Genius gluten-free tea! 18 May 2010 4:23 AM (14 years ago)

Thanks to the lovely people at Mission Media, I was invited to the Genius gluten-free tea at Claridge's last week. It was the start of a genius friendship between, erm, Genius and Claridge's - who will now offer a gluten-free tea, similar to the Ritz (see previous post).

In my humble opinion, Genius bread is the best g-f bread available, and it lent itself amazingly well to crustless, triangle sandwiches with delicious fillings - anyone who didn't know would have struggled to identify the fact that they were sans gluten. As the harpist serenaded us, and champagne glasses clinked, we were brought more and more sandwiches, and then, joy of all joys - GLUTEN-FREE SCONES with cream and jam!

This was something I seriously missed at the g-f Ritz tea and these were small but perfectly formed mouthfuls of pure heaven. Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne, the creator of Genius products, is a michelin-starred chef and has spent years developing her g-f recipes. Her passion for creating great g-f food really comes through in the flavours and textures of her products and these scones were no exception! Such a treat. We also scoffed Claridge's desserts that were naturally g-f - raspberry macaroons and gorgeously rich chocolate mousse-cake but nothing triumphed the fact that here we all were, eating gluten-free tea - with finger sandwiches and scones - just like the rest of the gluten-eating world. Genius.
There was a great speech by Lucinda herself, who just proved what a lovely, down-to-earth person she was, and her dedication to the g-f cause is something we should all be very thankful for. With more people like her pushing great g-f products to supermarkets etc, hopefully they will respond by stepping up their game, meaning that g-f products just keep improving! Yay!

New Free From range and 50% off at Sainsbury's... 2 Mar 2010 7:01 AM (15 years ago)

So just a quick update (and an apology that it's been so long...) - just had an email from Sainsbury's promoting their all-new and improved Free From range. Some of it's on offer at 50% off and even the stuff that isn't looks worth trying out! I though the new 'granola-style' cereal looked good - and no nasties in it either - all natural, good stuff - YUM!

Please post a comment if you try any of the new stuff and let us all know what it's like, and I'll do the same.

Fingers crossed it's good...!

Genius bread!! 6 Sep 2009 8:11 AM (15 years ago)

Having just raved about Mrs Crimble's new fresh g-f loaf, I didn't think I would find anything better - at least not for a while... However, I think I have! It's a new product called Genius bread and is made by a mum who has children with allergies (according to the website, anyway!). It's only available in Tesco at the moment I think but it's well worth taking a trip to one to find it. They seem to do a brown and white loaf - I've only tried the brown so far but it's soft, squidgy and absolutely delicious - I made a PROPER sandwich to take to work for lunch last week and it was still soft and fresh after a morning in my bag - YAY!

M&S muffin! 23 Aug 2009 12:53 PM (15 years ago)

Marks & Spencer have started doing a g-f chocolate muffin in their in-store cafes - yay! It's very chocolatey but very light... slightly crumbly but I am absolutely not complaining - to be able to get something properly g-f in a cafe so you can join in with whoever you're with is the all important thing! They're individually wrapped so no worries about contamination either - woohoo!

Brilliant bread! 23 Aug 2009 12:48 PM (15 years ago)

Mrs Crimble has brought out a new loaf of g-f 'fresh' bread - and it's AMAZING!! Able to be eaten without being toasted (for the first couple of days) and it's ALMOST like that spongy texture of fresh normal bread from the pre g-f days... especially good with lots of butter and strawberry jam...! It's dusted with g-f flour and has a lovely farmhouse feel... It's great toasted too.
I've only found it in Sainsbury's so far but it's WELL worth getting hold of some - let me know if you find it anywhere else!

Konditor do new g-f brownies! 19 Jul 2009 1:13 PM (15 years ago)

Konditor & Cook have started doing an AMAZING gluten-free brownie! It's seriously rich, got black cherries in and white chocolate stripes on the top - UBERly good! They're my new favourite - WIN!

