Vegan-friendly
Lacto
International
Organic
Western
Beer/Wine
Take-out
Modern vegetarian restaurant and bar, established since 2004. Kitchen opens at 10am weekends. Has a deli area for takeaway food. Opposite Pure Fitness on the Soho Escalator. DEC 2015 REPORTED SHUT BY COW AMBASSADOR.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
-
10 Shelley Street, Soho, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, China
-
Loading...
-
- Accepts credit cards
-
-
Last update on 10 Dec 2015 by Guest
Update business info -
Are you the owner?
Claim this business
-
-
22 Reviews
First Review by Petesternz
Stevie
Points +11765
Life Organic Health Cafe, Hong Kong - Edit
I am advised this place ceases to trade from Sunday 13th Dec 2015.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Friday May 16, 2014
I had dinner here on Sunday.
It's very much a world food kind of place rather than Chinese cooking. It's quite stylishly decorated with a big bookcase on 1 side. The menu is all vego and very useful the vegan friendly items on the menu are clearly marked.
I had dahl soup for a start which was very nice. After that I had the vegetable stack as recommended by the waitress. I am unsure why some people comment in the previous reviews about the portion sizes. My hunger was certainly gone by the time I was finished.
Nice food, nice setting, nice staff, central location. It's on the pricey compared with a lot of places in Hong Kong but lets face it, there's a ton of cheap eats to be had in this town. This place was a welcome change from the usual Chinese stuff which while enjoyable, its nice to try something different.
Pros: Vegan friendly
Cons: Closes Sun 13 Dec forever
Guest
stepru
Points +42
Banana cake - Edit
The vegan banana is awesome!
Read moreGuest
mrrfrost
Points +340
Nice food, cramped seating - Edit
Went there on a recent lunchtime and have eaten here many times in the past.
Read moreThis time we were seated on the rooftop which is nice out of summer. However the seating is really cramped with little room to manoeuevre. Some of the seating is also low down stools with no back which are uncomfortable.
The food is always good here. This time I chose the spicy tempe burger which indeed had a kick with the jalapeno peppers. The accompanying sweet potato fries were good. The tempe was slightly devoid of taste but the overall effect was good.
My partner had the Life Organic burger which is always tasty. Previously I have tried the African stew which is great.
Prices are a little high, most dishes around 100-150 plus 10% service charge but the price of rent is extortionate in HK.
I've also tried the downstairs salad bar which is great. I like the filo wraps and some of the salad choices.
Overall a solid choice if wanting veggie/vegan food in the heart of HK
Pros: Good lcoation, Choice of menu, Tempe!
Cons: Cramped seats, High prices
Guest
tory.may
Points +48
Good for dining with friends - Edit
Every time I've been to Life I've visited with friends as it has a nice atmosphere for socialising. It has a pretty accommodating menu so there's something for everyone whether you're strictly vegan, or vegetarian, raw, gluten-free etc. The food is decent, not outstanding. I quite like the smoothies. It is a little pricey, but then again, it's Soho.
Read morePros: Atmosphere/Location, Expansive menu/Caters to taste, Cafe/Restaurant/Shop all rolled into one. Does tak
Cons: Moderately pricey, Food is okay
Guest
Plantpowerednomad
Points +118
Disappointing desserts and unfriendly staff - Edit
Before we arrived in Hong Kong Life Cafe was highly recommended to me, so when we found it we were both kind of disappointed. The food was a little uninspiring (salads, samosas, falafels, and desserts) and I would have asked about the menu but the staff were unfriendly and unapproachable. When we ordered a piece of cake, I thought that they were trying to tell us to go away because they were closed. Turns out she just wasn't the eye-contact and smiling type.
Read moreThe only thing I've tried was the vegan tofu chocolate cake, but it was bland, expensive and just tasted of tofu - it didn't encourage me to try more, but maybe I'd go back and try a lunch and the coffee. Maybe. The other customers were friendly and smiley at least.
My other quibble is that their packaging was all disposable and just went in the same trash can - there was no option of sorting for recycling. This disappointed me for somewhere that otherwise claims to be environmentally conscious.
Pros: Good looking menu, Outdoors seating, Good location
Cons: Bland desserts, Expensive, Unfriendly staff
Guest
nickb
Points +247
HK favourite - Edit
This restaurant was a favourite for my wife & I during our time in HK. Although it is not vegan, pretty much everything on the extensive menu can be made vegan. Our favourite dishes were the tempeh burger (absolutely delicious!) and pasta, and the pizza was pretty tasty too. The Japanese style table near the bar makes for a wonderfully intimate dining experience. Overall a wonderful restaurant, and although not cheap is good value for money.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Friday October 17, 2014
Pros: Tasty food, Everything can be made vegan, Tempeh burger is amazing
Cons: Not vegan, A little pricey
Guest
mr.zaatar
Points +40
An unpleasant dinner - Edit
I had dinner here one night and it was not a pleasant experience. I arrived at 8:35 and was seated immediately. I ordered a fresh apple juice and the Capital V vegan pizza. Both were clear and utter misses.
