Gluten Free Dublin, Ireland

Exploring Dublin

I’ve had quite a few emails asking about what it’s like travelling gluten free in Ireland. As Ireland and Scotland are so close I am lucky to have had the opportunity to explore this beautiful country but this was before I found out I was celiac. I plan to return at some point in the near future but for now I thought I’d speak to my friend and fellow gluten free traveller, Sile Farrell, about what it’s like living as a celiac in Ireland.

Sile lives in Dublin and was diagnosed as celiac ten years ago. She is a very sensitive celiac and she gets very sick if she is contaminated by the smallest amount of gluten. For this reason Sile eats out only at restaurants which she knows and trusts to be safe for celiacs. These are the celiac friendly places she told me about.

Trinity College

Prego’s and Manifesto are a couple of celiac friendly Italian restaurants in the Dublin area which are run differently but owned by the same family. Both restaurants are extremely celiac friendly. As the owners have a family member with celiac disease they know how to prepare gluten free dishes and understand the serious threat of cross contamination. Prego’s is outside of the city in a place called Ballyowen Shopping Centre, Luca, County Dublin (7 miles west of city centre, just off the N4) but Manifesto is only a short walk (20 mins) from the Dublin city centre. (208 Lower Rathmines Road, Rathmines, Dublin 6) Manifesto offers a variety of gluten free pasta, pizza and dessert. Their menu clearly states which dishes are gluten free.

FXB  in the famous Temple Bar area of Dublin is a celiac friendly steak house.

Carluccio’s is an Italian chain with restaurants at many locations throughout the UK and Ireland, including Dublin (at 52 Dawson Street). They have a separate gluten free menu which features a whole bunch of different options including antipasti, salads, gluten free pasta, mains and desserts.

A lovely city

Siam Thai on St Andrew Street, Dublin 2 is an excellent place which understands dietary requirements. On their menu, dishes which ‘Can be made coeliac friendly’ are labelled as so and a large percentage of their dishes have this symbol. A good selection of their soups, salads, curries, stir fry dishes and vegetarian dishes can be made gluten free. I love Thai food so this will probably be my first stop when I next find myself gluten free travelling in Dublin.

Trocadero also on St Andrews Street is another coeliac friendly restaurant in Dublin. Their menu clearly states with a ‘C’ which options are suitable for coeliacs. Examples of coeliac friendly dishes are Butternut Squash Soup, Smoked Irish Salmon, Pea and Pancetta Risotto, Sea Bass Fillets and for dessert, Raspberry and Passionfruit Cheesecake and Creme Brulee. Yum!

Itsa Bagel at Arnotts Cafe on Abbey Street does gluten free bagels.

Cornucopia on Wicklow Street in Dublin is a really tasty vegetarian restaurant which offers a large selection of gluten free options, as well as yeast free and egg free options. They use locally grown and organic produce as much as possible. They do gluten free breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert options and as their menu changes daily you should check with the restaurant to find out which gluten free options are available.

Kilkenny Restaurant in the design centre on Nassau St does a variety of gluten free options. They offer soup, sandwiches and main courses suitable for coeliacs. The selection changes daily so check with staff which gluten free options are available.

Ireland, like many other countries, has legal requirements when it comes to gluten free labelling. All pre-packed foods in Ireland, similar to the UK, are covered Codex Standard labelling. You can find more about this legislation here on the Coeliac Society of Ireland site. If you are planning a gluten free trip to Dublin or to anywhere in Ireland, The Coeliac Society of Ireland is a great resource. Here you can find information on reading labels, supermarket shopping, accommodations and eating out as a celiac in Ireland. They even have a specific section for visitors to Ireland. Similar to Coeliac UK, the Irish association also provides a Safe Food List for members making supermarket shopping a much simpler and less stressful experience.

Have you travelled gluten free to Dublin. Did you eat anywhere that was super duper awesome and should be added to this list? Let me know by commenting below…