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
walbright
Points +76
tasty and inexpensive - Edit
The food is great, and the owner is very friendly. It's also inexpensive.
Read moreOne of the few places in Istanbul where you can get vegan food. Worth it if you're craving something "meaty" as they have great Seitan-based dishes.
Pros: Inexpensive, Tasty Food, Nice Owner
Cons: A little off the beaten path
Guest
Sammylee
Points +223
delicious and authentic - Edit
This place is great! The istanbul iskander is awesome. Everyday the food is different and the owner is really lovely. She looks after cats from the streets so be prepared to eat with cats around. The negative is its a little pricey but the quality is good.
Read morePros: 100% vegan delicious
Cons: expensive
Guest
erb
Points +41
A key spot in the Istanbul V Scene! - Edit
Community Kitchen is a warm and welcoming place to try innovative vegan Turkish cuisine, have an herbal tea with friends, or relax in this fascinating neighborhood of Istanbul's Beyoğlu.
Read moreThe proprietor Oya is, as her name suggests, a big part of the local Veg* community and is always organizing something special for like-minded folk.
I recommend the kebap! Also, if you cook at home, buy some fresh seitan.
Pros: Friendly owner, Everything Vegan!
Guest
AycaSeverSucu
Points +18
Best Seitan in Istanbul. - Edit
Oya's cozy, little and entirely vegan heaven.
Read morePros: Delicious Vegan Doner and Iskender, Lots of Cats ❤
Cons: None
Guest
CarlosGP
Points +345
Cozy and friendly - Edit
This place is a little jewel: the atmosphere is very cozy and home-like; the owner very friendly; the food tasty and prepared with love, at a very reasonable price.
Read moreI will definitely eat here as often as I can during my visit. Highly recommended.
Pros: Very central location, Great atmosphere, Food made with love
Cons: Not a single one
Guest
LeeRajan
Points +21
awesome vegan hangout - Edit
Fantastic food at a good price. If you need some inspiration to walk down the vegan path, you should try it. The "kebap" is amazing. Also try the baklava, and ask what makes it sweet ;) the space, a well-maintained ancient Beyoğlu brick structure, feels secure and spacious. Most of all, the host was absolutely warm and friendly. Join the community!
Read morePros: all vegan! super awesome kebap and baklava
Cons: nothing
Guest
Chiara Cassandra
Points +249
one of the best in istanbul - Edit
The place is very small but nice... street cats are hosted there, sometimes they can be interested in your food :)
Read morethe menu changes daily but they have some staple items such as vegan iskender and meze. The owner is very nice!
One of my favourite in istanbul
Pros: vegan 100%, kind owner
Cons: not much choice
Guest
Binsehr
Points +20
Absolutely most fantastic place in Turkey - Edit
Where to start! There are so many... Owner is so friendly, nice and helpful. Foods are so delicious and you will be totally full. There are also so many herbal teas. Owner is helping to street cats. I enjoyed with vegan roll on (vegan dürüm) by seitan. You can find also vegan kebabs and vegan cheeses. Do yourself a favor and visit Community Kitchen!!!
Read moreGuest
Vilmaata
Points +175
Nice vegan kebab and vegan ayran - Edit
When there and it wasn't open, I was told they move sometimes to different address: İstiklal, İstiklal Cad. No:116, Beyoğlu/İstanbul, Turkey (Hazzopulo Pasaji) there is a caffeine in the Pasaz it says Vegan on the window
Read moreThey had only vegan kebab this evening it was nice.
I want to go there next time and try some traditional turkish dishes
Pros: Homemade
Cons: Not big variety
Guest
veggieram
Points +140
Half way to heaven - Edit
If you're fit. young and healthy, slog it up the steepest hill in Istanbul, and half-way up, on the left, you'll find Oya's Community Kitchen. There'll be a cat or two outside, so you can't miss it. Oya is very kind and forgiving; I was knackered by the time I got there, but she didn't turn a hair. Even though the gradient tested my heart medicine to the limit, it was worth it. A delicious vegan version of a Turkish dona, with hibiscus tea to cool me down; delicious pizza, and carrot cake and banana-sweetened cookies to take away- what more could you want? Oya even made up some sunflower milk for me to try.
Read moreIstanbul's street food appears to be mainly vegan, with corn on the cob, pretzels and chestnuts available at every public square, but if you want to treat yourself, AND be treated well, get down to the Community Kitchen- and I do mean down; go up to Taksim Square, and then go DOWN the hill and save yourself a coronary!
Pros: Very kind and friendly staff, Delicious food, Cats!
