Vegan on Koh Phangan
Vegan Guide to Koh Phangan
Introduction: Koh Phangan is well known for being one of the vegan hot spots in Thailand. The island is certainly a special place, not just for the food. The beaches are idyllic and the jungle and landscapes make it a very refreshing place to be especially compared to Chiang Mai. Of course there is a lot of tourism but there are no shopping malls, no high-rise buildings and no chain fast food restaurants. There are numerous fully vegan restaurants some of which I would say are the best in the country. If you are coming to Thailand and you want to try some of the best food around you should definitely include this island on your visit. I hope my guide to being a vegan on Koh Phangan will help you choose where to go!
Vegan Restaurants
Eat.co is an outstanding fully vegan café with two locations on the island. The original branch is in Sri Thanu and has been well-established for many years. The second bruncherie branch is in Thong Sala opposite the pier and is a daytime café. The menus are slightly different but what is the same in both is top notch quality food.
Every meal I have had in both restaurants has been mind-blowing. Among my favourites are the pancakes and waffles that you can get from the Thong Sala branch and the burgers at the original branch are among the best I’ve found anywhere. Eat.co definitely ranks in my top 5 restaurants of all time and I would eat here every day if I could. Any visit to Phangan is incomplete without trying both branches.
This amazing vegan place really is one of a kind. It is what restaurants should be about. We love how the restaurant utilizes the nature around it and the dining area stretches right out in to the garden. They also hold all kinds of gatherings and events regularly which take place in the garden which you can enjoy along with your meal.
The food here is very unique. You will find an array of delicious dishes such as pizza with vegan cheese, Israeli dishes, Thai dishes, western dishes and raw dishes. Some of our favourites include the Israeli sandwich and the shawarma plate. The owners are from Israel themselves and they are fantastic people who are very friendly and welcoming.
This small pizza joint is your best bet for pizza, of course with vegan cheese. They are fully vegan and they offer only pizzas along with a deliciously decadent chocolate brownie. They offer a wide range of pizzas with a selection of vegetable toppings and we have loved all the ones we tried. The space is quite intimate and cosy.
NOTE: Midnight Bistro is currently closed at present. Check Facebook page for updates.
This is our favourite Thai restaurant on the island. Obviously there are plenty of restaurants that offer vegan Thai food and we don’t just love here because it’s all vegan, they really do make the best Thai food around. The curries and creamy and full of flavour and they are also very generous in size. The restaurant is a pleasant place to sit with inside seating and outside bamboo salas. They also do amazing raw vegan desserts!
Deli Devi is not quite a restaurant but a very small little shop, deli and café which offers all raw vegan food to either eat in, or take home. They are mostly known for their range of amazing vegan cheeses which you can try for free and purchase to take home. You can also order a vegan cheese platter to eat in. They also offer raw vegan desserts, coffees and smoothies for eat-in or take-away. Finally they have the fastest Wi-Fi on the island.
Food & Roots is a beautiful all vegan café in the north area of the island on Chaloklum beach. The dishes are amazing and the location right out on to the beach is idyllic. Just be aware that the prices are quite a bit higher than average for an island that is already expensive and the portions are not particularly huge. Dishes are quite high standard though so a visit here would make a great special occasion meal. They also have live music night some nights of the week.
Ashoka is a fairly small fully vegan Thai restaurant in Sri Thanu. It is a nice place and the dishes are good although we aren’t a particular fan of the fake meat that they use, you could probably ask them to hold it though. They have some interesting fusion type meals such as burritos with Asian fillings. We probably expected to be a bit more amazed for just Thai food as the meals are not cheap. Not to be confused with the nearby Akasha.
This restaurant is opposite Sri Thanu lake on the other side of the road. It’s a very cute and homely place with limited outside seating. There are a few interesting and healthy dishes such as a falafel plate and the falafels are grilled instead of fried. No sugar is used in any of the dishes. The chocolate mousse is absolutely divine.
This café is in Sri Thanu and offers an array of unique international dishes that can’t really be found anywhere else on the island. We warn you that sometimes there can often be a bit of a wait, but it really is worth it. The dishes are not that cheap but are generous in size. We’ve tried things like the nice cream smoothie bowl, the tofu on toast and our favourite is the vegan cheese pizza. All of these were like no others we’ve tried before and we’ve been amazed when they’ve finally arrived.
