Community Kitchen
Tucked away on a side street off İstiklal Caddesi, Community Kitchen acts as a living room for both residents and tourists, where the owner welcomes each guest and offers recommendations. The kitchen is famous for creating vegan versions of Turkish classics, such as köfte (meatballs), iskender kebab (thinly sliced meat in tomato sauce) and baklava (a dessert made of layered pastry). It also bakes pastries on Saturdays; the vegan brownies are always a hit. The atmosphere inside is relaxed with exposed-brick walls, racks of magazines on vegan living, wooden furniture and even a cuddly cat. Stop by during the day or enjoy a special evening menu prepared daily at 7.30pm, for which a reservation is needed.