Cons: Oya's sign's a bit small; you could miss the place
Guest
MarkPeters
Points +20
Turkish Delight - Edit
Oya serves up homemade food on two long tables that foster the feeling of dining at home among friends (both human and feline). Hearty meals take their inspiration from non-vegan Turkish favorites. Location is just a short walk down the hill from Istakal Caddesi, Istanbul's famous avenue teeming with shopping and dining options.
Read moreGuest
veronicajones
Points +313
sweet, yummy cafe - Edit
Excellent meal and homey atmosphere at this vegan cafe. We had amazing Bosnian koftes (made of white bean) and Iskender (doner with tomato) - Oya the chef/owner makes her own fantastic seitan from gluten & rice. She brought us a borek stuffed with spinach to try - also delicious. Vegan desserts, too -- baklava and chocolate cake. Good sage tea. Oh, and sweet cats to keep you company. Highly recommend!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Monday March 14, 2016
Guest
Treehugger1985
Points +17
You must eat here! - Edit
Hello dear cows!
Read moreLast week, my wife and I went to Istanbul for a 5-day trip. This place, the "community kitchen" is a must visit! Of the 5 days, we ate here, twice, since we liked the good food, the ridiculously low price and the kind owner.
Just ask her what you should eat (that's what we did) and I promise you it will be superb. Don't forget to give a tip, since the owner is too friendly and in my opinion could ask her visitors to pay more for the food. (When we gave a tip, we even got more food from her, to take with us to our Guesthouse. Too kind!)
For those interested: we had Vegan Kebab, Köfte, Ayran, Vegan powerballs and Apfelstrudle and Beetroot/lemon-pizza.
One more advice, pay close attention to the housenumber, since the "Community Kitchen" doesn't have a very obvious sign hanging outside, so you can easily miss it.
Pros: Warm atmosphere, Tasty food, Low price
Cons: Easily overlooked
Guest
shaiguy90
Points +84
perfect meal in winter - Edit
Went here with two friends last night, had such a lovely experience. The atmosphere was warm, the food was incredible and abundant, and the price was quite reasonable. We essentially had a feast with 6 or 7 large dishes for us to share and hibiscus tea for only 99 TL. The owner/cook was super helpful when we told her that one of our party was gluten free, and she chatted with us throughout the meal. We will definitely be back the next time we are in Istanbul!
Read morePros: warm atmosphere, amazing food, large portions, reasonably priced
Cons: none!
Guest
lichtbuendel
Points +59
Super cozy lovely place! - Edit
We were surprised to find this lovely all vegan place in Istanbul. The owner is a warm hearted lady with a chilly cat.
Read moreIn the community kitchen is space for about 40 people, so it's pretty small which made us feel like home :)
We ordered a mixed plate and a seitan kebab, brownies and a power ball for desert and everything was super delicious.
Pros: nice staff, free water, delicious, inexpensive food
Guest
d_christiansen
Points +36
Very good food, homey and relaxed, friendly - Edit
We went to Community Kitchen our first night in Istanbul. We had meze and seitan Iskender Kebab. Everything tasted really good and it was a very cozy place. Perfect first night out!
Read moreGuest
RaquyDanziger
Points +16
Incredible Turkish Vegan Food - Edit
This is a great opportunity for vegans to sample traditional turkish food. The chef/ owner Oya makes vegan versions of dishes such as Iskander out of her home made seitan. It is delicious. She also makes Turkish "mezze" appetizers like grape leaves stuffed w quinuoa, and olive oil vegetable dishes. The atmosphere is beautiful and warm and prices are surprisingly low. Highly recommended!
Read morePros: Delicious, Beautiful place, Good prices
Guest
edwardbc
Points +1021
Excelent vegan food in Istanbul - Edit
This place is cozy and serves very different but nice food. If you get tired ot the typical mezzes of the area, this is the place to have some particular turkish vegan cuisine.
Read moreService is amazing and desserts are worth a try.
Guest
feministtraveller
Points +114
Okayish - Edit
Community kitchen is a warm and cosy shelter close to Istiklal caddesi. The interior is really nice, and so is the staff.
Read moreI had the vegan Iskender plate, which was sauteed seitan with a sprinkle of tomato sauce and some homemade almond yoghurt.
I have to say that I would not return there for culinary reasons - the food was okay, but slightly overpriced, a bit cold and flat in terms of taste.
If you are looking for a calm, LGBTQI*-friendly place to hang out, go there.
