read moreVelillaDeOswestry
Thank god it wasnt just us. Yet good reviews continue to come in for the place, i will never understand this. When we went it was old stale food and very questionable hygine, not least the placement of the toilet so close to where the food is prepared.
Read moreGuest
Juliestravels
Points +1026
Big portions - Edit
I had the iskender kebab (homemade seitan). The portion was big, so I would recommend going there when hungry! Felt very welcome there. They also have rescue cats and dogs! Just very nice all around place.
Read moreGuest
KylaJack
Points +372
Tasty but quite expensive - Edit
This little cafe offered 3 meals when we went. We had Iskender kebabs which we were really pleased to have the chance to try. The portions were massive! However I really did think it was quite expensive compared to anything else we ate in Istanbul - 470 for a dish
Read moreCons: X
Guest
lraivn
Points +130
Great place - Edit
I tried the vegan Iskender kebap with seitan as well as the vegan ayran and they were both very tasty.
Read morePros: Delicious food , Friendly staff
Guest
orcamyasun
Points +29
vegan jewel - Edit
I found this place and felt very good for that. plating looks very traditional though is filled with vegan products, very good, a great variety of foods, enjoyed it
Read morePros: nice stuff, good ambience
Guest
mobash2233
Points +178
Hidden gem for vegans in Istanbul - Edit
Amazing vegan kebab, ayran, brownie followed by hot hibiscus tea. Owner is a vegan of 13 years, and she has run the kitchen for 11 years - her husband cooks but is not vegan himself. She is also an animal rights activist and this place serves as a meeting place for animal activists. Definitely recommend coming here to support this local restaurant. They also support rescue cats and dogs so you are contributing to a good cause.
Read morePros: Delicious Turkish food and tea, 100% vegan and owner is a vegan activist
Guest
TimSeelig
Points +28
Amazing seitan kebab - Edit
Food is amazing, chef is great fun. Thoroughly recommended. PS complementary pickled runner beans were great too!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-06-13
Guest
KristineCarla
Points +20
This cafe is excellent - Edit
The lady who runs this place is super friendly and accommodating…the food is delicious.
Read morePros: The food, The variety, The service
Guest
AlainaVince
Points +667
Pricey, but Tasty - Edit
This spot was a bit difficult to find (hubs wasn't thrilled about going up and down the hilly road when we overshot the restaurant). It's in a basement, and the only signage is a chalkboard on the street. Google maps is pretty good about it's location, I just stopped watching it closely, oops.
Read moreMenu appears to change regularly, as it is listed on a chalkboard. Owner is very sweet. We both had the doner kebab made with homemade seitan, with a side salad and a cashew cream yoghurt sauce. It was all very flavorful and tasty! It really hit the mark for us, since we have seen one thousand doner kebab spots around town, and we were glad to find a vegan option. Seitan had a good density and flavor, and pita bread was light and fluffy. Serving size was good. Quite a bit on the pricey side, though, at 420tl per dish, which is a bit much for us to be repeat customers on our travel budget. We liked it, we appreciated it, and glad there are some Turkish classics veganized, but I don't think we will be going there for multiple meals while we are here.
Pros: Vegan Turkish classics , Good serving size and flavor
Cons: Pricey
Guest
TajLyons
Points +103
Amazing Turkish food - Edit
I loved my meal here and going to go back here during my stay. The food is delicious, and the owners are friendly. It isn’t “cheap” like some other food in Istanbul, but if you compare the meal to other cuisines in capital cities it’s more than worth the price
Read moreGuest
vegangameguy
Points +90
OK food, very expensive. Drinks were mixed quality. - Edit
The ayran (cashew yogurt) was delicious! The hibiscus tea was way too sour - like drinking lemon (it was $4/120 TL wasted because I couldn't drink it. No options to sweeten were offered).
Read moreThe kebab was fine but not worth the price; sadly, the sauce they used was a basic tomato sauce. It would go much better with mayo, aioli or a tahini sauce... Or even with the sour salad dressing, which was good. The bread (seemed like ciabatta?) was hard and had to be cut with a knife.
Updated from previous review on 2024-05-19
Pros: Their new space (opened 2 days ago) is spacious , Owner and employees were very nice, Cute cats
Cons: Price. Quality is not up to price level, The old place (still open) has coffee but no milk, No coffee or turkish tea at the new place yet
Guest
MattHatter
Points +317
Cute little place up a hill - Edit
We had the Seitan Kebab, and the stuffed peppers. Both were tasty and big portions.
Read moreFriendly helpful service.
Filter coffee was a bit weak.
Guest
Bellami1234
Points +13
Nice owner Bad food - Edit
The owner was nice but the food was quite bad. The Kebab was really greasy and old and the bread was also old. And 12€ for the Bad quality is way too much .
Read moreGuest
dapeace
Points +42
Tasty but overpriced - Edit
Good location near Galata tower. Its really small place and without any decoration, and there was no music when we were there. Food was good but its not that cheap. Person who served us and prepared meal was very kind, he had hippie outfit.😄
Read morePros: Location, Kind stuff, Tasty food
Cons: Overpriced
Guest
DorotheaWagner
Points +47
ok, but not convincing - Edit
The venue is nice, with wooden chairs in different colours. The staff was friendly, but shortly after the end of our meal they presented the bill without being called. The menue was not really varied: köfte, kebap, manti with spinach, zucchini patties and a mezze plate. The mezze plate cost around 19 € and there was no bread with it, it was ok, but nothing special. The salad which came along with the köfte and kebap (around 13 € each) was rather small; all in all the portions were not adapted to normal hunger. The manti were fine. We didn't taste the Ayran because it cost around 3,50 €.
Read morePros: nice atmosphere, food tastes rather good
Cons: not good value for the money, limited choice
rasikagfv
Fully agree. We were here last week and found it overpriced for the portion size and just ok in taste. The main thing is that it was vegan.
Read moreGuest
willemruben
Points +1565
Good, but expensive - Edit
Really enjoyed the kebab seitan here. Other than the bread, the rest of the plate was a bit boring. Bit too expensive as well
Read moreGuest
MichaelTobler
Points +20
Average food, friendly owner - Edit
We were rather disappointed. The owner was very friendly but the food by far not what we expected based on the recensions. There are only three main dishes and I guess they do not change that often. I prefer the classical Turkish vegan dinner that you can get in many places.
Read morePros: Nice reception, Friendly owner
Cons: Food was average, View from the restaurant
Guest
villain
Points +8379
New location, same great doner - Edit
I hadn't been here in a couple years since their location change, but everything was just as great this time around! The doner is still my favorite ever. Everything is so fresh and flavorful, and the owner is very kind and welcoming. This is still one of my favorite restaurants in İstanbul, by far!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-04-14
Pros: Amazing food, Owner is great
Cons: Expensive
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 moretheNumberOfTheBeast
Where is the jealousy emoji? 😄💚
Read moreGuest
WillRankin
Points +83
Cute experience - Edit
A tiny, quirky space with a pure vegan menu. We had the Seitan kebab and it was very good, probably the best vegan thing we ate the whole weekend. They also raise money for the street cats. Sweet, super friendly owner and staff, but not especially comfy!
Read morePros: Rare vegan cafe, Tasty food, Great ‘winter tea’
Cons: Bit small, Hard to find (for me)
Guest
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