We visited Edinburgh for the second time in April 2015 and I found it to be even better than I ever remembered. It is a great place for gluten free & dairy free choices; I would highly recommend it! So here are some of my favourite Gluten Free Edinburgh destinations. (In no particular order!) Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this post for a Gluten Free Edinburgh video guide!
1. Loudons, 94b Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, EH3 9QA.
Loudons is a lovely, open and spacious cafe. It serves amazing breakfasts, brunches, lunches & cakes. There is a huge range of gluten free, dairy free, vegan & nut free cakes which are all baked in their onsite bakery. They also bake all their own gluten free bread downstairs in the bakery – which is amazing! You can even buy a loaf of bread to takeaway. I would highly recommend the Gluten Free & Vegan Banana Coconut Pancakes; plus the Smoked Salmon & Scrambled Eggs (on home baked gluten free toast) was the best I’ve ever had! The staff are incredibly welcoming & knowledgable on allergens so you can definitely rest easy at Loudons!
2. Urban Angel, 121 Hanover Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1DJ.
Urban Angel is a beautiful cafe, tucked away at the lower end of Hanover Street. It is only a few minutes walk from the lovely shopping of George Street & is well worth a trip. Everything on their menu can be made gluten free and the staff are very well informed on all allergens. All the bread including the outstanding gluten free bread is baked by expert baker Caroline at the local Archipelago Artisan Bakery. She also bakes a wide range of cakes for Urban Angel, many of which are gluten free! Urban Angel have a specials menu daily as well as serving a wide selection of brunch & lunch options. I highly recommend trying their smoked haddock, alongside some scrambled eggs, avocado & gluten free toast. The cafe gets very busy so it might be worth getting down early or even booking!
3. Elephants and Bagels, 32 Marshall Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9BJ.
Elephants and Bagels is situated not far from the University of Edinburgh. It is always busy with students & locals. It is the sister of Elephant House (the famous “Birthplace of Harry Potter”), but a little less well known. Elephants and Bagels is exactly that… a bagel cafe that loves elephants! The walls are covered in pictures of elephants that customers have drawn whilst indulging in a bagel. Gluten Free Bagels are served here and the choice of fillings is extensive. It is the perfect relaxing breakfast or lunch spot & is perfect for any one on a gluten free diet.
4. MUMS, 4a Forrest Road, Edinburgh, EH1 2QN.
Mum’s is a charming little restaurant that I have visited on both occasions I have visited Edinburgh. Mum’s is all about Great Comfort Food. They believe ‘gourmet’ should be for everyone, but it doesn’t have to be all ‘poncey’. Gourmet can infact revolve around comfort food! Mum’s is best known for its amazing sausages & mash dish. They do no less than 15 different varieties of mash & have a great selection of different sausages, all of which are 100% gluten free. I really love the whole concept of Great Comfort Food & Mum’s has put this term into practice perfectly. This is a place for everyone, & I highly recommend giving it a try. It’s not a huge restaurant and it does get busy in the evenings so it might be an idea to book.
5. Elephant House, 21 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EN.
Elephant House is quite a tourist hot spot in Edinburgh due to it’s associations with JK Rowling & Harry Potter. It’s a nice cafe to have a look in and many folk get a little photo outside. The menu in terms of savoury food doesn’t offer a whole lot for those on a gluten free diet, beyond a baked potato, which is somewhat disappointing. However, what it lacks in terms of gluten free, savoury lunch food it makes up for in it’s gluten free cake selection! I spoke to a member of the team whilst in Edinburgh & she told me that the baker is on a gluten free diet & so she dedicates most of her baking time to creating gluten free cakes. A fresh batch of cakes comes in each afternoon around 4pm so we headed down to grab some. The gluten free peanut butter blondie & rocky road I can highly recommend. If you in the area, go & grab some cake!
6. Union of Genius, 8 Forrest Road, Edinburgh EH1 2QN.
Union of Genius is known best for its amazing selection of soups. It was Scotland’s first soup cafe & is likely one of the very best across the country. They serve a range of freshly made soups, which change with the seasons and on a daily basis. The soups are all gluten free & many are dairy free as well as there being some vegan options too. All the soups come served in single casserole dishes with a large hunk of bread. You will be pleased to know that you can choose from gluten free sliced bread or a gluten free roll to go with your soup (or GF Oatcakes/Ricecakes if you prefer!). They also offer a range of different cakes, and their are always some gluten free options… 100% amazeballs!
7. Hula Juice Bar, 103-105 West Bow, Edinburgh EH1 2JP.
Hula Juice Bar is based just on the edge of the Grassmarket area of Edinburgh. It’s a perfect place to come for breakfast, lunch, a slice of cake or a delicious smoothie. Nearly the entire menu can be made gluten free by switching to gluten free bread which is always readily available. Gluten Free & Dairy Free Cakes are always available too. We tried an amazing gluten free & dairy free coconut & blueberry slice when we visited which was really tasty. My favourite thing about the Hula Juice Bar has to be their selection of smoothies, juices & shakes. They are all made from completely fresh ingredients, nothing false. If I had to recommend you one to try I would go for the Betty Ford (Peach, Strawberry, Banana, Apple)!
8. Mamma’s Pizza, 30 The Grassmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2JU.
Mamma’s was a favourite for us from our first visit to Edinburgh. Situated right in the middle of the Grassmarket it is easily accessible from the castle area. Mamma’s serves up amazing pizzas on homemade gluten free bases. The bases are really delicious & the extensive variety of topping means you really can create your own pizza. From traditional Scottish toppings to exotic toppings such as Cactus or just delicious toppings like Avocado & Pepperoni, there is something to tantalise everyone’s tastebuds! If you’d prefer something else, there are other non pizza gluten free options too, as well as starters & desserts suitable for the gluten free diet.