Pros: Nice staff, Nice interior, LGBTQI* friendly
Cons: Food has not much taste, slightly overpriced
Guest
ItiTeschl
Points +25
Very nice food nad atmosphere - Edit
The food is really delicious,the people very friendly and the prise is moderate.
Read moreI loved it to be there,its like in a family. Thank you for that!!!
Pros: excellent food, nice vibe, friendly stauff
Guest
flexniert
Points +161
Best place for vegans! - Edit
I enjoyed vegan kebab and a mushroom plate at this place and it was really good! The staff is really friendly, the atmosphere is calm and relaxed. The place is cozy and clean. Don't miss this place but bring some time, since it could take a bit longer if there are a lot of people.
Read moreGuest
Kimxula
Points +1185
A vegan gem in the heart of Istanbul!! :) - Edit
I cannot say enough good things about Community Kitchen - I went here several times during my trip to Istanbul and kept coming back because I loved everything about it!
Read moreFirstly, the owner is so friendly, warm and welcoming; she makes you feel like you're at home and she is so knowledgeable about the vegan diet and properties of different ingredients. The atmosphere is so cozy, mellow, relaxing and inviting (as the name suggests, like a community) and there are 2 adorable cats who like to lounge around, while delicious vegan food is being prepared with love and care.
I was so happy to find VEGAN doner kebab (!!) and really enjoyed the mushrooms available on Sunday. I was lucky enough to celebrate my birthday at Community Kitchen and was presented with a DELICIOUS chocolate and banana cake and a special meal made for me :) It was wonderful!! I also took part in a Sunday morning cooking class and went along with the owner to a local market to choose all the fresh ingredients and enjoy a lovely vegan breakfast made by one of the stall owners, before returning to the kitchen to prepare a delicious mezze of dolmas and muhamarra. Nothing but positive things to say about this place, I had a wonderful experience each time I went there and it really felt like my home in Istanbul!! Vegans visiting Istanbul....go to Community Kitchen, go!!
Pros: Cozy and inviting atmosphere, Vegan doner! Vegan everything!, Wonderful and friendly owner
Guest
lunapavo
Points +162
nice! - Edit
I had the mushroom and salad plate, doner plate and dolma. All very hearty, filling and delicious! Also grabbed the muesli sugar free cookies too, only 3 lira each.
Read moreGuest
michaljulien
Points +657
probably the best vegan place in Istanbul - Edit
vegan Turkish cuisine, all the Turkish dishes you taught you cant eat or never even try you can find in the vegan version of it , and its amazing! all is home made and in high quality , Im living in Istanbul few years and the "community kitchen" made my vegan life from happy to much more happy :) , I recommend you to try the vegan "Iskandar" ,vegan "dolma" and you can also take away with you to the airport vegan "doner" , for breakfast there is also vegan omelet( from chikpeas flower) and home made vegan cheese .
Read moreGuest
caseyquinn
Points +16
Community kitchen is absolutely outstanding - Edit
We ate here last night. It's sole-proprietor, and the owner/chef is incredibly creative. She makes traditional Turkish dishes and others, but using ingredients and approaches (to omelet, to yoghurt) that I never would have though of but will immediately attempt when my wife and I get home. Make sure you try or take-away dessert, her baking is amazing.
Read moreThe restaurant is about a block away from one of the most active late-night districts, so come any time and there's plenty to do afterwards.
If you're vegan or vegetarian you have to stop here.
Pros: Excellent food, Excellent chef, Excellent space and atmosphere
Guest
Alan16
Points +46
Very much a community - Edit
This place feels very much like a community. While we were there several regulars came in who were about to break their fast fro Ramadan. The owner had already prepared several dishes for them, which they also gladly shared with the others at their table. It was nice to be away from home and yet also have a very strong friendly, homey feel.
Read moreThere were only two dishes on the menu, but they were both great. The seitan was wonderful, and the mixed veggie plate had a delicious selection of many different dishes. We also had the delicious ginger lemonade, which was made fresh, by hand, while we watched.
Pros: Food, Atmosphere, Cat
Guest
SkiNV
Points +37
Lovely location, lovely food - Edit
The two of us shared a Mezze Plate (25TL) and a seitan dish (18L) and we had a local wild green sauteed in oil and with peppers for no charge, so maybe it was part of the mezze plate? Or maybe it was just part of the special vibe we felt upon entering on a quiet mid-day Sunday.
Read moreThe seitan was the best I've ever had, ever, and I guess it's because of the added bean flour in addition to the wheat gluten. We got a huge bag of takeaway seitan for 10TL.
Looking forward to our return.
Pros: Vegan, Fresh, Friendly
Guest
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