Helvetia

A cosy casual spot for a quick, nutritious bite. There is a great selection of food, portions are generous and plenty of veggie options. We loved it so much we got 3 meals here during our stay in Istanbul. The staff are also lovely and great at recommending what to pick from the huge selection. Spinach with yogurt is definitely our favorite! Mushroom with rice also deserves a shout out 🤩

This is the best place for authentic Türk homemade food in Beyoğlu. I would eat here every day if I could. Choose 3-4 or 5 dishes to fill your plate & enjoy every bite.

we love that place. you choose 5 dishes and get one plate. 80% veggie and more then half vegan. Great service & staff. Thank you ❤️

Delicious food, mostly plant forward. They change their menu everyday. Small, unassuming place at the corner of a very busy street. Check it out for something different!

Food is spectacular! I recommend the beet root salad/pudding, both rice dishes are amazing, the chickpeas, and the leeks. All good. Carrots have a bit of mint if you’re into that. Pick 5 veggies and they bring a basket of bread. We paid around $10 USD each and that included a bottle of water.

I ordered a chicken soup and chose different dishes (1 plate). + The food is very tasty. It created that homemade feeling. + Location: Toilet 🚽 is clean. There is a construction 🚧 site right in front of the restaurant (Visit end of November). Of course, it is not their 'fault', however, I would not recommend this location for now. It was pretty loud. + Service: no complaints

Probably the best place around. Fair price for what you get. Good quality also. Went there for almost my entire vacation. Always found good things to eat

Delicious traditional Aegean food. Enjoy My favs are vegetables with olive oil. Portions are enough and satisfying. You may choose upto 5 dishes on your plate. Food selection varies by day and season - see video

This is one of my cheapest meals in Istanbul. Cheaper isn't better, but wholesome is. Imagine homestyle cooking served cafeteria style. This is a vegetarian Nirvana. There were about fifteen options to choose from with two meat options during my visit. You get five choices for a 100 lira. Otherwise, there were some alternate options such as a bechamel-looking lasagna. Popular lunch spot but quick turnover.

By far.. after so many restaurants.. the best home meal Great service.. sweet people.. a great experience.. will be back tomorrow...!!!! Food it's home beautiful cooking, fresh, variety and very tasty... A must to visit

I was looking for a restaurant with vegetarian options. When I saw a photo of the outside I immediately wanted to go because it reminds me a little bit of the streets in Havana. (Even though this place is called Helvetia.) As of September 2022, one plate costs ₺60 TL, you can pick 5 items. The price has increased a lot due to inflation. But they take credit cards so it's not bad after converting to USD ($3.25). I loved the food. They are simple and delish. It's nice to be able to get some non-pretentious and affordable vegetarian options in the area.

I've been coming here since it opened and every time I visit Istanbul . The food is high quality and delicious and they cook it fresh twice a day . It's home style vegetarian food and just delicious. Make sure you ask what is hot or cold so you're not surprised. They also have a selection of soups which you have to ask for . Enjoy!

Wonderful food and service. Went 3 times because it was so good. We will be back for sure.

Delicious food with vegan options. Food is ready to be served. Quick service. I had the mushroom rice, beans and Chaya.

After having a Turkish coffee, I was off to find a cheap lunch. I looked up places on Yelp, and Helvetia was one of them. Very pleased with Yelp's recommendation. I walked in and didn't know what was what, and they guy told me to pick five items and it would be 12-14 TL. I told him to pick for me, and I ended up with a plate of almost all delicious things. I really have no idea what I was eating, but it was delicious and for a good price. They even took credit card, which I've had mixed results in being able to use.

I wasn't too sophisticated went I found the place. But I was definitely excited because of all the good reviews. The food was alright. I actually had worst. Not in Istanbul though. The lentil soup tasted okay but was lukewarm. The bread I had to share with the people next to me. Ew! Hello! Strangers! Oh well, I past on that one. Not the place to go if you wanna eat meat. The meatballs portion is, to be exact, two. I could barely taste the meat though. It was more. breadcrumbs than ground beef or lamb or what ever. So, if you like blend vegetarian food, that's definitely your place to go. The service annoyed me with her conceited attitude. Conclusion: big hipster fail

