GREAT GLUTEN-FREE RESTAURANTS AND CAFES

If you have a coeliac disease diagnosis, or a gluten sensitivity, you know too well that eating out can be a gamble. If you’ve resorted to eating at home before meeting up with friends, or have been accidentally ‘glutened’ at a restaurant or cafe, you’ll know finding a place to dine out that’s truly coeliac and gluten-free can be life-changing.

You don’t need to give up your status as a foodie when you’re on a gluten-free diet. Here are some of our favourite haunts, all accredited by Coeliac Australia.

Shop225 (pictured top) stands out from the rest as a gluten-free accredited, vegan and halal-certified pizza shop – and it’s been ranked #37 by 50top Pizza. Fresh, high-quality ingredients and a traditional 72h-rested pizza is the secret to getting that authentic pizza feel. Artisanal house made pasta and desserts sweeten the deal too.

225 Melville Rd, Pascoe Vale South VIC 3044

Ciao Mamma Pasta Bar Brunswick was the first pasta bar in Australia to be accredited by Coeliac Australia in 2018. The founders, who have a son with coeliac disease, are on a mission to help families eat and celebrate together, and you have to admire their dedication. The kitchen has designated gluten-free zones and equipment to manage cross contact, and all gluten-free pasta is prepared off-site. Guests flock here for Mamma’s Gluten-Free doughnuts, which we hear rival the iconic Vic Market doughnuts. If savoury is more your scene, make sure you try the signature dish: Roman style Carbonara served with gluten-free gnocchi, fettuccine or casarecce.

3 Union St, Brunswick VIC 3056

Passionate Chef Audrey Kuhl & avid Home Baker Maria Althen came together during the pandemic to combine savoury and sweet gluten-free goodies from their humble kitchen in Rosanna, Melbourne. The Davies St. Food Co. Rosanna kitchen specialises in custom cakes and catering and offers takeaway food, coffee and sweets, while the sister store PANTRY in Preston offers a dine-in cafe menu, freshly baked gluten-free bread, freezer meals and grocery items to grab on the way home. With gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options available daily, they’ve become well known for their ready-made meal service as well as the take-away crowd favourite: the cornflake-crumbed schnitzel sandwich.

29 Davies St, Rosanna VIC 3084

Eat Cannoli’s founders Dom and Kate believe that good food has the power to bring people together, regardless of dietary preferences, and the handmade delicacies here hit the spot. The Preston store serves as a culinary haven where every cannoli, pastry, take-home meal, and panini is made meticulously. Who’d have thought that gluten-free cannoli would span classic ricotta to salted caramel and pistachio? Thank goodness for this place.

132 Wood St, Preston VIC 3072

This award-winning Vietnamese-French fusion restaurant is a favourite with foodies in the know across Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula. Over the last three years Le Feu has adapted its menu to be exclusively gluten free and is the first Vietnamese restaurant In Australia to be accredited by Coeliac Australia. The menu is influenced by Buddhist tradition with many vegetarian and vegan options available, but you might not get past its nourishing pho. If you also dine low FODMAP and dairy free, you’re in safe hands here too.

Mornington, Brighton, Springvale and Flemington locations

Mission District in Ripponlea, Melbourne is a Californian Mexican restaurant that pays homage to the food originating from its iconic namesake, the Mission District in San Francisco. Practically everything here is made in house, and the entire menu is available gluten free. Go for the Baja fish taco, housemade horchata and churros!

76 Glen Eira Rd, Ripponlea VIC 3185

Hella Good is famous as the source of souvlaki, and since its restaurant’s inception in 2017, Hella Good now has three locations across Melbourne, in Emporium and Chadstone shopping centres, and a freestanding dine-in venue in Fitzroy. But back to that souvlaki: there’s traditional chicken and lamb, as well as vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. Psst: during the Australian Open you might bump into regulars Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari, who love this Greek eatery too.