G-f snacks delivered to your desk... 11 May 2009 1:12 PM (15 years ago)

I recently tried a couple of boxes from Graze. Although they don't yet cater specifically for Coeliacs, this is something they are planning to do in the future. However, you can see a list of all the ingredients by clicking on each product and you can easily fill your boxes with g-f stuff. There are only a few no-nos - mostly the chili-flavoured nuts. You can get fresh fruit, dried fruit and loads of different nuts and seeds etc - and delivery is included in the cost - to anywhere in London.

Lots of fun when it arrives as the packaging is really lovely (and all recyclable) and the combinations of nuts/fruits etc are really imaginative and delicious. When I emailed them to ask about allergy-friendly foods, I got a really lengthy and detailed email in return.

Definitely worth a try!

G-f Hot Cross Buns... 11 Apr 2009 9:26 AM (16 years ago)

I think Sainsbury's g-f hot cross buns are pretty good - nice and spicy and delicious just with butter... Happy Easter!

Ooze risotteria... 2 Apr 2009 2:44 AM (16 years ago)

Went to Westfield the other night for dinner and tried out a risotto from Ooze. The menu is very clearly marked as to what is g-f and most of the risottos, if not all of them, are - yay!

I stupidly didn't take a picture as was so hungry that I wolfed it before I remembered, but I chose one with speck, asparagus and mushrooms and it was very tasty. Great consistency and great to know that it's g-f for sure. Reasonably priced too. There's one in Goodge St too if you're in the centre of town. A great option for a spring supper - especially with a glass of white wine!

Not in London, but still... 2 Apr 2009 2:34 AM (16 years ago)

I recently went down to Charmouth in Dorset for a couple of days and, whilst there, visited Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage Canteen, which is only about five miles away in Axminster, Devon. I had told them of my allergy when we booked and the extremely nice waiter who served us was very knowledgeable and knew what I could and couldn't have. Also, because all the food is local, seasonal produce and cooked fresh, there isn't much call for flour or hidden barley in stock etc - everything is pretty-much homemade...

It was a lovely atmosphere and delicious food - I had lamb's liver with potato gratin and greens in a balsamic gravy, followed by a vanilla yoghurt panacotta with rhubarb.

If you're ever down Devon way, it's well worth a visit!
We stayed at The White House Hotel in Charmouth, which is a great culinary resting place! The owner is a chef and prepares all the food himself - again using only local, seasonal produce. Again, informed them of my allergy and although they don't have g-f bread or anything, the food was all fine for me and extremely tasty, so a good place to stay if you're gluten-free... lovely, friendly people too.

Cotto update... 2 Apr 2009 2:25 AM (16 years ago)

Have been back to Cotto a couple of times and the coeliac owner was as welcoming as ever! He has also now developed his own g-f pizza base which is far superior to the bought ones they offer... for a couple of pounds extra you can have any of the toppings on the homemade g-f base and it's a winner! Absolutely enormous too - felt so stuffed afterwards I couldn't manage any of his famous g-f tiramisu!

However, the time before I had spaghetti carbonara for my main and purposefully left a bit of room to try it - it was OUTSTANDINGLY good! Really sweet, full of brandy and just a delicious, chocolatey, creamy bit of heaven! It often sells out quickly so make sure you book an early table if you want to be sure of getting some!

Be wary of Caffe Nero hot chocolate... 24 Feb 2009 8:01 AM (16 years ago)

Just read on their website - in the 'Nutritional Information' section - that Caffe Nero's hot chocolate contains dextrose derived from wheat... It weirdly says it doesn't contain gluten but I'm not sure how that can be, seeing as how gluten is IN wheat - WEIRD!

Anyway - just thought I'd post and let you know.

Exciting muesli news (mews?)... 22 Feb 2009 9:13 AM (16 years ago)

Calling all breakfast lovers - the best gluten-free cereal has arrived on UK shores - WOOHOO!

It's made by Bakery On Main - a US-based company - and is now available in Wholefoods on High St Kensington.

They have three different g-f ones - I chose apple, raisin and walnut because I'm a sucker for cinnamon. It is AMAZING. Really crunchy texture and seriously delicious (and there's no sugar, or high-fructose corn syrup in there which is a bonus). It's kind of expensive at £3.99 a bag, but I'm glad I forked out and will do again in an instant - am just rationing it by mixing a little with the Doves Farm g-f cereal flakes - a great base that tastes a bit like Special K - from what I remember...!

