🥗 Visiting Istanbul as a vegan or vegetarian? You will see the word lokanta on signs across the city. It is usually translated as “restaurant,” but it can describe several different kinds of eating places.
👉 Here is a guide prepared by Veganistanbul.com editors. You can find the full restaurant guide at our website.
🍽️ The Quick Answer
A lokanta is a place serving prepared meals. It may be a formal restaurant, a neighbourhood eatery or a simple lunch spot offering traditional Turkish dishes.
When visitors hear esnaf lokantası, however, it usually refers to a more specific type of restaurant: one serving a changing selection of ready-made, home-style dishes.
🌱 A lokanta may have vegan or vegetarian options but the name itself tells you nothing about the ingredients.
🥘 What Is an Esnaf Lokantası?
An esnaf lokantası traditionally serves shopkeepers, workers and local residents.
Instead of ordering only from a printed menu, you may choose from dishes displayed behind a glass counter. The selection often changes daily and may include:
- 🍲 Soups
- 🫘 Bean and legume dishes
- 🥕 Cooked vegetables
- 🍚 Rice, bulgur or pasta
- 🥩 Meat dishes and stews
- 🫒 Zeytinyağlı dishes
- 🥛 Yogurt and desserts
Point to the dishes you want and order them by the portion.
🌱 Is a Lokanta Vegan-Friendly?
Sometimes—but never assume.
A traditional lokanta may offer several vegetable, bean or olive-oil dishes. However, food that looks vegan may contain butter, meat stock or small pieces of meat.
Potential options may include:
🫒 Zeytinyağlı dishes Vegetables or beans cooked with olive oil
🫘 Legume dishes Lentils, chickpeas or beans—but some versions contain meat
🥕 Sebze yemekleri Cooked vegetable dishes—but they may contain minced meat or stock
🍆 Eggplant dishes Some are vegan, while others contain meat, yogurt or cheese
🍚 Rice or bulgur May be cooked with butter or chicken stock
⚠️ Foods That Need Extra Checking
🥣 Mercimek çorbası Lentil soup may contain butter or meat stock.
🫘 Kuru fasulye White bean stew may be prepared with meat, sausage or butter.
🥘 Türlü Mixed vegetable stew can be cooked with or without meat.
🍚 Pilav Rice may contain butter or chicken stock.
🍝 Makarna Pasta may be served with butter, cheese or a meat-based sauce.
🥬 Ispanak or pırasa Spinach and leek dishes may contain minced meat or be served with yogurt.
🌱 “Vegetable-based” and “meat-free” do not automatically mean vegan.
🔎 Useful Words on the Menu
🫒 Zeytinyağlı Cooked with olive oil; usually meat-free, but confirm
🥕 Sebze yemeği Vegetable dish
🌿 Etsiz Without meat—but it may still contain dairy, eggs or meat stock
🥩 Etli Made with meat
🍲 Sulu yemek A cooked dish with broth or sauce; it may contain meat
🏠 Ev yemekleri Home-style cooking; not automatically vegetarian or vegan
🗣️ Useful Turkish Phrases
Bu yemek tamamen vegan mı? Is this dish completely vegan?
Bu yemek etli mi, etsiz mi? Is this dish made with meat or without meat?
İçinde et, kıyma veya et suyu var mı? Does it contain meat, minced meat or meat stock?
Tavuk suyu kullanılıyor mu? Is chicken stock used?
Tereyağı, süt, yoğurt veya yumurta var mı? Does it contain butter, milk, yogurt or egg?
Pilav tereyağlı mı? Is the rice made with butter?
Bundan bir porsiyon alabilir miyim? Can I have one portion of this?
💡 A Useful Restaurant Tip
Many esnaf lokantaları are busiest at lunchtime, and some daily dishes may sell out later in the day.
Look at the food display, ask about each dish separately and do not rely only on its appearance. A visible vegetable dish may still have been cooked with meat or butter.
✅ Save This Before You Order
🍲 Lokanta is a general Turkish word for a restaurant or eating place.
🥘 Esnaf lokantası usually serves a changing selection of ready-made, home-style dishes.
🌱 Vegan and vegetarian choices may be available, but they are not guaranteed.
⚠️ Check vegetable dishes, soups, beans, rice and bulgur for meat, stock, butter and dairy.
📌 Save this guide for your Istanbul trip and share it with a vegan or vegetarian travel companion.
Last reviewed: August 17, 2026