The Artisan Project

I came back from Bali and their amazing cool, innovative and delicious restaurants that Phuket had nothing like that to offer.  There are no super trendy delicious vegan or veggie restaurants I had found, or anything just offering a little different.  How wrong was I?!  Just five minutes down the road I was introduced to exactly what I thought was missing.  The Artisan Project serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, the menu is interesting and caters to all dietary requirements.  I was so happy to see super salads, a veggie burger, a vegan burger and delicious breakfast options.  I had a veggie burger, my husband the beetroot salad and we were both so excited and pleased by our meals.  They also have a 'grab and go' shop with homemade breads and baked treats.  The prices are reasonable and we will be back soon.

It is not the easiest to find but google will get you anywhere these days.  We also had to wait a very long time for one of the dishes but were then treated with 'to go' loaves of bread from the bakery.  I have found my new favourite spot!
9.6/10

Pesto

This restaurant was recommended to us ages ago and I just somehow forgot about it.  Yesterday we were thinking of going for dinner somewhere new and this place just popped in my mind.  It claims to be a Thai/mediterranean restaurant and having seen the menu this seems to be accurate.  We all ordered non-Thai as we have so many good Thai restaurants around us and wanted a change.   I was happy with the vegetarian options, a few salads at a ridiculously good price, a couple veggie soups, and inventive pasta dishes.  The fish options, for fish eaters was also extensive and everything was super cheap.  In fact, I was a little worried that the food would be slightly rubbish based on the price.  But nope it was fabulous, my salad had loads of veggies that I have not seen anywhere else on the islandt.  My minestrone soup was also delicious and a good size portion.  I have not eaten meat for 20 years but only included fish into this a year ago and the fish dish was very tempting.

The restaurant is not that easy to find, it is before super cheap and a little hidden off the road.

 The fish dish that almost ruined me, under 200 Baht.

 My soup

 My stacked salad, loads of delicious grilled veggies.  I have never even seen courgettes here!
It is the perfect restaurant for big groups, something for everyone.  There are probably only a hand full of veggie dishes but great price, great food and I will certainly be back.
9/10

Chiang Mai

Chang Mai is a Northern thai restaurant very close to us that we had never been to before.  It is a lovely spot, not a big place but it has a great feel.  Nice tables, it is clean, open aired kitchen if you want to see what is gonion and helpful friendly staff.  I was reluctant to go at first as was sure that they would have fish sauce in all.  To my pleasant surprise they had a full page vegetarian menu and assured me that they would not include fish sauce.  I only had a fried rice with vegetable as the dish I really wanted they were out of, it was simple but nice.  The other guests I was with, who all eat meat, loved their meals, so think it is a good spot for all type of eaters.

 A fairly big selection with some decent prices

My dish, nothing overly exciting but I am looking forward to returning and trying other things on the menu.  It is certainly one of the better Thai restaurants in the area for taking into consideration vegetarians.  It is located on the main road from the monument going West towards Cherngtalay and then all the Southern beach towns (Bang Tao, Surin, Patong, Karon...), I would guess 6-7km from the monument.
8/10

The Kebab House, Boat Avenue

This is a new restaurant in Boat Avenue and should be rather exciting for the veggies, as plenty of side dishes and a falafel kebab.  The prices are good, the location is good, the set up is nice.  But well first visit, was a disaster for a non meat eater.  Just at the end of my falafel, a few bites to go, chicken was found.  Now I just hate this, I know that sometimes my food must come in contact with meat but I hate seeing it and it makes my stomach turn when it is actually in my dish.  Now they were apologetic and said that maybe it came from the knife they were using, that it still had some chicken on it or something.  Well this statement really turned me off, as I am not really okay with the same knife being used anyways.  To be fair it has only just opened and I will give them a second chance but they definitely need to understand that us veggies are not okay with a bit of meat in our food.  They also still charged me for the meal.

 Some nice side dishes

 This is just the veggie page of the menu

Some of the side dishes.  As a side note, the french fries are way more expensive if you get in a combo and you get less of them. So if ordering fries order the side dish.

