gluten-free bakery – Gluten Free Me

Best Gluten-Free Options in Prague: A Foodie’s Trip

October 19, 2024October 19, 2024Posted in PragueTagged dairy-free, Eastern Europe, European travel, food, gluten-free, gluten-free bakery, gluten-free food, gluten-free Prague, gluten-free restaurants, lactose-free, Prague, Travel, veganLeave a comment

I spent a week in a sunny Prague over the summer. Staying in an apartment meant that I prepared some meals at home, but I wasn’t short of delicious gluten-free options when eating out.

Restaurants

Alriso

A dedicated gluten-free Italian restaurant situated in a tucked away square, offering the perfect spot to sit and watch the world go by. I really enjoyed it here so visited twice. I had some gorgeous gluten-free and lactose-free bread and oil, steak, and risotto over my two visits.

Bassotto

Fancy a pizza? Bassotto is 100% gluten-free and they offer vegan cheese too! This restaurant is nestled away so you may not notice it walking by. I watched the chef freshly make my margherita pizza, and it was as good as it looks. Bassotto offers the option to takeaway or eat in, and also had a selection of gluten-free and some dairy-free sweet treats.

My Raw Cafe

As a coeliac I often find myself at vegan restaurants like My Raw Cafe. As an avid meat and gluten-eater before my diagnosis, I wouldn’t have gone out of my way to get a table here in the past, but boy would I have been missing out. I went for the full three courses and did not regret a single bite. This was without a doubt my favourite meal of the trip – 100% gluten-free, raw and vegan!

Restaurace u Agamy

Restaurace u Agamy is a dedicated gluten-free restaurant offering local cuisine. It looked absolutely gorgeous, but visiting in the 35 degree heat of the summer, I didn’t much feel like eating a warm hearty meal like this. If I were to travel back in cooler temperatures, I’d be sure to pay a visit here.

Hard Rock Cafe

Always a winner, you can find Hard Rock Cafe in the heart of the city. As a Coeliac UK approved restaurant chain, you can rest assured the menu will cater for coeliacs and gluten-free diners.

Bakeries

Babiccina Spiz

I didn’t get chance to visit but Babiccina Spiz is a popular and well-reviewed gluten-free bakery.

Buchta Cukrarstvi

Another gluten-free bakery in Prague offering breads and sweet treats. I didn’t visit here, but the photos look awesome.

Svet Bez Lepku

Yet another gluten-free bakery which I didn’t have time to visit. You’re spoilt for choice!

Supermarkets

Albert

I found an Albert supermarket closely to my apartment, and there are stores dotted around the city. They had a dedicated gluten-free section in the stores I visited, filled with lots of local and international gluten-free brands such as Schar. Local brand Nature’s Promise, also seemed to offer lots of gluten-free products including oats and biscuits. I was also lactose intolerant during this trip and they had plenty of lactose-free options including yoghurts and chocolate.

Useful words and phrases

English

Gluten-free

Gluten

Milk

Czech

Bez Lepek

Lepek

Mleko

Overall verdict

Overall rating

I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to get my hands on gluten-free food in Prague. There were plenty of options both in terms of dedicated gluten-free eateries and clearly marked gluten-free products in stores.

Coeliac friendly

I felt that coeliac disease and allergies were both generally understood and treated seriously in the places I visited.

Safety

All the places I visited understood the need to avoid cross-contamination and with lots of dedicated restaurants and bakeries. As a result I felt really safe in the restaurants I ate in.

Gluten-Free Restaurants London

November 14, 2023December 17, 2023Posted in Europe, UKTagged gluten-free bakery, gluten-free london, gluten-free restaurants, London restuarantsLeave a comment

On my first trip to London since being diagnosed with coeliac disease I was excited to explore of London’s plentiful options when it comes to gluten-free problem. The only problem was finding the time for them all in just one weekend. I’ve included the places I’ve visited plus some eateries that are very much on my list for next time.

Ugly Dumpling

My first gluten-free dumplings did not disappoint! Complete with gluten-free soy sauce, gluten-free tempura aubergine and a delicious dessert of assorted mochi, at no point of the meal did I feel I was missing out, far from it. Set in a cozy corner of Soho, the restaurant is decorated with quirky hand-decorated dumpling coasters from its many satisfied customers. I already can’t wait to return.

Ceviche

With most of ceviche’s menu being gluten-free, it felt a safe bet for a coeliac like myself. The menu is largely sharing plates, making it a great option to go with a group to try plenty of the menu. I ordered the aubergine tacu tacu, cassava fries, crispy squid jalea and Yana tuna ceviche.

Sarava

Gluten-free crepe anyone?! Located in Brixton Village Market, Sarava offers a wide range of buckwheat crepes including ample selection of both sweet and savoury options. I opted for the picante.