9. Tupiniquim, The Green Police Box, Lauriston Place, Edinburgh, EH1 9AU.
Tupiniquim is probably my favourite find of the entire Edinburgh trip! An understated green police box at the very top of the meadows is Tupinquim’s home. It is easy to find, situated in the heart of the city & not far from the University of Edinburgh. Tupiniquim is a Brazilian Crepe House where all crepes/pancakes are 100% gluten free. The selection of fillings is vast and varied, from savoury to sweet & plenty of daily specials too. Tupiniquim also create vegan & dairy free pancakes using an almond milk mixture, which comes out equally as well & tastes really delicious. The couple who run it are very knowledgable on allergens and take a huge amount of pride from running their gluten free pancake stall. It was a pleasure to wait for my Gluten Free & Vegan ‘Monkey Delight’ Pancake (Banana, Agave, Cinnamon & Pecans) in their presence. They bring a touch of Brazilian Street Food to Edinburgh and I’m so grateful that they do! If there is one thing you don’t want to miss out on during your time in Edinburgh, it’s a gluten free pancake from Tupiniquim.
10. Real Foods, 37 Broughton Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3JU.
Real Foods is the Whole Foods of Edinburgh. It’s like your local health food shop but so much better. It offers a wide range of different free from products, many of which you might regularly see in your local supermarket and a few different ones too. So if you forget anything whilst in Edinburgh or need a free from snack this is the place to come. For us, this was a great find as we were staying in an apartment. We were able to buy our favourite gluten free breakfast cereals at Real Foods as well as fresh gluten free breads from brands such as Just. They also stocked a wide range of dairy free cheeses, milks & even vegan samosas (Mark enjoyed a few of these!). So if you are in need of some free from snacks whilst in Edinburgh, I would highly recommend Real Foods. It’s the perfect place to grab some picnic food for a trip to Edinburgh Zoo… a great day out with limited gluten free options.
11. La Favorita, Various Locations Across the City!
La Favorita is my number one top pick if you are staying in an apartment whilst you are in Edinburgh (or if you live close by). La Favorita is an amazing Pizza Takeaway and Delivery Service that creates beyond amazing Gluten Free Pizzas. The Gluten Free Pizza Bases are all freshly made and are absolute perfection in terms of thickness, texture and flavour. What is even better about La Favorita is that they also offer Dairy Free / Vegan Cheese on all of their Pizzas. They use one of our favourite dairy free cheeses as well, Mozzarisella! Seriously I would definitely suggest a night in during your trip to Edinburgh just to indulge in a gluten free and / or dairy free pizza from heaven! La Favorita deliver as well, which is a massive bonus if you don’t have a car, you can also order online. I can definitely tell why La Favorita is thought of so highly amongst pizza lovers. I have never eaten a pizza quite as good as the one I had from La Favorita!
Other gluten free and free from destinations in Edinburgh…
Vittoria on the Bridge -An Italian Restaurant that is part of The Vittoria Group which also runs La Favorita! If you want to eat out at a restaurant rather than getting a takeaway you might like to visit Vittoria on the Bridge. It serves gluten free pizzas similarly to La Favorita as well as a wide range of gluten free pasta dishes. The menu is well equipped for all allergies, with plenty of choices available for everyone.
Café Andaluz – A Spanish Restaurant that has an ever changing selection of delicious tapas. There are plenty of Gluten Free options on the menu here & it is situated in a great location on George Street.
Chip Inn – Unfortunately a place I was unable to get to due to not having a car. But I heard plenty of top reviews regarding The Chip Inn. It is the only fish and chip shop in the Edinburgh area that I have found that serves gluten free fish and chips on a regular basis. So if you are able to travel a little further out of the city centre the Chip Inn might be somewhere you would like to try!
Howies – There are a couple of Howies easily accessible in the centre of Edinburgh. Howies has a great selection of gluten free options on the menu & prides itself on its fresh, local, Scottish food. It’s the perfect destination for a lovely lunch or dinner out in the heart of the city.
Roseleaf Bar / Cafe – Again, this is another great destination for allergen friendly food that is a little bit further outside of Edinburgh City Centre. Their menu is wholesome and delicious and runs from 10am every morning till 10pm at night. The menu is jammed pack full of hearty Scottish dishes, plenty of which are gluten free & dairy free. If you fancy a proper cosy meal out of the city in the Port ‘o Leith then the Roseleaf might just be the place for you!
Of course you have all your standard chain restaurants that offer gluten free and allergen friendly menus. The likes of TGI Fridays, Pizza Express, Las Iguanas, Nandos, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Chiquitos, La Tasca & Zizzis are available throughout the city centre of Edinburgh if you would prefer.
Why read about where to eat out gluten free in Edinburgh when you can watch! Check out some of my top tips for Edinburgh below!
Edinburgh is definitely one of my favourite cities and I can’t wait till our next trip. I hope that you all get the chance to visit as well. It’s an amazing city for all ages & at all times of year. Christmas in Edinburgh is beautiful & I’ve heard Edinburgh Fringe Festival is one of the very best. Everyday is a great day in Edinburgh so make the most of it and enjoy plenty of gluten free food whilst your at it!
Thanks for reading,
Becky xxx
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11 of the Best Gluten Free Destinations in Edinburgh
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