Koh Phangan is a small island in the Gulf of Thailand between Koh Samui and Koh Tao. The island is known for hosting wild full moon parties and its incredible beaches. However, the island is also home to a thriving community of conscious expats and travelers who have turned the northwest of the island into a vegan haven.
Alongside Bali's Canggu and Ubud, Koh Phangan has the best vegan culture we've come across in Asia. From raw plant-based options to vegan comfort food, Koh Phangan is more than just an island paradise - it's a vegan paradise.
Over the past couple of years, we've used Koh Phangan as a hub to live and work from. Over that time we've tried almost everything vegan on this island. So, we thought we'd spill the (pinto) beans and list them for you. Enjoy!
Koh Phangan's Best Vegan Restaurants
Chana Masala
Location: Hin Kong & Thong Sala
This incredible Indian restaurant is our absolute favorite. While it is 100% vegetarian, they have vegan options of almost everything. You can trade paneer for tofu in curries and no visit to Phangan is complete without a dose of masala dosa.
Chana Masala has strong wifi and can also be a great place to get some work done over a vegan masala chai. There is also a smaller version of the original Hin Kong Chana Masala at the Phantip markets, but the selection is limited.
Top pick: Thali Set (lunch only)
Pure Vegan Heaven
Location: Hin Kong
Once an icon of Sri Thanu, Pure Vegan was knocked down a rebuilt on the picturesque Hin Kong sunset road. The new location is a stunning breath of fresh air and, while the scenery may have changed, the menu remained. You'll find everything from burgers, bowls and burritos here.
Top Pick: Vegan Nachos
Aree's Ayurvedic Cafe [Closed from 2023]
Location: Srithanu
*Update*: Unfortunately, Aree's restaurant did not survive COVID and closed down. However, it is still possible to enjoy Aree's at the Srithanu night markets.
This Indian buffet is what Koh Phangan is all about. Cheap, delicious, wholesome and, of course, plants only. Sit on a floor mat and embrace the rustic, hippy vibes. You'll only pay 100 baht (around $3usd) here for a plate you can stack up. The meals change day-to-day and I'm not sure there's any way to know what's being served up. If you know, please let us know in the comments.
Top Pick: Whatever's being served up
Pizza Luna/Tito's Bitchin' Burritos
Location: Thong Sala
Nestled in the Thong Sala Food Court (not the famous Phantip markets) you'll find these two restaurants in one. They cook up one of the best vegan pizzas on the island using homemade cashew nut cheese.
This is also where you'll find - in our opinion - the best vegan burrito on the island. And yes, they have guac.
Top Pick: Buddha Burrito
Namaskar Restaurant
Location: Baan Tai
Get ready for the best naan in Koh Phangan. Namaskar is a cool Indian Nepali restaurant owned by a friendly guy from Nepal who will turn their vegetarian dishes vegan upon request.
The restaurant uses a traditional tandoori oven to cook up incredible - and huge - naan bread. Along with Indian classics, you can also find traditional Nepali food here, including momos and dal bhat.
Definitely a must-visit for Indian food lovers in Phangan.
Top Pick: Aloo Gobi
Eat.Co
Location: Srithanu & Thong Sala (cafe)
Eat Co or Eat Consciously is probably the most known vegan restaurant in Koh Phangan. The quality of food here is high and so are the prices. The menu is probably the most impressive on the island and you can get a range of delicious desserts too. They even serve Beyond Meat.
There are two restaurants to choose from. The main one is in Srithanu or the brunch cafe in Thong Sala. There's no doubt, Eat.co is one of the best vegan restaurants on the island. You'll leave here satisfied and full, but I can't say the same for your wallet.
Top Pick: Meaty Mushroom Burger
Taboon
Location: Srithanu
While there's plenty of falafel on the island, you'll find some of the best in Taboon. While this isn't a vegan restaurant, there are great vegan and vegetarian options to keep you satisfied. Don't miss out on their tahini.
Top Pick: Falafel Plate
Vegan Phangan
Location: Baan Tai
This cool little spot on the main road in Baan Tai is well worth the visit. It's definitely the best place to get tempeh in Koh Phangan with a huge range of western, and local-style dishes made entirely vegan.
And since moving from Thong Sala, Vegan Phangan has added a bunch of exciting extras to their menu including tempeh sushi, a bean burger, vegan cheesecake and brownies.
Top Pick: Naan with Massaman Curry & Daal Fry.
