After reading the previous reviews I was genuinely excited to try this restaurant but it was generally disappointed. The space is great - I love the different rooms. The service is generally quick (even a little too quick). The food though, is palatable and little...else. What I sampled (four dishes) was largely devoid of flavour. The menu was generally uninspired. I would not be in a mad rush to return.More
Many options for both veggies and vegans - waiter helped us with the menu as one of us is vegan and the other veggie. Fresh and homemade and a beautiful courtyard!
Everything is delicious, every bite is a journey. The lentils soup is a must try, and the ginger lemonade is so refreshing!
Zencefil is a very cozy restaurant. Besides good food and nice ambiance, they have good taste in music. You should definitely visit this place on a regular basis if you enjoy eating vegetarian.
Loved the menu, food quality and ambiance, is what I line in places for soul food. Come anytime, breakfast, lunch, dinner, deserts.. I will come here again for later dinner.
Had a great lunch at Zencefil. The owner was extremely helpful in suggesting and also giving us the delectable quiche and also suggested a few other flavourful vegetarian food. Loved the outdoor area which had a lot of plants and the entire ceiling was with...creepers. Awesome!More
In Istanbul there are not many good restaurants for vegetarians. It was really nice to find this place, and be able to order anything on the menu. The food was fine, the staff were nice, and the restaurant looks great.
The best vegan restaurant I visited in Istanbul. Very nice ambiance, great service. Various delicious options, very affordable prices.
Great place and such a pretty restaurant for a sunny afternoon. When you enter it looks really tiny and quaint, but then you get last another entry and it’s like an indoor garden with pretty botanical illustrations and nature elements all around. A must visit!...:DMore
Easily our favorite hangout in Istanbul. They have four different type of seating areas, some cosy, some bright and sunny. Music is very chill, amazing place to hangout. Food is amazing, fresh, creative and absolutely delicious. Highly recommended, a place that vegetarians and non vegetarians...can enjoy.More
A nice and cool place behind Taksim square... Food is ok, drinks are better. To go for a quiet rest...
My husband & I read such raving reviews about this place that we had to try it. We are both vegetarian so finding a good place to eat is important for us. We had high hopes with all the glowing reviews. On the positive side,...it's a nice ambiance with a courtyard seating area and a lot of Greenery.The other plus point is that there were no cats randomly walking around the place which we have encountered in many places throughout Istanbul and have had to leave those restaurants because my husband is allergic, not to mention I fear the hygiene of such places with cat hair everywhere. Though the menu is vegetarian and partly vegan, It was limited and Frankly it seems like most things are pre made and served. I wanted the veg stew with the simple request of No potatoes (most restaurants we have been to have done this for us). when we entered the man said it could be done, so we took a table. Once we were seated however, The waiter told us it's already made and cannot be changed. I was ready to walk out because nothing else in the menu looked appealing then the waiter told me he will Check with the chef and assured me he will only place the order if it can be made without potatoes. ofcourse the stew came with potatoes, and was flavorless. It could not have been freshly cooked. The lentil patties my husband ordered were cold and dry. We were so disappointed. We have had better food at smaller, lesser known family restaurants than this one. Maybe go for a coffee just to enjoy the ambiance.. but the food is not good. After all the wonderful fresh food we have been eating all over Turkey, it was a disappointing experience. We locate vegetarian restaurants whenever we travel and frankly this was one of the worst.More
Zencefil has a very cozy and pleasant atmosphere, my favorite point about this place. The place has plenty of vegetarian options, but not as many for the vegan. I enjoyed the meal in general, but didn’t exactly find it super special or tasty as a...vegan. I could still go back another time to try other options, mostly because if the ambiance and the very friendly service.More
I came here for the vegetarian food! The ambiance is really lovely. Very green and peaceful. Worth a visit!
I had the smoked bulgur with vegetables and it was delicious and warmed me up nicely on a cold, rainy day. The space is beautiful, with an atrium and adjacent courtyard. I will be returning here during my vacation for sure!