Overall, I am hoping the lack of interest and concern about the veggie food being in contact with the meat will be cleared up shortly and that this place becomes a viable option of non meat eaters.  I will go back in a month or so and give it a second chance.

Mr. Tan, Thalang

We have a friend visiting right now and her two favourite Thai places are the two that we rate highest, Mae's and the Vegetarian restaurant.  Well last night we were all geared up for Mae's, two minutes down the road, understands veggie's and is frankly the best Thai place we have found thus far.  Devastatingly, they were closed when we arrived, so we had to think on our feet.  About 2km's away there is another Thai restaurant that looks really nice from the road and that my husband had tried once before, so off we headed.
I hate to say it but I kind of knew upon arrival it was not going to be fantastic.  Maybe it was the look of the menu, or the emptiness of it at dinner time, but I had a feeling.  For veggie's the options on the menu were stif fried vegetable dishes, to me this is not a meal more of a side dish so that was disappointing.   However, I was able to order a green curry with vegetables so that was something, I am always just worried it may have fish sauce or something else in it of the meat persuasion.  So I had vegetable tempura (well we all shared) and then green curry.  Average, both, and more expensive than Mae's down the road.  However, I can see how it has a bit more going on then Mae's which maybe why is slightly more expensive. It opens to 1am, has pool table, sometimes bands and a proper bar.  Maybe if we came just for an evening and not for dinner I would have been more impressed.

 The menu

 My very white green curry, but there were loads of vegetables.  It was definitely okay.

Vegetable tempura, a big serving which was good for three.  But again, it was just okay, I probably will not rush back for it.
There is a huge menu, and might be a great spot for a night out or a meat eater.  But as a veggie I will most probably not be back for a meal.
6/10
Mr. Tan is on the main road from the monument to Cherngtalay.  It is definitely a pretty spot with lots of lights in the treats and it looks very inviting.

The Mexican, Boat Avenue

The Mexican is a stationary food truck in Boat Avenue, it has a great outside area to eat and 99 Baht Margarita's.  It is definitely a great place for a casual Mexican meal.  The veggie tacos are super yummy, and the veggie Nachos are usually pretty yummy.  However, the Burritos are just filled with rice and not exceptionally special.  When I am looking for a really good Mexican meal I will go across the road to Mamacita where the veggie options are far superior for the same price.

 But it has a nice vibe here, and you can watch the world go by as you sit in the middle of the often bustling Boat Avenue.

 The veggie tacos are pretty fabulous (ignore the meat ones beside).

And a note for the vegans out there, there is a lot of cheese on most dishes.  And if you asked for no cheese you may just up with extra rice and beans, whereas Mamacita has more choice.
Everything taken into account, there are quite a few vegetarian options here and it is is exactly what you would expect from a Mexican food truck in Phuket.
8/10

Panwa Beachfront Resort's Brunch, Panwa

Brunch here is my favourite Sunday activity and we bring every visitor we have as it is properly amazing.  It is ridiculous value for money only 470 Baht for delicious food and the use of all their facilities for the day.  And the place is beautiful, the beach, the views, the pool, all breath taking.  Now for a veggie the brunch is not as spectacular as it is for a meat eater but they always have one hot veggie dish, loads of salads, pastas and desserts.  

 The entrance, it is a gorgeous hotel in a perfect spot.

 Pasta station

Salad station

 Veggie Ratatouille

I cannot comment about the other meals here but his one is definitely a must.  It is the perfect way to spend a Sunday.  There are loads of brunches around the island for four times the price.  I would never pay for this as it is never worth it if you are vegetarian but this one is more than worth it.  

