Sometimes the thought of eating out with friends can put any coeliac in to a flap. You worry about whether they’ll be anything on their menu that you can eat or whether they’ll know if some of their dishes are gluten free. In my early days of being diagnosed, I felt that there wasn’t many places I could eat any more and the thought of going out with friends for a meal together would bring me out into a cold sweat.
So I put on my best detective gear and did some investigating to see which restaurants within the Manchester area provide gluten free food, and if they don’t necessarily provide a gluten free alternative, what other foods on their menu are suitable for us coeliacs. I fired off some emails and only listed the companies that provided me with either a menu clearly stating ‘gf’ by the food, those that provide gluten free alternatives [i.e. gluten free pasta as opposed to wheat pasta] and those who also provided me with a list of foods that are suitable for coeliacs that isn’t highlighted on their menu.
Although this list only includes restaurants, bars and cafés within the Manchester area [as this is where I am based] some of these companies listed are nationwide and can be found in most cities or towns. I would also like to add that if in any doubt, please don’t hesitate in contacting them yourself.
Apotheca Bar
[Typical bar food, pizzas and nibbles]
Click here for Menu
Provides Gluten Free Pizza and states others items that are gluten free on menu.
Barburrito
[Mexican]
Click here for Menu
Click here for my Review
Although, they don’t provide a gluten free menu, they have provided me a list of foods that are suitable for coeliacs. They include:
- Any of the fillings and sauces [apart from the cheese sauce]
- Burrito Bowl
- Corn Tacos
- Nachos
Bella Italia
[Italian]
Click here for Menu
Provide Gluten Free Pasta – but please expect a 20 minute wait.
Bem Brasil
[Latin Food/Meats]
The restaurant provides barbecued meats that are cut at your table. These meats are gluten free. For anything else, the restaurant has urged customers to speak to their members of staff as their menu changes every 3 days.
Carluccio’s Caffe
[Italian]
Click here for Menu
Provides a gluten free pasta and states other items that are gluten free on their menu.
Dough Pizza Kitchen
[Italian]
Click here for Menu
Click here for my Review
Provides gluten free pizzas, starters and desserts
East Z East
[Indian]
Click here for Menu
Although, they do not provide ‘gf’ on their menu, their chef has cooked gluten free food on request.
Felicini
[Italian]
Click here for Menu
Provides a gluten free menu on arrival.
Fosters Fish & Chips
[Fish and Chips]
Click here for Menu
Click here for my Review
They dedicate a Sunday in every month to a gluten free experience. Every Sunday at their Alderley Edge shop and their Didsbury shop.
Giraffe
[South American/Burgers]
Click here for Menu
Provides a gluten free menu
Hard Rock Cafe
[American]
Click here for Menu
Although, they don’t provide a gluten free menu, they have provided me a list of foods that are suitable for coeliacs. They include:
- Wings
- Skins
- Strips and Sirloin [no gravy]
- Salmon
- BBQ Chicken
- BBQ Ribs
- Burger with no or special bun
- Cobb Salad
- Honey Citrus Salad
- Haystick Salad no tortilla straws
- Gluten Free Brownies
- Hot Fudge Sundae
- Milk Shakes
However, they have stressed in their email, they can’t guarantee that these foods will be absolutely gluten free.
JD Whetherspoons
[Pub Food]
Click here for Menu
Has a ‘build your own’ gluten free menu on-line to print and keep
La Tasca
[Spanish Tapas]
Click here for Menu
Clearly highlights which foods are gluten free on their menu
Las Iguanas
[Latin]
Click here for Menu
Has a gluten free menu
Nandos
[Portuguese]
Click here for Menu
Click here for my Review
Provide an allergy menu of foods suitable for people with coeliac disease
Pizza Express
[Pizzas]
Click here for Menu
Do not provide a gluten free alternative but customers are advised to bring in their own gluten free pizza base and are charged per topping.
Revolution Bar
[Bar Food]
Click here for Menu
Although they don’t provide a gluten free menu, they have stated in their email that they can cater for coeliacs. Other dietary requirements are listed in a food booklet for their staff, so they can advise customers which foods are suitable. However, pre order is advised.