Read moreFirst of all, a 1/4 of the juice glass was foam and it had an off flavor. I'm assuming they had just juiced celery because that's all my apple juice tasted like.
Then the "pizza." First of all, it is not a pizza. The only way to describe it is laughable. It is a sloppy cracker dough with toppings. It had tomatoes, onions, pesto and vegan goat cheese. A simple google search would render a better cheese recipe than the one they use. The pesto on top wasn't bad, though. If you must go there, don't order this pizza.
Also, the restaurant closes at 10pm, but I found it odd that at 9:09pm the server started going around to every single table, including mine, and telling the patrons that the kitchen would be closing in 15 minutes and if you wanted a dessert you would have to place your order right now.
I honestly doubt they are selling many desserts with this amateurish behavior. Considering that their dessert menu consists of cakes, breads, and cookies that are most certainly pre-made, I don't see the need for prompting the diners that the kitchen is closing. It felt like nothing more than a means to nudge the diners out well before closing time.
And it worked on me, I quickly finished my cracker with toppings and left very hungry.
Cons: Food was poor quality for the price
Guest
OttVanTor
Points +122
Exceptional Quality Vegan Food - Edit
Superb gem in Central. Staff very knowledgeable and friendly. Had salad and the portion was quite big. Vegetable tower was impressive. All is all a very nice and cosy restaurant. Recommended.
Read morePros: Vegan, Choice, Staff
Cons: Eggs In Many Foods
Guest
NNS
Points +45
Very Nice Place - Edit
Had lunch here in August 2013- to start with the place was packed which sais it all.
Read moreThe food was very good and the kids were also content. We had main course and deserts and would certainly go there again.
Pros: location , good variety on menu, food was very good
Cons: small
Guest
Pitaya
Points +1265
Nice atmosphere - Edit
I visited this vegetarian cafe in the afternoon and they were only serving "tea time list". There weren't many vegan options so I opted for soy milk cappuccino and chocolate mousse cake. I think that the cake would have definitely needed some refreshing addition to it, soy cream, ice cream or something like that, as it was really heavy, not very sweet and with really strong taste of dark chocolate. There was a tiny bit of berry jam on the plate, but it should have been much more for me to be able to finish the piece of cake.
Read moreThe restaurant is really nice looking and the location is great. There are lots of books for the customers to read and a deli downstairs.
Pros: Great location, Nice interior and street views
Cons: Not many vegan options, Limited selection
Guest
Chris Phillips Vegan
Points +152
Really nice place - Edit
In Jan 2006 I visited here on the advice of a local Vegetarian friend. I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED. Lovely food and nice clean place with helpful staff. I have just finished writing my book, "Around The World in 128 Days Minus 1!" see my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/AroundTheWorldIn128Minus1Days?ref=ts&fref=ts, I have listed this restaurant as one of the best . :)
Read morePros: GOOD food, Clean, Resonable price
Guest
Vitxo
Points +490
Great place to eat!! - Edit
One of the best restaurants in Hong Kong, no doubt!! Tiny hummus...
Read morePros: excellent food, good value, friendly staff
Cons: small portions
Guest
Spamelula
Points +33
Expensive but tasty - Edit
Expensive but tasty.
Read morePopular and crowded.
Pros: Good food
Cons: Expensive
Guest
sglcklch
Points +3293
I have eaten here so many times - Edit
Now that I have eaten here so many times, I feel that I should update my previous review. My ultimate advice: get food only from the deli downstairs.
Read moreThe deli has quite a good selection, including soups, salads, quiches, samosas, wraps, desserts, etc. I usually just get a small salad box for $50, where I can choose up to three salad items. They tend to stuff the box to the fullest and it's enough food for a simple meal. Always tasty. The life salad is also great, so is the tofu sandwich. Desserts are delicious and wholesome in that you won't feel guilty after downing a big slice of cake. I have tried pretty much everything vegan at the deli and the only thing I would not recommend is the dal soup - too watery and salty for my liking.
Although I usually get takeaway from the deli, I have also dined upstairs couple of times. None of them were enjoyable. Menu was uninspiring and never changes. Food was mediocre at best with stingy portion sizes but hefty price tags. Worst part was the service. I have yet to come across a wait staff member that didn't have an attitude. If you absolutely have to eat at the restaurant section, the only two dishes I would get would be the African sweet potato stew and the roasted vegetable tower. The salads are not bad either but a bowl will set you back around $90. The last time I went my partner and I had the sesame tofu stir-fry and the life organic burger on GF bread. The tofu was supposed to be "sesame marinated tofu" but it was actually just a soy product commercially labeled as "vegetarian chicken" that is widely available on the market. The whole dish was a rip-off anyway. Onto the burger, the patty was all rice, maybe dyed with a little beet juice, and tasted very bland. It came with two pieces of "tofu bacon" that were flavorless and all dried up. The two slices of GF bread were very small and smeared with just a touch of "tofunaise". There are two or three other vegan main dishes on the menu too that I haven't tried yet and probably never will.
Honestly I have no idea why the quality of the restaurant and the deli is miles apart. If there wasn't a scarcity of western vegetarian food in HK, I doubt they could carry on without a bit of reforming. So 4 cows for the deli, 1 for the restaurant, rounded up to 3 altogether.