NOTE: Love, Sweet Delicious is currently delivery and catering only.
This small stall is situated in Pantip Plaza night market and as far as the stall places go this one is our favourite. They have typical Thai dishes which are tasty and flavourful and well-priced. The only downside is that you have to eat in the shared area which is crowded and a bit hectic.
This stall is situated in Big A Food Court near to Home Mart. They have a wide range of very cheap Thai dishes made to order. It’s a good place to go if you’re on a budget but they are not as delicious as Soul Organics, although the shared area you need to sit-in is less hectic than at Pantip.
Another stall situated in Big A Food Court. Pu is an awesome lady and she makes tasty dishes such as curries, fried rice and noodle dishes. Food is simple, tasty and very well-priced. You’ll need to sit in the shared area to eat.
Pure is a small chain of restaurants with several branches all over the country including Chiang Mai, Phuket and Koh Samui (to be extended.) Since already knowing the Chiang Mai branch quite well for some time we were excited to try the branch here on the island, which has just recently moved to a new location. The meals here are all very unique and tasty and are always very generous in size. They have a range of dishes which include healthy raw dishes, Thai dishes with a modern twist and international dishes as well as drinks, teas and desserts. Our favourites include the nachos with vegan cheese, Pure’s granola, the gnocchi pasta and the raw pad Thai. The garden setting is a beautiful place in Wok Tum opposite the beach among the trees.
This is a very simple and cheap basic place which is very popular for its buffet, held at both lunchtime and in the evening. If you are on a budget, this is the place for you. You can get one large plate for about 100b, or pay 150b for the freedom to keep refilling your plate as many times as you want. It includes a range of Indian and Thai dishes as well as salad and it isn’t nasty oily food, it’s actually decent and tasty, although not spicy. You can add some spicy pickles to it if you want. They also have some drinks and some amazing desserts.
This beautiful restaurant and yoga retreat is set in a stunning location in a beautiful bay just close to Sri Thanu. It has to be one of the nicest places to sit and enjoy food on the island as you can sit out in one of the salas which overlook right out to the bay where you can also catch a sunset.
The food offered includes a very wide range of things like Buddha bowls, tempeh burgers, smoothie bowls and decadent desserts. Everything is vegan and the menu is clearly labelled with what is raw, nut-free, gluten-free etc. Many of the dishes are raw. Food is rather on the pricey side but we’ve really enjoyed every meal we’ve had here as well as the view and the vibe.
Vegetarian Restaurants
This restaurant is all vegan, apart from the optional add-in of egg. They have offer a menu that consists of a a few breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner dishes. These are healthy and unique and include things like a berry burst smoothie bowl, toasts, savoury breakfast bowls and a vegan burger. Dishes are good although quite expensive for the portion sizes.
This Indian restaurant has two branches, one of which is Hin Kong and is a beautiful place. The other one is an express branch in Pantip Market with the same menu, only you need to eat in the shared area. Going to the restaurant is obviously a much nicer experience, especially as the restaurant is a particularly nice place. They have both indoor air-con seating and outside lounge seating. The menu is very large and all vegan dishes and those which can be made vegan are well indicated. We have loved all their dishes such as the thali set, various curries, vadu set and tempura vegetables. This makes a nice special occasion meal and the food is not that expensive.
We have known Taste From Heaven from their original branch in Chiang Mai since many years ago. We appreciate their large menu and clear vegan options although we always found the food at all of their branches to be rather unspectacular. The famous brownie which is the one thing that makes the branches in Chiang Mai special, sadly isn’t available here, so we rarely find a reason to come here.
This restaurant in Had Chao Pao is attached to a well-known yoga centre, Samma Karana. We have only ever had breakfast here as we particularly like the protein smoothie bowl but we cannot speak for the savoury dishes. A buffet is held for the yoga students and teachers. It’s a nice place to sit with a pretty garden and free hot tea but you might feel a bit excluded if you’re not one of the yogis as they do take the place over.
This place is opposite Chikalicious and has been around for many years. It’s a rustic, cozy place with a free library and loungey seating. The seating is not that geared up for working but it is a cool place to chill. We are a particular fan of the smoothie bowls as they are one of the only places that give you some choices of the ingredients. The bowls are a set price, which is cheap at 150 baht. You can add three toppings of your choice. The coffees and the banana bread are also good. We’d much prefer this place is the vegan options were labelled a bit clearer.
