Datlı Maya

ENG: An absolute gem in Cihangir! We had Antakya lahmacun, Develi pide, mung beans and salad. Everything tastes good here. The staff/​manager is super nice! Lots of options for vegeterians/​vegans too. Will definitely come back!
TUR: Son derece güleryüzlü, misafirperver, samimi işleticileri ve çalışanları olan, şirin mi şirin mekan! Biz Antakya lahmacunu ve Develi pideyle, maş fasülyesi ve salata aldık. Yemekler çok lezzetliydi. Menü vejeteryan ve veganlar için de oldukça zengin. Ama mekanın şirinliği ve gördüğümüz içten ilgi beş yıldızın asıl sebebi. Çok datlı bi yer. Tekrar tekrar geleceğime, misafirlerimi getireceğime eminim.

They tried really hard to accommodate a pair of Americans with gluten allergies. Unfortunately they can’t make gluten free bread in the morning because the oven isn’t on yet, so though we tried to come for breakfast we had to come back later in the day. The GF bread wasn’t great, it was okay, but we were pretty underwhelmed with the gf/​vegan pide and Menemen we ordered and my partner didn’t like the lemonade either. Very nice people who work here, just don’t try only for the gluten free pull.

A place with heart! Perfect choices between omnivore, vegetarian and vegan. I ate a vegan Lahmacun for 7TL and it was more than worth it. Will come back for sure

We’ve had Turkish breakfasts all over the city, and Datli Maya takes the cake for BEST breads in Istanbul. Seriously, I could make a meal entirely out of their freshly baked bread. They served us several kinds — still warm from the oven! — with our breakfast. By the end of our meal, I was too full to walk… I just couldn’t bear to leave the breads on the table. We also had dinner there one night, and everything we had was excellent. The place is very laid-​back in a quirky old building, and service can be so-​so, but I think that adds to the vibe. Main point is: Food is excellent. And it’s really nice that they are veggie/​vegan friendly (although make a point to really tell them it’s important if you’re veggie — they mixed up our order on the 1^st night and gave us meat instead of veg. Not a big deal for us, since we eat both.)

We were the only people in the place on a weekday, late morning. We sat by the window and enjoyed a wonderful simit breakfast which came with olives, cheeses etc. Order downstairs first then head up past the kitchen to the adorable upstairs tables.

Really great. I got the special and it was perfect. Love the atmosphere. And the location is great too.

This place is great. VEGAN and vegetarian options which are super yummy (I am Vegan). Small and cozy dining room. We are totally going back.

Wonderful little place. Staff are very very friendly. Food is very good and vegan options are delicious. Very accommodating and welcoming when you arrive. Some speak English that it is no problem if you have even limited English skills.

We had a very nice olive kind of bread and some cheese filled breads. They were sure worth it and prices are around 2 – 4 TL per bread. We payed 9 for those mentioned. It is a little nice hip bakery where you can also buy different cakes. No coffee served though.

My my what a delightful place. Miniscule, you feel like you’re going the wrong way as you squeeze up narrow twisting stairs past the giant ladies in the kitchen to the attic seating area.
I ordered orange juice and was basically delivered a glass in which an orange had been slightly squashed. Incredible. All orange juice should be like this.
Meanwhile, we’d ordered the giant everyday homemade breakfast. Coming in at just over £10, this is great value for a lavish spread including several types of bread (including one olive and cheese one that was great) and the following other things I have just copied from their website so you can see the full glory: green & black olives from 4 different regions, dried tomatoes marinated in thyme and oregano with coldpressed olive oil from Ida mountain (North Aegean), mulberry molasse (Malatya), pine honey (Ida mountain), rosehip marmalade from the Black Sea, home-​made jams, tahini (Tarsus) and three cheeses.
As with elsewhere in Cihangir it’s crammed with foreigners but it was certainly a nice gentle start to our Istanbul trip and I would definitely return/​recommend.

This place is amazing… everything about it feels ancient, from the building itself to the wood fired oven and the way the food is prepared. These have definitely been the healthiest meals I’ve had here, beyond organic to local farming where they have a relationship with the farmer. I keep getting sand or something in my food, then I realize how it’s prepared and it’s quite fitting. I think this is my favorite place in Istanbul.

I’m not sure where the Unilocal love is coming from for this place. It certainly seems like a good idea as the upstairs eating area is very cute, they have vegan options, and you pass the authentic-​feeling kitchen as you walk up stairs, but I don’t think the execution is very good.
We went here once for breakfast and another time for dinner. The time for breakfast we had a lot of trouble getting our order placed. I had to ask for my Menemen multiple times. When it came it was decent but I had much better, more authentic versions elsewhere. This kind was basically just fried eggs on top of sausage, not the traditional mixed up. tomatoey version that I love. They told us that they didn’t have the vegan items that my girlfriend wanted. Eventually we were able to get some hummus (which was sub-​par) and some beans, but not the vegan item on the menu that looked the best.
We came back for dinner and again had trouble ordering as they brought my girlfriend the non-​vegan wrap even though she ordered a vegan one. Again, they were missing the highlight vegan item. I got a kebab which was ok but nothing special. I had better at a local, dingy looking place.
Overall, this place isn’t worth coming to if you are looking for actual good Turkish food in my opinion. It well get the job done and offer a good ambience but not much more.

Wonderful. Delicious food and lovely atmosphere. Go there! The staff is extremely friendly. Natural and organic ingredients.

This is the best restaurant I’ve found anywhere in a long time. I travel regularly and eat food all over the world. The chef, Deniz, is brilliant. There is passion in the cooking and you can taste it.

Great atmosphere and good food. Excellent for tourists to go to a ‘local’ feeling place and the staff speaks English well. That said, after traveling around Istanbul and Turkey, there certainly is more impressive food at more typical local restaurants, even two blocks away.

If you’re looking for slow food of the seasonal and local variety, Datlı Maya is where it’s at. This tiny two story restaurant in Cihangir has a very rustic feeling about it, from the rickety staircase that leads to the second floor to the wood fired oven that dominates the ground level.
Expect a mildly modern take on traditional Turkish from Datlı Maya. Both the lahmacun and the pide are worth a special trip!
And if endoresement is not enough, here’s a bit of extra global street cred: Datlı Maya was featured on Chef Yotam Ottolenghi’s Mediterranean Feast on the BBC.

There are two kitchens here. The first one with a wood fire oven is when you walk in the front door (so be prepared). You order at the door, take your drinks, walk up the stairs though the second kitchen on level 1 (picture number 2), up to level 2 where you will find the seating area. It is a bit of a shock to start with, but the food was very good. We had a mushroom and goat cheese pidé and the Kebab that is a served in a ceramic bowl.
There are eclectic things decorating the walls and a constant stream of locals sitting eating quickly and going, making it an experience to remember.

Tasty place and the People understand english. Great. We ate Lamacun which I can recommend. Goat Cheese!

Great food, homelike atmosphere and views of Cihangir from their upstairs dining area.
Enjoyed the Keskek and vegetarian Lahmacum.

Really delicious and special Turkish food — seats are on the upper floor ;)

Yum — slow-​food restaurant with organic, vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free options which is awesome!
Loved the wild mushroom pide, raw mung bean salad and the raw celery salad was interesting.
The space itself is part of the charm — rough, raw, warm, and natural — kind of like the food!