Where the pancakes are

I didn’t make it here, but Where the pacakes are offer a dairy-free, wheat-free and vegan batter option for pancakes, with plenty of sweet and savoury options on their all-day menu.

Bubala

Another one on my gluten-free London bucket list, full of Middle Eastern dishes. Bubala have two restaurants, one in Soho and another in Spitalfields. Gluten-free options are clearly marked on the menu and they boast plenty of good reviews from fellow gluten-free diners.

Fully gluten-free

Station 26

Located just around the corner from Sarava in Brixton Village Market, Station 26 is fully gluten-free with plenty of rave reviews for brunch, lunch and dinner.

Near and Far

I haven’t tried this one yet, but Near and Far looks like a great spot for fully gluten-free food plus yummy cocktails.

Niche

Located in Angel, I haven’t personally tried this gluten, nut and sesame-free restaurant yet but the food on their Instagram looks delicious – I’m talking gluten-free fried chicken, focaccia and chicken schnitzel.

Gluten-free bakeries

Libby’s

I was spoilt for choice when it came to gluten-free bakeries, but with limited time and so many to try, I only had the time to visit just the one on this trip. I opted for Libby’s at Belsize Park, which offered plenty of gluten-free delights. I sampled the pan au chocolate, cookies, danish, sourdough bread and bagel (not all in one sitting – thankfully I was told the bread and bagel freeze well). They also offered plenty of other cakes and croissants, with some vegan options too.

gluten-free sourdough from Libby's gluten-free bakery

Cookies and Scream

On my list for my next visit, Cookies and Scream is a fully gluten-free AND vegan bakery located near Holloway Road tub station. Based on their website and Instagram it looks like they offer plenty of cookies, brownies, doughnuts, pies and shakes. I look forward to giving this a try.

Vida Bakery

Another fully gluten-free and vegan bakery located in Shoreditch, offering cakes, brownies, cookies and cookie dough. Their website also offers plenty of options to buy online for nationwide UK delivery.

Cream Dream

Offering gluten-free, vegan and refined sugar-free delights near Charing Cross, I didn’t make it here, but Cream Dream’s Instagram suggests lots of yummy eclairs, dumplings and cakes.

Chain restaurants

Leon

Travelling from King’s Cross station made Leon a handy place to grab a gluten-free bite whilst on my travels. I tried the squash salad, waffle fries, and dahl. Perfect for a gluten-free bite on the go.

gluten-free waffle fries and dahl from Leon at King's Cross

Honest Burgers

Scattered across the city, Honest Burgers has plenty of positive reviews from coeliacs, offering gluten-free burger buns.

There were a few other restaurants which I wanted to try but after contacting and explaining that I am coeliac they said that unfortunately they would not be able to accommodate. These included Banh Banh in Brixton, Oka and Imad’s Syrian Kitchen – a shame as they all looked delicious. It may be worth contacting yourself if you’re keen to try as restaurants may change their procedures.

Frankfurt: A Gluten-Free Guide

October 23, 2023October 19, 2024Posted in Europe, Germany, TravelTagged frankfurt, Germany, gluten-free bakery, Travel, vegan, vegetarianLeave a comment

I found Frankfurt a really tricky city to navigate on a gluten-free diet. After doing lots of research before my visit I found very few restaurants with good reviews from gluten-free diners and the coeliac community (those I sourced mainly came from Find Me Gluten Free). I emailed plenty of restaurants to see if they offered gluten-free options and to enquire if they were able to avoid cross-contamination in the kitchen. Unfortunately the answer I came up against on numerous occasions was a ‘no’ on both accounts.

If you’re travelling to Frankfurt and need to avoid gluten, I’d recommend doing some research beforehand, contacting restaurants ahead of time, and as always, travelling prepared with gluten-free snacks if possible. Whilst eating gluten-free was a challenge in Frankfurt, it certainly isn’t impossible. In this posts I’ve included some of the best gluten-free eateries I found.

Lua Cuisine

Update October 2024

Lua Cuisine is a gorgeous Vietnamese restaurant where the food just so happens to be gluten-free….win-win! The menu had plenty of options for starter, main and dessert and had lots of vegetarian and vegan options too. I went for crispy duck with passion fruit dressing, accompanied with pak choi and shiitake mushrooms.

Isabella Glutenfreie Patisserie

Wow! Isabella Glutenfreie Patisserie had it all. A dedicated gluten-free bakery offering gluten-free macaroons, cakes, breads, brownies, biscuits, chocolate and so much more. They also offered plenty of vegan options too. I tried the gluten-free brownie, white chocolate cheesecake and blackberry mousse tart – all were incredible.

Vevay

Update October 2024 – Unfortunately Vevay has closed since writing this post in 2023.