Pros: great deli, wholesome food, good desserts
Cons: service
Guest
Deborah3000
Points +65
smallish - Edit
A smallish restaurant with not many options for vegans. Limited menu but the food was good enough.
Read moreCons: limited for vegans
Guest
meganscl
Points +44
good if you don't feel like Chinese food - Edit
Life is right on the central escalators in Soho, so good location. The food was all non-Chinese, which might be good for ex-pats looking for variety, but if you are just visiting HK you should eat as much Chinese as you can! The menu was fairly short, but the food was very varied - pizza, stew, stir-fry, pasta, burgers. Also, we thought that the portions were pretty small. The service was good. It was very expensive by Hong Kong standards, more than double what you would pay in a Chinese restaurant, with much less food. The take away deli downstairs looked yummy.
Read morePros: location, variety, service
Cons: expensive, non-Chinese, small portions
Guest
Ashni
Points +2328
expensive but great location and really good food - Edit
The set lunch here was quite expensive at $100 but I was feeling hungry and so went for it. The soup was really tasty and a really interesting combination of flavours which worked well togehter. For my main, I had the tofu burger with salad which was tasty and as dessert a cookie and coffee.
Read moreMy friend had the salad and hummous and she loved the hummous.
We sat on the second floor as we had not booked but with the fans only it was pretty hot. If you can plan it in advance, best to book the first floor which has air conditioning.
Pros: excellent food
Cons: expensive
Guest
Powerbex
Points +196
Love it - Edit
I live in hong kong, and if I could I would probably eat from here every day! Downstairs in the deli they always have great salads (tofu is amazing,as is the potato salad), the lentil soups are always yummy and the mouth watering vegan chocolate mousse slice always gets me going. Upstairs in the restaurant the atmosphere is great, especially on the rooftop. The Life Salad is a favourite of mine, and the tofu skewers are to die for! My friends always go for the Life Burger... My boyfriend swears by the pizza and the stir fry. I have tried one or two dishes before that were a bit bland but I now know what to order. Prices are high but in my experience worth it! Lemonade is delicious too...
Read moreGuest
Pea
Points +88
Western style veggy place, expensive but nice - Edit
Life has a nice atmosphere, a western style restaurant in a busy bustling location. The food is pretty expensive and portions are quite small. We couldnt afford drinks though they did have a good selection if your budget can stretch. We went because we couldnt find anything else late at night in the area and were pleasantly surprised. The food was good but not absolutely amazing though the atmosphere was lovely. Whether it ticks the spot for you probably depends on what you are looking for.
Read morePros: good food, western dishes, good location
Cons: expensive, smallish menu
Guest
iTom
Points +74
Just OK - Edit
I was really hoping for something great, but didn't find it here. The atmosphere is very peaceful and the setting is nice, but the food was disappointing. Stopped in for a late Sunday lunch, but not many items were vegan. Lots of omelettes, etc. I had a fruit bowl that was 90% cantelope, with a couple pieces of pineapple and maybe 5 blueberries. I expected something better than that. Fresh juice was OK, but not that flavorful.
Read moreThey have a bakery section downstairs, but again, almost all the items had eggs and/or milk.
Life may be OK for vegerarian options, but not much here for us vegans.
Pros: Good Atmosphere, Quiet, Service
Cons: Vegan Choices, Taste
Guest
craigmc
Points +36265
blah blah blah - Edit
i was really looking forward to this as my travel guide was singing its praises. however on arrival, after the staff could no longer avoid my gaze, i took a seat. i just found its like any other veggie restaurant anywhere. a pasta, a stir fry, quiche, salads, risotto, an asian curry and wait for it....veggie burrito. never ever seen a menu like this before.
Read morei had wedges to start which were like car tyres, they felt re-heated. i had the nepalese curry next, bland bland bland. even my organic ale was out of the fridge(you dont keep ale in a fridge, like red wine, room temperature please).
it was also by far my most expensive meal in hong kong. in all fairness there were locals eating, and they seemed to be enjoying the food. maybe i've just had this menu too often(however rarely ths bad).
i could go on some more, but don't want to sound like i have a vendetta.
remebember reviews are personal opinions, and you might want to try this place, i just think there are far better indian and chinese veggie places in hong kong.
Cons: BLAND
Guest
Petesternz
Points +1447
Solid but unspectacular - Edit
We wanted to love this place!!! It is beautiful, and the food options are so varied it was exciting just to read the menu. Sadly, the food does not quite measure up to the surroundings or the ambitious menu. (Apparently, they are in the process of changing cooks...). Some items were very good, while others did not hit the right chords. Lentil burger was VERY disappointing, but the breakfast choices were stronger.
Read morePros: gorgeous location, good portions, amazing variety
Cons: food only average (plus)
Guest
For Members
Why was my review removed? Guidelines for writing a review View our privacy policyFor Business Owners
Claim this business See inaccurate information? Submit an update here Link to this page from your site See an unfair review? View full terms & conditionsThis page has been viewed 8048 times.