I couldn't recommend it more highly. Haven't seen it in the Fresh&Wild in Soho when I've been recently, but let me know if it's in your local branch and I'll add that to the post...

Wake up and enjoy a properly good, textureful and delicious breakfast - YUM!

Fish and chips review... 18 Feb 2009 1:57 AM (16 years ago)

Despite having uploaded the pics to my earlier post, I suddenly realised that I didn't actually ever post about what the fish and chips were like when I visited The Mermaids Tail! (Don't ask me why there's no apostrophe)

The gluten-free option is on the menu and all the staff seem to just know immediately what you want when you ask for it - no, "Sorry - what was that? What-free?", they just took the order and it arrived. The batter was really light and crispy and I actually preferred it to my memories of what 'normal' batter was like. I didn't feel overly stuffed after eating it and it wasn't too greasy.

The Mermaids Tail itself looks like a massively touristy 'does everything' restaurant - the signs blaze out a message of 'Surf and Turf!' 'Ribs!' etc etc, but inside there are nice (plastic) red and white checked table cloths and there are lots of different areas to sit in. It's pretty massive inside but once you're seated you don't feel like you're in a huge, open space because of all the different nooks and crannies.

DEFINITELY worth a visit as the g-f fish and chips are really good and provide yet another chance to eat 'normal' food with friends!

More about Scoop - the best gelato in London... 16 Feb 2009 6:29 AM (16 years ago)

I have been going pretty regularly every weekend to Scoop for amazing ice cream. It really is sensationally good and is some of the best ice cream I've ever had - and I lived in Italy for a year... it's properly Italian and the chocolate is to die for. I just thought I'd mention it again as it deserves to be visited... (especially now the weather's a little warmer)

They haven't had the g-f cones when I've been recently, but am presuming they probably get them in for the summer.

Please go and enjoy - if you like ice cream, it's the best treat ever.

Wraps review and pic... 16 Feb 2009 6:22 AM (16 years ago)

So, I just went to Danny's Gourmet Wraps to check out the g-f wraps. It was SO amazing to be able to join the lunchtime queue, get to the front and be able to say, "a gluten-free wrap please - The Sicilian", without any fuss, any ingredients list-checking (that normally takes about 10 mins and makes you feel guilty for holding up the queue) and any worries about anything - YAY!

The corn wraps were soft and didn't tear when folded around the filling and you get 2, as I mentioned in my first post about this place, as they are smaller than the massive flour ones. It's quick, it's tasty and it's GREAT to be able to get a gluten-free sandwich/take-away lunch that isn't soup or a salad - thank you, Danny!

Gluten-free wraps... 13 Feb 2009 3:58 AM (16 years ago)

A great day... I just read about somewhere that does gluten-free take-away wraps in London! FINALLY! Somewhere that means you can get something tasty, with texture and on the go - am very excited.

It's called Danny's Gourmet Wraps and is between Holborn and Russell Square and they have a whole gluten-free menu - they use corn wraps (you get 2 as they're smaller than the flour wraps) and there is a huge selection of both meat and vegetarian ones, and you can choose dairy-free options etc too. They also have a g-f brownie and lemon cake on the menu.

Unfortunately I'm not in London this weekend so going to have to wait until Monday to take a trip there to try one out (I've already chosen which one - The Sicilian) so will let you know how it is afterwards. If anyone else goes this weekend though, please post and let me know what it's like - I can't wait!

(They also say that if you tell them you have an allergy when they order, they'll change gloves/sanitise etc to minimise cross-contamination as obviously they have glutenous wraps there too... seem very clued-up - YAY!)

G-f fish and chips - Leicester Square 2 Feb 2009 2:49 AM (16 years ago)

A quick update on the fish and chips scenario for anyone who read about it from Sue in the comments on the 'Tea at the Ritz' posting...

It IS called The Mermaids Tail and it's in Leicester Square. Walked past it the other night and it's massive - on the right-hand side as you walk through the square from Charing Cross Road towards Piccadilly Circus... It's a big 'surf and turf' place and on their menu it definitely says, "Gluten-free batter available on request."