Orion Cafe (Orion Healing Centre)
Location: Srithanu
Orion Cafe has arguably the best vegan food in Koh Phangan. The menu is pretty health-conscious with a separate Orion Cafe detox menu for those who are cleansing. For those, who aren't, you'll have a wide choice of juices, smoothies, burgers, bowls, ramen, and heaps more. You can view their menu here. However, you'll pay western prices here, but check their Facebook page for some promotions.
Top Pick: Tempehtation Burger
Make It Pizza & Salad [Closed from 2023]
Location: Thong Sala
*Update*: Make It Pizza has unfortunately closed its doors.
Koh Phangan has a few great vegan pizza places to choose from and we didn't make it to Make It for a while... but once we tried their "Veg Out" we were hooked. They also have some garlic bread which they'll happily make vegan too. All around, a great place that offers up a couple of vegan options to choose from. And it's a little cheaper than Pizza Luna and Midnight Bistro too.
Top Pick: Veg Out pizza
Karma Kafe
Location: Srithanu
A cool vegan cafe in Srithanu where you can relax and enjoy some raw vegan food. The place is a favorite among a lot of the islander community so we couldn't leave it out of this list, but it hasn't quite won us over just yet. At least not for the prices.
Green Gallery [Closed from 2023]
Location: Srithanu
*Update*: Green Gallery has unfortunately closed its doors.
Green Gallery is one of those places in Koh Phangan that does it all: food, yoga, cooking classes - and every night they have a communal bonfire where you can eat and soak up the Phangan vibes. Not a cheap eat, but worth a visit or two.
Soul Organics
Location: Thong Sala
This little vegan gem is tucked away in the corner of Phantip markets. You'll find lots of affordable Thai food here that is absolutely delicious and the staff always have a friendly smile.
Top Pick: Massaman Curry
Tea Leaf pizza joint resurrected the former Midnight Bistro which closed down during COVID to much of Phangan's vegan community's dismay.
Tea Leaf Pizza is delicious and has friendly, welcoming staff.
Pho Phangan
Location: Thong Sala Food Court
Not a vegan restaurant, but a rare opportunity to get vegan Vietnamese in Koh Phangan. You'll have the option of Pho or Tofu Ban Mi. While we're yet to try the Pho, the Ban Mi was excellent and will satisfy that Vietnamese craving.
Top Pick: Crispy Tofu & Avocado Ban Mi
Hummus Shack
Location: Thong Sala
This small middle-eastern style restaurant sits at the back of Thong Sala's Phantip night market. Around full and half moon parties you won't miss it as they blast electronic music.. They serve meat and vegan options, and their hummus and falafel is well worth it. It's more expensive than Taboon in Srithanu and lacks Taboon's ambiance. However, the falafel probably nudges out Taboon.
Top Pick: Falafel Plate
Foods & Roots
Location: Chaloklum
Hidden away in the north of the island is Food & Roots, a beautiful vegan restaurant that backs right onto Chaloklum beach. The setting and restaurant itself are stunning and beachy. We ordered the quinoa-avocado wrap and mashed potatoes and tofu balls, however, the food served was basic and extremely over-priced. For that reason, we haven't returned.
If you've got the money, give it a try. However, this is not a budget-friendly vegan restaurant in our opinion.
Super Salad Bowl
Location: Thong Sala
This little food stall nestled away in the corner of the Thong Sala Food Court (not Pantip) is easily missable and doesn't look like much from the outside. We'd walked past this place numerous times before realizing they make great vegan bowls at a great value.
You can choose between a medium size bowl (which is big) for 80 Baht, which includes 7 ingredients of your choice. Or an even bigger bowl with 10 ingredients for 150.
You can add falafel, chickpeas, veggies, hummus, beans, and about 30 more options to choose from.
The food is served cold and most of it has been left out buffet style, but if you can look past that, you can't beat the value.
Top Pick: Make-it-Yourself Bowl
Ashoka Vegan [Closed from 2023]
Location: Srithanu
*Update*: Ashoka has unfortunately closed its doors.
Situated on the main street in Srithanu, Ashoka is a great place to grab a bite to eat. There are a few good options here, but you can't miss out on their burritos, which are huge and delicious.
Ashoka used to have a little stall in Phantip Markets where the burritos were a steal at 100 baht, but now it seems you can only get their food from their restaurant, which costs a little more - but trust us, they're still worth it.
Top pick: Red bean burrito
Big Mountain [Closed from 2023]
Location: Near Secret Beach
*Update*: Big Mountain restaurant has unfortunately closed its doors.
