Mahatma Cafe

As a vegan in Istanbul, I am always on the lookout for fully-vegan cafes where I can sit back and order absolutely anything on the menu, without having to study ingredients' lists or ask the servers all kinds of questions. Mahatma Cafe is a dream come true! Situated on a quiet corner in Rasimpaşa, Kadiköy, it is a cute little cafe with a superb menu. The owner is always there, helping serve tables, cooking, and working behind-the-scenes. All the staff is very friendly and helpful. They have English menus on the back of the Turkish ones, making ordering easy if you are new to Istanbul.

Directions: Once you step off a ferry and have your back to the beautiful Bosphorus, head to the left towards the Haydarpasa Train Station. Before you get to the road that leads there, you will see Uzun Hafiz Sokak going up the road to your right. Turn up this street and head up the hill until you reach the top and see Benazio Coffee and Cafe Mu across the street from you. Turn left, then head down about 2-3 blocks. You will come across Mahatma Cafe situated snuggly on your left on a street corner.

I have ordered the breakfast plate (shown above), the börek with leeks, the toast sandwich, Mahatma soup, vegetable sides, and multiple cakes in my several trips to this cafe. I even ordered an orange tiramisu cake from them for my birthday, shown below. It has all been absolutely delicious. 

Bring your friends, pull up a chair, watch out for the cats that like to also sit in the chairs, and enjoy your meal. There is a beautiful mural across from the cafe, shown below. Afiyet olsun!