It's £10.50 for fish and chips and mushy peas, so pretty pricey, but what else would you expect in that area!

Going to try and go there soon to try it out, but if anyone else gets there first - please post and let us all know how it is!

Dal and chapattis 28 Jan 2009 8:41 AM (16 years ago)

I'm a big fan of dal and used to love mopping up leftovers with chapattis - before I knew I was Coeliac. Since then have just been having dal with rice - but found and tried out a great recipe for g-f chapattis today... really simple and very quick.

I used this recipe only I didn't have any ground rice so I just used rice flour and that seemed to work OK.

I've got a lot of Ayurvedic cookbooks which is where I get all my dal recipes from - my favourite is moong dal which is basically just moong dal (available from any local shops which stock Asian/world foods), spices and water. There are lots of recipes online too so just try some out!

The bread would be good with some spices/herbs etc in too - or maybe even nuts or something - will give some varieties a go and let you know!

Apologies and mueslis... 27 Jan 2009 1:46 AM (16 years ago)

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted - I was away a lot over Christmas and New Year and, due to the ever-foreboding 'credit crunch' I just haven't been able to afford to go out for meals, to be honest. I had seriously good intentions of doing a massive Christmas blog about all the good g-f stuff I'd tried - mince pies, M&S stuffing (three out of four of theirs were g-f this year - bonus), Christmas pudding etc etc, but then I didn't. I shall endeavour to do better in 2009. And if I can't go out, I'll put up some more recipes and things I've found in supermarkets etc.

Ooh - one thing I did try that I was very disappointed with was Muddy Cook - bespoke muesli. It was seriously expensive, but I thought I'd treat myself before Christmas and try it out as I love muesli. I make my own sometimes but at the moment I've run out of storage jars to keep all the stuff in...!

Anyway, you choose a base (they have a g-f one) then add whatever ingredients you want to it from a massive list. It arrived promptly and everything but I was SERIOUSLY disappointed with the texture. The base is SO powdery that it literally turns into sludge as soon as you add milk, and to be honest, I tried twice and then rather gave up. So now it's just sitting in the kitchen taking up space and making me annoyed that I spent so much money on it every time I look at it... It might be OK to make bircher out of or something, but I was not impressed.

However, I went to Fresh & Wild the other day and picked up some new granola - also expensive but half the price of the Muddy Cook and I had been given some vouchers so was getting nice things anyway. It's called 'Perfekt' (Perfekt Nutrition) and is made by someone called Karolina Gardiner. There were about four to choose from and one was g-f. Am happy to report that it's REALLY good - YAY! I love granola and have yet to find a good g-f one. I quite like the Southern Alps one but it's very chewy and this is only about 50p more. I didn't want to get through it too fast so I had some with some Dove's Farm Cereal Flakes (if you haven't tried these, they're great - a really good new addition to their fantastic range) and it made for a delicious bowl of cereal! Also had some sprinkled on my rice porridge this morning - it just added something a bit different and tasty so definitely a good investment.

If anyone else has found a great muesli/granola, please do post and let me know...

G-f tea at The Ritz! 3 Nov 2008 3:35 AM (16 years ago)

I went for tea at The Ritz the other day as I am a BIG fan of tea and they do a gluten-free one! You have to say when you book and then they confirm when you arrive... I was seriously impressed with the service (although you should be at the price it is - £37 per person!) and they were very attentive etc and very good re all the gluten-free stuff. You get a lot of food too - I couldn't finish it all (and I am not normally ever full) and the cakes were awesomely good.
The non g-f tea is finger sandwiches, followed by scones and fruitcake, then a selection of small cakes.
The g-f tea is open finger sandwiches (you get a lot of filling on each one), fresh fruit, and then a selection of cakes.
The sandwiches were on what tasted to me like the Dietary Specials white bread - but because all the crusts are cut off etc, and you get really good fillings, and they are open so only one bit of bread, the bread doesn't seem too dry, which I think it is if not toasted. Someone seems to have really thought about it and actually tasted it for themselves...!
The fresh fruit is obviously nice - although not quite the same as a scone! I think that was what made me extra full though - could have missed that out and moved straight onto the cakes...
There were three different cakes - a lovely blackcurrant macaroon filled with lemon cream and what I think was a white chocolate disc in the middle, a seriously rich chocolate dome filled with chocolate mousse, and a very tasty, moist and delicious mini carrot cake with proper cream cheese icing.
You also get a big silver pot of the tea of your choice and there's fresh clotted cream and jam for the scones (the cream was nice with the fruit and the chocolate mousse cake too).
All in all a REALLY good treat if you fancy a splurge - and you won't need much dinner later!
Pictures to follow...

