Vegan
Western
Turkish
(Life Cafe) is Izmir’s first vegan eatery launched in August 2016 by co-founders Hakan Yasam and Gulcin Sermeti. Offers made-in-house home-cooked food using fresh local ingredients, including burgers, vegmacuns, pudding and many more. Has a relaxed and cozy setting. Relocated from 1456 Sk, 50. Open Mon-Sun 12:00pm-9:30pm.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
-
Loading...
-
- Outdoor seating
- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
-
-
Last update on 05 Mar 2020 by Guest
Update business info
-
-
67 Reviews
First Review by SedatBenedicte
S.c.i
Points +538
Good enough - Edit
I've tried their iskender and it was so-so. But the chocolate ball was delicious.
Read morePros: Reasonable price
Guest
Beyondlover
Points +83
Delicious - Edit
Very tasty & friendly staff
Read moreGuest
Ирина
Points +134
Very good - Edit
Meal was good, there are some products, wich is made in cafe and sale. We bought cheese and vegan meat. It was tasty! Also we tried all kind of cookies — pretty good!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-08-09
Pros: All is vegan, Also it's a shop with products
Guest
VeganCatzo
Points +167
Disappointing - Edit
The vegan lahmacun was really tasty but that's all... We also tried the vegan iskender which didn't really taste anything like iskender and vegan ayran which just tasted like water with lemon. The service wasn't good either. It's sad since they're not many fully vegan options in izmir and they don't really seem to care to make a good offer.
Read moreGuest
MarkGoodman
Points +28
Wholesome, home cooked food - Edit
Small cafe with a lovely little courtyard.
Read moreFood was excellent.
Definitely worth finding.
Lots of food I’d never heard of but it’s all safe, so order with impunity!
Pros: Vegan!
Cons: None
Guest
jashill_
Points +572
Disappointing - Edit
We thought the burgers were dry and very simple, the two different burger patties that we had lacked flavour and the doner wrap was the same.The humus was very bad, we could not finish it. The menu contains typical deep fried processed junk food options with few healthy options.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-02-10
Guest
MattHatter
Points +317
Fantastic - Edit
Great food, friendly staff, lots of options, fair price. Highly recommended.
Read moreGuest
Huraiquire
Points +9609
Amazing - Edit
Wonderful food, staff, and atmosphere. Food tastes great and plenty of options. They also make their own yogurts and cheeses, but I opted for buying the prepackaged name brand ones because their homemade packaged ones contain palm oil, which is debatably not vegan.
Read morePros: 100% vegan, Nice environment
HulkHolden
Here in Izmir. Finally there is some vegan restaurants. Think I'm gonna cry.
Read moreHuraiquire
I know the feeling-the struggle is real. Yasam has another location as well and this Turkish company making the cheese I bought also makes premade vegan foods. Most people order it online, but you can sometimes find their tofu or cheeses in the supermarkets. Antalya has some vegan restaurants and Bodrum has vegan options in many places. I lived on Lentil soup in other places- just be sure no cream or butter.
Read moreHulkHolden
Izmir has 4 vegan restaurants all relatively near each other. I have a couple days to just hit up a few. Thanks for the tips! I've been having lentil soups everywhere too! But they're so good!! I'll be making my way to Antalya at some point so this is good to know!
Read moreGuest
fotofee
Points +178
Delicious vegan food with lovely owner - Edit
We loved this small place, it is in the authentical district of Alsancak, the owner is very friendly, mother and sisters cook very good vegan meals like yummy Burgers, tasty Vegmacun (turkish thin pizza with minced "meat"), cheese and sausage toast. Also delicious desserts. We can highly recommend!
Read morePros: Authentic delicious vegan turkish meals
Cons: None
Guest
PatrickManson
Points +16
I Love food in Yasam kafe - Edit
One of the best vegan cafe in izmir. ❤️❤️
Read moreGuest
SophieJ.Pavlakis
Points +245
Not the best food possible - Edit
Although completely vegan, the food was too spicy and not so tasty.
Read moreAlthough we did not exactly loved it, we would give it another try!
Pros: Vegan bomba dessert
Guest
Chad_and_Emily
Points +2305
Tucked away, but go find it! - Edit
This was my first meal at a vegan restaurant after a week of eating on the road on a tour. It did not disappoint! It was so hard to choose what I would eat first. I had a burger and it was one of the best I’ve had. And the baklava! It melted in your mouth and it was almost impossible to limit myself to one serving.
Read morePros: 100% vegan , Staff speaks good English , Inexpensive
Guest
YousefA
Points +75
Great Food and Atmosphere - Edit
Yaşam was the first fully vegan restaurant we tried in Turkey. This is our go to place for the vegmacun, doner plate, and the incredible sucuk burger. After eating purely healthy food for months, this place made it worthwhile to break our clean streak. If you live in Turkey, Yaşam can also deliver some of their most popular products.
Read morePros: Reasonable Price, Fast Service, Great Taste
Guest
melekkozanhehe
Points +17
loved it! - Edit
Cheap,vegan,delicious all i can say is i love it.Waiter was also really nice,service is great.The atmosphere was calming and peaceful.Suggested!
Read morePros: Fully vegan,iskender was really good
Guest
EddyNumb
Points +459
Must Try When in Izmir - Edit
Veganized versions of burgers and Turkish classics. Generously proportioned and economically priced. Accommodating English speaking staff. House made faux cheeses and meats packed with flavor. Large breakfast, lunch and dessert menu. Highly recommended.