Finally, I had a chance to go to Helvetia. For someone that's partly living in Zurich and partly in Istanbul, it may seem to be a must, but somehow I never went. Maybe because it is regarded as such a cool and in place to go, because it is one of those places that about five million people call an insider's tip. We sat right in front of the big window, looking out at the little street, while having a big plate of mixed Anatolian food. They don't have a menu - as much as it is a cool place to go, they serve the food the way they do in this part of the world: you walk up to the counter and tell them what you want. Not easy sometimes if you don't speak Turkish, because you sort of point at stuff and ask, and sometimes they will take your pointing at stuff as ordering the stuff you are pointing at - you can't expect the waitress to speak your language. So look carfully, choose clearly - even if all the stuff you will be served is going to taste just great. Our plate had mixed hot and cold food - fasulye (white beans), chicken in a curryish kind of sauce, some köfte, bulgur, taboule, etsiz çiğ köfte. Everything really tasty, really good food. All of this and two cups of tea for less than 15 TL - for such a way cool spot, this is more than reasonable, and it adds to the nice impression that as in as it may be, this is a very down to earth place. And it is really fun to sit there and look at all the tourists pointing at the place. Especially the ones that speak German, reading the old writing on the wall next to the entrance, offering "Gabelfrühstück" (fork breakfast) - a word that hasn't been used in the German language for at least a half dozen decades. What's even more fun is watching the tourists look at the menu of the House Cafe on the other side of the street, somehow feeling that this is probably not such an authentic choice to have a meal, yet feeling safer with the continental food selections they offer. Sometimes you will have one person in the group that knows that they would have much more of an Istanbul experience if they went to Helvetia, pointing at the place from over there, with the more fearful travel companions wondering what they might expect from such a strange small place. And you are wondering if you should tell them to be courageous travelers and come in - or just keep them clueless so you can keep sitting there, looking out at them, and other clueless tourists. You know what's cool, they don't. Ridiculous? Yeah. But true too. Lovely place.

Really great healthy option for Turkish food with a great concept. It is a small venue with only big tables, so you sit next to strangers which can lead to new and funny friendships... When you enter Helvetia, you go directly to the front disk. There is no menu - what you see is what you get.. They have around 15 dishes, which vary a bit from time to time. You chose then 5 different meals, some are cold and some are hot - and they prepare it on a plate for you then. The price is about 11-12 lira for one plate, and there is free water on the tables. I really like to come there with friends for a cheap and casual dinner during the week. The place is very relaxed and the old guy (not sure if it is the owner) is the cutest thing ever.. Always so nice and helpful, and if you are lucky he brings small sweets when you finished your meal.

It's a bit of a challenge to find this place, as it's tucked in between two larger bars, but I'm glad I did! Another home-cooked Turkish food joint! Simple, tasty, healthy and flavorful! Even though the food is already cooked and ready to serve, it's still piping hot by the time it reaches your table. Again, the staff were really helpful with my dietary restrictions, and service was swift. It's a small cafe, that reminds me like a mess hall, so you better show up early for meals, as it's popular! Again, another institute of Istanbul!

Great authentic food and very affordable. About 8 USD for a plate of five different dishes plus mineral water. Very healthy food alternative after too much Donner.

Good place to stop for a quick bite if you're into veggie salads (some meet options). The place is very small so be prepared to share a table and feel a little out of place since the waiters are so busy. Great selection of food but no menu available so it's difficult to know exactly what they have if you don't speak Turkish. For example after I ordered I saw some people with soups and this was after I had already ordered my five options from the food selection--I could of asked, but they were so busy I decided not to.

Can't believe the hype on this place. The food was cold to luke warm, and pretty tasteless. The best dish was the lentils with noodles in a tomato base.

We found this by accident walking to bypass busy Istiklal street. Tried once but tables were full so went another night. I liked the creative veggie dishes. My brother missed the meat. Highly recommend to rotate the other night of kabobs and too many carbs.

Comfortable, affordable, delicious dinner spot not far from the Galata Tower. Counter service and small but food is good and fast. Lots of vegetarian options and there are many bars and cafes nearby if you are interested in an after dinner drink.

Very interesting little place with communal tables, quasi counter service, and quite good food.

affordable and vegetarian friendly. family owned, 'down-home' vibe in a trendy neighborhood. spent 11.5 TL for a big plate of food. I had eaten enough meat on my trip, so was thankful for all the vegetarian options.