Gluten-free pizza, pasta, gnocchi, garlic bread... 23 Oct 2008 1:09 AM (16 years ago)

So after a recommendation from Rochelle (thank you, Rochelle!), some friends and I visited Italian restaurant Cotto on Westminster Bridge Road for dinner on Tuesday night. As I'd read in many reviews, the welcome was as warm as you could hope for in a restaurant and I felt transported back to when I lived in Florence. It is a family-run, small Italian restaurant that has good food at its heart - and boy, is it good! The owner (who is originally from Naples but has lived in London for years) has been Coeliac for 20 years so he totally understand allergies and there are more g-f things on the menu than I've found anywhere else so far!
I had a pizza, which, although it was a bought base - so smaller and thicker than homemade, it was just so nice to be able to have a pizza in a restaurant and not worry about it! The toppings were delicious and it was such a treat. The non-g-f pizzas looked amazing too. Two friends had gnocchi which they said was absolutely delicious (and they're fairly picky about their Italian food, believe me!) and the other had crespolini (which weren't gluten-free) which were also winning apparently.
For pudding I had tartufo nero which was again, brilliant - and amazing to have more choice than just plain ice cream or sorbet.
Next time (it will be in the very near future, definitely!), I'm definitely going to give either the gnocchi or pasta a go - and try some of the g-f bread they offer too. It really is a lovely place and everyone there was so lovely. I couldn't recommend it more. Plus, if you're visiting, it's really near things like the London Aquarium etc so a great place to pop in and have some g-f, warming lunch.

In summary... if you're visiting London 17 Oct 2008 2:36 AM (16 years ago)

London is pretty good to live in if you’re gluten-free – and it’s not bad for visitors either! Restaurants are certainly becoming more clued up about what gluten is and staff are more friendly than they used to be when you mention allergies… Just don’t expect gluten-free bread or anything in restaurants – there are a couple which provide this but it’s CERTAINLY not the norm… I’ve only ever been offered it once!

More coffee shops are now also offering at least one gluten-free item (usually individually wrapped to avoid contamination), and the supermarkets all have good ranges of g-f products, both their own and other popular brands, so you certainly won’t starve! Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose are the best supermarkets to find g-f stuff – but beware! – lots of the smaller branches which are in central London don’t have anything g-f, so don’t rely on being able to pop in and find something! There’s a bigger Sainsbury’s Central near Tottenham Court Road which has a few g-f things in, but you’re better to go to a bigger branch, which might be slightly further out, and stock up if you’re able.

Below are some places that I like eating in and where I have had good experiences with allergy-friendly food – and also a couple that I haven’t tried yet, but that I’ve heard good things about! I’ve divided things up into ‘Snacks and Treats’, ‘Cheap Eats’ and ‘Restaurants’ – these are the more formal places, but they are all still pretty good value… Enjoy!

