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Having a wholesome breakfast or brunch is the best way to start your day. On Koh Tao there are plenty of cafes which offer fresh and healthy food. In this post I’m writing about my top five breakfast cafes on Koh Tao. I’ll tell you more about the vibes, menu, whether it’s a good place to work at and also included an exclusive coffee review!
Because there is nothing better than a long and nice breakfast to start your day.
The following cafes are quite different from each other when it comes to the vibe and the location. However they all combine one thing: Healthy and nutritious food with plant based options. I do love Thai food for dinner, but for breakfast I like to stick to Western food. I’ve randomly chosen the order as I equally love these cafes and they’re really hard to compare. With time I developed a roster and can be found in either of those cafes every day. All of the cafes are dog friendly!
The Factory Cafe is located in the middle of the island on the mainroad between Mae Haad and Sairee. The interior is a mix of wood and concrete and lots of green plants. All in all a very modern and bright space. Opening hours are from around 8am to 4pm.
Work from there: I love doing creative work at Factory Cafe. The high tables at the front are great to work from as they give you a nice view over the road but also some privacy. There are a few sockets in the cafe to charge your laptop. The internet is great! If you need a quiet space and to make calls I wouldn’t go to Factory Cafe as depending on how busy it is the background noise can be disturbing. There is air conditioning in the cafe.
Food at Factory cafe is wholesome, nutritious and offers lots of plant based options. They serve typical brunch dishes (tofu scramble, avo on toast, smoothie bowls), main dishes (healthy bowls, wraps), smoothies and healthy vegan treats. But this is just a fraction of the menu.
I have two favorite dishes which I always get. The sweeter one is the choc lovers smoothie bowl (180 THB) – perfect for those who love chocolate. The base is a mix of banana and cocoa, topped with home made granola, peanut butter and chocolate sauce. Feels like eating dough – so addictive! I’ve probably had over 50 bowls so far.
Another all time favourite is the tofu scramble with vegan sausage (170 THB). A savory, filling and healthy dish.
Why I love Factory Cafe: There are plenty of reasons why I go to Factory Cafe at least twice a week. Lovely staff, amazing food and drinks, nice atmosphere and also a great place to just spend a few hours reading a book. Walking distance to the beach is maybe three minutes so it’s the perfect spot to start your daily adventures from.
The Factory Cafe offers all variety of fresh coffee: cold-brew, iced, hot, several milk options, etc. On the picture you see a large cappuccino.
Size: 10/10
Froth: 10/10
Taste: 9/10
Coconut Monkey is located close to the pier in Mae Haad area. What makes it so special is that it’s right at the beach. The wooden and open design combined with relaxed music gives you 100 % paradise vibes. Opening hours are from around 8am to 5pm.
Work from there: Working from Coconut Monkey is possible and nice, when you got one of the normal tables and a fan in front of you. Depending on the weather and time of the day it can get quite hot as the cafe is an open space without AC. The good thing is that there are plenty of sockets. The cafe also invites to stay there for longer, work or read a book. Again, there is background music and normal cafe atmosphere so it’s not the most quiet place.
Coconut Monkey has a big breakfast and lunch menu (both meat and plant based dishes). They also have some nice treats in the fridge (vegan truffles, banana bread, cheesecake).
I usually create my own breakfast: tofu scramble (the best!), mushroom jerky, baked beans, spinach and wholewheat toast (around 120 THB). My favorite drink is their Kombucha (50 THB) which is made on Koh Tao (the best!). I can barely keep myself getting the banana bread (40 THB) and vegan chocolate truffles. Sometimes they have banoffee pie which is so good!
Why I love Coconut Monkey: Coconut Monkey just always gives me this island holiday feeling. It’s a very laid back atmosphere with fantastic location. The staff is lovely and I always bump into a person to have a chat with. Cheese, the small chihuahua, is adorable and loves cuddles (update 10/2022: This little girl now rests in peace). When I was on Koh Tao for the first time I went to Coconut Monkey almost every day and wrote a first blogpost about it as I loved it so much.
Coffee at Coconut Monkey is just perfect. Big, tasty and perfect froth. It makes it very hard for me to choose between a coffee or a Kombucha. I also love the iced latte with almond milk.
Size: 10/10
Froth: 10/10
Taste: 10/10
Big Tree Cafe can be found opposite the big gas station in Mae Haad. From the outside it doesn’t look special, but at the latest when you enter the cafe you’ll literally find yourself in the middle of the jungle. There are so many plants! The interior is also a mix between wooden and concrete elements. Opening hours are 9am – 4pm.