Vevay is a vegetarian restaurant offering plenty of clearly marked gluten-free and vegan options. I had the sweet potato fries with guacamole plus the mango rice noodle bowl with lots of colourful veggies. Super tasty and healthy food options. Their gluten-free desserts including the creme brûlée looked delicious but unfortunately I didn’t have room after my feast. I’d recommend booking a table here as it gets busy.

mango rice noodle bowl from Vevay vegetarian restaurant in Frankfurt, Germany

EatDoori Deli

This one was well-recommended on Find My Gluten Free so I thought I’d give it a go. They are a small shopping centre food outlet offering various curry bowls. I was assured that all of the options (apart from the breads of course) were gluten-free. I went for the chicken tikka curry bowl pictured below.

Glutenfreie Kaffeebar by Alex

So disappointed I didn’t make it here as it looks awesome. Glutenfreie Kaffeebar by Alex is a dedicated gluten-free cafe in Frankfurt and well recommended by coeliacs.

Supermarkets

Rewe

I shopped at a few Rewe stores across the city and each had a small gluten-free offering gluten-free breads, pastas, crackers, cookies, chocolate and waffles.

DM

DM is a healthstore with a small health foods section where I found gluten-free wraps, pretzels, breads, biscuits and pastas. There were plenty of DMs dotted around the city so you’ll never be too far from one of these stores.

Gluten-free German Vocabulary

Whilst plenty of people spoke excellent English, I found it helpful to learn a few words and phrases, particularly when looking at the lists of ingredients on supermarket food items.

English

I am coeliac

I can’t eat gluten

Cross-contamination

Gluten-free

Wheat

Barley

Rye

German

Ich bin Zöliakie

Ich kann kein gluten essen

Kreuzkontamination

Glutenfrei

Weizen

Gerste

Roggen

Overall verdict

Overall rating

I’m giving Frankfurt two stars simply because during my time there I found few eateries which offered gluten-free options and where I felt confident that cross-contamination was avoided. Overall it didn’t seem commonplace to mark items as gluten-free on menus, and staff didn’t seem too aware of the importance of gluten-free foods.

Coeliac friendly

Coeliac disease didn’t seem widely understood and few restaurants I encountered were aware of or able to offer gluten-free options. When asking about cross-contamination, many said they did not take measures such as using separate fryers or chopping boards etc to avoid cross-contamination.

Safety

The places where I did eat I felt were safe in offering gluten-free options and avoiding cross contamination. As always, I have only included places where I have had positive experiences.

Leeds: Wildcraft Bakery

September 17, 2023December 17, 2023Posted in LeedsTagged Bakery, bread, doughnut, eating out, gluten-free bakery, gluten-free food, gluten-free restaurants, Leeds, UKLeave a comment

Since being diagnosed with coeliac disease, like many, I’ve been pining for the doughy, stodginess of bread, cakes, and doughnuts. So when I found out I had a gluten-free bakery just 10 minutes from where I live I was pretty excited to try it out. Here’s what I found…

Gluten-free white bread

Bread is one of the foods which is so hard to replicate gluten-free. Thankfully Wildcraft Bakery do a pretty decent job with their gluten-free white bloomer.

It has a slight crustiness to its outer and the crumby softness of white bread. Unlike some of the gluten-free breads you may find in supermarkets, this doesn’t have to be toasted to be enjoyed, but can be happily devoured in its natural non-toasted state – bon appetite!

Wildcraft Bakery also offer teff wholemeal, sprouted buckwheat and multigrain soda breads.

Gluten-free doughnuts

With so many different doughnuts on offer at Wildcraft it would be rude to simply sample just the one. So I went on a culinary journey sampling three of the many different options on offer: the apple pie doughnut, “The Terry” chocolate orange doughnut and the not-biscoff doughnut.

The apple crumble doughnut tastes just like the gooey, comforting apple crumble you’re hoping for, but better yet- it’s in a doughnut! The oozing centre keeps this one interesting but never soggy.

Terry’s chocolate orange is definitely something I’ve missed since embarking on a gluten-free diet, so I couldn’t resist giving this one a try. A ring doughnut with a chocolate orange glaze, giving hints of that classic chocolate orange flavour without being overpowering.

Now the ‘not-biscoff’ doughnut takes the crown in my book. This dense doughnut oozes a ‘not-biscoff’ butter from its centre and for me tastes just like the real thing. After kidding myself that I’ll save half for later“, I couldn’t help myself and went all in for the full thing and no regrets. I’ll be stocking up on these on my next visit I think.

Here I sampled just a few of the treats on offer at Wildcraft Bakery, and from what I’ve had I’ll definitely be back for more. They also offer cookies, cakes, scones and much more. They also offer delivery from their website, so you don’t have to live in Leeds to get a slice of the action.