Snacks and Treats
If you’re out and about and near a Starbucks, it’s worth popping in to see if they have a gluten-free sandwich. They are literally the ONLY place in London I know of that do one (not even health food shops seem to), but I don’t think they realise the untapped market, and not all of their outlets stock them. Usually if they DO have them, they only have one or two, so if you see one – nab it! The bread they use is quite hard but, to be honest, I always enjoy the novelty of being able to get a take-away sandwich so much that I overlook that… the fillings are good – they seem to rotate them so that you get one flavour in all the shops for a month or so, then they switch to something else… I’ve had the egg mayonnaise one and the tuna – both good. The Starbucks in Waterloo station usually has some if you’re going on a train somewhere and fancy a snack! (Approx. £2.50 per sandwich)
Marks and Spencer have great labelling, so it’s easy to see if a product has gluten/wheat in. They don’t offer much in their ‘Food To Go’ section that is suitable for Celiacs, but if you look in the vegetable section, they have what they call ‘side salads’. These are small tubs of cold stuff, like mixed beans in vinaigrette, or spiced quinoa with sweet potato and are all very tasty – and a perfect size for a snack lunch/picnic. They have disposable cutlery near the tills to eat it with. (Approx. £2.50 per salad pot)
Costa Coffee is a chain of coffee shops that do a great gluten-free cookie – it’s almond and jam flavoured and is really good – great consistency. Comes individually wrapped so handy to have in your handbag/pocket for a teatime moment. (£1.50)
For a real treat, AMAZING cake shop Konditor and Cook do an absolutely delicious gluten-free cake by the slice. It’s called Almond St Clement and is a citrus flavoured sponge (made with ground almonds) with a sticky, marmalade-y topping – it’s SO good! It’s about £2.50 a slice, so pricey – but well worth every penny…!
There are lots of ice cream places that do gluten-free flavours (I like Oddono’s – a gelateria that has an outlet in Selfridges Food Hall), but so far I only know of one place that does gluten-free cones. It’s called Scoop and is in Covent Garden. This is the best Italian gelato in London - no contest! It's really cheap as well as you get MASSIVE portions and can have two flavours in a 'small'. (Approx. £1.50-4 an ice cream) If you’re in that area, there is a great muffin place that does gluten-free muffins – Muffinskis. Definitely worth a visit if you’re nearby and peckish! (Approx. £1.50 a muffin)

Cheap Eats
Leon is absolutely my favourite place to grab a hot (or cold – depending on the weather), gluten-free, fresh-tasting inexpensive meal. It’s been labelled as healthy fast food, and, even though it’s fast, I definitely don’t want anyone picturing anything like the dreaded ‘golden arches’…! For hot choices they do things like grilled chicken with a variety of sauces, tagines, Thai curry and stews – all served with brown rice and soy-based coleslaw. The cold options are tasty superfood salads – made with quinoa and a variety of vegetarian/meat-based ingredients. It’s really tasty and the menu is all labelled as to whether it’s g-f or not… as a bonus, they sell GREAT g-f cake bars – brownies (with a hint of orange – delicious) and lemon/ginger crunch – YUM! (Approx. £5 for a bigger dish, £8 to include a drink/cake)
Wagamama is a fantastic chain of Japanese noodle bars – they are really aware of allergies and there are a couple of dishes on the menu that are naturally g-f, and they can also adapt a whole host of others… They can use veg stock instead of pork (which has gluten in) and will use rice noodles instead of egg/soba where they can. They also do some rice-based dishes, and some interesting juices etc. One of the best things is that they have gluten-free soy sauce (Sanchi) so you can add some extra flavour. It’s cheap, quick and very tasty! (Approx. £10-15 a head, including drinks)
If it’s sushi you’re after, Itsu is my preference. If you ask what’s gluten-free they will find out for you (particularly on dishes if you’re eating in, they’re not so good on the take-away boxes), and it’s really fresh, tasty sushi. Yo! Sushi is another big chain but last time I went, they didn’t really have a clue what I could/couldn’t eat, so I prefer Itsu. They also have a couple of sweet treats that are gluten-free, such as a chocolate pot – sometimes sushi just isn’t satisfying enough…! (Approx. £20 a head, depending on how much you eat!)
Hell Pizza is my newest discovery – gluten-free pizza in London!! WOOHOO! Finally! It’s based in SW London (they deliver if you’re in that area), and you can eat in or get take-away (in a box and everything! A novelty for me!). They have some very strange flavour combinations on offer, but they offer good-size, crispy, gluten-free bases and I just went for a Margherita when I visited, which was good. I’d maybe recommend adding some veg though – I like rocket, but they didn’t have any! Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area (approx. £7-10 per pizza). Chains Strada and Pizza Express will let you take your own g-f base (if it’s sealed, so from a supermarket or something) and then will add the toppings and cook it in the wood-burning ovens, but you’ll need to take some g-f flour to for them to dust it, and all the supermarket ones over here are very small so it’s not such a good option… You also need to call the branch you’re going to, to make sure the chef is happy to do it.