Work from there: I’ve personally never worked from Big Tree as for me it is more the “read a book, have nice food and relax” atmosphere. But I often see people working from there so it definitely is possible. The cafe has busy hours but due to the vibes it always feels peaceful.
Big Tree has a great variety of breakfast and lunch dishes. From vegan to meaty and fish dishes and desserts like waffles. Everything super fresh and home made!
I have to admit that there is only one dish I’ve had at Big Tree because it’s just SO good! Hummus on toast with avocado (150 THB) is my all time favorite. So fresh & filling. Combined with an iced mocha with coconut milk.
In my opinion Big Tree makes the best pain au chocolat on the whole island. They warm it up and there’s a lot of chocolate inside which gets melty. Hmmm… give me more.
Why I love Big Tree: Coming to Big Tree feels like entering a different world every time I go there. There’s such a relaxing and peaceful vibe in the cafe. Combined with the food it makes my day. The staff is super friendly and contributes the whole atmosphere. Coming to Big Tree just gives a good feeling.
Big Tree also has many different coffee options. My favorite is the iced mocha with coconut milk. Very chocolatey! But also the cappuccino is great.
Size: 6/10
Froth: 9/10
Taste: 9/10
Cafe Culture is on Sairee Beach and offers beautiful views over the ocean. The open space cafe is very modern in a clean and simple way. The cafe looks quite fancy but the prices are similar to the other cafes.
Work from there: Working from Cafe Culture is nice because of the ocean view and the soft breeze. However they don’t have sockets so you need to come fully charged. The atmosphere is really chilled though.
Cafe Culture has a diverse breakfast and lunch menu. It is not as health focused as the other menus but in the end it depends on what you choose. A full English, sandwiches and burgers are some examples. They also have a special vegan section for breakfast with a vegan BLT, tofu scramble sandwich and the vegan breakfast. Cafe Culture does have some desserts (pancakes) but no cakes or baked treats.
I usually get the vegan breakfast which consists of baked beans, tofu scramble, baguette, spinach, tomato and mushrooms. Very filling for 160 THB. Combined with an iced mocha with soy milk (70 THB) this is my all time favorite.
Why I love Cafe Culture: Having breakfast at Cafe Culture gives me this holiday feeling. At this part of Sairee Beach you can perfectly see the different shades of the ocean, the sand is white and clear. There’s usually also a nice breeze which doesn’t make it too hot. The food gets served quite quickly and the service is great!
I love the iced Mocha with Soy Milk. However the cappucchino is also really nice. Cafe Culture has lots of other coffee drinks as well.
Size: 6/10
Froth: 9/10
Taste: 8/10
Last but not least I want to recommend a stunning place and must visit on Koh Tao. Baan Talay is a resort up on the hill with a stunning view over Aow Leuk beach and the neighbour island Koh Phangan. This cafe is a bit surreal. The view, the whole interior, the vibe is quite unique. It’s a 10 minute ride from Mae Haad so not too many people know about this hidden gem. You would expect high prices but they are similar to the other cafes. The resort also offers yoga classes which is a nice thing to do.
Work from there: I used to take my laptop every now and then to work from Baan Talay. It’s a very peaceful and quiet atmosphere. If you’re lucky you can get a spot with a socket but most of the seats are on the terrace.
The food at Baan Talay is a mix of Western healthy breakfast (both plant based and normal) and a Thai menu for lunch and dinner. They serve for example tofu scramble on home made bread (160 THB).
The servings are not super big but considering the location it’s a great value! They also always have some nice home made cakes in the fridge (banana, chocolate, lemon drizzle).
Why I love Baan Talay: I usually choose to go to Baan Talay simply because of the view and atmosphere. It’s not a “normal” place to just have breakfast. It’s a cafe where you can have good food, relax and take your time. An incredibly peaceful place. The only challenging thing is the driving up and down the hill to the cafe. I would not recommend walking there.
Baan Talay offers different hot and iced coffees which look amazing.
Taste: 6/10
Size: 6/10
Froth: 7/10
I think this blogpost shows perfectly how amazing food on Koh Tao can be. And to be honest there are many more cafes which deserve to be listed here. I focused on my personal favorite five – if you have a look on Google maps though, you will find even more. All these cafes are very Western and don’t serve original Thai food (except for Baan Talay). I might write another one focusing on my fav Thai dinner places soon.
I hope this guide helped you to choose the perfect place to start your day on Koh Tao. If you need some inspiration on what to do on Koh Tao check out my five top things to do on Koh Tao and enjoy this paradise!
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