Basil Nut Cafe& Restaurant

A decade into its run on Katoomba Street, this pan-Asian kitchen works as a cafe through the day and a proper sit-down restaurant after dark, recently confident enough to open a second room down the hill in Springwood. The cooking leans Thai, all fragrant curries, stir-fried tofu and noodle plates, but the reason it lands here is a genuine, separate vegan menu that regulars ask for by name, alongside a deep bench of vegetarian and gluten-free dishes. Ginger tofu and Buddha bowls draw the plant-based crowd; the vegan desserts hold their own. Prices stay reasonable for the mountains, portions are generous, and the staff field dietary questions as routine rather than as an imposition. Open for lunch and dinner six days, closed Tuesdays.