🌱 **From Taksim to Galata: Breakfast, Vegan Meals, and Dessert Breaks**
On your way from Taksim Square to Galata Tower, many vegan and vegan-friendly options await you. VeganIstanbul.com editors have compiled some of them for you.
You can turn meal breaks into part of your trip while walking from Taksim Square to Galata Tower. 🧆☕ Wholly vegan restaurants are available on the side streets off Istiklal Street; in Cihangir and Galata, you’ll find breakfast, coffee, and patisserie options.
🗺️ First, let’s get to know the area
Taksim is one of the central meeting points on the European side of Istanbul. Istiklal Street starts from the square and extends to Tünel; from there, you can walk down along Galip Dede Street to reach Galata Tower.
🚶 The streets to your right, looking towards Galata, lead to Hüseyinağa and Asmalımescit, while those on your left take you to Cihangir and Çukurcuma. The stops below are at different points along this route. You don’t need to visit all of them; choose according to your meal plan. Also, factor in that there are inclines connecting Cihangir and Galata.
🧆 Falafel Zone | Dinner on the right side of Istiklal
🌱 Vegan cuisine
📍 Istiklal Caddesi, Öğüt Sokak No:4, Taksim
🌙 Dinner or evening snack
Turning into Öğüt Sokak from Istiklal, you can find options like falafel wrap, falafel burger, and mushroom sauté. Falafel is the name given to small meatballs made from legumes with herbs and spices, then fried. A wrap means ingredients served rolled in thin bread. 🥙
You can add homemade lemonade. Don’t plan this place for morning or lunch: Veganistanbul.com’s listing indicates evening service.
🔗 Venue information and location
🍆 Vegan Dükkan Lokanta | Lunch in Cihangir
🌱 Wholly vegan
📍 Cihangir, Sıraselviler Caddesi, Soğancı Sokak
☀️ Lunch or early dinner
Walking from Taksim via Sıraselviler Street to Cihangir, you can stop by Soğancı Sokak. The menu includes dishes like spaghetti with vegan meatballs, tofu katsu curry, and smoked eggplant. 🍝
Tofu is a plant-based product made from soy milk; here, it is a main ingredient in one of the dishes served with curry sauce. If you’re looking for a taste of Turkish cuisine, consider the smoked eggplant; for a different meal, try a tofu dish.
“Lokanta” in Turkish means an establishment where food is eaten. The entire menu here is plant-based.
🔗 Venue information and location
🍜 Asian Vegan Kitchen | Asian cuisine break in Cihangir
🌱 Wholly vegan
📍 Cihangir, Akyol Sokak No:53/B
☀️🌙 Lunch or dinner
Another stop for those who want to walk a bit further into Cihangir. The menu features Asian dishes such as vegetable spring rolls, pad thai, hot and sour soup, and vegetable biryani.
Pad thai is a stir-fried rice noodle dish; biryani is a rice dish cooked with spices. 🍚 You can ask about the spice level when ordering. It offers an alternative for those who want to plan a different meal after a few days of Turkish food.
🔗 Venue information and location
🌅 Kahve 6 Cihangir | Additional option for morning breakfast
🌿 Cafe with vegan options; not wholly vegan or vegetarian
📍 Cihangir, Anahtar Sokak No:13
☕ Breakfast
If you want to start your day with breakfast in Cihangir, you can consider Kahve 6’s vegan breakfast. Having a separate vegan breakfast option makes ordering easier than asking to remove cheese and eggs from a classic breakfast plate.
🍅 When ordering, specifically say “vegan breakfast.” Turkish breakfast typically includes bread, olives, tomatoes, and cucumbers, along with cheese, eggs, butter, or honey; the standard plate is not vegan.
🔗 Venue information and location
🍨 Cremeria Milano | Ice cream break near Tünel
🌿 Ice cream shop with vegan options
📍 Asmalımescit, Tünel Meydanı No:186
🚶 Mid-meal or walking break
When you reach the Tünel side of Istiklal, you can ask about sorbet options. Sorbet is a frozen dessert typically made with fruit, water, and sugar. There are vegan options here; however, not all ice creams in the display are vegan.
🍋 Confirm which varieties do not contain milk, cream, and eggs on that day. If you are unsure about the cone’s ingredients, ask for a cup instead.
🔗 Venue information and location
🍰 Vacilando | Vegetarian cafe and patisserie in Galata
🥬 Vegetarian; many vegan options available
📍 Hacımimi Mahallesi, Dibek Sokak No:17/A
☕🥪 Breakfast, light lunch, or dessert break
By turning into Dibek Sokak from the side streets around Galata Tower, you can take a coffee and patisserie break. The menu includes vegan cheese toast, fruit granola, and vegan quiche. Quiche is a type of savory tart with a vegetable filling.
🍫 Dessert options include vegan mosaic cake, peanut brownie, and fruit tarts. Mosaic cake is a dessert where biscuit pieces create a pattern when cut. Here, you can find a vegan interpretation; check the display for daily varieties.
⚠️ The menu lists classic and vegan quiche, and cheese and vegan toast separately. Specify the vegan option when ordering.
🔗 Venue information and location
🥟 Vegan Community Kitchen | Dinner in Galata
🌱 Wholly vegan
📍 Hacımimi, Serdar-ı Ekrem Caddesi No:38
☀️🌙 Lunch or dinner
Before reaching Galata Tower, you can stop by Serdar-ı Ekrem Street for a break with plant-based dishes from Turkish and Middle Eastern cuisines. Seitan döner wrap, mantı, and yaprak sarma are among the options.
🥙 Seitan is a meat alternative made from wheat protein. Mantı are small filled dough pieces; yaprak sarma is prepared by rolling filling into vine leaves. Vegan versions are served at this establishment.
📅 Check the open days before you go; service days appear different in online sources.
🔗 Venue information and location
🕘 How can you plan your day?
🌅 Morning: Head from Taksim to Cihangir for vegan breakfast at Kahve 6. For those starting their trip from the Galata side, vegan toast or granola at Vacilando is another option.
☀️ Lunch: Vegan Dükkan Lokanta or Asian Vegan Kitchen in Cihangir. Afterwards, you can walk towards Istiklal and Tünel.
🍨 Afternoon: A confirmed sorbet at Cremeria Milano on the Tünel side or vegan cake and coffee at Vacilando in Galata.
🌙 Evening: Vegan Community Kitchen if you are staying in Galata; Falafel Zone if you are returning to Taksim. Check opening days and kitchen closing times in advance.
💬 A short sentence you can show on your phone
“I am vegan. Does this food contain milk, butter, yogurt, cheese, eggs, or honey?”
📌 Save this for your Istanbul trip. Tag a friend you’d like to walk and have a meal break with.
Last checked: September 3, 2026. Menus, product availability, and operating hours may change. Before visiting, contact the venue to confirm the accuracy of the information.