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
Natureant
Points +32
Top-Quality Vegan Food - Edit
We had a wonderful experience at Mahatma Cafe. Sait greeted us and made use feel welcome. He treats you like guests in his home. He makes all of the food with Love! All are his own creations that are health-conscious focused and absolutely delicious. After we ate, we bought some yummy homemade cookies and his delicious mix of Tahini and Date Molasses to take back home with us. This place is a MUST for all vegans and non-vegans traveling or living in Istanbul. Thank you Sait for the good vibes, wonderful conversations and amazing food!
Read morePros: Health-Conscious , Clean Food, Delicious
Guest
ming.morss
Points +435
Lovely - Edit
Looovely all-vegan cafe/restaurant with really good köfte! The place is cozy and the staff super kind. Located in a cute street too
Read moreGuest
lotustummy
Points +1194
Great vibe! - Edit
One of our favourite places in kadikoy. Food was made with love. The owner was lovely. The corner was great for people watching. The best food in town? No. But a great place to eat.
Read morePros: Nice friendly atmosphere , Lovely owner. , Tasty teas
Guest
MKF
Points +74
Delicious food made with care & love! - Edit
What a wonderful home cooked vegan lunch we had at Mahatma Cafe. As a family of vegans traveling far from home we read the reviews of Mahatma Cafe and decided we had to make our way over via the Kadikoy ferry and a nice 12 minute walk through the local streets. The journey was well worth it as the lunch was absolutely delicious and owner & chef; Sait was welcoming and very kind. Any vegan living in Istanbul or vegans traveling to Istanbul MUST put this wonderful restaurant on their to do list. Even if you are not vegan you will love Sait's wholesome food made with much care and love. Thank you Sait for welcoming us into your Cafe and cooking us such beautiful food. 🙏🏼 - MKF (family traveling from Portland, Oregon & New York City USA).
Read morePros: Delicious food, Peaceful environment & atmosphere, Friendly, kind & very welcoming owner.
Guest
GuusGG
Points +21
Great little spot - Edit
Very friendly host who greeted us with enthusiasm and fun conversation; everything was made fresh and coffee and tea were great!
Read morePros: Completely vegan, Great, friendly host, All freshly made
Cons: Some waiting
Guest
VeganCatzo
Points +167
The best vegan Cafe I have been in Turkey so far - Edit
Everything on the menu (I tried) tastes delicious and fresh. I especially loved the Vöfte Dürüm. I was craving for some good vegan köfte (Turkish meatballs) for a long time and would say this place had the best ones I have eaten so far. I have been there several times during my trips to Istanbul and have never been disappointed. Also the owner is very kind and creates a lovely and welcoming atmosphere which makes you feel very comfortable.
Read moreGuest
piliπ
Points +25
the first vegan restaurant in Istanbul!!!!! - Edit
I loved how open and colorful is the space. The food is full of love and the owner even more
Read moreGuest
TomElmer
Points +65
Get the ferry to the Asian side. - Edit
Well worth a trip to Asia. Much more authentic than the touristy old town.
Read morePros: Fully vegan. , In a hipster neighbourhood. , Cheap
Guest
jsuk123
Points +16
Vegan pot of gold in Istanbul - Edit
Mahatma Cafe is a beautiful vegan oasis in Kadikoy which offers a true Turkish vegan experience. All the recipes are homemade and invented by the owner Saiyid, who is very welcoming and friendly. We had vegan ayrans, vofte wraps (vegan kofte), coffee and biscuits. All of it was delicious so much so I bought two jars of biscuits that the cafe sells to take to my family. I have a sensitive stomach (particularly with gluten and chickpeas) so am often cautious when eating at restaurants, but I experienced no problems and came away from the meal feeling satisfied and nourished. I would highly recommend the cafe not only for its fantastic food and owner, but also the place itself is on a quiet street in Kadikoy. I should note that I could only pay by cash or by Turkish bank card, but there was an ATM 5 minutes away so this did not impact on my experience. There is an outdoor dining area with blankets, and the inside is very warm and inviting. When you visit you can immediately tell that a lot of thought, effort and love has been poured into this cafe. I sincerely hope that every vegan in Istanbul (and omnivore for that matter since the food is so good!) can visit this little pot of gold.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-04-26
Pros: Food, Owner, Location
Guest
SheilaBocchine
Points +132
Love this place! - Edit
Colorful, delicious, cozy, yummy soup plus healthy desserts! Love their kisir salad too (not pictured).