You'll no doubt catch the signs for Big Mountain restaurant when driving between Srithanu and Haad Yao.
It's located on the hill right before the stunning view overlooking Secret Beach. Nothing shouts vegan about this place from the road, so it was a long time before we decided to try it out. To our surprise, there were a lot of vegan options including a big vegan breakfast, tempeh and quinoa burgers, and lots more.
There's not a bad view from here too.
Deli Devi
Location: Srithanu
This small cafe on the roadside just outside of Srithanu is the perfect place for cheese and cake lovers. Their range of vegan cheese is incredible. They offer taste tests of almost everything so you can choose exactly what you want.
Their vegan cakes ooze quality with lots of natural alternatives to refined sugar. You can also buy cacao nibs here imported from Bali.
You won't be disappointed at Deli Devi, whether it's stopping for a coffee and cake or stocking up on vegan cheese.
Ando Loco
Location: Baan Tai
As of 2020, Ando Loco added a vegan section to their menu, which includes jackfruit burritos, nachos with vegan sour cream, and tacos.
We were very excited about this as there is a lack of vegan Mexican food in Koh Phangan. However, the food was mediocre and lacked vegan love. Also, the jackfruit burrito came out as a mushroom burrito without warning, so double check they have vegan ingredients available.
All in all, it's great Andos is catching up to the vegan movement, they just need to fine-tune it a bit.
Pura Vida Cafe
Location: Haad Yao
Pura Vida is a popular brunch spot in the center of Haad Yao. The small cafe isn't vegan, but there are a couple of vegan options if you want to try out a new place.
The vegan scrambled tofu was good and they also have a vegan burger for those who want lunch here.
They have soy milk if you're craving a latte too.
Organic Love Wholefood Kitchen [Closed from 2023]
Location: Srithanu
*Update*: Organic Love has unfortunately closed its doors.
This lesser-known vegan restaurant has the disadvantage of having Aree's and Green Gallery as its neighbors. However, you will find some good vegan eats here if you give it a try.
They do serve eggs, but for the most part, it's entirely vegan.
We tried the tempeh, cauliflower wings with vegan mayo, and the brekky burrito.
Vegan Local Thai Food
Luckily, local Thai food can be veganized easily too. This is because tofu is widely used as a meat replacement, and coconut milk is commonly used instead of dairy.
Here are examples of our favorite local dishes, all priced between 50-100 baht ($1.50-$3 USD) so you can't go wrong. You can find these meals throughout the island at local Thai restaurants.
- Fried rice/pineapple fried rice (as for no egg)
- Pad thai (Ask for no egg)
- Khao Soi (Check for meatless options)
Local vegan snacks and desserts
- Coconut pancakes
- Tropical fruit
- Mango sticky rice
Want to help stray dogs on koh phangan?
Phangan Animal Care For Strays Foundation is a non-profit organization operating in Koh Phangan, Thailand. They are always on the hunt for volunteers to help with the animals.
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Great information! Thank you for creating this!
Not many people know of or know the name of the “Other Thongsala market”.
The market actually had a big sign on the front “Koh Phangan Food Court” but they took it town because the government excise department wanted tax money for it. But it’s still referred to as such 😀
Thanks so much for your comment. It makes sense that its name is the Thong Sala Food Court.
Appreciate the insight! I will update to reflect that.
Jase
Koh Phangan Food Court
https://www.facebook.com/groups/210247833639794/?ref=share
Foods & Roots
Thank you for creating this guide. However I strongly disagree with your review about Foods & Roots in Chaloklum. Yes it is not what a traveller calls budget friendly, but have you even bothered to ask the owners why the prices are as they are? Vegan is not a synonym for healthy. There are many cheap vegan places on the island, but the ingredients are of poor quality as well. Thailands prices for quality food is more expensive than for factory made, full of pesticides & fungicides and unethically grown food, just like in every other country as well. Therefore I as a long term resident on the island love to treat myself with the lovely and healthy meals from Food & Roots when I go dining out.
Hi Angela, I appreciate your feedback on Foods & Roots and I see where you’re coming from.
However, this was our experience, unfortunately. Perhaps we can give it another shot one time!
This is great! I will definitely refer back to this post
When I visit the island!
That’s great to hear! When are you planning on visiting?
The food alone here is worth it. Not to mention the incredible beauty of the island.
Like!! Really appreciate you sharing this blog post.Really thank you! Keep writing.
Thanks for your feedback. We’re glad you’re enjoying the blog.