Chadstone, Fitzroy and Emporium locations

For Latin American flavours in the heart of Richmond, this is your spot. It’s not often you find great Spanish fare that comes gluten free, but also onion free, garlic free, and is suitable for vegan, vegetarians and pescatarians. ONDA is celebrating its fourth anniversary, and with head chef Benjaimin Muzza now on board, we hear the Argentinian porterhouse, slow-cooked brisket and buffalo cauliflower here are bueno.

280 Bridge Road, Richmond, VIC 3121

Perfect for hitting after a night at the movies, Primo is known for its amazing gluten-free pizzas, but is also gaining a reputation for its seafood bisque spaghetti, served with spinach casarecce. This cosy place is a Westgarth fave, and you might just spot some well known comedic and musical creatives when you’re here.

104 High St, Northcote VIC 3070

Restaurant founders Nondas and Maria Konstandakopoulos wanted to capture the late-night vibe of London and New York, and so in 1978, Stalactites was born – ever since it’s been considered as instrumental to Melbourne’s transformation into a fun and energetic late-night city. Head chef Dimitra Melios has been part of the scene since it opened, serving up an authentic Greek dining experience plus daily specials for the black board wall. In 2019, Stalactites became the first Greek restaurant in Australia, alongside its younger sibling Hella Good, to be accredited by Coeliac Australia. Stalactites has decades-long regulars and is firmly embedded in Melbourne’s culture – it’s time you see what this local icon is all about.

177/183 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000

This pop-up food truck is now two years into the game and has gained cult status for its gluten-free ramen, with a soy/dashi-based broth. Fried chicken lovers can get their gluten-free kaarage fix here too. The Iron Ramen team has just announced a visit to Japan for another stint at ramen school, so expect more mind-blowing and authentic bowls to turn up soon.

Various locations

Restaurant 317 opened its doors in 2005 when founder Pierre Sande, who has coeliac disease, was unable to dine at any trusted venue in Sydney. His vision was to create a space for people who need to dine gluten free to indulge in quality food that is healthy, accessible, affordable and diverse. With an inclusive menu that caters to vegetarians, vegans, those that require Halal – and of course kids – this Parramatta institution has a fiercely loyal clientele who even travel from interstate. We hear one of the favourite regulars are a husband and wife in their 70s who dine there every Monday afternoon at the same table and order the same dish. We want what they’re having.

317 Church St, Parramatta NSW 2150

This family owned, entirely gluten-free cafe on the Redlands Coast is famous for its amazing cakes and grazing boxes. Early risers love that Meraka GF is open daily from 7am for a great coffee, and the breakfast goes all day. Fridays and Saturdays extend to dinner, with Mexican black bean nachos, gourmet pizzas and chicken satay skewers on the menu. Psst: we hear gluten-free cocktails are in the making!

55-56/133 Broadwater Terrace, Redland Bay QLD 4165

If you’ve been craving pies since going gluten free, Dine with Joy in Loganholme, Queensland is your go-to. You’ll find fave fillings such as chicken, beef and lamb curries in single and family sized versions to feed your crowd, alongside other classics from potato bakes to shepherd’s pie to grab for dinner. But beyond the famous pies, Dine with Joy specialises in South African cuisine, with gluten-free versions of bobotie, breyanis, vetkoek and even melktert on the menu.

Shop 2/1 Bryants Road, Loganholme, Queensland

You’ve got to give it to The Duke of Brunswick, the only Coeliac Australia Accredited dining pub in South Australia. This seriously social venue offers a 100 per cent gluten-free menu including a wide range of drinks available (mostly gluten free). Check out the classic chicken schnitzel, hot dog with the lot or even the Indonesian style nasi goreng. Our hot tip is the house-made waffles. This is one incredibly accommodating kitchen: whether it’s paleo, keto, FODMAP, low GI, garlic or onion intolerance, vegan, vegetarian or even pescatarian there’s nothing too hard for the team. This could be the gold standard of allergy-safe dining in Adelaide.

207 Gilbert St, Adelaide SA 5000

Watch this space as we continue to share more great gluten-free dining destinations, accredited by Coeliac Australia.