Restaurants
Da Mario is a great Italian restaurant in Covent Garden that offers gluten-free pasta instead of regular with most of their sauces. It’s very small and very authentically Italian and is a great place for a cosy, cheap, delicious dinner. They use rice pasta and cook it to perfection so it’s not soggy or slimy – there’s no website but if you Google Da Mario gluten-free you should find lots of good reviews! It’s on Endell St, not far from Covent Garden tube station. (Main courses approx. £7-10)
Rasa is one of the best Indian restaurants I’ve ever been to – it’s all Keralan (South Indian) food and is really good value. There are a few branches around London, but I think the best one is the original, vegetarian one up in Stoke Newington (north London) and the one that specialises in fish on Charlotte St near Tottenham Court Road. The food is all really good and the staff are always really friendly and can find out any answers to wheat/gluten queries. However, I’ve always found that I can have most of the dishes – and, even better, there is a really great rice bread on the menu (a good substitute for Naan!) and they do a fantastic basket of snacks as a starter, which are all made out of gram/rice/lentil flour so are all g-f! (Main courses approx. £7-12, plus rice/bread etc)
La Trouvaille is a lovely French restaurant that I’ve only recently visited. The food was really lovely and they were very sweet about the whole allergy thing – I told them when I booked and when we arrived they asked who it was who had the allergy and then assured me that the chef would be preparing my food separately and that he could adapt all but two of the dishes so that I could enjoy a really wide choice. It’s all set menus (£29.50 for two courses, £35 for three) and is very central as it’s just off Carnaby St. Well worth a trip for a more special occasion.
Alloro is another good place that does a good set menu (£35 for three courses). It’s an Italian restaurant in Mayfair (near Green Park tube station) and they are always very good about allergies. There’s no gluten-free pasta or anything, but lots of other things – great salads and things to start, lovely grilled meat/fish for mains and some good ice cream for dessert! Not much more to say apart from that it’s very, very good and a great place for a smarter, romantic meal!

Fifteen - Jamie Oliver 24 Sep 2008 6:49 AM (16 years ago)

Went to Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant near Old Street for their set menu lunch the other day - 3 courses for £30. Lots of gluten-free choice as the menu is Italian - but not pasta and pizza - so was off to a good start... However, to get the lunch deal you have to choose from 2 or 3 options for each course so are more limited.
I had pork carpaccio with tuna mayonnaise - sounds strange but was tasty, then delicious salmon with mussels, then a fruity/meringue/ice cream pudding - I think some sort of berries and elderflower.
Have posted pics as I think they say more than I can! It was tasty though and definitely worth a visit if you fancy a swanky lunch at a bargain price (which I obviously do...!).

Hell Pizza is HEAVEN!! 2 Aug 2008 1:00 PM (16 years ago)

AT LAST!! G-F pizza in London!

I went on a bit of a mission to get to Hell Pizza today - sat in endless traffic in endless roadworks all the way across London, but it was worth it!

They don't just do gluten-free snack size, despite the website implying that - they do big ones too - they're about 12 inches, so perfect!

I was boring and just went for a Margherita, as I wanted to see what the pizza would be like before trying some of their weird and wonderful toppings...

Verdict - pretty damn good! It's no Risotteria (which is in New York), but I don't think anywhere will ever beat that for me, so the fact that this is top behind that for me means I think it's REALLY good and, to be honest, am just so grateful to them for doing g-f pizza at all - FINALLY! WOOHOOOOO! (I'm excited...)

I would DEFINITELY make the effort to cross London again - on a regular basis - to get more. The base was crispy and thin (think it definitely had some corn in) and the tomato sauce and cheese were really good. So, all in all - A TRIUMPH!

THANK YOU HELL PIZZA! You will make SUCH a difference to Coeliacs all over London - please open some more branches!!

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