Small, cozy café in the main part of Sri Thanu, with a sister branch in Pai. It’s a cute place with a nice vibe but the food is just Thai food and pretty average, plus the vegan options aren’t clearly indicated.
Non-Veg Restaurants
If you need to pick a non-veg restaurant for whatever reason, this would be our first choice. They have a separate vegetarian menu of which all dishes are actually vegan and the staff have a clear understanding. Dishes are very generous in size, authentic, tasty and cheap. It’s a pretty basic bamboo place but the food is top notch.
Pizza Luna / Tito’s Bitchin’ Burritos
These guys operate a joint venture with two locations on the island, one is a stall in Big A Food Court and the other is a truck opposite the lake in Sri Thanu. All of the veggie pizzas are made with a sourdough base and can be made vegan with their cashew cheese and they also have several vegan burritos of which we are a particular fan of. They heavily promote their vegan options and they are always coming up with special offers and promotions which make their meals very affordable.
This plush coffee shop opened up next to Chana Masala and is co-owned by them we believe. It is a deservedly popular place to sit and work with indoor air-con seating and loungey outdoor seating and even some upstairs seating too. They also introduced a few well-labelled tasty vegan options to the menu such as a cashew cheese sandwich, although a bit pricey. They also sell fresh breads and all of the sourdough breads are vegan, although none of the pastries are. Unfortunately there are no outlets available to use.
This coffee shop and restaurant is located in Had Yao. They have vegan options clearly marked on the menu including a vegan scrambled tofu set which comes with a hot drink and you can choose soya milk for free. It’s a huge meal and for 180 baht it must be one of the best value vegan dishes on the island. Also has acai smoothie bowls and a vegan burger.
Other Places
This small store sells a range of useful things such as herbs, seeds oils. They also have air-con which is fairly unusual, although I have never got the Wi-Fi to work. Other people don’t seem to have problems though so maybe I’m just unlucky. The best thing about this little shop is the cakes and treats they offer which change daily so you can always find something new and delicious. They also have coffee and ice-cream. Everything is vegan except from honey sold in the shop.
This lovely little café specialises in smoothie bowls and for us they are some of the best around. Albeit expensive, but very thick and colourful and beautiful. We personally prefer a thicker ‘nice cream’ type bowl which these definitely are, rather than the thinner smoothie in a bowl type ones that other places seem to serve up. Just be aware that you need to book ahead and it isn’t a place that you can sit and work.
Coffee Shops
Koh Phangan is full of coffee shops that offer soya milk, almond milk and coconut milk and many of them also have a few vegan options as well, whether it’s a smoothie bowl, cake or cookie. Here are a few of our favourites.
This place is truly beautiful as you are very high up and can see right out over the entire bay of Had Yao. They have decent Wi-Fi, a few vegan light items on the menu, a range of plant milks and an amazing view.
This is just a simple coffee shop off the main road from Thong Sala to Ban Thai in Ban Medua Wan. It is a small place but with character as there are retro-style decorations. There are comfortable seats and working areas both inside and outside and out the back there is even a beautiful mountain view. The Wi-Fi works well. The coffee is not expensive and they offer several plant milks as well as a delicious vegan lemon pie. They also seemed very open to further ideas on vegan options they can bring in as they brought in the lemon pie on my recommendation to add more vegan items.
This coffee shop is on the main road down to Sri Thanu. It has good Wi-Fi, several nice working areas such as an outdoor area, upstairs outdoor terrace and an indoor air-con area. They have some delicious clearly labelled vegan cakes and plant milks for coffee although they are very over-priced. Some of the meals and speciality coffees are particularly deer. We are also annoyed about the fact that they don’t have free water so you are forced in to buying a plastic bottle, so if you do come here remember to bring your own flask of water.
This coffee shop is located in the busy part of Thong Sala, right near the market. It is great for working as it has air-con and power outlets all over the place. They have a few non-dairy milk options and a couple of vegan items on the menu/in the cabinet. It’s fairly pricey but unlike Over The Moon they do at least have free water.
Further Reading
For the most up to date comprehensive list of all vegan options on Koh Phangan, please check the island’s pages on HappyCow.
Other recommended blogs on Vegan in Koh Phangan include:
Vegan Guide to Koh Phangan by Vegan Food Quest.