Rice Flamebar and Grill
[Indian, Oriental and South American]
Provides a gluten free menu on request
Starbucks
Click here for Menu
Although, they don’t provide a gluten free menu, they have provided me a list of foods that are suitable for coeliacs. They include
“None of our beverages, with the exception of our Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino, are made with ingredients that contain gluten. The vanilla sprinkles provided at the condiment bar for customers to add to their beverages contains gluten. However, none of the other condiment bar toppings contain gluten.
We also have a selection of foods which are made from ingredients free of gluten and wheat to enjoy with your beverage. Currently this includes our Chicken and Pesto Sandwich made from wheat, and gluten free ingredients [using Genius Bread], Hazelnut and Chocolate Loaf Cake (please request a wrapped product), Fairtrade Chocolate Brownie (please request a wrapped product) and our Fruit Salad, Additionally, we sell fresh, seasonal Fairtrade bananas and two varieties of Starbucks Fruit and Nut bars, both of which are made with ingredients free from gluten. Please ask the barista in store if you are unable to locate these items”
Tampopo
[Oriental]
Click here for Menu
Provides an allergy list that highlights which foods are suitable for coeliacs.
Wagamamas
[Oriental]
Click here for Menu
Provides a menu online which highlights which foods can be modified to accommodate those with coeliac disease
Zizzi
[Italian]
Click here for Menu
Provides Gluten Free Pasta – but please expect a 20 minute wait.
We love your blogs thank you so much for spending the time putting this fantastic info together!
Also try TGI Fridays at the Trafford Centre and Prestwich they have a fab Gluten Free menu.
Thank you for the info Kimberley
I’ll get TGI Friday added to the list asap 
x
I can recommend The Venue on the Promenade at Cleveleys, Lancs. They have a large Gluten free menu that is available at all times. I am a Coeliac baker of handmade sweet & savoury goods and the Venue have my award winning quiches on sale.
My 8 year old loves the Venue-can have a go roast dinner there. The staff know about gf too
Your website is AMAZING!! I check it regularily now to check which restaurants are safe!! Going to have a go at making the doughnut sticks soon too!! Thank you
xx
Hey Heather
xxxxx
Thanks so much for your lovely comment and more so for coming back to check up on safe, gluten free restaurants! The doughnut sticks were amazing and didn’t last long when I cooked them! You’ll have to let me know how they turn out
See mt blog http://modelleroo9.blogspot.com/
Over Christmas ate at Whittys in Axminster, Devon. First time I have had pizza in a restuarant for nearly ten years.
http://whittys.co.uk/
Great site will add a link on my website and blog. Colin, recently graduated mature history student at Uni of West of England.
[...] and cheapest way to make gluten free meals that all students love AboutSupportContact MeRecipesGluten Free RestaurantsPersonal [...]
Only just found your website and it is fantastic. Thank you sooooo much for all this info!!
Your site is brilliant, thank u so much. I’m newly diagnosed and after looking at your restaurant guide I feel slightly better about eating out.
After very recently finding out I have celiac disease this blog couldnt be more helpful and now I dont feel so panicked when facing eating out! Thank you so much!
I’m so glad I’ve made you feel at ease since being diagnosed with coeliac disease
http://www.glutenfreestudentcookbook.co.uk/2012/05/17/help-with-being-diagnosed-with-coeliac-disease/
Have you seen my recent post on what to do if you’re newly diagnosed? there’s links to sites that offer free gluten free hampers full of full sized and sample sized, gluten free goodies
That’s brill Saara, also loving your updates of gluten free pizza hut and Domino’s!
keepup the good work chick! x
Great web site, I’d also recommend Whittakers Fish and Chips in Urmstom and over in Leeds Salvos restaurant who I think cannot be beaten on gluten free pizza… it’s well worth the drive!
Hi
Home kitchen in Dawlish, Devon are a good gluten free restaurant, home cooked stuff rather than haute cuisine, but lovely people and good food
Bella Itallia now do gluten free pizza bases on request for all pizzas other than the folded ones.
Not a bad taste. They’re thin and light, a bit having pizza toppings on a water cracker.
Hartleys Coffee & Sandwich Bar in Nottingham has g/f bread, g/f panini, g/f pancakes, g/f ciabbatta, g/f cupcakes, g/f battenburg, Honeybuns, g/f hot chocolate. If you are in Nottingham – please go and see Hartleys.