9/10

Divino Tapas, Boat Avenue

This is the first place we ate and when we arrived so I do have a certain soft spot for it.  What is especially nice is the staff always remember us and also are dog friendly.  We are people who would much rather sit outside, and this place has a lovely patio that often someone is playing some light music on.  However, if you are an AC person they do have a nice in doors and bar area.
The place has a huge menu with loads of Tapas, main courses and an additional Thai menu.  It is a good place for us as there is a lot that I can chose from but also great for carnivores too.  
I have had several veggie dishes here, nothing really blows your mind but there is choice for veggies and it is a nice place to be.  The risotto is always nice, not exceptional, but nice and I have enjoyed several nice Tapas.

I would say the bill has always averaged about 500 Baht, with a glass of wine and food.  So not bad, drop the wine and you are probably looking at 300.  I think the nicest thing here is the easy atmosphere, the music and the people watching. 
You can find Divino amongst many other restaurants in Boat Avenue so if you arrive and it is not your thing all is not lost!  That is the great thing about this area, loads of nice restaurants.
8/10

108 Vegetarian, Cherngtalay

This is by far the best veggie restaurant I have eaten at here and probably anywhere!  I think every dish is also vegan friendly, so a place to try for all type of eaters.  My husband, Luis, would ideally like meat at most meals and he loves this place.  In  the year I have lived here, I have eaten here probably 50 times and it never gets boring.  Besides being super delicious it is ridiculously cheap, their wonderful green curry is 45 Baht (1 pound or $1.25), the bubble tofu and cashew nut if the same price and the best dish ever.  We spend 100 Baht here and share the best meal often with left overs.  The other week I had 7 ladies over for dinner, and as we do not really have a useful kitchen I bought us a wide variety here.  The total was 600 Baht (under 20 pounds or dollars) and we had loads of left overs, in fact the next day three of us shared the rest for lunch.

If you are staying in or anywhere North of Bang Tao, I would suggest making this short journey.  It really is a vegetarians dream and in fact meat eaters love it too.  It is by no means a fancy place, just a small, clean restaurant with a yellow sign outside that says 'Vegetarian'.  But it is super easy to find, it is right next door to Red Tuna, which you can find in google maps or something similar.  
It really is my star place. Oh and it does not open on Sunday and closes by 8pm every other evening.
10/10

Bampot, Cherngtalay

We have been here for drinks before and knew already that the place has a vibrant busy atmosphere.  It has a huge funky bar and the restaurant has a modern fresh feel.  But what did it for us, is the patio, where our little dog Lola was welcomed with open arms.  
Last night we were headed out for an Indian when we decided to stop in here for a drink.  We are quite friendly with the front of house here and we love how excitedly we are greeted upon our arrival (I would like to think this is just for us but I know that she is just as friendly and bubbly with every guest).
While we had a glass of wine we decided to indulge in some of the well priced snacks on offer.  We had Thai cauliflower and a Spanish omelette, both were great and lovely to snack on while we had a drink.  At this point I was actually quite full, and we were enjoying the atmosphere so decided to stay on for some small pates rather than the planned Indian.
I had the aubergine tartin, which was nice and one of four choices for veggies, not bad for the small plate options.

 The omelette and cauliflower.

My small plate, it was nice but not as nice as the dishes across the road at Tatonka.  
The main courses here are quite expensive (450 onwards) and for a veggie you have a choice between a risotto and a pasta dish (both very posh).  
The wine and cocktails here are fantastic, the atmosphere is buzzing and for a place to have drinks and some light snacks it is definitely a place I would come too.  But I think in terms of options and value for money for us veggies I will still head across the street to Tatonka for dinner.
8/10

Skye Lake Club, Boat Avenue

I have wanted to try here for ages but usually we have Lola with us and I knew it would not be that sort of place.  This evening we went for 'date' night.  It is on a small lake in Boat Avenue and has a very nice setting.  I am not sure why but I just had a feeling that the food would not be spectacular and I was correct.  However, the price was quite good (and some places around there can be very pricey), the staff were amazing and the atmosphere was lovely.

