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.


Venue map for Mahatma Cafe
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115 Reviews

First Review by kmanchester306

MariMartinez

Points +18

Vegan
05 Apr 2021

Best meal we've had in Istanbul

We were in Istanbul for a few weeks already and had eaten at a bunch of vegan places before we discovered this place. This was the best meal we had in Istanbul by far. The hot chocolate was thick and creamy, extremely rich in flavor, but not too sweet. The soup was incredibly flavorful and on an overcast day, it really hit the spot. The owner is extremely friendly and super sweet. We had some friendly chit chat in between him serving his other guests and ourselves. If we were staying on the Asian side, we would've definitely frequented this place much more. Regardless of it being a little bit of a trek, we plan to visit again before we leave. I highly recommend!

SophieJ.Pavlakis

Points +245

Vegan
28 Mar 2021

Nice food!

Extremely tasty hummus recipe. Located in a vegan friendly area in Kadıköy, this little place deserves a visit.
The reason it misses a star is because it lacks quantity of choices.

Pros: Best homemade hummus I've ever tried.

Cons: A bit cold and with not many options.

JojoHerz

Points +54

Vegan
13 Feb 2021

Healthy Vegan Food

Very comfortable ambient in a little side street. Great conversation and good food.

Pros: Does his own vegan receipes., Turkish cuisine

HelenWoods

Points +429

Vegan
31 Jan 2021

Worth it for experience!

A cosy place with a great chef. The best vegan wrap for miles!

Pros: All vegan

vishnevetskayag

Points +106

Vegan
02 Dec 2020

Special experience

Just go there, you will not regret it.

asensation

Points +370

Vegan
08 Nov 2020

Great flavor

Slow cooked freshly made food. The flavors are excellent. Definitely worth eating at. Chickpea wrap and Mahatma soup are my favorite.

whitesiroi

Points +1831

Vegan
18 Aug 2020

Great place

Food is great and pretty cheap. the owner is awesome person,very kind and friendly.

FurkanErcan

Points +37

Vegan
16 Jul 2020

Nice and tasty food

Masterchef with great dishes, the lentil soup and Vöfte (vegan köfte) with Fermented Hummus and Sourdough Bread was very tasteful.

Pros: Fermented Hummus, Sourdough Bread

alehdzq

Points +38

Vegan
01 Apr 2020

My favorite in Istanbul

It’s a nice place, where I just felt welcome and at home from the beginning. The staff is super friendly speaks English and always always makes me feel as one more of the neighborhood even though now I live a bit far (5km) it is worth the going all the way. Delicious tea and cakes with amazing good music and ambiance!

Pros: All vegan , Organic , Good service

danielacovaa

Points +24

Vegan
11 Mar 2020

They have a new menu

everything you see on the app here I didnt find when i visited the restaurant 3 days ago. Only the cakes but you can find cakes everywhere. Sadly made the trip for nothing and have a hummus with cold bread and 3 slices of vegetables for 15tl

bianca_yara

Points +1361

Vegan
09 Feb 2020

Very cute cafe with delicious food

Such a cute little cafe! The owners are super nice, a lot of tasty dishes, I had the Mahatma soup, the hot chocolate and the Vöfte Dürüm (wrap). I spent hours in the cafe, getting some studying done and enjoyed the company of the cats

Cons: No wifi

Ianūla

Points +44

Vegetarian
27 Apr 2019

loved it

Amazing chef, tasty artishoke, lentil soup and potato borek, good price and variety of meals. Loved it !

Pros: location, tasty food

Cons: a bit weirdy design

MariaTiqwah

Points +59

Vegan
21 Apr 2019

Authentic Turkish food.

Great place to get a authentic taste of Turkish food. Colorful interior. Kind cat and owner (he does not speak much English). This is the oldest vegan restaurant of Istanbul.

LauraCâsu

Points +38

Vegan
18 Mar 2019

Friendly place and good traditional food

If you are going on the asian side of Istanbul this is the place to eat, especially as a tourist. We had the mixed plate and the falafel plate, both were really delicious and different from the food you usually find in vegan restaurants. The falafel was different and very delicious. This place serves hearty and healthy food not the junk food kind you usually find in vegan restaurants. The owner is very friendly and the atmosphere is very nice!

Pros: Traditional turkish vegan food, Friendly staff & atmosphere, Nice music & cats

buseuca

Points +158

Vegan
23 Nov 2018

Not great food also pricey

I visited this place because of the good reviews. The food is good but it’s pricey. Many people said it was reasonable price but it wasn’t. Maybe they changed the prices. There are many vegeterian option in Kadikoy now. I don’t think Mahatma will be my first choise.
Also owner is a weird guy. I asked if i have some mix plate like meze. He responded me in a very rude way and said “it’s not a tavern, you can’t have meze here”.