Hi – Earth Cafe on Turner Street are good, as are 8th Day Cafe. The Greenhouse in Rusholme is very good, though I think that’s just recently shut down
The Coven in Wigan has a lot of GF options and 1847 on Mosley Street, though I’ve yet to try it, is GF conscious.
Hiya,
This is a great list of restaurants thank you!
As a coeliac I always struggle to get food on the go, but this is much easier now that lots of supermarkets do Gluten Free sandwiches! Waitrose, Sainsburys and Marks & Spencers now stock them
x
Thank you for giving a list of places to eat
i never knew that more places offer a choice xx
Red robin has a huge gluten free menu
Red robin has a huge gluten free menu and they will make you what ever as long as they have the ingredients I get a gluten free bun with melted pepper jack and provolone and advacado slices on it and fries they have a separate fryer for gluten free
Sooo excited! Domino’s are now doing gluten free pizza! And it tastes amazing. Pizza Hut has also released new gluten free pizzas but I haven’t tried them yet. Also had a great gluten free pizza at Bella Italia… Yumm…
Help! My brother is a Coeliac and he’s coming up to stay. Does anyone know any restaurants near Alsager, Crewe that is Gluten Free and also child friendly?
Red robin has a whole allergy menu and a huge section in gluten free I’m a vegetarian also as well as severely allergic to wheat so they make what ever I want they are the best I get a gluten free bun with melted provolone and pepper jack with advacado slices and fries (they have a separate fryer for wheat/gluten allergies) they are so excited when people order gluten free its funny a lot of places act like its a hassle
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. SO helpful! Eating out GF can be a nightmare.
Am so glad I found your site. Am not coeliac but hav IBS & a very bad gluten intolerance. I had been living of chicken stir fry for months being too scared to eat anything else. Your recipes are easy to follow, & cost effective. I have just made the carrot cake, which was amazing, if I do say do myself! Thank you for taking the time to share this with us all, seriously have changed my life, I can eat again! Thank you so much
The handmade burger company do great gluten free food. Have eaten here often and never had a problem, being highly sensitive I have to be really careful and this is one eating place I trust implicity.
Fuchi – chinese restaurant – Totten nr Southampton have a special Gluten Free menu – I understand customers travel far and wide to eat there, I had a great meal – good to eatout chinese food!
BTW Food Allergy Training Consultancy (FATC) is bringing Food Allergy Awareness to the catering industry – we are looking to educate and advise on menus and processes which can be adapted for the Allergy, intolerant and Coeliac sufferer – follow us on twitter @Foodallergyawar
Great website – will be trying these restaurants soon! Yo Sushi also have a full allergy menu, the one I regularly visit in Camden is brilliant.
[...] This website locates some other gluten-free restaurants, and the link for Home Sweet Home is here. [...]
For those of you in North Manchester looking for Fish & Chips, it’s with the trip out to Grandma Pollards in Walsden Nr Todmorden. Always been known as one of the best chippy’s in the NW, I was amazed when they started doing GF fish and Chips because my daughter was diagnosed coeliac. Perhaps give them a ring before you set off if you don’t want to wait.
Prezzo’s do gluten free pizzas as well!
Great website – thanks for all the great advice.
I would be very much interested in a directory that lists places to eat that cater for specific dietary needs.
Thanks again for a great blog post.
Carl
place-to-eat.co.uk
Pizza Express now has a gluten free menu, I have not tried it myself yet. Link is below:
http://www.pizzaexpress.com/our-food/our-restaurant-menu/glutenfree/
Thank you so much for this post! I have been diagnosed for three years now and hate the difficulty of trying to find somewhere to eat out with family and friends.
In additiion to the info above, i have visited Pizza Hut twice since they announced they were doing a gluten free base, and they were okay really. It was nice to be able to go with everyone and actually eat something that wasn’t just salad and they have said that all of their toppings are gluten free too so you can ‘create your own’ if you wish
Hi we do not have a website as yet but we are an italian coffee shop and bistro in Burnley, Lancs, my husband is the chef and has been one for over 30years, 2 years ago he was diagnosed with coeliac and it opened up a whole new world, we now cook gluten free food alongside our normal food and are very conscientious about cross contamination. Our pizza bases are normal or gluten free and we also do gluten free pasta, our own homemade cakes ans gluten free beers, i have been on radio lancashire regarding this and have had a fantastic response, there is a lot of coeliacs out there.