Read moreGuest
dwells
Points +2355
Tastes great, big portions - Edit
Popped in here the other night and got some food for takeaway. The guy working spoke great English and was really pleasant. I pointed to one of the burgers on the menu and ordered it and he confirmed with me to make sure I realized I was ordering the sausage burger rather than the regular one, which was appreciated.
Read moreI got a little sidetracked before I returned to pick up my food, so it wasn't as piping hot and fresh as it would have been if I had ate at the restaurant, and it was still delicious. Large sesame seed bun for the burger, fresh veggies as toppings, and no shortage of delicious sauces on it. Potato wedges and a couple onion rings were also included, plus dipping containers of both ketchup and vegan mayo, which I was thrilled about. At 31TL, it's a really good value for a good size vegan meal with sides from a fully vegan restaurant.
I'll be back here for dinner again while I'm in Izmir.
Pros: Vegan mayo for fries!, Big portions, Friendly staff
Guest
unparalloser
Points +130
Very cheap, quick and awesome! - Edit
You're going to love this place if you're a fan of vegan dairy! There are lots of dishes full of yogurt and you can even buy a whole jar of it to bring home. They have a fridge full of vegan products, a lot of which they make themselves, like ayran, sausages, patties, cheese and mayonnaise. I also very much recommend the kombucha they offer!
Read moreIf you're hungry and want that fast food experience, döner menu and some onion rings is a great option. Oh, and their sigara böreği (a small deep-fried wrap with potatoes and herbs) is also extremely good!
Pros: pro-LGBTQ+, awesome staff, great value
Guest
clydet1
Points +24
Really good - Edit
Cheap and delicious. The ace serves traditional Turkish food, but veganized. Would recommend the vegmacun. The freshly squeezed drinks were very watery
Read morePros: Vegmacun
Cons: The freshly squeezed drinks were very watery
Guest
tomw92
Points +116
Delicious! - Edit
Really nice place with friendly and attentive staff who speak great English. The food is delicious and you get all the stuff you usually miss out on at non-vegan places - mayo, sauces, desserts, drinks etc. Cheeseburger and döner were so delicious! We had the baklava and chocolate bomb which were also amazing. I want to eat here every day, that's how good the food is!
Read morePros: Delicious food, All the extra vegan things like mayo and sauces, Great staff, location and prices
Guest
MarijaDjordjevic
Points +185
Small but cute - Edit
Really delicious, natural 👌 Staff speaks English
Read morePros: Lot of options
Guest
Betka
Points +32
Delicious Turkish food - Edit
I love this place and the cosy environment. They have many Turkish options so it's great from vegans who want to try the otherwise meaty local cuisine. They also sell vegan yoghurt, sausages, falafel etc. Highly recommended!
Read moreGuest
Feyme
Points +544
My personal favorite! The first place to visit in Izmir as a vegan - Edit
Absolutely love it! I am a fan! The stuff, the atmosphere and the food are all great, you can sense the activism in the air. The prices went up over the time but still very affordable compared to many other places. Good for quick bites, dinner dates or just for deserts. They have vegan “bomba” and their house-made wine is strongly recommended. I often eat their vegan doner menu.
Read moreThey also sell vegan yogurt, vegan pepperoni, soy meat, vegan cheese etc.
Pros: Many options, Vegan turkish traditional food such as lahmacun , Very central
Guest
KeesVisser
Points +36
Must try - Edit
I visited Yasam vegan cafe multiple times during my vacation last June. This is so much more than a cafe. They have a great menu with different options, also some veganized Turkish dishes which I highly recommend and fantastic dessert. Above all they are very friendly
Read morePros: Great menu, Helpful and friendly, Budget friendly
Guest
Kekskönigin
Points +379
Nice People, yummy food - Edit
I've been here a few times. The staff is always really nice and helpful.
Read moreI am totally in love with the vegan Iskender, which I had at least 4 times.
But we also tried a sandwich, the Lahmacun and the Manti. All was really good, except the Manti seemed to be a little overcooked, but tasted great though.
The also sell some vegan stuff like Plant-based Milk, cheese, Tofu, Seitan ...
Some of it is homemade like the Yoghurt, the Vegan Döner, Mayonez Sauce etc. .
I bought some jars of the vegan Döner, froze them and took them home. And I will do the same next time I am in Izmir. It is delicious! Even my meat-loving Husband liked the vegan Döner - especially made as Iskender, a lot.
They also sell vegan Tiramisu, vegan Bomba (traditional in Izmir: Dough filledwith Chocolate Cream) and some vegan Cookies.
It is next to a really cute Street very close to the Kibrit Sehitleri (Shopping Street) and quite in the heart of buzzing Alsancak district and the Kordon.
Guest
kelseyjaynex
Points +2915
Cute cafe with great food - Edit
So happy that a place like this exists in Izmir! We ended up staying right nearby so went here twice in 2 days. Everything we tried was really good and it’s so cheap for a specialty vegan place - eg. doner kebab with chips for 15 lira. The cafe has pro-vegan posters and books, and inside or outside seating.
Read morePros: 100% vegan in a country where it’s not very common, cheap, simple tasty food
Guest
pinquitte
Points +18
Great place to visit! - Edit
It’s a really cool place to try traditional stuff if you’re curious. I ate hamburger and fries there, it was delish.
Read morePros: Traditional vegan options , That vegan mayonnaise was 👌
Guest
Wildvegannomad
Points +406
Amazing variety and cheap price - Edit
Im super impressed by this place. Vegan versions of typical turkish food! I had the doner kebab, it wasnt super flavourful but a nice treat and experience. I also loved trying to Ayran and fermented black carrot juice. 10/10 recommend
Read morePros: So much variety, Local Turkish dishes veganized, Cheap
Cons: Not super flavourful
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 10078 times.