Vegetarian Food

Turkey is a gastronomical delight. We were easily able to find vegetarian options everywhere. We were also lucky to find some good Indian restaurants in Istanbul and Cappadocia. The best part was the Ayran (a salted Turkish yogurt drink). It is available everywhere in Turkey and the most refreshing drink to rehydrate. We used to have a couple of them every day.

Visit @wandernationals_food to have a look at our delicious vegetarian food experience in Turkey.

Istanbul

Kent Café ($$) – This was located right next to our Hotel in Fatih. They had limited vegetarian options, but the pasta we had was delicious.

Cafes outside the Grand Bazaar ($$) – Right where you get down at the Beyazit Tram station to visit the Grand Bazaar, there are a lot of cafes with outdoor seating. We ordered a vegetarian Pide (Turkey’s take on Pizza) with Cacik (Turkish yogurt).

Dubb Indian Restaurant ($$) – This was the first of the Indian restaurants we visited in Istanbul. It had the basic Indian dishes. We ordered a Paneer curry with bread and a starter. It was a good change to find some Indian food. This was located near the Sultanahmet area.

India Gate ($$) – This was another Indian restaurant we visited in Istanbul. The food we had here was mouth watering. The restaurant is located near the Taksim Square and does not show up on Google Maps. We were planning to visit Delhi Darbar, which was nearby to this place, and found this accidentally to our good luck.

Falafel Tayba ($) – The best falafel we have had. Do not go by the looks of the restaurant, the taste is delicious. We had falafels, falafel wrap and Lahmacun. The restaurant was located near our hotel in Fatih.

Murat Muhallebicisi ($$) – A beautiful restaurant serving some amazing desserts in Karakoy. We had some relaxing moments and Mosaic cake for a mid meal hunger bangs.

Special mention of Ciya ($$) – This restaurant which was also featured in a Netflix series, ‘Chef’s Table’, has brought in authentic Antolian cuisine. The traditional recipes prepared the traditional way.

Pamukkale

Our Hotel restaurant (Hotel Venus Suites) ($$) – The number of vegetarian options available here were amazing. Almost half the menu was vegetarian. We ate here frequently in our three days stay and might have tried almost all their vegetarian dishes. None disappointed us.

Travertine Pide ($) – An exclusive mention of this little family run restaurant, with only one vegetarian option, but highly recommended. The best vegetarian Pide we had in Turkey. It was so delicious that we were in no mood to stop eating. The apple tea to go along with it was a plus. Again, do not go by the look of it, they have the most delicious pide.

Whitehouse Restaurant and Café ($$) – This was one of those ‘Instagram-mable’ places to eat. A very nice ambiance with good vibes. The food was decent with generous quantity.

Cappadocia

Cappadocia Pide House ($$) – This was located at a nice setting right in the middle of the enchanting vibes of Goreme. We had the vegetarian pottery kebab and a vegetarian Pide (we couldn’t get over pide). Also, a very welcoming gesture by the owner to treat us with the famous Turkish apple tea.

Kale Terasse Restaurant ($$) – This was also located within the Goreme. The Sutlac (or the Turkish rice pudding) we had here, was our favorite dessert of the trip. Apart from this, we had a thin crust pizza, which was delicious too.

Fat Boys ($$) – Also located in Goreme, this had a nice rustic feel to it. We had a vegetarian lentil burger here, which was delicious and the portions were generous.

Namaste India ($$) – The sole Indian restaurant in Cappadocia. If you need Indian food to comfort your taste buds, this is the place to visit. The taste is decent. Above this, do try some street food like Simit, a bagel kind of snack, corn on the cob, chestnuts and definitely, Turkish Coffee, Freshly squeezed juices, Baklava and many more.