12 replies to this topic

[nh0828]

Hi all,

We're transitioning to a happy life here in Turkey. However, there are a few things that would make my girlfriend a happier person if anyone can help us:

1. What are the best options for vegetarians in Turkey, besides "give up?" She's been making do with kumpir, overly pickled salata, lentil çorba, and the occasional improvised vejetariyan ve peynir durum. It's a good start, and now that we have an apartment and kitchen she can cook for herself more often as well. However, being from a very liberal and foodie-centered city in the US (Portland), she's craving more variety and options. Are there any restaurants that cater to vegetarians specifically? Does anywhere in Istanbul sell tofu? Preference would be given to any information concerning the Ortaköy, Beşiktaş, and Taksim areas, but for a solid, filling, creative vegetarian meal I think she'd go anywhere in the city.

2. My girlfriend is also learning to do yoga, and would like to find a studio that she can take classes at. We've found plenty of places online, but have no way of evaluating them and, of course, they presumably teach all of their classes in Turkish. She could conceivably follow along without understanding the spoken instructions, but a class for foreigners would probably be more appropriate. Does anyone have any experience with that, or have suggestions for a website to check out? Once again, those locations would be preferable as we scored a cheap flat in Ortaköy and are working in Taksim, but anything helps.

Thanks!

[Abi]

Glad to hear things are going well for you both. I've pasted a link that might help, it shows restaurants and health food stores.

link 1

You could also try "My Istanbul info" into your search engine, I can't get the link to paste, once on the site there is a section for restaurants at the top of the page if you click on that a drop down menu comes up with all the different types of restaurants including veggie ones.

[Ahududu]

Hi Neil and girlfriend!
Congrats on getting a flat in Ortakoy, it's nice there!
Found a couple of links from my faves.

Indian restaurant in Sultanhamet
http://www.dubbindia.../index_eng.html

Some recipes
http://www.giverecip...m/Tag/vegetable

http://www.turkishco...k.com/index.php

Time Out Listings
http://www.timeoutis...ing_in_the_city

I was a vegetarian when I first went to Istanbul, but I soon got bored of the dishes available.................I started to eat meat again!!!

Good luck, I'm sure there's more choice these days tho, and maybe your students could give you some tips.

ooo, good one Abi.
But the 2nd link doesn't work.
1st one is great.
Thanks.

[mimosa]

I imagine that Turkey would be a vegetarian's paradise.A lot of the Turkish dishes are made without meat. Look in the bookstores for cook books translated into English. My son and wife are vegetarians and they make very tasty meals.
I am not vegetarian but there is a book I use now and then because the recipes are great it is called 'vegetarian kitchen' by Sarah Brown.first published by the BBC in 1984.
As to whether Istanbul sells tofu or not, I would ask in the big markets, or there is a store called MACRO.
I think our Istanbul friends might help you there.

[Ahududu]

Oddly enough, Mimosa, it's not a vegetarian's paradise to eat out, the options are very limited, and it gets a bit boring.
Home cooking is a different matter though, the veg, spices and recipes are great.

[Fil]

Ortaköy, great, one of my old haunts. Supper in the Çınar altı restaurant, then on to one of the live music bars, I fell down the stairs on the way out once. I hope Ortaköy is still fun. And as for Taksim, late night ayran and döner, dodging the sleazy geezers trying to show me pictures of their 'sister'. Those were the days. Have you considered that a yoga course in Turkish would be a very good way to learn the language? Good luck with it all.

[nh0828]

Thanks for all the tips! I'd heard about Dubb, as it somehow ranked #1 on the Lonely Planet website's list of all attractions in Turkey (Aya Sofya, meanwhile, came in at a respectable 4th place). I'm taking her there for a belated Valentine's dinner on Thursday because I'm teaching in the evenings until then. Very exciting--we loooove Indian food, and are looking forward to some change. Of course, I have some other romantic plans up my sleeve to go with it.

We brought a few cookbooks (the Moosewood line of books is pretty stellar vegetarian stuff, and I got her one for Christmas, and she got me a really exciting one of African and Middle Eastern cuisine), and our roommate has a few in Turkish that include vegetarian options. Home cooking isn't a problem for us, but it's nice to see some more options for eating out.

Ortaköy is great; we're really enjoying life here. The only complaint is the noise--we're above and around several of those nice bars and clubs that Fil mentions stumbling around, and they have a tendency to go all night. Still, the rent is surprisingly cheap (the lady and I are paying a combined total of 600 TL / month, plus a pittance for utilities), we love our roommate and his girlfriend and friends, and it's a great location. A pair of earplugs go a long way, and we're very happy.

[Abi]

What a super boyfriend you are, your girlfriend is a very lucky girl. Hope you meal goes well, other romantic plans up your sleeve, does that mean you are going to pop the question ?????

[nh0828]

Ha! Not this time around. There were various gifts and favors and mushy things, but no proposals as of yet.

Dubb, by the way, was incredible--amazing food, very reasonable price (for a fancy dinner out, not yer average kebab on the street), friendly and English-speaking staff, great view of Aya Sofya from the top floor. I highly recommend it to anyone in or visiting Istanbul.

[Abi]

oh well I guess the proposal can wait for another day

Thanks for the feed back on Dubb I will have try it next time I'm in Istanbul.

[MistressGeema]

I stumbled upon this listing when I was doing a search for vegetarian restaurants in Istanbul and even though it appears that this thread died many moons ago, I decided to contribute for the good of all struggling expat vegetarians (and yoga enthusiasts) in this city. Anyone that says that Istanbul is full of vegetarian food options is obviously not a vegetarian. I have been living here for over a year now and I am totally bored with the limited food options. Here are some places that can hopefully add some spice and variety back into your life.

* Cihangir Yoga - all of the yoga instructors know English. They offer a 'community' yoga class for 5TL and special packages for travelers that can't commit to a year long membership. http://www.cihangiry...ntact/?lang=eng

Taksim Location:

* Parsifal - Vegetarian Restaurant with awesome dolmas, a broccoli pie and homemade bread. http://www.parsifalde.com/

* Zencefil (across the street from Parcifal) & Deep (on the corner of the street towards Taksim Square) are two other vegetarian-friendly restaurants located on the same street with Parcifal.

* Govinda - Offers one vegetarian menu each day of Indian Thali. Normally cheap is even cheaper now - Monday, there is a 50% discount. http://govindaistanbul.com/en/

* Nature & Peace - A vegetarian-friendly restaurant located very close to Govinda. http://www.natureandpeace.com/menu.php

* Pera Thai - They even have tofu! Wow! http://www.perathai.com/


Levent - Kanyon Mall Location:

* Wagamama's - This is an Asian-fusion restaurant from the UK. http://www.wagamama....howlocation/615

Sultanahmet Location:

* Cooking Alaturka - A Dutch chef owns this restaurant. It is also Istanbul's first Turkish cooking school. It is vegetarian friendly traditional food, just ask and they will prepare any dish to cater to your needs. http://cookingalaturka.com/

Kadikoy Location:

* Ciya - Has a lot of different traditional food options for vegetarians, a big salad bar, and you can even eat a vegan durum. http://www.ciya.com...._en.php?contact



Cheers!

[Cukurbagli]

Thank you MistressGeema, that will be useful for those living in or visiting Istanbul.

[Abi]

Welcome to our forum Geema and thanks for an informative post. It would be good if you could go to the Meet and Greet section all tell us a little about yourself.