 You can sit inside or outside here but I would hugely recommend sitting outside on the lake.  There is 

 I had the truffle soup and then the truffle risotto.  The only other warm veggie options were pizza and vegetable lasagna.  So not much to choose from but as I usually love risotto I thought I would be fine.  I think I probably should have not had two truffle dishes but really there was nothing that thrilled at me.  

But the staff were great, as they gave Luis the bill and as it was my treat Luis jokingly said it was his birthday and look what we (albeit embarrassingly) received.
There is some live music as well as TV's with some sport on.  There are very few veggie options on the menu and I am not sure we would race back.  Having said that, it was very good value for money considering some of the prices around the area and we did get a birthday cake..
7/10 although I would possibly increase this a point due to the calming setting and view.

Ta wai, Boat Avenue

Ta wai is a bit of a 'posh' Thai restaurant.  It looks fairly small from the outside but surprisingly big once you get inside.  All the meat eaters I bring here really love it, apparently the soft shell crab is fantastic.  Because of this I have been here a couple of times.  They do have several vegetarian options and the ones I have had are quite good.  I am not sure that they are worth the increased prices but the atmosphere is nice and it is a good option if you have big Thai meat eaters with you.  The staff are friendly and helpful and they let Lola (my dog) in so that is aways a bonus with me.

 They also do cookery courses here.

 It has quite a big vegetarian menu, the biggest I have seen in Phuket, so this is a big plus.

It is not as good as Mae's (see the post) which is not only better value but taste.  However, it does have a great atmosphere and it is more of a 'restaurant' than the near by Mae's.  You can get good cocktails, short drinks, beer and wine, where as Mae's only has beer.  It also has far more options for all types of eaters here and the price is still not very high, a main course averages 250 Baht.  It is still my go to for people who want loads of yummy Thai food of every  variety.
8/10 

Rasta Cafe, Phuket Town

I had heard some good things about the food and we have had a good night out there so we thought we would give Rasta Cafe a go.  Me and my husband (Luis) had a drink while we looked through the menu but there really was nothing for a vegetarian.  At a push I could have had a plate of fried vegetables and add some rice but really that is not my sort of thing.  Plus I did not feel overly confident that my food would truly be vegetarian.  So I think we will stick with nights out there and Luis can try it on his own or with fellow meat eating friends.

So strictly as a vegetarian, I gotta give it a poor 3/10.  You could get something but to be fair not a lot of options.

The Gallery Cafe, Phuket Town

I have only had breakfast here but it was the best I have had in Phuket for veggie's.  They have loads of choice and it all looked delicious.  You can have a big fry up with grilled veggies, mushrooms, hash browns or pancakes, french toast, poached eggs, veggie omelettes, avocado toast, there really is loads specifically for vegetarians.  They also have delicious juices, home made bread and coffee.
The atmosphere is great and you really get the feel you are somewhere 'cooler' than most in Phuket.  It has a great relaxed trendy vibe.  I really cannot wait to go again.

The price was good, compared to what I have seen in most breakfast places here . About 200 baht.  I had a peak at the lunch menu which seemed equally as veggie friendly but will have to return to see.
For breakfast I would rate it 9/10.
http://www.gallerycafe-phuket.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Gallery-Menu.pdf

Mae's Restaurant, Srisoontorn Road, Thalang

 Mae's restaurant has the best Thai food on the island.  It is fresh, delicious and cheap as chips.  She will also make proper veggie food, meaning no fish sauce.  This is not common and many Thai dishes will still contain fish sauce even if they tell you it is veggie.  The veggie menu is not huge and not always advertised as veggie, but you can request it.  I have had well over one hundred green curry's here, and it never gets old.  Simply delicious and with rice 100 Baht. She also has salad's and soups that she will do proper veggie.  

Mae's is both popular with locals and foreigners so when you request a hot dish be prepared!  You can find Mae's close to Kate's Hair Salon (you can google that), about 4km from Heroine's monument on Srisoontorn Road.  They have recently refurbished and there are a few more tables.  It can be very busy at lunch, so be prepared to wait a little bit.  They close by 8pm on a night, so do not go to late.  

9/10