Pros: Food is ok but not much. , There are lots of cats around.

Cons: Owner is rude and overreacted person. , Overpriced.

VersaceSim

Points +419

Vegan
11 Nov 2018

The first vegan café in Istanbul! Great atmosphere and delicious food!

Lovely place! Food is super delicious! If you are staying on the European side make sure to plan a trip to Kadikoy and come to this place! I came here in June and returned for one week and have been coming almost everyday! Burek is a must try along with the mixed plate 😍

Pros: Big searing area, Turkish style meals, Delicious!

ClaireScottish

Points +62

Vegan
26 Oct 2018

The first and best vegan cafe in Turkey!

I was recommended to stay in Kadikoy as a vegan by Istanbul for Vegans facebook group. We went to Mahatma Cafe every day that it was open (not Mondays) and loved it!
I had the falafel plate a couple of times and it was great and I also loved the breakfast toasted sandwich.
Said and the other staff members were lovely as were the cats. I can't wait to come back.

Pros: Delcious vegan food., Lovely staff., Cute cats and decor.

Cons: Weak coffee (better doing cups not french press?)

BurakDemir

Points +612

Vegan
25 Aug 2018

Cute cafe with great food options

Everything was fresh and had a feeling of home made food. Mahatma soup was really good, spicy with lots of curry. I had zeytinyagli plate, lentil and aubergine borek, artichokes, spicy breads, all very tasty. Banana cake is a must try. Orange juice is fresh and inexpensive. Reasonable prices overall.

Pros: Friendly staff, Fresh and tasty food

SashaGabrielaTanase

Points +40

Vegan
16 Jun 2018

Lovely place in the Asian part

The place has very nice terrace full of kitties. The staff is super friendly and nice and the menu is so good. You can taste some of the Turkish traditional dishes but vegan so you should totally check it out

Pros: Super lovely staff, Very tasty food, Dishes full of savor

CrisFlechsig

Points +18

Vegan
13 May 2018

must try

It was the best vegan spot in istanbul! Small, very kind people! Everything was fresh and handmade! my favorites are artichoke and mahatma toast and menemen... price was very good ... christian

Pros: All Vegan , cheap and fresh, friendly

Cons: no

MelihKosif

Points +90

Vegan
12 Apr 2018

Great Food ! Great People !

Well what can I say, their “Mahatma” soup is delicious and their mixed plate is amazing ! Recommended for sure, you’ll enjoy i’m sure of it.

Pros: Soup, Mixed Plate, Homemade goods that you can buy !

Wildebeast

Points +127

Vegan
23 Mar 2018

Loved this cafe

We visited this cafe regularly during our week stay in Istanbul - for breakfast and dinner a few times. The owner is lovely and the food is delicious.

medus

Points +790

Vegan
04 Mar 2018

Great restaurant

I visited this place twice during my stay in Istanbul. Each time both the atmosphere and food was excellent. In addition, the menu was full of traditional dishes to try. Prices were pretty normal for Istanbul.

Pros: Fully vegan, friendly service, tasty

Aya

Points +627

Vegan
26 Feb 2018

My favorite place in Istanbul

A very cozy place with a nice vibe. Spacious, nice interior. There also are tables to sit outside. Some of the dishes seemed to be very authentic.
The cakes were amazing and very affordable. The baklava was the best I have ever had (though it was not cheap, it was worth the price).
Easy to reach from the metro.

Updated from previous review on 2018-02-26

Pros: Best cakes in Istanbul, Nice food, Fair prices that are clearly marked on the menu, Friendly owner, Good atmosphere

jackowy

Points +85

Vegan
18 Feb 2018

Good for breakfasts.

This place is perfect for breakfast. Variety of traditional Turkish dishes like börek. Clean, calm, not that far from the center of Kadıköy.

Pros: Close to the center of Kadıköy , Cheap, Vegan Turkish food

CharityBosua

Points +548

Vegan
05 Jan 2018

Cozy and cute

Very nice and cute little restaurant. Owner puts love in the place.
Nice atmosphere and cats hanging around.
Menu is small but good if you like falafel etc.
I was honestly a bit dissapointed by the food: I was SO excited for falafel but our dishes came with lots of oil (very common in Turkey). I had to order new food because I couldn't eat it.
If you prefer a healthier version ask her not to add extra oil on top.

Pros: Cute restaurant

Cons: Oil

Coconutbaby

Points +365

Vegan
27 Dec 2017

yum yum

We had a breakfast plate and it was delicious. Also location is nice.




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