Read moreGuest
PhilippWolfram
Points +37
Cute three legged cat Mathilda - Edit
Great vibe with nice owner. Tasty wraps and delicious cookies. Also a fine hummus. Everything’s vegan.
Read moreThe cat is good company 😄
Updated from previous review on 2022-04-12
Guest
lokalvegan
Points +1643
Super cozy, but average food - Edit
The place is incredibly cozy but the food is just average.
Read moreGuest
lizik
Points +107
I really love that dude - Edit
The owner is so sweet and kind it's a whole new level of food experience. And it doesn't even matter what he feeds me. But food is delicious, really
Read morePros: Owner❤, Delicious food
Guest
Itsmeyuo
Points +30
Great hummus and kind person 🥺🥺🌼 - Edit
What was amazing of this vegan restaurant is.. the person who is working here !! Also hummus and soup was super great, but the person who is working here was such an amazing man 👨🌾!!
Read morePlease go here if you came to Kadıköy;)
Pros: Colorful and cute vibes , Happy talking , Great foods reallyyy good 😊
Cons: For me , No , Cons
Guest
Urtrunk
Points +28
very friendly&tasty - Edit
Sahit is so kind and cooks the best food. Especially the vegan cakes and cookies taste soo good! Only to recommend
Read morePros: different desserts, turkish, mediterranen dishes
Guest
BilgesuGökçearslan
Points +8
the best vegan desserts - Edit
The best vegan desserts I've ever eaten are here.
Read moreGuest
AtaSağıroğlu
Points +6
Vegan and tasty - Edit
It is a boutique café-resturant and it has very tasty and Gluten-free dishes. I love the feeling of the place too.
Read morePros: Elegant, Gluten-free meals, Tasty
Guest
Ydg
Points +23
Amazing! - Edit
Sahit is very friendly and made me feel right at home.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-12-03
Pros: Everything vegan, Very tasty!! , Beautiful served.
Cons: No cons! , - , -
Guest
KateřinaDvořáková
Points +194
Cool place! - Edit
I loved the place. Very personal approach from the owner. Menu is all vegan, many options to choose from. Soups, savoury, sweets... Yum! The place itself is very cute! Recommend!
Read moreGuest
atiger
Points +35
Check this place out - Edit
Lovely Café with tasty healthy food and a very friendly owner.
Read moreGuest
dwells
Points +2402
A unique (and delicious) dining experience - Edit
Dining here was one of the coolest experiences I’ve had in a restaurant. In fact, it’s less of a restaurant, and more of a cozy home cooked meal by an excellent cook. The restaurant is a small space with a few tables, and then a kitchen on one side that looks like your regular home kitchen rather than a commercial one. When I was there, at least, it was entirely a one man operation, and handled being the server for every table as well as the chef.
Read moreWith the exception of the cakes, of course, everything was made to order. The lentil soup was perfectly spiced and delicious, everything on the köfte plate was fresh and tasty, both types of cake that I tried were absolutely excellent, and the bit of cookie I had was great as well. A bit expensive relative to other restaurants in the area, but still very cheap for the unique experience and quality of food that you’re getting.
The man who was working there, who I assume is the owner, is also a fantastic human being as well as a great cook — he literally gave my friend the coat off his back because she didn’t have anything warm enough to wear to go explore the city for a day.
Guest
Tim van der Holst
Points +235
Cozy Place - Edit
Tastful food. Nice people. Cozy place. All vegan!!
Read morePros: Nice food, Great staff, Cozy
Cons: A little slow, but ok I was on a holiday
Guest
ffilip35
Points +43
Great food and staff! - Edit
Cozy café that also serve some lighter dishes. Super friendly staff and tasty food!
Read moreGuest
Alandavies
Points +16
Wonderful - Edit
Great location, tasty food and friendly staff
Read moreGuest
An.drea
Points +254
Cute funky cafe w resident cat and dog - Edit
This was one of my favorite cafe's in Istanbul. The owner is very kind and makes some great cakes. Owner cares for community street dogs and cats. Cash only. The area by this cafe is beautiful and a fun place to explore.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-07-16
Pros: all vegan, try the cakes
Guest
boh
Points +16
Nice and taste - Edit
Small but comfortable place, probably one of the best in Istanbul.
Read moreGuest
BBiledegil
Points +22
Lovely - Edit
I discovered in 2014. Same high quaility since openning. Thanks a lot Sait.
Read moreGuest
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