Gluten-Free Guide to London

London Phone Booth

Traveling somewhere exotic for Thanksgiving may be my new obsession. Ok, so maybe it can’t be an obsession if it only happens once a year. But I had the chance to go to London for Thanksgiving this year and it was incredible. I know, you may be thinking, “but Catherine, you’ve done so much work getting your gluten-free Thanksgiving recipes just right. You can’t always leave – what about your family?” Well, I do love a traditional Thanksgiving but it sometimes seems silly to go all the way back to CA for one big meal when I am going to head there again in December. Though I must admit, I didn’t abandon the Holiday entirely since my friend Christos, who lives in London as an ex-pat, hosted an American-style Thanksgiving dinner to give his British friends a taste our most gluttonous day.

Gluten Free Thanksgiving in London

The UK in general is a gluten-free dream. During a trip to Scotland and now two trips to London since going gluten-free, I found everyone to be so well-educated about the gluten-free diet it made eating out simple. I had incredible meals this year at The Fat Duck and St. John but we also got gluten-free take out from Imli Indian and satisfied my curry craving again at Masala Zone.

Imli restaurant London Gluten Free (76)

If you are looking for a classic English High Tea – you can book a gluten-free tea service at The Ritz or The Savoy. Small tea sandwiches service on gluten-free toast and gluten-free pastries tasty enough to make your gluten-eating companions look longing at your plate.

web 2009 Thanksgiving Dinner Gluten Free (14)

During my first gluten-free trip to London in 2006, I went to Wagamama noodle shop. They have a gluten-free menu. Not a huge number of options, but since I wouldn’t normally expect to be able to eat at a noodle shop I wasn’t terribly disappointed.

wagamama restaurant London Gluten Free (53)

The list of restaurants in London with gluten-free menus is constantly expanding. Though I would feel comfortable eating in many places without specific gluten-free menus because they are so much better educated about Celiac disease.  And if you are cooking for yourself, almost every grocery store, even small urban markets, has a dedicated gluten-free section with a plethora of products.

web London Gluten Free (55)

The “Genius” gluten-free bread, launched at Tesco, is getting lots of hype over there. I must say, it was as good of a pre-packaged gluten-free bread as I’ve ever tasted. Soft and chewy right out of the package – no toasting necessary. The stay-at-home mom who came up with the recipe when baking for her gluten-intolerant son is now a self-made millionaire.

web London Gluten Free (66)

I planned my trip to London as a food adventure and was not disappointed. Though, I think the raclette at Borough Market alone was enough of a reason to book a ticket.

Raclette at Kappacasein stall Borough Market
[side note: Yes I realize it’s May and Thanksgiving is far from everyone’s mind, but it took me a little while to get this post done – I’ve had a new addition to the family and his name is Luca : ) ]
It's tough to leave this face

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Po said,

May 2, 2010 @ 6:02 pm

Genius bread is heaven on earth for my hubby. We go back to my motherland every year and last year was the first time we saw it at the grocery store. Every year even the little convenience store in my home village had sufficient GF goodies to tide hubby through until we have time to hit the big grocery store. In short it was a breath of fresh air for him. I wish the States would follow suit and learn by example. I was aware of gluten and problems a good 10-15 years ago yet it is still a surprise to so many people in this country. I feel sometimes that when I moved here I went back in time somewhat.

On a plus we tried Udi’s bread here recently and hubby decided it was a close second to Genius bread. I pointed out that Genius is styled on European bread so we will probably never get that here (another thing I missed terribly when I moved here)

zuzupetals said,

May 4, 2010 @ 5:25 pm

I had a fantastic time in London. Did you get to Cotto for Italian? The owner is from Naples. The day I went in, they had a gluten-free lasagne on special – it was heavenly.

Georgianna said,

May 15, 2010 @ 7:34 pm

Your website is amazing! I just added it to my list to follow. Being gluten free is not just a diet and it’s a way of life! I recently starting blogging about my own personal experiences, adventures, suggestions etc. Feel free to check me out and follow me at:
http://celtic-celiac.blogspot.com/

Best Wishes and hope to hear from you,
Georgianna

Iris said,

May 16, 2010 @ 3:01 am

It’s been years since I was in Scotland or England but I really want to go back. I get anxious about being able to travel gluten free, so it’s nice to know I’ll be able to go back to my favorite place and feel comfortable.

Po said,

May 16, 2010 @ 2:13 pm

Something else I found nice about ‘home’ was the fact that you can walk into a random coffee/tea room and they have Gluten-Free bread!

Hana said,

July 6, 2010 @ 5:58 pm

Commenting just to say hi to the cute white, furry new addition!

Jill said,

July 14, 2010 @ 7:34 pm

I just found your site googling gluten-free afternoon tea NYC (it rhymes! three times!)…too bad we don’t have any options in New York, but what a great post – I think I might move to London. Great site, too – thanks!

Traveling Abroad Gluten-Free | Gluten Free and the City said,

July 20, 2010 @ 9:09 pm

[…] A Gluten-Free Guide to London […]

Estou Autista » Blog Archive » Uma viagem sem glúten said,

January 25, 2011 @ 12:36 pm

[…] com comida sem glútem, pizzarias, e etc. Legal demais! Em pesquisa para esse post, achei um blog muito bom em que a autora mostra vários alimentos sem glúten, viagens e locais com comidas especiais, […]

Gluten Free Hotels Guide said,

July 9, 2011 @ 2:25 pm

If you are looking for hotels in London that serve gluten free food, you can visit http://www.glutenfreehotelsguide.com/city.php?id=2
The site lists hotels all over the world which are able to serve gluten free food.

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